drill / impact driver review

[thestinker]

Howdy all-

I decided to get the 18v ryobi impact driver and 2 speed 18v hammer drill. I had read all kinds of stuff about the impact drivers, but had just never gotten one. Holy cow!!!! These things are magnificent. I will never use a regular drill for driving screws again. If you dont own one, go get one right now. I was also quite impressed with the hammer drill. It is replacing a dewalt 14.4 drill. I am going to keep the dewalt, just the bateries were dead, not holding a charge and had lost most of their spunk. The ryobi was much cheaper than 2 dewalt batteries so I figured what the heck. I haven't drilled any concrete yet, but the drill will mix tile mud like nothing else, which says quite a bit to me.

[sacherjj]

Pick up a hex to 3/8" socket adapter and you will love it more.

I remembered reading about these for a year on here, but finally getting one made it all make sense. The only downside is that I wear hearing protection when working with them and I didn't have to with a drill. If find that the slowdown when in hammer mode gives me more driving control then the clutch setting on a drill. The only downside is the possibility of snapping off screw heads, because you don't have the clutch. With a good coutersink drill set for wood screws, this hasn't been an issue for me.

I also like that the hammering drive doesn't require you to push in with hundreds of pounds just to get the screw not to strip, as with a drill. Although, come to think of it... I've been using McFeeley square drive screws most of the time too. That was also a revelation.

[BrazosJake]

Welcome to the ID club, stink. They rock!

BTW, good to see a fellow Cowtowner:-)

[TheRic]

I have a Ridgid 18V impact driver, I love it!! I use it for about everything, except drilling a hole. After using it for a while I can get pretty close to how tight I want something by the feel. It seems like I have more control of putting screws, bolts, etc in, then I did with a clutch drill.

Stripping a screw head, don't remember the last time I did that. I have to admit I have snapped off several screw heads, specially when I first got it. But the head was not stripped!!

There was a group of people, all with different big name drills. They were trying to take a screw out (one of those here let me try, I'll show you how to do it, etc). They had stripped it trying to take it out. I know because when I put it in, it was fine. The guys were practically laying on the drills, trying to get it out (was drilled down, on the back of a flat bed semi-trailer). I walked up, using one hand I reached over, I was still on the ground, and took it right out. They all gave me funny looks, as I was turning around to head back. I held up the drill said "impact driver", and smiled all the way back to my truck.

My brother frames houses for a living. I have tried to tell him the advantages of an impact drill. He thinks I'm full of it. He thinks putting his drill in hammer mode is the same, WRONG. I know once he tries one, and uses it for a little while he will love it.

[BigguyZ]

Well, I asked for two ryobi tools this Christmas. The impact driver and the right angle drill. I can't wait to get them and do some projects! I bought one when I was doing some auto repair work (I had some badly-rusted bolts in the wheel well), but ended up returning it because a $5 torque bar worked to get the bolts loose! Probably would have been safer to use the driver. But now it's not my$$ so I don't feel bad about getting a tool that has a limited use (though it does what it does well).

Also, I remember a while back when consumer reports did a review on impact drivers... The Ryobi rated highly.

[leehljp]

I second, third and fourth everything good everyone said about the impact drivers.

Merely looking at an impact driver and a cordless drill together, any logical thinking person will not think that there is that much difference, and if there is a difference, the advantage would be to the drill. But it ain't so with screws, bolts and nuts - by a long shot.

[steve-u]

They are great. I got a great deal on a new Bosch 12V Impactor on Ebay. When I wanted to remove the blade from my lawn mower to sharpen it I always had to use the old back and brute force method to get it off. Just for yuks I used the Bosch Impactor and blocked the blade so that it could not move and it came right off without any complaint.

Steve