# Best Cordless Impact and Why



## jakejorgenson (Mar 17, 2009)

I don't have an impact drill but I'm starting to see a lot of them around on my jobs and it seems like everybody I talk to loves them. I'm thinking about getting one but don't know what to really look for or what the best ones are. I do have a full set of Ryobi cordless tools (got most of them in one of the package deals a couple years ago) but I wasn't sure if I wanted to go that route. My batteries for that setup are about shot and I have to get new batteries also as they won't hold a charge long at all now so thus I'm open to completely different options. Maybe it is best to just get the Ryobi and get new batteries? Maybe something else is better? Thanks.


----------



## jeffaah (Apr 3, 2008)

I've owned DeWalt, Bosch, Hitachi and Makita impacts and used the Rigid a lot....All 18v. 

I like the Makita LXT the best by far. It's the most comfortable to hold, has great driving power, charges super fast and is lith-ion. 

Plus they offer a wide variety of other quality tools. I own 3 impacts, 3 drills, circ saw, recip saw, grinder, SDS drill, radio....and will soon be buying a jigsaw.


----------



## WarnerConstInc. (Jan 30, 2008)

too loud, too noisy, dont remember where mine is.


----------



## griz (Nov 26, 2009)

jeffaah said:


> I've owned DeWalt, Bosch, Hitachi and Makita impacts and used the Rigid a lot....All 18v.
> 
> I like the Makita LXT the best by far. It's the most comfortable to hold, has great driving power, charges super fast and is lith-ion.
> 
> Plus they offer a wide variety of other quality tools. I own 3 impacts, 3 drills, circ saw, recip saw, grinder, SDS drill, radio....and will soon be buying a jigsaw.


x2 on the Makita, pretty much for what he said.:thumbsup:


----------



## The Coastal Craftsman (Jun 29, 2009)

Also a :thumbsup: for the makita. Mine is going on over 5 years now and its still going strong. Also have one of the original cells that come with it still running it.


----------



## DrewD (Jun 10, 2007)

Aren't loud and noisy just the same thing? I have the Dewalt 18V Li-Ion and I love it. I actually have two now since I was getting sick of people always asking to borrow mine. If you are in the market for a new cordless tool I would suggest either stay in the family you are currently in or pick a new one to go all in on. I can see why some one would have an impact one brand, a drill a different and a circular saw a different one still. One battery to rule them all, one battery to find them, one battery to bring them all and in the darkness bind them. Or something like that.


----------



## Warren (Feb 19, 2005)

I have had B&D, Ridgid, Bosch, Dewalt, and Hitachi. I have also used the Milwaukee. Once you start using an impact, you will never be without one again. They are loud though, all of them. I love my Bosch 12v. I use it the most. Only problem is that is is the slowest of them all.


----------



## tcleve4911 (Mar 26, 2006)

griz said:


> x2 on the Makita, pretty much for what he said.:thumbsup:


X3










Bought this guy in 2006
Set many a many screw, bolt, lag and more..........


----------



## Erikfsn (Dec 6, 2009)

After borrowing a friend's impact once, I was happy to discover that it was one tool I was never, ever having to spend a dime on. 

I am completely uninterested in ever owning one.

I have a drill that does what any impact is supposed to do, but quietly.

Have you ever noticed on a construction site there is one thing you pretty much always have too much of? Noise. It's so freaking loud already, why people want to needlessly add to the racket is beyond me.


----------



## tcleve4911 (Mar 26, 2006)

Have you ever used one?


----------



## Warren (Feb 19, 2005)

Erikfsn said:


> After borrowing a friend's impact once, I was happy to discover that it was one tool I was never, ever having to spend a dime on.
> 
> I am completely uninterested in ever owning one.
> 
> ...


I have heard this from people who have never used one. An impact is more powerful, but also has a lighter touch to avoid stripping out the screw. Bout the only thing the impact doesn't do better is drilling holes.


----------



## The Coastal Craftsman (Jun 29, 2009)

My mate used to say the same thing until he used mine. He couldn't get used to the power though lol. I find they remove screws much easier than a drill can and they are snap screws a lot less. The impacting action really helps. Plus people forget how powerful they are for their size. My drill is twice the size and I wouldn't want to be using that all day long to put screws in.


----------



## RobertCDF (Aug 18, 2005)

We have 4 of the big makitas and 2 of the 10.8s. I personally hate them and avoid using them at all costs they make too much noise and I can do just as much with a drill.


----------



## The Coastal Craftsman (Jun 29, 2009)

RobertCDF said:


> We have 4 of the big makitas and 2 of the 10.8s. I personally hate them and avoid using them at all costs they make too much noise and I can do just as much with a drill.


Do you not find the impact more powerful? Most impacts are about 3 times more powerful than their drill counter parts of same voltage. I find my drill no where near as nice to drive long screws and lags. They also get nuts nice and tight also. Plus the size and weight is a nice feature of impacts. Guess I'm used to the noise now. Been using impacts for over 7 years and the noise ain't bothered me one bit.


----------



## Erikfsn (Dec 6, 2009)

tcleve4911 said:


> Have you ever used one?


I'm not quite sure how I could have determined they were unnecessarily loud and obnoxious without having used one?


----------



## angus242 (Oct 20, 2007)

I don't understand those who have issue with the noise. Do you not use a miter saw, vacuum or nail gun too? Aren't those all loud too?

The performance of an impact over a regular drill is pretty huge. I'm thinking a set of ear plugs and all problems are solved. 

Also, I don't have an issue with the 1.5 batteries. They might not last as long but they charge twice as quick. I can charge them in 15 mins. I have never fully discharged the 1.5 batteries in 15 minutes. As long as I have power to charge them, I've never had an issue with the 1.5 battery.


----------



## WarnerConstInc. (Jan 30, 2008)

angus242 said:


> I don't understand those who have issue with the noise. Do you not use a miter saw, vacuum or nail gun too? Aren't those all loud too?
> 
> The performance of an impact over a regular drill is pretty huge. I'm thinking a set of ear plugs and all problems are solved.
> 
> Also, I don't have an issue with the 1.5 batteries. They might not last as long but they charge twice as quick. I can charge them in 15 mins. I have never fully discharged the 1.5 batteries in 15 minutes. As long as I have power to charge them, I've never had an issue with the 1.5 battery.



My miter saw is fairly quite.:laughing:

I just don't like the noise and the itchy triggers.

Had a couple, have not used them in a couple years at least.


----------



## angus242 (Oct 20, 2007)

WarnerConstInc. said:


> My miter saw is fairly quite.:laughing:
> 
> I just don't like the noise and the itchy triggers.
> 
> Had a couple, have not used them in a couple years at least.


You're getting so sensitive in your old age :whistling








:w00t:


----------



## WarnerConstInc. (Jan 30, 2008)

angus242 said:


> You're getting so sensitive in your old age :whistling
> 
> 
> 
> ...


It set in at the ripe old age of 30:laughing:


----------



## JT Wood (Dec 17, 2007)

I like ryobi cause it's cheap and has been reliable for 2 yrs.

not bad for $40


----------



## RobertCDF (Aug 18, 2005)

KennMacMoragh said:


> For those who think a regular drill works just as good as the impacts. This video gives a pretty good demo http://www.finehomebuilding.com/videos/index.aspx?id=97546&c=3 Watch the comparison two minutes into it. And I wear earplugs, so the noise isn't much of an issue.
> 
> My Milwauke cordless drills have taken a lot of abuse and still work fine, all their other cordless tools are crap though. If I were to buy a new impact drill, I would probably go with either Makita or Panasonic.


That is the worst comparison there can be, the drill was set on slow speed and it was an old Ridgid. Who uses a drill on the slow speed? No wonder you guys hate drills if you don't know how to use your drill then of course you're going to like a stupid proof impact driver better.


----------



## The Coastal Craftsman (Jun 29, 2009)

RobertCDF said:


> That is the worst comparison there can be, the drill was set on slow speed and it was an old Ridgid. Who uses a drill on the slow speed? No wonder you guys hate drills if you don't know how to use your drill then of course you're going to like a stupid proof impact driver better.


Good luck driving anything on the fast speed. You have less than around 200 in/lb which is sod all when driving anything of decent length into wood. Compaire that to 1400 in/lb from a impact driver. That's what's nice about impacts. They are fast and powerful. Shame they are so loud though.


----------



## aptpupil (Jun 12, 2010)

i own both the old style milwaukee (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0..._m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=0CAFTN5PR5RDVJ12ZTV0) and the new style (compact) makita that everyone loves so much (http://www.amazon.com/Makita-LCT300...ref=sr_1_4?s=hi&ie=UTF8&qid=1291154682&sr=1-4). i reach for the makita more often, but it definitely lacks the power of the milwaukee. i actually like using the impact driver to bore holes using the irwin self-feed bits. it's not as dangerous or cumbersome as a hole hawg and only a bit slower. the makita doesn't handle that task as well. the milwaukee is also better when putting in screws in a floor because it's faster and its weight helps drive them in. the makita is better for driving screws on walls/ceilings and in awkward places because of its size/weight.
if you're getting the combo kit (and you should) then i think the milwaukee clearly has the better drill. i use it for mixing thinset and it can drill big holes all day long. the makita is wimpy by comparison, but good enough for most of the handyman type stuff that i do. it also has a better case which has enough extra room for spare bits, glasses, hearing protection and a tape measure.


