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1LtCAP

cordless impact

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so….what's good out there? as far as cordless 1/2" impact gun? i'm also looking for a variable speed cordless drill too. I haven't hadda buy any till recently, 'cause a couple came witrh the shop. both were snap on, and tgo be honest, I loved that older snapon cordless impact. it was 18v. can't find batteries, and the 2 I have don't hold a charge anymore. I tried one of the newer snapon impacts......friggin expensive as hell...but supposedly better. it blows chunks. it sucks wet hairy mooseballs. it's slower than the old one, and not nearly as strong. it struggles removing lugnuts that're only torqued to 100-120lb/ft. the drill still works, but again...only 1 battery tries to hold a charge......and it's lost its variable speed. 

 

 so....what's good? 

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I like my Dewalt 20v, but no idea how it would hold up to commercial use.  It does everythig i need it to in the garage - wheels, balancer bolts, suspension bolts, mower blades, etc.

I also have the Ryobi that i beat to death but that one I consider disposable.  Wouldnt recommend that one for heavy use though.   

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9 minutes ago, mustang69 said:

I like my Dewalt 20v, but no idea how it would hold up to commercial use.

I use DeWalt every day for work, commercial use.  I only use DeWalt power tools.

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Thirding the Dewalt.  Loving the 20v one I have.  It's a 1/4" not a 1/2"..... 

https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B01KZNDYT0/ref=ppx_od_b_detailpages00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

But they do make a 1/2" one.

https://www.amazon.com/DEWALT-DCF894P2-Mid-Range-Cordless-Impact/dp/B00ZZSR72G

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9 minutes ago, Krdshrk said:

Thirding the Dewalt.

Fourthing (is that a word?) the DeWalt. I have a 18v 1/2" impact, haven't used it all that much, but it definitely does the job.

I have two other DeWalt drills, my favorite is actually a 12v 3/8 drive with Lith Ion batteries. Amazing battery life, really lightweight for overhead work, drills any holes I need and will drive 3" wood screws. Amazing stuff for a small drill.

 

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you could rebuild your batteries if you really want to keep the old tools -- The individual cells inside the case are available online

I'm also in the market for new tools -- or rebuild my batteries -- Mine are 18v dewalt nicad batteries -- problem is my drill has let out smoke on multiple occasions -- the rest of the set is OK except I have to remove the battery from the grinder after use -- it went runaway on me once while I left it on the bench with battery in

I was thinking milwaukee but I honestly never heard so much good about dewalt lithium stuff -- making me rethink my choice

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i'm looking for drill, and for the 1/2 inch impact. while it wouldn't seem like I need that much....the snapon crap's supposedly rated at 1k lb/ft torque. it struggles. I generally torque most lugs to 100lb/ft. the old gun with the bad battery blasts them off.....the newer one works. when I don't think it should have to. 

 reading reviews, the milwalkee seems to get the best reviews, with dewalt being righ thtere too. 

 speed means a lot too. the older gun I have is significantly faster. I believe it's got a brushed motor. it freewheels for a moment when the trigger's released. the newer one i'm gonna assume is brushless, but it stops the instant that I release the trigger. for lugs, that's not really ideal either, as it's much easier to get the gun on the next nut more quickly if the socket's still spinning a bit. 

 i'm gonna buy both of the same brand, so I only need 1 set of batteries for the 2 tools. the gun will see much more frequent/heavier use than the drill will, although the drill serves me at home and at the shop. 

 

 i'd thought about rebuilding the guns batteries. may still look into that. 

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I have Milwaukee and Ryobi 1/2 impact drivers.  Both work as they should, so well that I have no need for my big compressor anymore.  All of the big cordless manufacturers make good tools these days.  One of  my employees likes his Dewalt, others are more than happy to use the Milwaukee and Ryobi.

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Dewalts are alright depending on what you’ll use it for but if you really want a damn good impact gun then go with Milwaukee. It’s a beast, the best cordless on the market. I’ve used IR and Snap on in the past and this thing completely shits on them. I use it all the time on my vehicles and it broke loose every bolt on my truck that I tried. If you wanna go a step further you can get this combo kit 

https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.com%2Fulk%2Fitm%2F263179436763

I got this combo off eBay about a year ago when they had one of their 20% off coupons. Best automotive tool purchase I’ve ever made. The 3/8 gun is pretty strong as well. So it all comes down to how much and for what you’ll be using it. Mines a year old and I’ve beat on it a lot working on trucks. It continues to work like brand new. I read all the reviews on Milwaukee before buying and I gotta say, the hype is real. 

