jayjr1105 Posted June 15, 2015 Report Share Posted June 15, 2015 Hey all, new to the forums and looking to buy my first impact driver. I had been using the trusty DeWalt 18v Drill/Driver for years but a contractor friend told me about how magical impact drivers are. I have researched high and low and still haven't settled on anything because there are so dang many. 12v 14v 18v 20v, brushed, brushless, high end name brand, low end name brand, etc etc. I am heaving leaning toward this... http://www.amazon.com/Milwaukee-2453-22-Impact-Driver-Batteries/dp/B00E9YWW18/ref=sr_1_20?s=power-hand-tools&ie=UTF8&qid=1434329585&sr=1-20&keywords=impact+drivers&pebp=1434329651862&perid=76C77112200341A2AB85 For a casual home user, would Ryobi, or Porter Cable be fine? I feel like $157 for a brushless 1200 inch lb torque, 2 amp hour drill with a hard case and extra battery is a steal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
npcnj8 Posted June 15, 2015 Report Share Posted June 15, 2015 Dewalt has a 20v max impact and drill/driver on sale for $159 at lowes. I would go with that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jayjr1105 Posted June 15, 2015 Author Report Share Posted June 15, 2015 Trying to stay away from NiCad batteries. Thanks though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DR99 Posted June 15, 2015 Report Share Posted June 15, 2015 All of the Dewalt 20v max tools are lithium batteries. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DR99 Posted June 15, 2015 Report Share Posted June 15, 2015 The Milwaukee M12 fuel is a sweet little impact driver. It's what I use all the time because it is so light weight. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
comp56 Posted June 15, 2015 Report Share Posted June 15, 2015 you will be hard pressed to find a better little impact driver than the M12 fuel kit.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jayjr1105 Posted June 15, 2015 Author Report Share Posted June 15, 2015 Yeah, I was wondering if the M12 non-fuel was plenty of juice for a DIY'er. It's only $99 @ HD. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
comp56 Posted June 15, 2015 Report Share Posted June 15, 2015 there is nothing wrong with that driver either, will do any task you need to do at home.......and then some I have all 3 the m18 fuel the m12 fuel and the m12 regular none of which disappoint ...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dwain Posted June 15, 2015 Report Share Posted June 15, 2015 you should definitely hold some in your hands before making a decision. i think that M18 impact drivers are much more comfy than 12V impact drivers (with the exception of Dewalt). For a CASUAL HOME USER (looking at you DR and comp! ), Ryobi and PC would be just fine. But if you have the cash to spring for a Milwaukee, Dewalt, Makita, Bosch, then go for it. You won't need the runtime (or slight power increase) of a brushless unit... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
comp56 Posted June 15, 2015 Report Share Posted June 15, 2015 i agree now days any new brand will do but the first tool you buy usually dictates future tool purchases brand wise especially in the cordless world..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doof Posted June 15, 2015 Report Share Posted June 15, 2015 Beyond the shear awesomeness of the M12 Fuel Impact is it's two power settings. If you ask me, you can't get a better impact kit without nearly doubling the price, and you still might not get any setting options. For a DIYer, it should do the trick and then some. Power settings are a must in my book for an impact: Low for delicate (and the M12 Fuel CAN do delicate plastics and finer work without destroying it), and high for heavy duty (with two batteries you'll be capable of getting a lot done). If you like it, don't even hesitate. If it feels good in your hand, pull the trigger. In my opinion, though not the most powerful, the M12 Fuel may be the most well designed impact on the market. The sucker's just powerful and sleek. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dwain Posted June 15, 2015 Report Share Posted June 15, 2015 Without disagreeing with you, it still must be pointed out that the FUEL is the upper end of a well-loved trade quality tool. Casual DIY-ers should not be given the impression that anything less is a waste of time. I do agree that the 'platform' should be considered, if the user is likely to expand later on. So far we don't know this to be the case. Having said that, the FUEL kit is priced reasonably. I'd still recommend an 18V platform over a 12V for most users. Look what you could get for similar money:http://amzn.com/B005GT0IXOhttp://amzn.com/B00IJ0ALYS 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles Harris Posted June 15, 2015 Report Share Posted June 15, 2015 I have that M12 fuel impact driver. It's awesome. I bought it to replace a DeWalt 20v Max brushless impact driver. I haven't run across anything where I felt like I was missing anything not having a 18/20v driver. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nalu Rash Posted June 15, 2015 Report Share Posted June 15, 2015 I think that is great impact driver, and one that I hope to purchase in the future. Having said this, I'm sure that a casual diy'er could do just as well with a Ryobi or even a Rigid. Ryobi has a ton of tools on their battery platform for a great price. Rigid has a lifetime warranty on their products. Not sure if you heard of Jay Bates, he is a DIY guy on YouTube. I noticed he uses the Ryobi Platform. A ton of DIY YouTuber's use Ryobi. You can take a look at what they have done using those tools and decide if that would be good for you. Good luck buddy 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jayjr1105 Posted June 15, 2015 Author Report Share Posted June 15, 2015 I pulled the trigger on the m12 fuel. Thanks for all the positive feedback guys. I feel like I would have been fine with just about anything name brand but in the grand scheme of things, 160 for a widely loved driver seemed like a no brainer. Yes I could have bought a combo kit but I'm still very happy with my Dewalt 18v and I didn't want the hassle of selling one or the other. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bigmikez Posted June 15, 2015 Report Share Posted June 15, 2015 Jay congrats on the m12 fuel kit!! U have just opened the door to a line of great tools man. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dwain Posted June 15, 2015 Report Share Posted June 15, 2015 enjoy! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrisK Posted June 15, 2015 Report Share Posted June 15, 2015 @jayjr1105 welcome to the forums dude! I've got that M12 Fuel impact and it is an awesome tool! Right now I have three M12 tools since reducing the line. I've got the rotary tool (awesome) and the M12 Fuel Hackzall and Impact. Incredibly powerful tools, super comfortable and the tool line up is massive. Good move on your part! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles Harris Posted June 15, 2015 Report Share Posted June 15, 2015 I pulled the trigger on the m12 fuel. Thanks for all the positive feedback guys. I feel like I would have been fine with just about anything name brand but in the grand scheme of things, 160 for a widely loved driver seemed like a no brainer. Yes I could have bought a combo kit but I'm still very happy with my Dewalt 18v and I didn't want the hassle of selling one or the other.Congrats. You are going to enjoy it.I just finished using mine. My A/C unit went down last night. Condenser motor locked up. I managed to use 3 of my M12 tools to fix it.Impact to disassemble and reassemble the unit.Hackzall to cut the motor shaft off flush with the fan hub. Rotary tool to trim the motor bolts off to the right length.Now I get another reason I need to buy the next tool. Saved a $300-$400 service call today. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles Harris Posted June 15, 2015 Report Share Posted June 15, 2015 Also remember to pair the impact with good bits. The best Phillips bits I have used are the Bosch ribbed tip.Im still looking for the right square bits. The m12 impact will shear the tips off of the DeWalt flextorq bits when screwing down hardie board. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RickyMcGrath Posted June 16, 2015 Report Share Posted June 16, 2015 Congrats. You are going to enjoy it.I just finished using mine. My A/C unit went down last night. Condenser motor locked up. I managed to use 3 of my M12 tools to fix it.Impact to disassemble and reassemble the unit.Hackzall to cut the motor shaft off flush with the fan hub. Rotary tool to trim the motor bolts off to the right length.Now I get another reason I need to buy the next tool. Saved a $300-$400 service call today.Sounds like your next tools should be a hub puller and some penetrating oil. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bremon Posted June 16, 2015 Report Share Posted June 16, 2015 I have the M12 Fuel and M18 Fuel impact drivers. For it's cost and size, the M12 is a fantastic tool. That said, there's not much difference in sizes for impact drivers so you really have to look at systems as a whole. Now that M12 has a circ saw I really think it is the ultimate homeowner system. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles Harris Posted June 16, 2015 Report Share Posted June 16, 2015 Sounds like your next tools should be a hub puller and some penetrating oil.LOL. I like the way you think. I'll have to add a hub puller to the collection. I would loved to have one today. Still cleaning up wd40. Probably should pick up some PB blaster just in case. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jayjr1105 Posted June 16, 2015 Author Report Share Posted June 16, 2015 So my M12 arrived today. A couple questions for you guys... Are you supposed to charge the batteries extra long (8-12 hours) the very first time you charge them like some other batteries require? The first battery I threw on the charger went green (charged) in about 10 minutes. Another question is drilling capability. Is this a tool that should only be used for drilling if you're in a bind? Or is it okay to drill some with it on a regular basis. Oh and one last question. How is battery shelf life on Li-Ion vs a Ni-Cad? Can a full battery sit on the bench for 2 weeks and still have 90% of its juice still? Edit: Another quick thing. How often does Milwaukee change the battery design? Seems everyone changes to a new model sooner or later. I like when product lines last a long time so batteries and parts are easily obtainable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles Harris Posted June 16, 2015 Report Share Posted June 16, 2015 So my M12 arrived today. A couple questions for you guys... Are you supposed to charge the batteries extra long (8-12 hours) the very first time you charge them like some other batteries require? The first battery I threw on the charger went green (charged) in about 10 minutes.Another question is drilling capability. Is this a tool that should only be used for drilling if you're in a bind? Or is it okay to drill some with it on a regular basis.Oh and one last question. How is battery shelf life on Li-Ion vs a Ni-Cad? Can a full battery sit on the bench for 2 weeks and still have 90% of its juice still?Edit: Another quick thing. How often does Milwaukee change the battery design? Seems everyone changes to a new model sooner or later. I like when product lines last a long time so batteries and parts are easily obtainable.No need to do an initial long charge on a lithium battery. Nimh batteries are the ones that benefit from forming. (Forming = Slow charging and cycling.)Just charge it up till the charger turns green and go to work. Lithium batteries also have a very low self discharge rate. They will stay fully charged for an extremely long time. (It can sit for months and be ready to go.). If you are used to nickel batteries you are going to love the new lithium batteries. (My other hobby is RC airplanes. I build a lot of my own lithium batteries for the airplanes.)It's fine to drill with it. Just be aware some drill bits are not rated for impact use. Many of the manufacturers are making impact rated bits now. Also it's a good idea to wear glasses in case you break a bit. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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