----------



## Winchester (Jun 29, 2008)

aptpupil said:


> i own both the old style milwaukee (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0..._m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=0CAFTN5PR5RDVJ12ZTV0) and the new style (compact) makita that everyone loves so much (http://www.amazon.com/Makita-LCT300...ref=sr_1_4?s=hi&ie=UTF8&qid=1291154682&sr=1-4). i reach for the makita more often, but it definitely lacks the power of the milwaukee. i actually like using the impact driver to bore holes using the irwin self-feed bits. it's not as dangerous or cumbersome as a hole hawg and only a bit slower. the makita doesn't handle that task as well. the milwaukee is also better when putting in screws in a floor because it's faster and its weight helps drive them in. the makita is better for driving screws on walls/ceilings and in awkward places because of its size/weight.
> if you're getting the combo kit (and you should) then i think the milwaukee clearly has the better drill. i use it for mixing thinset and it can drill big holes all day long. the makita is wimpy by comparison, but good enough for most of the handyman type stuff that i do. it also has a better case which has enough extra room for spare bits, glasses, hearing protection and a tape measure.



wait... you mix thinset with a cordless? :blink:

Does anybody else do that?


----------



## aptpupil (Jun 12, 2010)

forgot to add that the milwaukee is built like a ******* tank. out of utter frustration one time i threw it onto a concrete slab as hard as i could. it landed with a thud and worked perfectly fine afterwards. that was almost a year ago.


----------



## aptpupil (Jun 12, 2010)

Winchester said:


> wait... you mix thinset with a cordless? :blink:
> 
> Does anybody else do that?


yeah, keep it under 200 RPM and everyone's happy. that's another thing about the milwaukee - it has good throttle control.


----------



## Northwood (Jan 6, 2010)

The Makita you referred to is the 1.5amp. The 3.0amp should have more power wouldn't it? Or is it just longer lasting?

Anyways I have the Makitas (3.0amp) and have seen their drills in many reviews by FHBuilding and the like; They never come close to winning for driving power, or speed _BUT_ most reviewers seem to love them and even prefer them to better performers. They always get a lot of praise it seems. And so many people on here who own them like them. 

I feel the same about mine, I've never thought 'man I wish these were more powerful' but just about every time I use them I think about how much I like them.


----------



## aptpupil (Jun 12, 2010)

my understanding is that it's 3.0 amp hours, so, yeah, more time with the same amount of power. i actually bought the combo kit with the two small batteries and then bought one of the 3.0ah batteries so that i'd never be without power for all three devices while on the road.


----------



## The Coastal Craftsman (Jun 29, 2009)

Northwood said:


> The Makita you referred to is the 1.5amp. The 3.0amp should have more power wouldn't it? Or is it just longer lasting?
> 
> Anyways I have the Makitas (3.0amp) and have seen their drills in many reviews by FHBuilding and the like; They never come close to winning for driving power, or speed _BUT_ most reviewers seems to love them and even prefer them to better performers. They always get a lot of praise it seems. And so many people on here who own them like them.
> 
> I feel the same about mine, I've never thought 'man I wish these were more powerful' but just about every time I use them I think about how much I like them.


The thing with the makitas is they are well rounded. They have good battery tech, with good chargers, with good build quality, comfortable, good range of tools designed around one battery style with good power and good prices. They don't really win in every classification but they put together a great well rounded tool. Power in the end is not a feature to make the tool the best. I'm more concerned about battery quality and charge times over power. Most tools are all around the same power ratings anyway. Your battery quality have far more affect on a tools performance than almost any one factor.


----------



## The Coastal Craftsman (Jun 29, 2009)

aptpupil said:


> my understanding is that it's 3.0 amp hours, so, yeah, more time with the same amount of power. i actually bought the combo kit with the two small batteries and then bought one of the 3.0ah batteries so that i'd never be without power for all three devices while on the road.


The higher AH batteries can put out more power. They can supply double the constant discharge rate compared to the 1.5ah cells. This only really matters on tools like the angle grinder, jigsaw and circular saw type tools as they can pull much more current.


----------



## Winchester (Jun 29, 2008)

I have mixed stuff a couple of times with a cordless but it's not something I would regularly put my tools through. I don't think it is a good idea.

Set up a 'mixing station' with a corded drill at least. Wheres the tile or drywall guys? I'd like to hear their input on this 

Mixing mud/thinset/whatever afaik is probably what burns up the most drill out there... and cordless are much more expensive to replace


----------



## TNTRenovate (Aug 19, 2010)

WestwoodHomes said:


> That is a fairly ignorant statement. I have gone out of my way to try and kill the hilti only because my salesman at hilti told me I couldn't kill it. Now I am by no means a hilti guy, the only tools I own of theirs are spray foam guns a cordless drill and the impact gun. Prior to that impact gun I burned through a bosch, a dewalt and a makita. Really wasn't the makitas fault, dropped a parallam on it.


I wouldn't say that this is conclusive of the other manufactures products. There is no real information on how you:

a) Stored the tools
b) Handled the tools
c) How long each was used (working hours)
d) What type of work each impact preformed

Basically this still boils down to opinion. If you really want the facts on performance look at popular mechanics as well as consumer products to find out actual lab testing results of each tool. Yes, I know that none of us work in a lab, but it is the best way to actually experiment on the tools and test their performance under the same conditions and usage.

I have issues with DeWalt. I have had more drills in for service than I care to count, but that doesn't mean that the drill is a bad product, just not designed for my abuse. Bosch has worked out better for me. So I have stuck with them. Would I turn down a free DeWalt, Makita, Milwaukee, Panasonic, or Hilti...Never, a free tool is a great investment.


----------



## Martydukes (Feb 12, 2008)

We use the Makita 18v. They are great.


----------



## TNTRenovate (Aug 19, 2010)

Northwood said:


> The Makita you referred to is the 1.5amp. The 3.0amp should have more power wouldn't it? Or is it just longer lasting?
> 
> Anyways I have the Makitas (3.0amp) and have seen their drills in many reviews by FHBuilding and the like; They never come close to winning for driving power, or speed _BUT_ most reviewers seem to love them and even prefer them to better performers. They always get a lot of praise it seems. And so many people on here who own them like them.
> 
> I feel the same about mine, I've never thought 'man I wish these were more powerful' but just about every time I use them I think about how much I like them.


Angus this one is for you.

The difference is load and longevity. You can expect 1.5 amps for 1 hour, or .75 amps for 2 hours on a 1.5ah battery. The same applies for a 3.0ah battery. 3 amps for 1 hour, 1.5 amps for 2 hours and so on.

Angus makes a good point, it only takes him 15 minutes to charge his 1.5ah battery where a 3.0ah battery takes 30 minutes.

My take on it comes down to cycles. Batteries only have so many recharge cycles. The less that you have to charge the battery the longer it will last. This is why I always get the 3.0ah battery.

Oh, and the weight, sorry Angus. The larger the ah rating, the heavier the battery, thus making the drill heavier. So weight becomes a factor as well.

Hope that helps.

Rob


----------



## Winchester (Jun 29, 2008)

My panasonic are 3.0ah and super light.


----------



## Winchester (Jun 29, 2008)

WestwoodHomes said:


> . Really wasn't the makitas fault, dropped a parallam on it.


 hardly a basis for comparison to other tools :laughing:

Have you tried dropping a parallam on your hilti yet?


----------



## WestwoodHomes (Jan 18, 2010)

TNTSERVICES said:


> I wouldn't say that this is conclusive of the other manufactures products. There is no real information on how you:
> 
> a) Stored the tools
> b) Handled the tools
> ...


Fair enough. All of my tools are always blown off at the end of the day either with the air compressor or the wrong end of a shop vac. They are


----------



## WestwoodHomes (Jan 18, 2010)

WestwoodHomes said:


> Fair enough. All of my tools are always blown off at the end of the day either with the air compressor or the wrong end of a shop vac. They are


Oops wrong button. They are put in their cases and stored either in the saddle box on my truck or in my cargo trailer. I treat my tools well, after all without them I can't do what I need to do. I am hard on impact guns. For the most part they get used for decking, driving blue screws into concrete, driving a ton of various lenght ledger lock type bolts, etc. I don't use them everyday because I primarily do finish work but when I do use them they get ridden pretty hard. And in my opinion and from the experience I have had the hilti has served me the best out of the others I have had.


----------



## WestwoodHomes (Jan 18, 2010)

Winchester said:


> hardly a basis for comparison to other tools :laughing:
> 
> Have you tried dropping a parallam on your hilti yet?


No. Trying to stay away from pl's for a bit


----------



## jakejorgenson (Mar 17, 2009)

Wow! A lot of responses to the original question. I bought a Ryobi today since I already had the batteries and charger and figured it was worth a try. I used it to install an exterior door this afternoon and it was WAY better than using a standard drill. No struggles with stripped heads, super strong torque, and probably the fastest door installation I've done in part because of that tool. I should have purchased one a lot sooner. I'm going to try it out tomorrow on some Timberloc screws in some thick window trim and see how it does on that tomorrow. I guess we'll see how it performs under those conditions. Well worth the purchase after my short experience today.


----------



## 2ndGen (Apr 6, 2006)

BCConstruction said:


> I'm talking about Technics sl series turn tables. Not only are they built like brick S**t houses they have been an industry standard in recording studios and broadcast studios for many years. They also get rated very highly for sound quality. You can obviously get better sounding turntables but none hold up like the sl series. I have stood on mine and spun round. Try that on another brand. Not even my old vestax could hold up like the SL's.
> 
> Back in the day when I had my Arcam setup I had a The Roksan Radius 5 And to be honest I liked the sound from the SL1200/1210 mk5's and mk2's more than the Roksan. You put a good cartridge like an audio technica And they sound real nice. Even the stock Stanton 505 sounded nice.


I used to gets down on my Technic SL 1200's back in the day!


