I'm considering a cordless 1/4" impact driver, and the Milwaukee 14.4v
9081-22 would complement my existing Milwaukee 14.4 cordless drill.
However, there are several negative reviews on Amazon describing motor and
gear failures for this model.

Anyone have experience using this model? Recommendations for better models
to consider?

Thanks,
-Lance

"Lance" wrote in message
...
I'm considering a cordless 1/4" impact driver, and the Milwaukee 14.4v
9081-22 would complement my existing Milwaukee 14.4 cordless drill.
However, there are several negative reviews on Amazon describing motor and
gear failures for this model.

Anyone have experience using this model? Recommendations for better
models to consider?


That would be the logical way to go if the battery will fit both. Lithium
ion batteries are showing up and in many cases the batteries will not
interchange with the NiMH batteries.

Otherwise go with the best warranty. IIRC Milwaukee has the 5 year deal
going and Ridgid has a lifetime warranty including the charger, batteries,
and maintained.

I personally have been using a Makita for about 20 months with no problems.
IIRC Makita was one of the first to have the impact drivers.

"Lance" wrote in
:

I'm considering a cordless 1/4" impact driver, and the Milwaukee 14.4v
9081-22 would complement my existing Milwaukee 14.4 cordless drill.
However, there are several negative reviews on Amazon describing motor
and gear failures for this model.

Anyone have experience using this model? Recommendations for better
models to consider?

Thanks,
-Lance


I bought a Bosch 12v last year, and have used it hard, but only in a few
projects. It works well for me, and seems that it would hold up well in
heavy regular use, but that's someone else's job.

But it's easier on my arm/shoulder/elbow than a cordless drill driver, by
far, when doing a bunch of screws.

Patriarch

I have the Makita lithium ion model, and I love it. Lightweight and
powerful, and the led light turns out to be a real plus. Also, it holds
a charge over long periods when not in use.

Lance wrote:
I'm considering a cordless 1/4" impact driver, and the Milwaukee 14.4v
9081-22 would complement my existing Milwaukee 14.4 cordless drill.
However, there are several negative reviews on Amazon describing motor and
gear failures for this model.

Anyone have experience using this model? Recommendations for better models
to consider?

I've got the Panasonic 12v driver. It's got a light, which is really
pretty helpful at times. It's also got a "digital" clutch that's
pretty good once you get it dialed in right. I really like it -
especially the 1/4 turn only feature. Check out the amazon link
below...

http://tinyurl.com/fqoh9

....or just punch in Panasonic impact driver into a google search. Mine
came with a free 12v drill body, which I'm also pretty keen on. The
only negative is there's no on-tool bit storage. WRT lithium ion
batteries, they do seem to have arrived. I've not used them but I'm
sure they're excellent. Might be the way to go who knows.

JP

Makita 14.4 with the 2.6 Ah batteries. Works great, plenty of power.

On Thu, 7 Sep 2006 13:11:31 -0400, "Lance"
wrote:

I'm considering a cordless 1/4" impact driver, and the Milwaukee 14.4v
9081-22 would complement my existing Milwaukee 14.4 cordless drill.
However, there are several negative reviews on Amazon describing motor and
gear failures for this model.

Anyone have experience using this model? Recommendations for better models
to consider?

Thanks,
-Lance

"Leon" wrote in message

I personally have been using a Makita for about 20 months with no
problems.
IIRC Makita was one of the first to have the impact drivers.

Is that the small one you were using on that last job?

--
www.e-woodshop.net
Last update: 8/29/06

On Thu, 7 Sep 2006 13:11:31 -0400, in rec.woodworking, "Lance"
wrote:

I'm considering a cordless 1/4" impact driver, and the Milwaukee 14.4v
9081-22 would complement my existing Milwaukee 14.4 cordless drill.
However, there are several negative reviews on Amazon describing motor and
gear failures for this model.

Anyone have experience using this model? Recommendations for better models
to consider?

I recently used the Panasonic 3-speed Impact Driver (Model EY7202GQKW)
with clutch and digital control to build a fence with 1200 screws -
see the bottom item at http://www.internationaltool.com/panimpact.htm
for the US version.