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14 hours ago, 1LtCAP said:

so….what's good out there? as far as cordless 1/2" impact gun? i'm also looking for a variable speed cordless drill too. I haven't hadda buy any till recently, 'cause a couple came witrh the shop. both were snap on, and tgo be honest, I loved that older snapon cordless impact. it was 18v. can't find batteries, and the 2 I have don't hold a charge anymore. I tried one of the newer snapon impacts......friggin expensive as hell...but supposedly better. it blows chunks. it sucks wet hairy mooseballs. it's slower than the old one, and not nearly as strong. it struggles removing lugnuts that're only torqued to 100-120lb/ft. the drill still works, but again...only 1 battery tries to hold a charge......and it's lost its variable speed. 

 

 so....what's good? 

I'm using cordless tools professionally since the first 7.2 and 9 volt units came out. Back when Black and Decker was still it's own company, and Makita was a newbie here. So I have gotten a bit of practice, AND I'm a cheapskate  :icon_e_smile: who tries to only spend on quality because it's usually less expensive in the long run.

As Pete mentioned, the battery pack can be rebuilt. If you don't want to bother doing it yourself, there's a joint in Jersey called "Batteries Plus Bulbs" in a number of locations, ( I know of East Brunswick, Green brook and Union) that sell (DUH!!) batteries and bulbs, and has lots of non-typical ones, but they also will rebuild your tool batteries, re-using your cases and putting in the new cells. Not cheap, but if you don't want the hassle it's available. Beats buying the tool AND new batteries.

I bought some new cells there to rebuild my old style Paslode nailgun batteries, and they are holding up pretty well after 5 or so years.

Milwaukee and Porter Cable are both good choices if you don't care for DeWalt. I have some of the Dewalt stuff myself, several Milwaukees and Porter Cable, and have zero negative thing to comment on either of them  (except for the Porter Cable Bammer, but that's another story).

Ryobi has several versions, the higher end stuff has gotten way better than originally. And it's pretty light weight. 

Good luck, you have a lot of guys here who know their stuff giving you good advice.

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I'm not a professional so I don't have anything to say about the longevity, but for me the Ridgid brand stuff from Home Depot was attractive because the batteries, when bought with a tool, are covered by the lifetime warranty too.

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4 minutes ago, Mr.Stu said:

I'm not a professional so I don't have anything to say about the longevity, but for me the Ridgid brand stuff from Home Depot was attractive because the batteries, when bought with a tool, are covered by the lifetime warranty too.

That's a serious benefit for sure!!

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All of my cordless tools are Dewalt 20v or 60v..... The flex volt batteries are awesome. I wish the XR series came out when I started buying all this stuff, but that's my go to now for new power tools.

 

With that said, if this is for commercial use or for lugs on a vehicle I would go with Milwaukee. You're looking at a 500 dollar tool though if you want something break free a 120ftlb lug with relative ease. 

I personally use air tools for that stuff cause the affordable battery powered stuff is always lacking in power. I got a 30 gallon tank and some tools for the price of the milwaukee I wanted. 

If you're going to use it a lot in a day, you will rip through batteries. My 20v DeWalt grinder on the 5ah battery lasts about 30mins of continual use.

 

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Former craftsman guy, moving to Dewalt slowly.

I have nowhere near enough uses to justify buying one, but I want a DCF899 anyway...that sounds like it meets your needs (rated 700ft-lbs), but looking at ~$300 (with battery/charger, since you probably don't have any).  There may also be something in the 60v system, which (the batteries) are backward compatible with 20v tools.

As for a drill, I got the DCD996, which is a brushless hammerdrill, and the thing is a beast.  It is a little on the larger side, but it has the power to do everything I have asked of it so far, and the battery life with a 3Ah is plenty impressive.  Once I move entirely to dewalt, I'll probably get one of their compact 20v drills too - it is always useful to have two available, and sometimes a smaller drill can be useful.

