Since there is no topic about this type of power tool, I want share my 'limited' experience using it. I already posts some messages related to impact driver in my Rotary hammer thread, and I want to dedicated this thread to impact driver.

To be clear, impact driver is NOT impact drill. Main purpose of the impact driver is for driving screws or bolt. With drilling bits, it also can drill small holes into wood, plastic or steel.

For many years, I was using hand tools, such as screw drivers and wrenches for my home DIYs, Most of us know how hard or exhautive when using screw driver to drive screw into wood, especially the long screws.

In about year 2000, I tried, Black and Decker's cordless screw driver for PC repairing, then I realized how convinient the power tool is. So, I bought Bosch iXO compact screw driver. It works well and really make things easy, driving screw into wall plug for cuitain rail anchoring. It was slow and easy to drive the screw, but much in torque to drive a long screw into wood, so, still I need to use hand tool. I moved to new house, and it need lots of drilling and anchoring. The iXO battery failed, while lots more to go, and I don't have time to go to service center for battery replacement. I decided to get a corded power tool, and I got this Makita TD0101F impact driver. I don't mind the corded power tools because, I have 2 units of 10m extension cable, which will cover every inch of my house. BTW, I never used impact driver before, and very suprise of the result. Most of the screws driving were quick and not going into the 'impact' mode at all.

I did some experiments with this impact driver, by driving longer (3 and 4 inches) screw into wood. As we can see, when the impact mode is engaged, you can hear the familiar sound like at the tire workshop when removing/installing wheel nuts, the shaft turn slower, just like it was on very low gear. If I maintain to push it at certain force, it never slip at all, and the screw's head/slot is not going to be damaged.

I published a video clip in youtube, demonstrating the power of the impact driver.

Enjoy


Update 1: 20120221
As we already saw in the youtube clip, the 'impact' mechanism is the secret to get more torque from small motor.
There are 2 types of impact driver.

1) Typical impact driver.
The one the most popular and available. Its come as corded and cordless type, in several size.
The cordless impact driver usually small, lightweight and compact. The torque range from 90Nm-165Nm

2) Soft impact driver
This new type of impact driver uses hydraulic oil to soften the impact, and make it more silent. The torque is around 30Nm. I never saw this type, but you can find it from Makita and Hitachi Japan.
Makita 6963SPK : From latest Japanese Makita catalogue
Hitachi WP12VA : http://www.hitachi-koki.co.jp/powertools/p...2va/wp12va.html

There are even higher torque impact driver, which called impact wrench. It can take a larger socket diameter with torque between 200-2000 Nm.

Updates, 2012-03-04


Demonstration screw driving using several hand tools and power tools. For details, go to page 4 in this thread.




To be continued....



Thank you.

This post has been edited by bahathir: Mar 4 2012, 04:10 PM

Reserved for accessories and references.

This clip explains how impact driver works. Now I understand, why the impact driver is a great tool for fasterning or driving screws or nuts, even with a small compact impact driver. The secret is, how the 'impact' mechanism works.


This clip show the differences between impact driver, drill driver and combi drill driver
Notice that the impact driver has small hex shaft quick change chuck.



See, how convinient to drive these long screws... I am wondering how long I'll take to drive these long screws with handtool screwdriver.


Corded and cordless impact drivers. There are pros and cons, but I loving my corded impact driver. Nowdays, it is really very hard find corded impact driver...




U[date: 2012-03-05
Impact driver vs Soft impact driver
Coparison of normal impact driver and soft impact driver. Even though the soft impact driver has lower torque 30Nm, but, it is cool. The model is Makita 6963SPK which only can be found in Japan.



Check this out, this one is much advanced... 100 % electronic control for torque and impact.

BTW, it sound similar to oil damping soft impact driver.
Hitachi WM14/18D
http://www.hitachi-koki.com/powertools/pro...bl/wm18dbl.html
How the mechanism works.



Enjoy


Thank you.

This post has been edited by bahathir: Mar 5 2012, 04:39 PM

I'll answered it later in 'references' post. The 'impact' feature will increased the torque without lowering the motor's speed. Normal drill driver's motor speed will decrease when higher torque is needed. If the motor speed slows down, the effective torque also decreasing, until it cannot turn the screw anymore.

I saw a few cordless drill models at Living Depot@Bangi, and usually expensive. I think the 'expensive price' is not popular in Malaysian market.

Yes, you can use rotary hammer (drill only mode) to drive screws. BTW, IMHO, HR2470 is not too heavy, at 2.6 kg, which is about as heavy as a brick. There are a big and heavy cordless drill driver which can reach almost 4 kg!! The problem is, the rotary hammer is long, and quite difficult to control the screw driving. If it is a long and big bolt using hex socket, it will be not much problem using with the rotary hammer.

This post has been edited by bahathir: Feb 20 2012, 05:45 PM

I already started rotary hammer and impact driver power tool threads. So, I hope other DIY sifus can create other power tool's thread and share your knowledge and experince. The most common power tools that I think of is..

1) Angular grinder
2) Multi tools
3) Saw
4) Measuring tools.
5) Plane..
6) Multi cutters...

I hope with those threads, we can educate peoples to do DIYs much efficient with more productivity. I alsp hoping this kind of threads can be 'sticky' as a references to others.

Thank you... and happy DIYing

---

Added on February 20, 2012, 5:58 pmThank you for the suggestion. I'll put the description in a moment.