----------



## The Coastal Craftsman (Jun 29, 2009)

2ndGen said:


> I used to gets down on my Technic SL 1200's back in the day!


To this day it still amazes me what people can do on set of decks. You should check out Jaguar skills. The guy is unreal.


----------



## 2ndGen (Apr 6, 2006)

BCConstruction said:


> To this day it still amazes me what people can do on set of decks. You should* check out Jaguar skills*. The guy is unreal.


Just did...he's "nice"!

:cheesygri


----------



## KillerToiletSpider (May 27, 2007)

Inner10 said:


> Dual are excellent dollar value, if I were to get another turntable it would probably be a Dual.
> 
> Best I've heard is the linn LP12.
> 
> ...


When all of the local radio stations here switched format from vinyl to CD they auctioned off all of their outdated studio equipment and vinyl libraries, I was buying LP's in lots of 1000 for 15 bucks, I own over 158,000 albums on vinyl, and I bought a dozen synced Dual turntables for about fifty bucks a pair. I sold almost all the paired turntables almost immediately for a large profit.


----------



## 2ndGen (Apr 6, 2006)

KillerToiletSpider said:


> When all of the local radio stations here switched format from vinyl to CD they auctioned off all of their outdated studio equipment and vinyl libraries, I was buying LP's in lots of 1000 for 15 bucks, I own over 158,000 albums on vinyl, and I bought a dozen synced Dual turntables for about fifty bucks a pair. I sold almost all the paired turntables almost immediately for a large profit.


Nice! :thumbsup:


I wonder what's going to be done to replace the quality of vinyl?


----------



## Inner10 (Mar 12, 2009)

> Nice!
> 
> 
> I wonder what's going to be done to replace the quality of vinyl?


Sorry to rain on your parade but even Linn Products who changed the recording process by use of an improved cutting lathe said that CDs had more potential than vinyl.

LPs sound fantastic but you cannot ignore the hisses, pops, white noise.

A good CD player and an SACD will kill vinyl.


----------



## mgb (Oct 31, 2008)

Uhh...Isn't this supposed to be a thread on Impact drills? :blink:


----------



## Erikfsn (Dec 6, 2009)

I read a review last year of a $30,000 cd player, and the reviewer said that with that player digital sound was now approaching that of vinyl.


----------



## The Coastal Craftsman (Jun 29, 2009)

SACD's sound amazing. Just a shame they never caught on. At one time I even tried some DVD audio discs but like SACD they didn't really ever catch on. My PS3 Is a very good SACD player. You would be blown away when you hear the cd version of an album then a SACD version. The detail in the audio is unreal.


----------



## Inner10 (Mar 12, 2009)

> SACD's sound amazing. Just a shame they never caught on. At one time I even tried some DVD audio discs but like SACD they didn't really ever catch on. My PS3 Is a very good SACD player. You would be blown away when you hear the cd version of an album then a SACD version. The detail in the audio is unreal.


Agreed, SACD is basically dead but it sounded amazing; we have the ability to reproduce music digitally to the point there vinyl sounds like rubbish but there is no incentive. The PS3 is quite possibly the best CD/DVD/Blu-Ray player you can get for the money....next to building your own out of a computer.

Music has go to compressed formats so we can pack more of it on an ipod and download it faster, the audiophile market in North America is too small for most companies to concern themselves with. 

The movement towards slim flat TVs, in-wall speaker and home theater was another nail in its coffin.



> I read a review last year of a $30,000 cd player, and the reviewer said that with that player digital sound was now approaching that of vinyl.


I call BS on most reviews....I read a thousand reviews on the differences between cables....if you can tell a difference between cables its either in your head or a superhuman.

I read a review on the differences between hydroelectricity and nuclear power and what the impact is on your audio equipment.

A joke article came out ages ago in absolute sound about if you take a marker and color the edge of your CDs it changes the sound because of how the laser refracts in the plastic. Despite the fact it was a joke companies started to market different markers to color your CDs with.:laughing:

Most audio reviews are BS.


----------



## KillerToiletSpider (May 27, 2007)

mgb said:


> Uhh...Isn't this supposed to be a thread on Impact drills? :blink:


You're screwing up a perfectly good derail.


----------



## Brutus (May 29, 2007)

Im breaking down. Going tomorrow after work to get the Rigid 18v drill/driver and impact kit (comes with bit set and carry bag) tomorrow at HD for $179. Plus there is a 25$ instant savings on tool purchases under $300. I think the impact driver alone is worth 250$. Used a regular drill/driver tonight for a couple things on a business my buddy is opening, and was thinking "man I would of loved to have the impact drill for this" Hopefully HD still has some of these in stock when I get there...


----------



## The Coastal Craftsman (Jun 29, 2009)

Brutus said:


> Im breaking down. Going tomorrow after work to get the Rigid 18v drill/driver and impact kit (comes with bit set and carry bag) tomorrow at HD for $179. Plus there is a 25$ instant savings on tool purchases under $300. I think the impact driver alone is worth 250$. Used a regular drill/driver tonight for a couple things on a business my buddy is opening, and was thinking "man I would of loved to have the impact drill for this" Hopefully HD still has some of these in stock when I get there...













:thumbsup:


----------



## Brutus (May 29, 2007)

BCConstruction said:


> :thumbsup:


 
Hey! I posted in the turn tables thread.... Unlike the rest of ya!:whistling


----------



## 2ndGen (Apr 6, 2006)

Brutus said:


> Im breaking down. Going tomorrow after work to get the Rigid 18v drill/driver and impact kit (comes with bit set and carry bag) tomorrow at HD for $179. Plus there is a 25$ instant savings on tool purchases under $300. I think the impact driver alone is worth 250$. Used a regular drill/driver tonight for a couple things on a business my buddy is opening, and was thinking "man I would of loved to have the impact drill for this" Hopefully HD still has some of these in stock when I get there...


*What?* 






Are you serious? 

You can get a Bosch for that money!


----------



## 2ndGen (Apr 6, 2006)

KillerToiletSpider said:


> You're screwing up a perfectly good derail.


:laughing:

Yeah, he's taking our derail of the rail! 

:laughing:


----------



## 2ndGen (Apr 6, 2006)

Erikfsn said:


> I read a review last year of a $30,000 cd player, and the reviewer said that with that player digital sound was now approaching that of vinyl.


For $30,000. the band better come to my house and play the damn song live!


:laughing:


----------



## Brutus (May 29, 2007)

2ndGen said:


> *What?*
> 
> 
> 
> ...


 
Since you have no location posted, Im going to assume you are in the states. Im in Canada, even if the dollar is near par, we still pay out the arse for stuff. That and that was the price for two drills. The drill and the impact driver. 

Anyways... the province is sold out, but the guy said to watch out, they may have the same deal next month.


----------



## The Coastal Craftsman (Jun 29, 2009)

Brutus said:


> Since you have no location posted, Im going to assume you are in the states. Im in Canada, even if the dollar is near par, we still pay out the arse for stuff. That and that was the price for two drills. The drill and the impact driver.
> 
> Anyways... the province is sold out, but the guy said to watch out, they may have the same deal next month.


The Bosch kit I think is $179 here even if you had to pay $250 it's still a much better buy than the ridgid setup.


----------



## 2ndGen (Apr 6, 2006)

BCConstruction said:


> The Bosch kit I think is $179 here even if you had to pay $250 it's still a much better buy than the ridgid setup.


Absolfriginlutely!

AND! 

Sometimes, they have that great sale where you buy a PS40 and they'll give you a PS20 FREE!

The PS40 is down to $99! 

http://www.sunrisetool.com/proddetail.php?prod=Bosch-PS40-2

And I've been on jobs where my little 2 pounder out did full size 18V drills/drivers in every way.


----------



## 2ndGen (Apr 6, 2006)

Brutus said:


> Since you have no location posted, Im going to assume you are in the states. Im in Canada, even if the dollar is near par, we still pay out the arse for stuff. That and that was the price for two drills. The drill and the impact driver.
> 
> Anyways... the province is sold out, but the guy said to watch out, they may have the same deal next month.


Yes, I'm in the Good Ole' U.S. of A. 

Ever think of trying mail order?

$153. for both.










http://www.amazon.com/Bosch-CLPK21-120-12-Volt-Lithium-Ion-Combo/dp/B001IZZDE4

Buy it on the 21st of December and get FREE 2-Day shipping. 
(Don't know if that include Canada though)


----------



## Brutus (May 29, 2007)

2ndGen said:


> Yes, I'm in the Good Ole' U.S. of A.
> 
> Ever think of trying mail order?
> 
> ...


 
Shipping is what usually gets me. 47$ sometimes... Which, after exchange rate, most of the time brings it more expensive then the kits here. 

the Rigids I was looking at were 18v, though.


----------



## 2ndGen (Apr 6, 2006)

Brutus said:


> Shipping is what usually gets me. 47$ sometimes... Which, after exchange rate, most of the time brings it more expensive then the kits here.
> 
> the Rigids I was looking at were 18v, though.


I was actually trying to figure out the shipping rate to Canada. 
Did you check the link and find out? Is that what it was? $47?

And, those little Sons O' Bosches beat 18V'ers. 

I kid you not. 



But I understand. If it ain't worth it, it just aint.


----------



## Brutus (May 29, 2007)

This was going through dealers on eBay. On amazon, I believe they want me to sign up before they figure shipping costs.

Ahh crap. Apparently I already have an account with amazon... forgot about those books I ordered a few years ago... but anyways, they wont ship tools to Canada...