 

If I were starting fresh, I would be deciding between Milwaukee and DeWalt.  I don't use anything professionally, but I do want something that will last and be supported for years to come.  I love my Dewalt stuff, though after finding a Milwaukee that was left outside for a month and the damn thing still working like nothing happened, I am impressed by them.

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On 1/1/2019 at 3:05 AM, PeteF said:

If its just a battery issue, you can get the battery pack rebuilt for about 80 bucks for an 18v pack.  Its just a matter of opening the pack and replacing the "c cells" 12 in an 18v pack.

Along those lines, has anyone bought the DeWalt 18v to 20v conversion kit that allows the use of the new 20v Lith Ion batteries in place of the older 18v Ni-Cads? Wondering if it's worth it when the tool itself is still good, but the 18v Ni-Cads are shot. I have three 18v DeWalt tools that I swap the batteries around, so I'm thinking this would be a good solution, since the tools themselves are fine.

 

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I have the converter attachment. Works fine in my grinder and circular saw, those are the only 18v tools I have left.

 

IIRC the converter packaging will tell you what tools it won't work on. Probably has something to do with physically not fitting, as the voltage is the same (20v is marketing, they're all 18v*) and those tools I tried have to be some of the heaviest draws I can think of.

 

* https://www.protoolreviews.com/news/20v-max-vs-18v-battery-power/17024/

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1 hour ago, Shocker said:

I have the converter attachment. Works fine in my grinder and circular saw, those are the only 18v tools I have left.

 

IIRC the converter packaging will tell you what tools it won't work on. Probably has something to do with physically not fitting, as the voltage is the same (20v is marketing, they're all 18v*) and those tools I tried have to be some of the heaviest draws I can think of.

 

* https://www.protoolreviews.com/news/20v-max-vs-18v-battery-power/17024/

That doesnt make any sense.. lipo cells are 4.2 volts Max per cell. 

A nominal charge of 3.6 volts is nearly a dead lipo battery, they should never be drained below 3.4 volts for longevity and stability of the cells even is 3v is the standard. This means at about 18 volts, a lipo is nearing dead. Most 20v power tools have a safety feature that have low voltage shut offs. If you tried an 18v in a 20v, it probably would barely run at Max voltage. So they are in fact more powerful. In my RC cars/trucks/planes, my lipo cut off is at 3.5v. A NiCd with the same number of cells won't even have enough voltage on full charge to peak over my cut off.

Lipos never indicate their Max voltage, 20volt max is actually 21volts max.

 

Lipos also clearly hold more AHs, which means they maintain a higher voltage for a longer period of time. Size and weight are also noticeably better. 

Since the tools are designed for 18v and 20v respectively... The voltage is close enough for dual purpose since the electronics aren't that sensitive. However, more sensitive electronics would not have the same comparability. Most often, these devices that allow interchangablity have voltage regulators and are not backwards compatible.

 

 

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this is the one i'm leaning towards right now. but i'm curious......most manufacturers seem to have gone to 20v, while milwalkee is sticking to 18v,,,,,,am I looking at a soon to be outdated gun here? i'll probably buy their drill too so as to be able to swap batteries......

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Milwaukee-M18-FUEL-18-Volt-Lithium-Ion-Brushless-Cordless-1-2-in-Impact-Wrench-W-Friction-Ring-Kit-With-Two-5-0-Ah-Batteries-2767-22/302675438

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That's a very nice impact wrench.  Milwaukee tools get a lot of love over at GarageJournal.com and the company has done alot of cool things (to the point of gimmicky like Sig Sauer).

With current advancements in battery tech, buying cordless tools today is like buying a TV.  There's always going to be something new like 1080p, 4K, UHD, OLED, 20V, 24V, brushless motors, etc.

Current gen Milwaukee is based on 18V Fuel platform but I'm assuming they will move to 20V at some point.

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I own a bunch of Milwaukee M-18 and M-12 tools. I would strongly recommend that 1/2 impact. I believe that is the same one that I own and used Friday to remove rear tires on my 2012 F350.

Once you have a charger and a couple of batteries, buy tool only (much cheaper). In your trade, I think the M-18 Hackzawl, 4 1/2" grinder, flashlights would be great for you. 

I even have a m-18 self feeding drain snake on order which will be in next week. 

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15 hours ago, 1LtCAP said:

this is the one i'm leaning towards right now. but i'm curious......most manufacturers seem to have gone to 20v, while milwalkee is sticking to 18v,,,,,,am I looking at a soon to be outdated gun here? i'll probably buy their drill too so as to be able to swap batteries......