Advantages/good points:

It came with two 3.5Ah batteries and 55 min charger, and consequently
batteries last a *very* long time.

One Pozi No2 bit lasted for over 600 screws, as there was virtually no
cam-out like I used to get with my non-impact cordless drill/driver.

Despite only being 12V, I was only using it at 2/3 of the available
torque most of the time, and it still drove every screw as far as I
wanted.

The digital torqe control means that it is possible to use it like a
normal cordless drill/driver - just press the trigger and wait until
it stops driving the screw. However, with wood being what it is, you
will hit soft and hard areas, meaning that the screw may top short or
go further than intended, and adjustments to the torque may be
necessary.

The belt clip proved very useful and can be changed to suit left- or
right-handed users.

The body is coated with a rubber-like material which protects it from
knocks.

It's small and quite light, which reduced fatigue.

Disadvantages/bad points:

The grip is a little too short for my hands, with the result that I
had to be very careful not to disengage the forward/reverse control
when I was using it. When wearing heavy gloves, I had to operate the
trigger with my middle finger, rather than my index finger.

The red numeric display is difficult to read in bright sunlight.


General points:

Impact drivers are quite noisy, so you might want to try to listen to
one in use before you buy, if that could be an issue.

I find that it's much easier to drive cross-point screws than slotted
screws, because the impact action tends to make the bit slide out of
the slot (I didn't try driving many slotted screws though, so maybe
practice makes perfect!).

No-load speed is 2000-2600rpm, so you can't start a screw at a nice
slow speed and then speed up once it takes grip.

Summary:

When I was shopping for one, Panasonic was completely off my radar,
but I'd happily buy another one. Based of my experience with it, I'd
certainly include Panasonic on my shortlist when buying cordless tools
in the future.


Forrest

--
Forrest Anderson
Edinburgh
Scotland

I have the Makita LXT also and have been very happy with it. It has good
power - it actually twisted and ruined the 3/8" socket attachment I was
using to change the wheels on my car. It is also is easy to modulate and
the battery life is amazing. I drove dozens of 3" deck screws without
overdriving or braking any of them on one charge.

-Steve W


" wrote in message
oups.com...
I have the Makita lithium ion model, and I love it. Lightweight and
powerful, and the led light turns out to be a real plus. Also, it holds
a charge over long periods when not in use.

"Lance" wrote in message
...
I'm considering a cordless 1/4" impact driver, and the Milwaukee 14.4v
9081-22 would complement my existing Milwaukee 14.4 cordless drill.
However, there are several negative reviews on Amazon describing motor and
gear failures for this model.

Anyone have experience using this model? Recommendations for better
models to consider?

Thanks,
-Lance

I can very strongly recommend the 14.4V DeWalt model. I purchased it a few
months ago when I was just starting a project building a shed. I had been
putting screws in with a drill/driver all day when the UPS guy delivered the
impact driver. All it took was putting in one screw and I was hooked. I
can't believe I've managed to live this long without one. I've put well
over a thousand 3 1/2" deck screws in with my impact driver and recommend
one to anyone who will listen. The DeWalt was particularly convenient for
me because I already have an investment in DeWalt 14.4
tools/batteries/chargers.

In your case, since you only mention having one other cordless tool, I would
look at the whole line of tools offered by the manufacturer alternatives.
You get the biggest benefit with these cordless tools when you have a number
of them and can share batteries around. If you had a bunch of Milwaukee
tools, you would do best to stick with them. Since you don't, you might as
well pick the manufacturer that has the best line. Personally, I like
DeWalt but the new stuff coming from Bosch is pretty interesting too.

Forrest Anderson wrote:
Disadvantages/bad points:

The grip is a little too short for my hands, with the result that I
had to be very careful not to disengage the forward/reverse control
when I was using it. When wearing heavy gloves, I had to operate the
trigger with my middle finger, rather than my index finger.

Oh man, I totally forgot about the forward/reverse control issue. It's
poorly designed in the extreme. Once you get used to it you can work
with it, but man they really ought to change that. I grip it
differently now than what was natural at the beginning, so it's ok, but
still not good.