----------



## RadRemod (Oct 29, 2009)

My vote is the 18v Blue/ blk Makita w 3.0 LI batteries. I have a 18v NIcd dewalt which is a solid driver but almost twice the weight. Also the batteries on the Mak charge in only 15-30 min. Plus the LED light comes in handy in closets, attics, ect. However, the Mak drill that came in the kit with the impact I don't recommend. I'm on my 3rd one as the first 2 burnt up. Granted I was mixing mortar with them and drilling 4 1/2 in holes but my dewalt is 4 yrs old and has no problem with it.:clap:


----------



## john5mt (Jan 21, 2007)

tcleve4911 said:


> X3
> 
> 
> 
> ...



The Best!!!:thumbup:


----------



## SuperGlazier (Jan 16, 2009)

Been using the Makita's for five years now and make sure all my guys do the same. I have used them all and although the DeWalt seems to have more power to it the Makita ends up out performing it still.


----------



## mgb (Oct 31, 2008)

2ndGen said:


> Absolfriginlutely!
> 
> AND!
> 
> ...



Bah, picked up a bosch ps41 for like $225 after tax. Decided it wasn't worth it and got the bosch 18v kit for like $30 bucks more.

Only 1.3 ah though, but damn they're light. I still miss the ps-41 :sad: very nice driver, but my 10.8v makita does 90% of the jobs it does for half the price.


----------



## TNTRenovate (Aug 19, 2010)

mgb said:


> Bah, picked up a bosch ps41 for like $225 after tax. Decided it wasn't worth it and got the bosch 18v kit for like $30 bucks more.
> 
> Only 1.3 ah though, but damn they're light. I still miss the ps-41 :sad: very nice driver, but my 10.8v makita does 90% of the jobs it does for half the price.


So you mean that the Bosch is overkill for what you do? Cuz I know you can't be saying that the Maskita 10.8v holds weight against the 18v Bosch. That would be a far stretch. Comparing battery life under load alone ends the competition.


----------



## Mike's Plumbing (Jul 19, 2010)

At the Panasonic factory when the shift is done they sweep the floor and make Makitas with the parts they find.:laughing:


----------



## mgb (Oct 31, 2008)

BCConstruction said:


> Plus people forget how powerful they are for their size. My drill is twice the size and I wouldn't want to be using that all day long to put screws in.



I let a homeowner screw a hinge on a door, he hit the trigger at about 2,600 rpm and the drill took off from the screw. He was really suprised by the speed and power, took him a while to bury a screw. :laughing:


----------



## mgb (Oct 31, 2008)

TNTSERVICES said:


> So you mean that the Bosch is overkill for what you do? Cuz I know you can't be saying that the Maskita 10.8v holds weight against the 18v Bosch. That would be a far stretch. Comparing battery life under load alone ends the competition.


Nah, was comparing the 12v bosch ps-41 to the 10.8v makita. Weighs more with quite a bit more torque, but not enough to warrant the difference.

Was saying 30 bucks more for a cordless 18v drill and impactor seems like a better bargain.


----------



## TNTRenovate (Aug 19, 2010)

mgb said:


> Nah, was comparing the 12v bosch ps-41 to the 10.8v makita. Weighs more with quite a bit more torque, but not enough to warrant the difference.
> 
> Was saying 30 bucks more for a cordless 18v drill and impactor seems like a better bargain.


Okay that is better, but there is still no way that the 10.8v makita can do 90% of what the PS-41 can do. It isn't a little difference either.

930lb of torque vs 200lb
2600rpm vs 1300rpm
2.13lbs weight vs 2.0lbs of weight.

PS-41 = $139.99 at bLowes
10.8v combo Maskita set also $139.99 at Home Depot

For the extra drill/driver I would take the Bosch all day long.


----------



## Mike's Plumbing (Jul 19, 2010)

If you google this you should find a review that was done a while back by one of the popular magazines like FW. If I remember the larger bat powered impact drivers were all tested and Makita came in first, Panasonic second, Hitachi, third, and I forget the rest.

Mike


----------



## angus242 (Oct 20, 2007)

TNTSERVICES said:


> 930lb of torque vs 200lb
> 2600rpm vs 1300rpm
> 2.13lbs weight vs 2.0lbs of weight.


Rob, Rob, Rob. Not sure why you dog the Makita so much.

As we've gone through before, 

The Makita 10.8V is:
800 in.lbs. of Torque / 2,400 RPM, 2.0 lbs.

The 12V Bosch is:
930 in lbs of Torque / 2,600 RPM, 2.2 lbs.

The 10.8V Bosch is:
800 in lbs of Torque / 1,800 RPM, 2.2 lbs



And for the record, I never have dogged the Bosch.


----------



## TNTRenovate (Aug 19, 2010)

Mike's Plumbing said:


> If you google this you should find a review that was done a while back by one of the popular magazines like FW. If I remember the larger bat powered impact drivers were all tested and Makita came in first, Panasonic second, Hitachi, third, and I forget the rest.
> 
> Mike


I did a search and there seems to be no consistency to the testing or the results. Bosch doesn't get a good market share. Maybe it's price point, or just that they are not as available at the big box stores.

Panasonic seemed to be at the top of the list. Hitachi was also up there. Makita mostly came in at the price side of the scale.

But again, the more we have this conversation the more I am inclined to say that it is more about personal opinion and experience than actual major differences in the tool.


----------



## TNTRenovate (Aug 19, 2010)

angus242 said:


> Rob, Rob, Rob. Not sure why you dog the Makita so much.
> 
> As we've gone through before,
> 
> ...


I wasn't dogging Makita, just defending Bosch. The post made some statements comparing the 10.8v makita to the 12v bosch

10.8V Compact Lithium-Ion Cordless 1/4” Hex Driver-Drill Kit Model: DF030DW 200lbs of torque

My mistake if the model numbers were not given for the Makita.

That is all.


----------



## Mike's Plumbing (Jul 19, 2010)

TNTSERVICES said:


> I did a search and there seems to be no consistency to the testing or the results. Bosch doesn't get a good market share. Maybe it's price point, or just that they are not as available at the big box stores.
> 
> Panasonic seemed to be at the top of the list. Hitachi was also up there. Makita mostly came in at the price side of the scale.
> 
> But again, the more we have this conversation the more I am inclined to say that it is more about personal opinion and experience than actual major differences in the tool.


Keep in mind some of the reviews are done by a pencil pusher who has never dropped a cordless from 30 feet off a roof.

I own makita tools, Panasonic tools, Milwaukee tools, and Bosch tools.....I think they are all great tools.

I use to own a Hitli but it got stolen, man was that a great tool.


----------



## angus242 (Oct 20, 2007)

:confused1: We're talking impacts, right?

I mean I assumed that cause I cannot imagine _ANY _10.8/12V drill that puts out over 800 in/lbs.


And I'm not dogging the Bosch. Did I mention that?


----------



## angus242 (Oct 20, 2007)

Mike's Plumbing said:


> At the Panasonic factory when the shift is done they sweep the floor and make Makitas with the parts they find.:laughing:


There have been two "drills" that have almost busted my wrist:

1) Corded Milwaukee Hole Hawg
2) Panasonic 15.6V DRILL (not impact)


That is all. :whistling


----------



## TNTRenovate (Aug 19, 2010)

angus242 said:


> There have been two "drills" that have almost busted my wrist:
> 
> 1) Corded Milwaukee Hole Hawg
> 2) Panasonic 15.6V DRILL (not impact)
> ...


I'll let you borrow my 36v Bosch Hammer Drill...you can add that to the list...but 36v anything will probably do the trick...


----------



## angus242 (Oct 20, 2007)

TNTSERVICES said:


> I'll let you borrow my 36v Bosch Hammer Drill...you can add that to the list...but 36v anything will probably do the trick...



I wouldn't doubt it but that 15.6V Panny......


----------



## WarnerConstInc. (Jan 30, 2008)

angus242 said:


> There have been two "drills" that have almost busted my wrist:
> 
> 1) Corded Milwaukee Hole Hawg
> 2) Panasonic 15.6V DRILL (not impact)
> ...



My C-12 has tried to rip my hand off a few times, it may have hit me in the head once or twice too.:laughing:


----------



## angus242 (Oct 20, 2007)

WarnerConstInc. said:


> it may have hit me in the head once or twice too.:laughing:


So _that's_ your excuse.

Mine is about 8 concussions as a kid.


----------



## TNTRenovate (Aug 19, 2010)

WarnerConstInc. said:


> My C-12 has tried to rip my hand off a few times, it may have hit me in the head once or twice too.:laughing:


When I first got my Bosch 18v, I was drilling holes in the sill for low voltage wires. I was using a 3/4" paddle bit. It hit a mending plate, locked up and as Smokey said, "You got knocked the Fugg out".

Luckily no gash, but a hell of bruise and bump on my cheek and temple.


----------



## Mike's Plumbing (Jul 19, 2010)

angus242 said:


> There have been two "drills" that have almost busted my wrist:
> 
> 1) Corded Milwaukee Hole Hawg
> 2) Panasonic 15.6V DRILL (not impact)
> ...


I use Hole Hawgs weekly, dam, you got be careful with those they can take your arm off.:laughing:

I like the Makitas and Panasonics, both are good. Panasonics have a really good feel to them it seems. I just bought a Milwaukee cordless a couple months ago. It's nice but a bit heavy.


----------



## TNTRenovate (Aug 19, 2010)

angus242 said:


> So _that's_ your excuse.
> 
> Mine is about 8 concussions as a kid.


We'll call you Troy Aikman.

At an emotional press conference held at Texas Stadium, Troy choked back tears as he said, "I know it's the right thing. I know it's the right thing for me because of my health, concussions, the back problems I've had. It took its toll."