This post has been edited by bahathir: Feb 20 2012, 06:02 PM

Thank you for your power tools' pictures. Great matching combos


I am sure, both are working hard to make your jobs easier.

That's OK. at least your masonry drilling already taken care... If you got your impact driver, please do share with us too ...

---

Added on February 20, 2012, 8:27 pmYeah, every new things, skills need training and experiments. I am sure you dan get used to it...
When I was using the impact driver for first time, I also thought my previous Bosch iXO screw driver is better... but, once I knew it's behaviour, everything about normal screw driver goes away..... Just take time to get used to it. As always... starts slowly. Learn how to control the trigger.

This post has been edited by bahathir: Feb 20 2012, 08:27 PM

Some fun with my impact driver. BTW, the screw driver bit was VERY HOT. If you want to try this at home, please wear a thick leather gloves.



Enjou

I wull update this thread time-time with more informations.
Thank you.

... No la.. I am not a scout, just remembered what I learned in history text book, many-many years ago.

That just demonstrate that misuse of power tools can be very dangerous and hazardous. I hope I can show something new next week. No promises... Stay tuned.

This post has been edited by bahathir: Feb 23 2012, 10:46 AM

Thanks for the suggestion. That is 'self tapping screw', which creates screw thread when we driving it into a pre-drilled hole. THe drilled hole should be a bit smaller than the screw size. Normally a thread maker tool needed to make the thread, but this self tapping screw can be used without using that thool.

I hope I can find few of it in hardware shop. I don't have steel bars, but, I think it can use is to attach something to somthing in future.


Thank you.

Yes, it is... commercial name is TAPCON .. I already asked this type of screw at local hardware shop... but, they also seem 'blur' about it.

Hi. Welcome to this thread. Feel free to ask or share your opinions.

Ohter tool which can drive screws... but not as efficient as impact driver.
In this clip, I showed how I drill holes into wall with ceramic tiles.

But the special thing is, I am using rotary hammer with 1/4" hex adapter to use my impact driver's screw bit. A bit awkward and difficult, but it can done...

Enjoy

Agreed. Impact driver's impact mechanism gives extra TWIST or torque to spin the bit. Remeber, impact driver torque is much bigger than normal drill driver, and the the chuck's jaw cannot grip the cylindrical shaft's bit. Sometime, this extra torque impulses also can loosen the chuck's too, especially in reverse mode. So sometime, better get separate specialize tools for greater result. I know, as a DIYs, we have a limited budget, so, getting a good tools which last longer is very important.

In my case, masonry/concrete drilling is a very tough to the tool. You may get 3 in 1, or 4 in 1 cordless impact hammer drill driver, but, really, how much you achive with this tool? the 4 in 1 cordless tool, exmample BTP140, is very rare in Malaysia, and it may cost you MYR2000 or more. Hey, I bought Makita HR2810 rotary hammer + Makita TD010F impact driver + Makita GA4030 angular grinder, and it still cost HALF of the Makita BTP140! Yeah, sometime conveniences cost more than performance. Yeah, different people, different needs, so up to you to decide which tools are sutable for your need.

Thank you.

If you need to drive screws alot, impact driver is the more proper tool. Impact driver also can drill into wood, steel and plastic too, with proper drill bits. So, try the impact driver first.

This post has been edited by bahathir: Feb 27 2012, 08:39 AM

I just added couples of youtube clips in posting #2 in this thread.

About the corded power tools: Since I am using my power tools around my house, which is not 50meters height, so with 2 10m extensions, I can get almost every inches around my house. Last time I installed an outdorr antenna IN the roof, yup, NOT ouside, but IN the roof attic. I mount the pole holder to the roof supporting frames wood with screws, using the corded impact driver. Another case, I drilled holes into the wall OUTSIDE, near my house's number for the instellation of the wireless door chime's switch/transmitter, using my corded rotary hammer. Yeah.. luckily I got power outlet points at the strategic locations around my house.

Nothing is bad about cordless power tools, but, if possible, I'll try to avoid them at the moment. Unless, I am doing the installtions on building sites where there is no power outlets in the reach, and it doesn't matter because, the company is suppying the tools to workers, NOT form my pocket money.

Thank you.

Since the antenna has built-in booster, the signal reception is fine and as good as any outside antenna. A good thing is, it last longer because it is not exposed to heat, sunlight, strong wind, rain and bird's dung .. heh eh he.. The antenna syustem also can rotate remotely, so it easy to get better signal. Since is not outside of your house, it make more aesthetic looking house.

Try first,...

This post has been edited by bahathir: Feb 27 2012, 11:32 AM

I;ll check it out later.. or I may take the picure of the antenna in the roof attic.


This post has been edited by bahathir: Feb 27 2012, 03:14 PM

I just published another youtube video clips demonstrating driving screw using several type of tools.

1) Phillips screwdriver, Torque: As much as my hand can twist.
2) Mini ratchet socket/screwdriver, Torque: Larger than screwdriver
3) Bosch iXO, 2nd generation. Torque: 4Nm
4) Makita TD0101F, impact driver. Torque: 100 Nm

I am not a skillful as a professionals...so, this might NOT representing the most efficient way for driving screw.

Enjoy



Thank you.

This post has been edited by bahathir: Mar 4 2012, 04:12 PM