Converting 20V Impact driver to an Impact Wrench. Extremely Easy.

[Yep.]

Ok, so a few months back, I bought the DCD985 [behemoth] Hammer Drill/DCF885 Impact Driver combo. I use that drill for everything, man. I think you could weld a prop to a 1/2"rod, ratchet it down, switch to 3rd gear a have a proper backup outboard. It's a stud.

But the 'impact driver' phenomenon escapes me. I hear about people driving a lot of screws with them and I definitely see the application for framing and decks, etc, but I work mostly with metal. All I found it was good for was augering out the centers of phillips screw heads, or stripping sheet-metal fasteners. I mean, the blamed thing tops out (EASILY) at 3,200 rpms. Just a blip of the trigger and you're screwing clean through the house next door. So the first thing I did was relegate it to only using a 3/8" or 1/2" socket adapter, for which it performed flawlessly. In fact, I was pretty blown away at how well it works as an impact wrench. This is my first experience with electric impact. I'll probably never use air again.

But anyway, so the downside to adapters is that eventually, they snap off inside the hex-chuck. (the first company to improve that fairly obvious weakness in the hex-driver attachment method will change the industry standard.) They also add nearly an inch to the profile, thereby limiting accessibility.

A few weeks ago, I was looking for a bit-holder on a replacement parts website and happened to click on DeWalt Impact Wrenches instead of Drivers, and bang, there it was. DCF883. It is EXACTLY the same as DCF885, except that it has a 3/8" Hog-ring socket wrench anvil, part number 608116-00SV, which can be swapped out to replace the hex-driver anvil, part number N114621, and the attached chuck. The new anvil will cost you about $25, but for me, it was an opportunity cost, because I wasn't going to use it as a hex-driver very much. Just use a pick to compress the ring around the chuck opening and it comes out. You can find videos on how to remove the chuck. You have to open the tool, but it's very straightforward. I'm pretty experienced, but I'd give it only about a 4 out of 10 in terms of difficulty, and only that high because most people tend to be a little impatient. Plan to take a half hour and take your time. If you do, you'll be done in 15 minutes.

Cool thing is, now you have both tools.

[Tim1963]

Glad it worked for you.

[electromage]

Nice hack. I don't really get the appeal of the "impact driver" either, but for some reason the drill/impact combo seems to be everywhere. Is it cheaper to buy that kit and swap the anvil than buying the drill and impact wrench separate?

[Andrull]

Nice.

I bought a Impact wrench instead of a driver, so now I can use it to screw lag screws, bolts, AND smaller screws with the 1/2" torx socket,1/2" phillips socket and 1/2" unbrako socket. Works beautifull. 

 

Almost twice the power (lower losses), more compact, and it can take on almost any task without adapters, compared to impact drivers where you need adapters for a lot of uses, that takes up space, and large losses of energy.

 

Also, I save the cost of having two units. Yay. 

[midogrumpy]

picture please