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Milwaukee-M18-FUEL-18-Volt-Lithium-Ion-Brushless-Cordless-1-2-in-Impact-Wrench-W-Friction-Ring-Kit-With-Two-5-0-Ah-Batteries-2767-22/302675438

That's the one i wanted, lol. 

II believe these are the new Lithium packs/tools. I also have no idea if they are truly 18v regulated or if they picked that for a nominal charge. Like i stated earlier, lithium cells are 4.2 volts each.. these are 5 cell batteries, which puts them at 21 volts fully charged. Why they market them at 18v? i have no idea, but they are running the same power source as the 20v tools from dewalt..etc.

 

I purchased the 60v dewalt sawzall, this may be the next step in cordless power tools, but i still haven't figured out if i'm getting that much more power from it. I do like the cross compatibility with the battery and the 20v tools. 

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On 12/31/2018 at 7:18 PM, 1LtCAP said:

so….what's good out there? as far as cordless 1/2" impact gun? i'm also looking for a variable speed cordless drill too. I haven't hadda buy any till recently, 'cause a couple came witrh the shop. both were snap on, and tgo be honest, I loved that older snapon cordless impact. it was 18v. can't find batteries, and the 2 I have don't hold a charge anymore. I tried one of the newer snapon impacts......friggin expensive as hell...but supposedly better. it blows chunks. it sucks wet hairy mooseballs. it's slower than the old one, and not nearly as strong. it struggles removing lugnuts that're only torqued to 100-120lb/ft. the drill still works, but again...only 1 battery tries to hold a charge......and it's lost its variable speed. 

 

 so....what's good? 

I like Milwaukee.  I used their cord and cordless power tools when I was a diesel mechanic.

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On 1/6/2019 at 12:24 AM, WhiskeyTangoFoxtrot said:

Current gen Milwaukee is based on 18V Fuel platform but I'm assuming they will move to 20V at some point.

The fact that there are lets say 30 or 50 or whatever number of tools available in the system that ALL work with one battery is the draw, so I don't know that this will happen anytime soon.  Think of all these tools as being in the ~18v class (± a few volts, just because 20v sounds better than 18v to the guy standing in home depot), same as there are tools in the ~12v class.  If there is a switch, I'd imagine it would be to a significantly higher voltage (like the Dewalt 60V system), and if they are smart, they would make the batteries backward compatible with current tools if possible to keep people locked in to their system.  Some incremental upgrade of an extra 2-6v makes no sense*, especially if you could no longer use the batteries in older tools at all. 

Maybe these tools aren't comparable to corded or air tools, I don't really know since I have not owned or used either type in any hand tools in many years.  I can say that I have not felt lacking in power with any of my 18-20v lithium tools, and I am not particularly concerned with Dewalt no longer producing 20v batteries for the next ?decade+? (they still make 18v batteries).  Battery technology has not had THAT much improvement (similar technology, better power density) since the lithium rechargeable came out, so until some new pack comes out that totally obliterates the performance of 18v class batteries, I wouldn't worry.  And again, IF some new pack comes out, there's a chance it can be made backward compatible so old users are kept from jumping ship, much like Dewalt has done with both the 60v batteries and 20v tools, and 20v lithium batteries with their 18v tools.

 

*Not talking about ~18v nicad systems to ~18v lithiums; which is a huge step, but ~18v lithium to ~20-24v lithium.  Lithiums did give new life to my Craftsman 19.2v nicd tools - almost night and day.

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thing is...the only coldless tools I own are my crapon impacts a small crapon nut driver, and an ancient crapon drill. for lights, I use all led. it's the only way to fly for work lights these days. I used all corded Ryobi stuff working on the house. 

 

 I figure if I grab the kit for the impact, i'll buy the bare drill if i'm happy with the impact....and i'll prolly buy a 3/8 impact too. 

and of course, soonz I get them, i'll run it for a couple weeks, and report back to ya all. 

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Don't know if anyone suggested it yet but have you looked on the interwebs to see if you can find a battery for the old one? Or maybe a slightly used or new but old stock impact gun (same one you like / old one) that comes with battery.

You would be amazed what you can find on the interwebs.  

Good luck.

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