JP

On 9 Sep 2006 06:13:37 -0700, in rec.woodworking, "Jay Pique"
wrote:

The grip is a little too short for my hands, with the result that I
had to be very careful not to disengage the forward/reverse control
when I was using it. When wearing heavy gloves, I had to operate the
trigger with my middle finger, rather than my index finger.

Oh man, I totally forgot about the forward/reverse control issue. It's
poorly designed in the extreme. Once you get used to it you can work
with it, but man they really ought to change that. I grip it
differently now than what was natural at the beginning, so it's ok, but
still not good.

Hah! Glad to hear that I haven't got peculiar hands! I don't know how
many of the Panasonic's cordless drills and drivers are like that, but
it's something I'd want to check out before buying another.

Forrest

--
Forrest Anderson, Edinburgh, Scotland.
E-mail:
Website: www.military-researcher.com
Forrestdale Research - Military Genealogical Researcher

"Forrest Anderson" wrote in message
...
On Thu, 7 Sep 2006 13:11:31 -0400, in rec.woodworking, "Lance"
wrote:

I'm considering a cordless 1/4" impact driver, and the Milwaukee 14.4v
9081-22 would complement my existing Milwaukee 14.4 cordless drill.
However, there are several negative reviews on Amazon describing motor and
gear failures for this model.

Anyone have experience using this model? Recommendations for better
models
to consider?

I recently used the Panasonic 3-speed Impact Driver (Model EY7202GQKW)
with clutch and digital control to build a fence with 1200 screws -
see the bottom item at http://www.internationaltool.com/panimpact.htm
for the US version.

Advantages/good points:

It came with two 3.5Ah batteries and 55 min charger, and consequently
batteries last a *very* long time.

One Pozi No2 bit lasted for over 600 screws, as there was virtually no
cam-out like I used to get with my non-impact cordless drill/driver.

Despite only being 12V, I was only using it at 2/3 of the available
torque most of the time, and it still drove every screw as far as I
wanted.

The digital torqe control means that it is possible to use it like a
normal cordless drill/driver - just press the trigger and wait until
it stops driving the screw. However, with wood being what it is, you
will hit soft and hard areas, meaning that the screw may top short or
go further than intended, and adjustments to the torque may be
necessary.

The belt clip proved very useful and can be changed to suit left- or
right-handed users.

The body is coated with a rubber-like material which protects it from
knocks.

It's small and quite light, which reduced fatigue.

Disadvantages/bad points:

The grip is a little too short for my hands, with the result that I
had to be very careful not to disengage the forward/reverse control
when I was using it. When wearing heavy gloves, I had to operate the
trigger with my middle finger, rather than my index finger.

The red numeric display is difficult to read in bright sunlight.


General points:

Impact drivers are quite noisy, so you might want to try to listen to
one in use before you buy, if that could be an issue.

I find that it's much easier to drive cross-point screws than slotted
screws, because the impact action tends to make the bit slide out of
the slot (I didn't try driving many slotted screws though, so maybe
practice makes perfect!).

No-load speed is 2000-2600rpm, so you can't start a screw at a nice
slow speed and then speed up once it takes grip.

Summary:

When I was shopping for one, Panasonic was completely off my radar,
but I'd happily buy another one. Based of my experience with it, I'd
certainly include Panasonic on my shortlist when buying cordless tools
in the future.


Forrest

--
Forrest Anderson
Edinburgh
Scotland

Thanks for all the recommendations! I see that McFeely has the Makita 14.4V
6935FDWDE Impact Driver w/14.4v 6337DWDE Driver Drill & ML143 Fluorescent
Work Light for $230, so will look at that also.

-Lance

"Steve W" writes:

I have the Makita LXT also and have been very happy with it. It has good
power - it actually twisted and ruined the 3/8" socket attachment I was
using to change the wheels on my car. It is also is easy to modulate and
the battery life is amazing. I drove dozens of 3" deck screws without
overdriving or braking any of them on one charge.

I also have the LXT impact driver and my only complaint is that I keep
breaking off phillips bits. I think the impacting weakens the bits and
they snap off. I go through a bit for every 50 to 100 screws. (I am
driving screws into sheet metal.)

Brian Elfert