----------



## mgb (Oct 31, 2008)

TNTSERVICES said:


> Okay that is better, but there is still no way that the 10.8v makita can do 90% of what the PS-41 can do. It isn't a little difference either.
> 
> 930lb of torque vs 200lb *800lbs*
> 2600rpm vs 1300rpm *2,400 rpm*
> ...



EDIT: See you guys worked things out.


Really interested in trying a panasonic one day, never see them around here so I'd have buy blindly from ebay or something.


----------



## TNTRenovate (Aug 19, 2010)

mgb said:


> EDIT: See you guys worked things out.
> 
> 
> Really interested in trying a panasonic one day, never see them around here so I'd have buy blindly from ebay or something.


Actually my numbers were correct. You are looking at the wrong model. FYI Makita makes two 10.8v.

Now you feel as foolish as I did not looking to see that there were two different 10.8v Compact Impacts.


----------



## angus242 (Oct 20, 2007)

TNTSERVICES said:


> Actually my numbers were correct. You are looking at the wrong model. FYI Makita makes two 10.8v.
> 
> Now you feel as foolish as I did not looking to see that there were two different 10.8v Compact Impacts.


Makita makes only one 10.8V _impact_. They also make a 10.8V _driver.

_10.8V impact: TD090DW
10.8V driver: DF330DW

10.8V Combo kit: LCT302W

The numbers I posted are for the 10.8V impact.


----------



## TNTRenovate (Aug 19, 2010)

angus242 said:


> Makita makes only one 10.8V _impact_. They also make a 10.8V _driver.
> 
> _10.8V impact: TD090DW
> 10.8V driver: DF330DW
> ...


:wallbash:Okay so I am the only one who feels foolish. Bosch still rules! :tt2:

And don't you have something to tile?


----------



## angus242 (Oct 20, 2007)

TNTSERVICES said:


> And don't you have something to tile?


:shifty:


----------



## MakitaMikey (Dec 26, 2010)

*Makita*

Makita and PAnasonic


----------



## tooltheory (Dec 10, 2010)

I love the 18v lithium ion Ridgid impact driver. One of my friends has a new 18v Makita LXT and another has the new DeWalt 18v (both lithium ion). My Ridgid beats them all. While I love and respect both DeWalt and Makita, I would definitely choose the Ridgid for an impact driver.

Here is a picture of me about to IMPACT DRIVE THE CAMERA. I got my game face on.


----------



## TNTRenovate (Aug 19, 2010)

tooltheory said:


> I love the 18v lithium ion Ridgid impact driver. One of my friends has a new 18v Makita LXT and another has the new DeWalt 18v (both lithium ion). My Ridgid beats them all. While I love and respect both DeWalt and Makita, I would definitely choose the Ridgid for an impact driver.
> 
> Here is a picture of me about to IMPACT DRIVE THE CAMERA. I got my game face on.


Looks like you have your I gotta poop face on. :laughing:


----------



## Tom Struble (Mar 2, 2007)

:laughing:


----------



## The Coastal Craftsman (Jun 29, 2009)




----------



## tooltheory (Dec 10, 2010)

TNTSERVICES said:


> Looks like you have your I gotta poop face on. :laughing:


:laughing: my gotta poop face is a little different, but your on the right track. :laughing:


----------



## RhodesHardwood (Jun 28, 2010)

makita


----------



## 2ndGen (Apr 6, 2006)

TNTSERVICES said:


> When I first got my Bosch 18v, I was drilling holes in the sill for low voltage wires. I was using a 3/4" paddle bit. It hit a mending plate, locked up and as Smokey said, "You got knocked the Fugg out".
> 
> Luckily no gash, but a hell of bruise and bump on my cheek and temple.


----------



## 65535 (Jan 16, 2011)

I picked Milwaukee myself for price, feel, and performance.

The Makita line looked nice, and having a brushless motor would have been nice, but I don't need to pay for 3 speeds and anything fancy like that. 

I believe in tools that require the user to learn how to use them.

The Milwaukee has been great, I dig the rubber overmold and the metal (aluminum or magnesium) gearbox, with all metal gears.


----------



## 3bar (Jan 14, 2011)

makita 18v lxt is the best available for a compact impact and drill. great power and feel.


----------



## unhique (May 10, 2009)

All my guys use makita 18v kits (impact & screw driver) for years. We like them a lot. I read the tool review from one of the magazines about them. I'm not sure if they were the best rated, but at least second best or something like that. 

Great feel, durable housing, looks great, nice box, powerful for most of the jobs. 

They're sold for like $399, but I got a black Friday deals 3 years ago for only $199. Hahah, got 4 kits that times. Should have gotten some more. 

Nhi


----------



## Geolaw1 (Dec 7, 2010)

Got me the Dewalt 18 volt Lithium-ion Nano. Charges fast, lasts long and came in a kit with a hammerdrill. The impact driver gets used 1000 times more than the drill. Small, lightweight and powerful, I absolutely refuse to drive screws with a drill anymore, and I spoil anyone else that uses it. I'm sure I'm responsible for at least 20 sales of it in the two years I've owned it! I should be asking the Hardware store for a cut! I can't imagine building a deck with a regular drill now.
The sound doesnt bother me especially when I realize the amount of energy I'm saving by not having to put force onto the screwhead, and one robertson bit can last almost six months..... try doing that with a drill! The one tool that I use everyday and could absolutely not live without!


----------



## poisonfangs (Jul 20, 2009)

I could never part with my Makita lxt. It works hard all day long and has never quit on me yet!


----------



## Mohsin (Feb 4, 2011)

DeWalt and Makita are the best. It really depends on the type of battery you have. Both companies run an 18v system which allows the user to purchase other cordless tools, such as jigsaw, circular saw, hammer drill, combi hammer etc. to be used with the same battery.


----------



## siberian (Mar 15, 2007)

Just picked up a 7 peice makita set, refurb., through CPO for $540 plus $7 shipping. Love it


----------



## TNTRenovate (Aug 19, 2010)

Mohsin said:


> DeWalt and Makita are the best. It really depends on the type of battery you have. Both companies run an 18v system which allows the user to purchase other cordless tools, such as jigsaw, circular saw, hammer drill, combi hammer etc. to be used with the same battery.


So does Bosch, and it would destroy your DeWalt any day of the week and twice on Sunday. As for Makita, I think that Bosch still has a slight edge, but I wouldn't turn one down if I won it in a bet or it was a birthday gift.


----------



## detroit687 (Sep 4, 2008)

Panasonic makes the best cordless impact and drill. It's expensive but it's the best.


----------



## TNTRenovate (Aug 19, 2010)

detroit687 said:


> Panasonic makes the best cordless impact and drill. It's expensive but it's the best.


Best doesn't mean value. How much better and how much more? Define better.


----------



## detroit687 (Sep 4, 2008)

Panasonic is the caddilac of impacts. More in. Lbs more rpms , digital clutch. Consumer reports has fair comprehensive tool testing. Panasonic I'm sure is not the best bang for your buck. But if your scope of work is like mine and you have to have a cordless in your hand all day every day, it's nice to have a luxury drill.


----------



## TNTRenovate (Aug 19, 2010)

detroit687 said:


> Panasonic is the caddilac of impacts. More in. Lbs more rpms , digital clutch. Consumer reports has fair comprehensive tool testing. Panasonic I'm sure is not the best bang for your buck. But if your scope of work is like mine and you have to have a cordless in your hand all day every day, it's nice to have a luxury drill.


I am not buying it.

Panasonic 14.4v LION 1330lbs 2300rpm 50 min charger
Makita 14.4v LION 1240lbs 2400rpm 30 min charger
Bosch 14.4v LION 1400lbs 2800rpm 45 min charger

More torque? More rpms? The Bosch also has the selectable clutch. I guess I just don't see it being the "Cadillac" of impacts.

As far a consumer reports here is what they said:

Recent comparison tests say the 18-volt Makita BTD144 (*Est. $335) is the best impact driver currently available, outperforming the 14.4-volt Panasonic EY7540LN2L (*Est. $310) on several points. The Makita impact driver is more expensive, but earns rave reviews for its combination of extra power, compact size, superior conveniences and warranty coverage.


----------



## angus242 (Oct 20, 2007)

I have used Panasonic drills and they are definitely top of the line. The 15.6 drill is one of the scariest I've used with a nail eater bit. It will snap your wrist if you're not paying attention.

I've never used the 14.4 Pany impact but I do believe it is brushless. That's a definite plus over a standard impact, IMO.


----------



## TNTRenovate (Aug 19, 2010)

angus242 said:


> I have used Panasonic drills and they are definitely top of the line. The 15.6 drill is one of the scariest I've used with a nail eater bit. It will snap your wrist if you're not paying attention.
> 
> I've never used the 14.4 Pany impact but I do believe it is brushless. That's a definite plus over a standard impact, IMO.


So I still can't win with you when I pull for Makita. Go tile something would ya! :laughing:


----------



## angus242 (Oct 20, 2007)

TNTSERVICES said:


> So I still can't win with you when I pull for Makita. Go tile something would ya! :laughing:


Come on, I didn't say anything about the Bosch...

I know my Makita isn't long for this world. Let's just say the next impact won't be made in China. :whistling


----------



## ohiohomedoctor (Dec 26, 2010)

You mean festool doesn't make an impact drill? 


Bosch is the best. Germans really know their cars and tools.

http://www.ohiohomedoctorremodeling.com


----------



## TNTRenovate (Aug 19, 2010)

ohiohomedoctor said:


> You mean festool doesn't make an impact drill?
> 
> 
> Bosch is the best. Germans really know their cars and tools.
> ...


