I recently had the chance to try two new entries to Grizzly’s Pro line, an impact driver and a hammer drill. Lucky me, since I was building a deck, where having the right drill/driver one-two punch can make a significant difference. During the build, this pair from Grizzly proved its mettle and seemed ideal for DIYers on a budget. The driver did a solid job driving (and extracting) both 6-in. lag screws and 31⁄2-in. wood screws through pressure-treated stock. The hammer drill features an adjustable clutch with 22 settings to accommodate a variety of fasteners. There’s also a hammer setting should you need to drill into masonry (which I didn’t do). There’s a two-speed gearbox with low and high settings. Both tools feature a lightweight 20-volt lithium-ion battery with a battery life indicator. Each also has LED lights to illuminate hard-to-see areas. The 2 amp/hr battery life on both proved adequate, at no point impeding my workflow. Grizzly says each battery needs one hour to recharge.

—Raymond Finan is a furniture maker in Arlington, Vt.

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