Do Dewalt 12V Impact drivers ever go on sale?

[HarmsWay]

I have a 12V drill I really like but can't justify paying for new batteries. However, if I were to get a Dewalt 12V impact driver kit I'd have a couple more batteries (and the impact driver which would be useful). I've never seen them on sale though. I had expected that once the 18V and 14V batteries took over they'd sell the 12V stuff off.

Bob

[skruffy]

Bob, that's exactly what I did when the batteries on my 12v DeWalt drill wouldn't hold a charge any more. I patiently waited for a sale, but one never came. Instead I ended up buying a recon from Toolking. I just took a quick look and don't see it on their site any more, but eBay had recons at the time too.

I wouldn't hesitate to go the Toolking recon route again, what I got looked brand new and has served me very well for the year or so that I've had it now. I feel like I got a heck of a deal.

Also, you'll find that the there are 3 different model DeWalt 12v impact drivers. I got the DW053K-2, which is the 1/2" square drive. It has more torque than the hex: 1,400in-lbs vs 1,000. I occasionally use 1/2" drive sockets on it but I usually keep a 1/2" to 3/8" adapter and a craftsman socket on it so I can use any typical bit on there. This gives me a bit more flexibility as well as the torque of many 14v or 18v drivers. If I remember right, it was also about $10 cheaper because they are less popular.

Another option is the Black & Decker PS130 12 volt Firestorm batteries. They run about $25 compared to $50 for the DeWalt batteries. They aren't XRP packs so they may run out a bit sooner, but at half the price they may be worth a try for you.

[ironhat]

Ditto what skruffy said about TooKing recons. Another thought is to have your battereies rebuilt for about half the going rate for new. I just had some old Makitas redone and I have no complaints. They claim that they have more capacity than the originals. I can't vouche for that. I don't recall the name of the company but they are located in Bedford, PA.

Later,
Chiz

[spykmyk]

Bob the DW053K-2 that Skruffy mentioned is at toolking new for $219. I did a quick search for you and I found it refurbished at tyler tool and on sale for 129.95 plus 6.95 flat rate shipping.

I never ordered from this company before and to be honest, I'm not even sure if that is a great price but I found it, so I figured I'd pass this info along.

here is the link:

spykmyk

http://www.tylertool.com/redw12vimwrk1.html

[Andrew Benedetto]

That is a good price but I hate the dent pin ; that tool has it like on my Milwaukee 18v. hog ring which is the standard on air impacts is much better.
Each time you add any adaptor or extension the applied torque decreases BTW.
Hitachi/amazon has adaptors that are short to change to hex QD if you want that.
The batteries are XR nor XRP which have a lower rating in AH.

[HarmsWay]

The B&D Firestorm PS130 batteries fit the Dewalt drills? I realize they're owned by the same parent company but that just makes too much sense.

I'm a little leery of reconditioned cordless tools because of the batteries. Very tempting though at that price. Unfortunately they don't ship outside the US anyway and that seems to go for many places like that.

The whole battery thing bugs me. I've already got a perfectly good Milwaukee drill gathering dust because the batteries are dead. I guess I should just try getting some batteries rebuilt. When I checked into that a few years ago, it was only marginally cheaper than buying a new drill/batteries/charger, but it looks like prices of cells have come down.

Thanks for all the info!

Bob

[skruffy]

That is a good price but I hate the dent pin ; that tool has it like on my Milwaukee 18v. hog ring which is the standard on air impacts is much better.

Good point on the pin - it is a bit of a pain and the ring on an air impact is much better. I don't change mine much, so it doesn't bother me very often. But if you're changing 1/2" sockets (not hex bits) often, this is something to keep in mind.

[BrazosJake]

Lowes closed out the DW052 a couple years ago. I picked up a demo unit for $50 and it has become my favorite cordless tool.

I use PS130 batteries from my old B&D firestorm, they don't last long. I also bought a 12v NIMH off of Ebay once, it needed a little tweaking to fit but works OK. I've got one dead PS130 that will probably go to battery rebuilders.

[tojan19]

If you've already got good batteries I'd check ebay. You can pick up a bare tool (ie no batteries) for a lot less. I just got the 18v hex impact for about $95. There are also places to recondition batteries if they are dead. There is a place the guys on woodnet have talked about. I can't remember the name. You can get a pair of batteries rebuilt for the price of a single new one.

[ironhat]

Here's the battery rebuild service which has done well by me. http://www.primecell.com/index.html

Later,
Chiz

[liftoff621@hotmail.com]

Another Tool King Recon Success

I also did the same as skruffy, but purchased a reconditioned DeWalt 12v Model #052 Impact (hex drive) from Tool King. It is the driving tool I use the most. Much lighter and smaller than my 18v Ridgid. I paid $119 about a year ago. I kept waiting for a DeWalt 12 volt drill sale in order to get additional new batteries. Instead, I got a 12v Hitachi drill almost for free when purchased with a M12V2 router during a recent Amazon sale. Router and drill package came to about $160 with free shipping.

[BrazosJake]

Well, Amazon says the Bosch 12v ID kit is $149.95, but when I add it to my cart, it comes out $186. $149 looks good if you can get it:

http://www.amazon.com/Bosch-23612-Im...215056&sr=1-67