I love Bosch, just ask Angus, but they are not the best. They still have room for improvement. One being cold weather and their LION. They have some trouble. With that said, I am a Bosch man and would have it no other way.


----------



## detroit687 (Sep 4, 2008)

I haven't tried the Bosch impact but I've handled the li ion drill motor and it was very awkward and uncomfortable. They really need to work on there ergonomics


----------



## TNTRenovate (Aug 19, 2010)

detroit687 said:


> I haven't tried the Bosch impact but I've handled the li ion drill motor and it was very awkward and uncomfortable. They really need to work on there ergonomics


Feels great to me. I think these are areas of personal preference. Everyone who has tried my Bosch out, have said that they like the feel, both the drill and the impact. Seems to me that we have a tool snob...heheheh

I like the feel of the Makita, and I have to hand it to DeWalt, their new 12v impact feels great. I wonder if it performs?


----------



## angus242 (Oct 20, 2007)

TNTSERVICES said:


> and I have to hand it to DeWalt, their new 12v impact feels great. I wonder if it performs?


:no:


----------



## TNTRenovate (Aug 19, 2010)

angus242 said:


> :no:


So I guess feel isn't everything...huh?


----------



## angus242 (Oct 20, 2007)

I really don't like the feel of the Dewalt drills I tried. The 18v impact was pretty powerful but felt unbalanced. 

I'm so used to the Makita, I don't know anymore if I'm just used to it or it actually fits that well. :laughing:

I loved the Pany drills but they are *heavy*.

I had a Milwaukee for a while but it was nothing special and under powered. 

I really like the new brushless Makita and it will fit in with the rest of the stuff I have (battery charger, case, etc). However, I'm looking for non-China stuff. My Metabo grinder is nothing short of a beast so I'm really thinking about their 18v impact.


----------



## jiffy (Oct 21, 2007)

angus242 said:


> I really don't like the feel of the Dewalt drills I tried. The 18v impact was pretty powerful but felt unbalanced.
> 
> I'm so used to the Makita, I don't know anymore if I'm just used to it or it actually fits that well. :laughing:
> 
> ...


If you want an affordable tool it will be made in China. Any company can make a tool in USA, Germany, Japan, but you will pay more. Makita makes many of their tools in the USA. It seems most of the table saws and large saws from Makita are made in the USA, from a Japanese company. 

The BTD144 brushless impact is great. I find the brushless motor and 3 speeds hard to live without now. This is coming from the regular Makita impact driver.


----------



## angus242 (Oct 20, 2007)

The Metabo and Makita brushless are about the same price.


----------



## Madmaxz (Dec 19, 2010)

Makita BTD144's made in japan


----------



## The Coastal Craftsman (Jun 29, 2009)

I was taking down serial numbers not so long ago and went through all my makita stuff. They were made in 3 different places between the whole lot. USA, japan and china. Surprisingly the impact I purchased around 5 years ago and has been abused like never seen is made in china! Still runs strong to this day. I am waiting for it to break so I can get the brushless model.


----------



## Tank (Jan 29, 2011)

Milwaukee by far.

I recently purchased a Makita impact 2 days ago, to try it out. I was not totally unimpressed, but my Milwaukee had a LOT more power.

The Makita is lighter, but barely. The Milwaukee just won't stop, it has power to spare, and that's what I love about it.


----------



## jiffy (Oct 21, 2007)

Tank said:


> Milwaukee by far.
> 
> I recently purchased a Makita impact 2 days ago, to try it out. I was not totally unimpressed, but my Milwaukee had a LOT more power.
> 
> The Makita is lighter, but barely. The Milwaukee just won't stop, it has power to spare, and that's what I love about it.


The Makita BTD144 Brushless impact is a big step ahead of the Milwaukee impact. I'm sure Milwaukee will come out with something similar to heat the competition.

I'm not keen on Milwaukee since they have changed battery platforms about 4 times in the past 5 years. Two of those changes were not backwards compatible and that forces people to buy the new tool/battery.


----------



## siberian (Mar 15, 2007)

Ive been using the Dewalt, just got the makita, wouldn't go back to Dewalt for anything


----------



## The Coastal Craftsman (Jun 29, 2009)

Tank said:


> Milwaukee by far.
> 
> I recently purchased a Makita impact 2 days ago, to try it out. I was not totally unimpressed, but my Milwaukee had a LOT more power.
> 
> The Makita is lighter, but barely. The Milwaukee just won't stop, it has power to spare, and that's what I love about it.



Did you charge the makita battery? Even the standard brushed makita impact has about the same TQ as the milwaukee's last time I checked let alone the brushless model which as far as i know is the most powerful impact on the market! Perhaps Milwaukee bought out a new model I have not seen yet but you really shouldn't see any difference between a 18v impact across any brand. They all seems to be around the same TQ even the brushless makita is only about 10% more powerful than the brushed makita model.


----------



## Tank (Jan 29, 2011)

Yes, the battery was charged. This was the brushed version. I wish I could have afforded to try the Brushless version, I have no doubt it is impressive. However, just the tool only BL impact was over $200, and I have no Makita charger or batteries, so to buy a $500 kit just for trial and error....can't afford that!

The Makita battery died in almost half of the time the MW battery died. I thought, maybe a bad battery, so I switched out for the 2nd one in the kit, almost the same result. The full size Makita battery lasted just a hair longer than my compact MW batteries.

Also, faster charging is not better with Lithium technology. The enemy here is heat, and no, the fan on the Makita charger IS NOT ENOUGH to cool down cells covered by layers of plastic! Everyone complains that MW batteries charge in one hour, yes, they do, to keep the life expectancy high, and keep the heat DOWN. 

I am sure ALL brands will have brushless impacts within a few months time, keep up with the competition.

One thing to keep in mind, Milwaukee has the Red Lithium batteries coming online right now, hitting stores now as well. This offers something like a 30% jump in performance, and 40% run time increase. Who else is offering that? No one! So if MW is tied with Makita right now in terms of performance, MW will absolutely destroy everyone else with these new batteries. 

Milwaukee made the right move focusing on batteries right now, instead of brushless tools. Everyone else will bring out there brushless tools, using the same old batteries. Milwaukee introduces the best batteries out there FIRST, then goes ahead and introduces brushless tools, which will blow away the competition in performance. Watch Makita and everyone else scramble to try and copy Red Lithium technology.

I don't see Makita or anyone else introducing a battery that transforms all the current tools one has into more powerful, longer running machines. Now THAT is building a product for the consumer. I tried one of these batteries recently as I had posted, and it feels like an entirely new tool. The power was almost scary. It's like transforming all your 18 volt tools into a 28 volt tool, without buying 28 volt tools.


----------



## The Coastal Craftsman (Jun 29, 2009)

Tank said:


> Yes, the battery was charged. This was the brushed version. I wish I could have afforded to try the Brushless version, I have no doubt it is impressive. However, just the tool only BL impact was over $200, and I have no Makita charger or batteries, so to buy a $500 kit just for trial and error....can't afford that!
> 
> The Makita battery died in almost half of the time the MW battery died. I thought, maybe a bad battery, so I switched out for the 2nd one in the kit, almost the same result. The full size Makita battery lasted just a hair longer than my compact MW batteries.
> 
> ...


Well for one the makita cells that's are used are far higher quality than what Milwaukee currently run and are a higher amp hours for longer run time. The chargers are also much more advanced and yes li-ion can handle fast charges just fine. You could charge them at rates of 4C without even making them warm let alone hot. But lets say they did get hot. The makita charger with its built in cooling does infact work very well. The air that's circulated does infact pass straight across all the cells in the pack and the charger won't try and charge until it thinks they are below a safe temp. I have heated up many of my makita cells to the point you had to pass them from one had to the other they were so hot and they still charge and hold charge perfectly fine after 5 years. 

Milwaukee have some work to do before they ar up there with the likes of Bosch, makita and pannasonic and in my eyes are in the same league as dewalt in terms of quality, technology and performance. You are the first person I ever heard they like the Milwaukee cordless tools over makita. I have a guy I'm working with on site at the moment who was about a Milwaukee fanboy as you can get. Eveyrthing he has is red and he used my makita impact the other day. Its over 5 years old and he was impressed by it's weight, ergonomics and design. He didn't bring up anything about power but I'm not supprised because they are almost exactly the same output in in-lbs. He is now changing over to makita on his next upgrade.


----------



## Tank (Jan 29, 2011)

Oh I have thought about switching before, but, I have the entire family of M18 tools, I have invested heavily, and I have a rep who lives 15 minutes away from me, and anything that breaks is replaced on site. I have not had to use that once yet, knock on wood!

The other thing is Milwaukee introduces a lot of tools that are job specific, they do one thing and one thing very well. Makita does not offer sub scanners, clamp meters, pex expanders, a heated jacket, the one handed hackzall, the palm nailer. That is innovation at it's finest, and no other brand has shown the kind of dedication that Milwaukee has, the tools in the 12 volt and 18 volt lines shows that perfectly.

Bosch? Very unimpressed. Unbalanced, under powered and just a cheap build quality, that's just my opinion however. I tried the Bosch tools, and hated the way they felt.

Panasonic knows Plasma TV's, not tools. In my opinion, they have no business even being in the tool market. They are toys for high school carpenter classes, at best.

Makita is the line I was thinking of switching to, but they simply do not show innovation in specific tools. Yes, every brand makes tools others don't, hell Makita has a right angle 1/4'' impact which I love, and Milwaukee doesn't. 

Point being, in the end, they probably are not all that different. I bought what was most comfortable in my big hands, and gives me the most power and run time. In my tests comparing against Makita, my Milwaukees won, so I stayed with the family of red. Not to mention, when you own 15 tools from there lines, it's hard to make a switch when everything is working good and up to your expectations.


----------



## TNTRenovate (Aug 19, 2010)




----------



## TNTRenovate (Aug 19, 2010)

Tank said:


> Oh I have thought about switching before, but, I have the entire family of M18 tools, I have invested heavily, and I have a rep who lives 15 minutes away from me, and anything that breaks is replaced on site. I have not had to use that once yet, knock on wood!
> 
> The other thing is Milwaukee introduces a lot of tools that are job specific, they do one thing and one thing very well. Makita does not offer sub scanners, clamp meters, pex expanders, a heated jacket, the one handed hackzall, the palm nailer. That is innovation at it's finest, and no other brand has shown the kind of dedication that Milwaukee has, the tools in the 12 volt and 18 volt lines shows that perfectly.
> 
> ...


Keep drinking the koolaid.

First, Bosch is neither unbalanced or cheaply built. I only own Bosch, and pretty much anyone who I lend them to are impressed.

Second, Makita has been successfully making cordless drills a lot longer than MW. They too are a great product. This coming from a Bosch man.

I purchased a ton of MW cordless tools 10 years ago, and could not believe the poor quality they produced.

There is a reason that you see more Makita, DeWalt and even Bosch cordless tools on the job site.

While I agree that they do make some neat gadgets that surely impress the HO at Home Depot, the old adage applies, if you can't do one thing well, do a lot things and people won't notice.

I know that you love your brand and are loyal, but let's try and keep our feet on the ground.


----------



## CEQenterprise (Feb 6, 2011)

The best cordless impact is not made anymore it is the 24 volt DewAlt hammer drill . They still sell the batterries and you can find the used drill on craigslist or fleamarkets. The battery cost more than 100 bucks but worth it. I can drill and screw at least 30 tapconz before I feel a batterry drop.


----------



## The Coastal Craftsman (Jun 29, 2009)

Tank said:


> Oh I have thought about switching before, but, I have the entire family of M18 tools, I have invested heavily, and I have a rep who lives 15 minutes away from me, and anything that breaks is replaced on site. I have not had to use that once yet, knock on wood!
> 
> The other thing is Milwaukee introduces a lot of tools that are job specific, they do one thing and one thing very well. Makita does not offer sub scanners, clamp meters, pex expanders, a heated jacket, the one handed hackzall, the palm nailer. That is innovation at it's finest, and no other brand has shown the kind of dedication that Milwaukee has, the tools in the 12 volt and 18 volt lines shows that perfectly.
> 
> ...


We all make that mistake of thinking we are buying the best but then later find out they were not so great. I made the same mistake with dewalt. I wanted the "best" and went out and bought dewalt. I was always laughed at by other contractors who used makita, pannasonic, Bosch ect ect and I thought because I paid so much for my dewalt they must be the best. How very wrong I was. After using these other brands a few times over I realized why they used them. They were much better tools. Now dewalt has got even worse over the years and their cordless range has fell into that HO must have brand. 

Don't get me wrong though. I'm sure the Milwaukee's work just fine but you ain't gonna convince pro's that they are anymore than a HO brand.


----------



## ca90ss (Oct 14, 2010)

I've used both the Milwaukee and Makita 18v lithium impact drivers and in my opinion there is no real clear winner. The power and run time is about the same with either one. I like the lighter weight of the Makita and I like that the light stays on for a few seconds after releasing the trigger and with the Milwaukee I like the battery gauge on the battery and I find the grip on the Milwaukee a little more comfortable.


----------



## Tank (Jan 29, 2011)

ca90ss said:


> I've used both the Milwaukee and Makita 18v lithium impact drivers and in my opinion there is no real clear winner. The power and run time is about the same with either one. I like the lighter weight of the Makita and I like that the light stays on for a few seconds after releasing the trigger and with the Milwaukee I like the battery gauge on the battery and I find the grip on the Milwaukee a little more comfortable.


Milwaukee finally took that note.

I purchased a second 1/4'' impact kit last week, Milwaukee, because it was on clearance, making way for the kits with Red Lithium in them. Came with the impact of course, 2 full size XC batteries, and a charger, for $200, regular price of $449. I took it out of the case and tried it out, and to my surprise, the light stays on now even after the trigger is released. All the newer drills/impacts have this feature built in now I think.

It's hard to know IF there is a best brand out there. On the job site last week a guy borrowed my MW hammer drill and gave away his Makita to a friend of his 10 minutes later. Next day, shows up with a brand new MW kit. Local power tool clinic here, talked to those boys. The tools they see the most for repair and recall, is Bosch and Dewalt. Makita and Milwaukee were about even for repairs, slightly more Milwaukee than Makita.

In a strict comparison of Milwaukee to Makita, it's a very close race. I don't hate Makita, and I don't love Milwaukee. I have had exceptional service from the local rep, and no troubles from any red tools I have ever owned. Every other brand I have tried, has caused me grief, or simply did not have big power.

I am not ignorant towards trying other brands or different technology. Makita has a great name and they earned it by making great tools. For me though, nothing beats Milwaukee, but that is just me.


----------



## TNTRenovate (Aug 19, 2010)

Tank said:


> Milwaukee finally took that note.
> 
> I purchased a second 1/4'' impact kit last week, Milwaukee, because it was on clearance, making way for the kits with Red Lithium in them. Came with the impact of course, 2 full size XC batteries, and a charger, for $200, regular price of $449. I took it out of the case and tried it out, and to my surprise, the light stays on now even after the trigger is released. All the newer drills/impacts have this feature built in now I think.
> 
> ...


Funny, my local repair guy said that he sees more MW and DeWalt than any other cordless drill.

I also hope that MW's LION doesn't explode on impact like their previous batteries.:whistling


----------



## Tank (Jan 29, 2011)

Milwaukee had a lot of battery issues in the past, granted.

Although, it seems in the last few years they have finally straightened out the battery issues. I am sure there will be some issues with the Red Lithium batteries, anything new always has issues, work out the kinks.

No matter how much people deny it, Red Lithium is a game changer, and puts big pressure on others. The performance of these 2 brands is neck and neck, when red lithium adds 30% more torque and 40% more run time, it makes others look like they are in slow motion.

I have been reading some wood working magazines lately, and in one there was a hammer drill comparison test. In every single test, the Makita was the slowest drill. It finished holes in the slowest time.


----------



## TNTRenovate (Aug 19, 2010)

Tank said:


> Milwaukee had a lot of battery issues in the past, granted.
> 
> Although, it seems in the last few years they have finally straightened out the battery issues. I am sure there will be some issues with the Red Lithium batteries, anything new always has issues, work out the kinks.
> 
> ...


Do me a favor why not actually provide some references for your claims. And this thread is about IMPACTS not hammer drills.

I love the reference to unknown repair guys and unnamed wood magazine reviews.


----------



## Tank (Jan 29, 2011)

Fine Home Building was the magazine, it is under tool guide/hammer drills. The Milwaukee drills came out on top.

The repair shop is called Power Tool Clinic.

Milwaukee may or may not be the best, but your precious Makita isn't either. Remember that.


----------



## TNTRenovate (Aug 19, 2010)

Tank said:


> Fine Home Building was the magazine, it is under tool guide/hammer drills. The Milwaukee drills came out on top.
> 
> The repair shop is called Power Tool Clinic.
> 
> Milwaukee may or may not be the best, but your precious Makita isn't either. Remember that.


You need to pay more attention Tank. Go back and read the my posts again. Once you do, pull your foot out of your mouth and tell me if I am a Maktia guy or not.

Also you said MAGAZINES. That would mean more than one. Or did you want it to look like you had more than you really did?

Oh and one other point, Did you ever think that maybe they get more DeWalt and Bosch because more contractors have them? You really need to understand the stat before you go around using to justify your position. Or it could be because once their POS MW goes belly up they go out and buy a real tool and don't bother to get it repaired.


----------



## TNTRenovate (Aug 19, 2010)

What issue? The only hammer drill review that I found was from 2009.


----------



## HUI (Jan 21, 2011)

I have a set of the 18 volt MW tools. They originally came with the ni Cad batteries. I upgraded to the lithium about two years ago. They have been good tools ever since. I'm curios about the 12 volt series of tools. I have never had issues with any MW tool I have ever owned. Just batteries. Now they seem to have the battery issue resolved


----------



## Tank (Jan 29, 2011)

That's the way you want to handle a forum reply TNTSERVICES? ...Ok..sure.

I was wrong when I wrote magazines, magazine...were not all perfect like Makita...are we?

Fine Homebuilding website. Click on tool guide, go down to Hammer Drills and click. You will find that Milwaukee's 2nd biggest drill claimed best scores.

A lot of contractors buy the cheapest possible tools because they know they will wreck them anyways. If they won't, there rookies will. If Milwaukee had such a bad name as you suggest, why are they doing so good in business? The sale numbers have never been higher. 

Sure, there probably is more Bosch drills out there, more Makita, more Dewalt, meaning very few people have actually given Milwaukee a real try, used all of there tools, for some long time periods. These are the kind of people who come with replies against Milwaukee, having only tried there old products, or none of them at all. 80% of those who claim to burn up power tools, don't know how to use tools. It's a power tool, not a steel I-Beam. You can't abuse the hell out of it, and expect a piece of equipment with moving parts to remain working when you treat it like crap.


----------



## TNTRenovate (Aug 19, 2010)

Tank said:


> That's the way you want to handle a forum reply TNTSERVICES? ...Ok..sure. I am not sure what you mean? Do you not like to be called out on the "facts" you post?. Don't expect people to just trust you and your stats. You have provided more made up numbers (see below response).
> 
> I was wrong when I wrote magazines, magazine...were not all perfect like Makita...are we? Who claimed Makita was perfect. I am a Bosch guy, but I like to think that I am reasonable and would look at all of the facts. You obviously didn't go back and read the posts. If you had, you would not have looked foolish, again, referencing Makita as my brand.
> 
> ...


I buy quality tools and take care of them. I have owned Bosch tools for the last 6 years and have had none in the shop. I have owned several DeWalt 18v drills and they were always in the shop. I have owned several MW tools and their batteries sucked. After spending thousands of dollars for products that had crappy batteries why would I go back? If you can't get it right, how can I trust you in the future? If Bosch turned as bad a product that MW had several years back I would not buy Bosch.


----------



## The Coastal Craftsman (Jun 29, 2009)

Tank said:


> Milwaukee had a lot of battery issues in the past, granted.
> 
> Although, it seems in the last few years they have finally straightened out the battery issues. I am sure there will be some issues with the Red Lithium batteries, anything new always has issues, work out the kinks.
> 
> ...



It seems you don't really know anything about tool or battery technology. Let me explain. A battery can not increase power of a drill unless voltage increases. You can get a very small increase in performance by changing gear ratios and motor specs but voltage increase is where the bulk off performance comes from. Also no matter what type of cell you have from ni-cd,nh-mh,li-ion,li-po,LiFe ect ect 3000mah is 3000mah if I remember correctly the milwaukees are 2800mah but I may be mistaken. 

Your tool rep or guy must be the biggest liar about. The reason that I rate dewalt with Milwaukee is because of quality and returns. They are about the same so in my eyes they are rated below makita, Bosch and pannasonic. From what I hear mailwaukee are even worse than dewalt for repairs and customer sevice. 

Also when you say thing like pannasonic should stick to tv's because they ain't got a clue about tools it shows you know nothing about tools. I guess you think hilti and festool are crap power tools as well? 

Stick around on here and you will learn. I was a know it all like you when I come here and thought my makita stuff was better than festool :laughing: again how wrong I was.


----------



## Tank (Jan 29, 2011)

I can understand where you guys are coming from. I will flat out admit, I am not submitting hard facts for your approval. I have said what I said because it is what I see, nothing more, nothing less. I am just one person with one opinion. I am not here to present graphs and charts to you on repair stats and battery life.

I use my Milwaukee products 6 days a week, full time job site use. I have not had one problem other users have mentioned with MW products.

Bottom line, my statements are my opinion, and what I see of other power tools and there quality is my opinion, which I have a right to. 

Of course in my own mind, I will call into question other people's claims against a brand I have no trouble with, and a rep who gives me new free tools and batteries. Others say "MW has bad customer service" I am going to say, no, they don't, not from my experience.

In my OPINION, Makita lovers gained that love from the old tools, years ago. It is assumed because the older stuff was good, the newer stuff must be good too. In my OPINION, Makita does not hold the trophy over quality power tool manufacturers. 

So, I will apologize for misinterpreting myself, and get back to the point of this thread.

For someone looking for a impact, I would suggest trying Milwaukee. I am very pleased with mine, from my own experiences.


----------



## ccappaul (Dec 3, 2010)

Tank said:


> I can understand where you guys are coming from. I will flat out admit, I am not submitting hard facts for your approval. I have said what I said because it is what I see, nothing more, nothing less. I am just one person with one opinion. I am not here to present graphs and charts to you on repair stats and battery life.
> 
> I use my Milwaukee products 6 days a week, full time job site use. I have not had one problem other users have mentioned with MW products.
> 
> ...


Tank way to go, you stayed Professional through to the end .
Didn't get bogged down in a fight. :thumbsup:


----------



## TNTRenovate (Aug 19, 2010)

BCConstruction said:


> It seems you don't really know anything about tool or battery technology. Let me explain. A battery can not increase power of a drill unless voltage increases. You can get a very small increase in performance by changing gear ratios and motor specs but voltage increase is where the bulk off performance comes from. Also no matter what type of cell you have from ni-cd,nh-mh,li-ion,li-po,LiFe ect ect 3000mah is 3000mah if I remember correctly the milwaukees are 2800mah but I may be mistaken.
> 
> Your tool rep or guy must be the biggest liar about. The reason that I rate dewalt with Milwaukee is because of quality and returns. They are about the same so in my eyes they are rated below makita, Bosch and pannasonic. From what I hear mailwaukee are even worse than dewalt for repairs and customer sevice.
> 
> ...


BBC way to go, you stayed Professional through to the end .
Didn't get bogged down in a fight. :thumbsup:


----------



## The Coastal Craftsman (Jun 29, 2009)

Tank said:


> I can understand where you guys are coming from. I will flat out admit, I am not submitting hard facts for your approval. I have said what I said because it is what I see, nothing more, nothing less. I am just one person with one opinion. I am not here to present graphs and charts to you on repair stats and battery life.
> 
> I use my Milwaukee products 6 days a week, full time job site use. I have not had one problem other users have mentioned with MW products.
> 
> ...


 
I'm not saying the Milwaukee will not last for you or they are crap tools. there are many other brands much worse than Milwaukee by far but you have to remember your telling guys who have been through many of the top brands and worked their way through the rough ones to get to the final tools they love. its great you have a rep that gives you free tools and batteries but 99.999999% of people never get that from any brand so you have been very lucky. I'm prob my local festool dealers number one customer and i have spent a pretty penny with them in the last year and i have received a pen :laughing: but it is a festool pen. 

just remember when you come here here and bash brands that are known to be some of the best on the market your gonna get flak from it. Milwaukee have a way to go before they are seen as a good quality contractor grade tool and they could but not quite yet.


----------



## Alex_M (Feb 7, 2011)

Okay this may be a little late, but I am new here so I thought I would give my .02 on this thread! 

I think the answer all depends on, what do you need to do with it and how often do you plan to use it?

Like myself, I own a Milwaukee 18v lit ion. I would prefer to use a Makita or even a Dewalt based on the ability to screw into heavy gage exterior metal. The makita makes short work of it, very easy to drive into heavy gage exterior metal. However, if you don't need to be doing that all the time a cheaper version may do just fine. Take care of the tools and they will do the trick for lighter applications for years.

However, my tip would be if you find yourself wanting one because you are getting into metal framing, and/or boarding. Buy a dewalt screwgun and use that for screwing studs, board etc. 

I may be way off as to what you need it for, but for anyone else that may be doing this type of work, stick the impact back into it's box and use the screwgun more often. It makes cake work of exterior heavy gage, can set the trigger so you dont have to always squeeze when your screwing, and as soon as your ready for boarding just pick up drywall screws instead and away you go.

hope this helps and remember just my .02!


----------



## TheSidingGuy (Jan 25, 2008)

Makita


----------



## woodworkbykirk (Sep 17, 2008)

ive owned makita, milwaukee, dewalt, rigid and bosch

i loved my makita it worked amazing, mind you it was nicad however it lasted almost 4 years, it died because a coworker would constantly unplug my charger with batterys left on it. a proven way to kill batterys. tons of torque and run time when it was healthy

dewalt.- sold it 3 months after i got it, it was terrible, no power, no run time, and barely any variation in trigger speed

milwaukee- owned the compact 18v lith ion drill, i dont know if i got a lemon or what but the batterys had charge life to them at all, id be lucky if i could drill 3- 2 1/8" holes through interior doors before changing batterys, even worse about 4 months after i bought it the clutch was gone on it from then on it didnt have any torque

bosch- 12v nicad impact worked great more compact than a 18volt, it took a beating too ran it for 4 years. it fell down stairs, dropped 15' off scaffold onto ashphalt. 18volt impact- had it a year and still going strong

rigid 18v lith ion hammer- ive had it 2 years now no issues other than one of two batterys sometimes sticks in the drill itself and can be tricky removing, tons of power, speed but a bit heavy

on the issue of some brands having more tools repaired than others. you cant go solely on what brand has more tools repaired solely on that number, its should be comared as a ratio in regard to how many units are sold. the only way of truly knowing whos the best this way is to test say 50 units of each model til they quit and how they quit. its the only fair test. ive talked to the old timer at hd whos a retired carpenter he sayed he mostly sees rigid tools come back and then dewalt . 

but back to the thread topic at hand IMPACT DRIVERS NOT HAMMER DRILLS


----------



## Tank (Jan 29, 2011)

Even I will admit Makita has the clear leg up right now. Brushless is the only way to go, and I hope all power tools are brushless by the end of this year.

I went down to the tool store today, tried out one of the brushless Makita 1/4'' impacts, and I was very impressed with it. Drove screws much faster then the brushed Makita. For $220 though as a tool only, I will have to wait a while.


----------



## Irishmann07 (Mar 6, 2011)

makita because they are the best and all there other 18v tools are good


----------



## Arthur_80 (Mar 14, 2011)

I agree that Makita is the way to go for Cordless Impact Drivers.


----------



## Inner10 (Mar 12, 2009)

> Even I will admit Makita has the clear leg up right now. Brushless is the only way to go, and I hope all power tools are brushless by the end of this year.
> 
> I went down to the tool store today, tried out one of the brushless Makita 1/4'' impacts, and I was very impressed with it. Drove screws much faster then the brushed Makita. For $220 though as a tool only, I will have to wait a while.


I was going to buy one until I found out that you are forced to buy it "tool only" no kit with 2 batts and a charger, no kit with a drill etc. Instead of buying a 350 dollar kit you end up spending 650 bucks on separate parts or getting a drill kit and separate driver. The cost isn't justifiable.

When I asked the Makita rep about it he said it was aimed at assembly line or shop work...not at the contracting/construction industry.


----------

