Replies

1. 
   polarsea1 | Mar 30, 2005 06:50am | #1

   Cicero, I don't have one so I can't answer your question but here's a thread on another forum that is discussing them.

   http://www.forums.woodnet.net/ubbthreads/showflat.php?Cat=&Number=1511018&page=6&view=collapsed&sb=5&o=

1. 
   cicero | Mar 30, 2005 08:10am | #2

   I really appreciated that POLARSEA1,certainly gives one an sense of what they are like.

   Will you get one?

   Bit expensive here.

   Thank you.

1. 
   polarsea1 | Mar 30, 2005 09:22am | #3

   Not on the horizon as of today.

   NZ 750 does seems steep. You could buy a few crates of Lion Brown for that.

   Regards 

1. 
   tmaxxx | Apr 01, 2005 06:58am | #4

   check these out

   http://www.dewalt.com/us/products/tool_detail_listing.asp?categoryID=353

   http://www.taunton.com/finehomebuilding/pages/hvt029.asp

   http://www.ridgid.com/Tools/R82320-Impact-Driver/index.htm

   i believe bosch and makita also make some.

   there used for driving screws, lags,ect....  they do drive screws and lags great but, on that note, i owned one, took it back.  i build rock climbing gyms and in 1 day may drive 2000 2" screws and it cant keep up.    and they are really annoyingly loud.  you need good hearing protection as well as everyone around you.  the only places i can think they would be well suited would be framing with screws instead of nails or if you do lots of lags

   if your screwing down subflooring, use a self feeder.  for small screws there not practical, for a few screws there not worth the money, but alot of people over here seem to be buying them.

   good luck and cheers.Tmaxxx

   Urban Workshop Ltd

   Vancouver B.C.

    Now when i nod my head, you hit it.

2. 
   sedna | Apr 01, 2005 02:20pm | #5

   Hello Cicero
   I think there are two types of impact drivers, the old fashioned type that i have and the new lightweight style of cordless driver reviewed in Fine Woodworking. As for the old type- they are a heavy, powerfull tool, either air or electic powered and used with heavy duty socket wrenches for things like taking off and putting on nuts on car wheels and other heavy shop tasks. They are used in nealry all mechanic shops and the hammering impact can break loose nuts from corroded bolts and with no effort seat nuts tighter than could be done by hand.

   There now seems to be a new type of compact cordless drill which is fairly low powered but makes up for lack of torque by replacing it with the hammering effect. I have not used one but the idea of a small lightweight cordless tool that can do the job of it bigger brothers is appealing (but not at the prices you are quoted). I wonder if you are perhaps being given prices for the old H.D, type or perhaps it is just that the new types we are seeing here go way up when produced for your style of electricity. I spent five months in N.Z. and found many things were less expensive than here after converting the currency, but that was three years ago and your currency has since gone up by 1/3 compared with ours. No doubt they did not reduce the sticker prices.
   Keith , Campbell River B.C. Canada
   p.s Where in NZ do you live.

1. 
   cicero | Apr 01, 2005 08:25pm | #6

   Thanks for reply Kieth.

   I have seen pic of the latest in your neck of the woods and it is the same as the ones I have seen on NZ net,I haven't seen one in shop as yet.

   I know the big ones you are referring to,pal uses one on his bulldozers etc.

   I live in Ch Ch,you would have been here,unless you spent your time in the north island.

1. 
   sedna | Apr 02, 2005 01:11am | #7

   Iived in ChCH for about a month. Great hiking along the crater rim. Sailed in the harbour, wonderful place. Stayed with Alan and Robyn Ogle and were up their cottage in Arther's pass for a weekend. Helped Alan renovate a slide for the village children, that was my N.Z. woodworking experience, but I did bring back a nice piece of 30,000 year old Kauri. It is now part of a cedar strip canoe that I have built. We loved Christchurch and hope to come back. The whole country is just wonderful, if not for family back here we would have stayed.
   Keith

1. 
   cicero | Apr 02, 2005 10:25am | #8

   No doubt about it,if you are an outdoor person it takes a lot of beating.

   Its the size of the UK with 4 million peopl.A mate has one of these hunting things.He picks up rich Americans,helicopters them into  the bush,including near Arthurs path,they say it's the best.

3. 
   DrChops | Apr 02, 2005 07:12pm | #9

   hi cicero,

   several months ago, i broke down and bought an impact driver (ridgid right angle, see http://www.ridgid.com/Tools/R82233-Right-Angle-Impact-Driver/index.htm).

   i needed to drive a number of (lag and strong drive) screws in framing out a loft, and doing the job with a cordless drill got tedious. a friend recommended i try an impact driver. since i didn't have a right angle drill, i bought the ridgid right angle impact driver (as a bouns all the ridgid batteries use the same charger, regardless of voltage). to make a long story short, it made a huge difference. where the drill needed lots of time and pressure to drive the screws, the ID was much quicker and used surprisingly little pressure. you do need ear plugs -- that ID seems every bit as loud as a mechanic's air wrench.

   after that experience, i've found many other applications for the ID, including driving deck screws, and performing cabinet and counter top removal and installs. you can learn to control the torque rate of the ID by varying the touch on the trigger, and having the extra power on tap makes a huge difference in driving/removing stubborn screws. incidently, i've seen reviewers refer to snapping heads off of screws with an ID, but that hasn't happened to me yet, even with the 2" deck screws.

   i've also found battery life to be very good. the right angle ID is a 12v tool, so i expected it to conk out pretty quickly, but it seems to hold up as well as my 18v stuff. i drove deck screws for about 4 hrs before i took a coffee break (and put the 12v battery on the charger). no question, i'd buy the ID again. in fact, i like the rt angle ID well enough, that i'm tempted to get the pistol grip style ridgid driver, just for those times when having the rt angle bend is less convenient.

   btw, i saw the ridgid rt angle ID for $140 (US) at home depot last night... the pistol grip ID is $180 i think (and it's 14.4v). ($750 NZ? ouch!)

   hope this helps,
   bert

   if it's worth doing at all, then it's worth doing well.
1. 
   cicero | Apr 02, 2005 10:40pm | #10

   Thanks Doc.

   That is a terrific description of the tool.Will have to wait for them to come in here,simply not about in usual tool shops as I have said.

   As a matter of interest I see you use screws to fasten decks.I am making a deck at the moment and intend to nail with deck nails.Don't fancy seeing hundreds of screw heads,what do you say?

1. 
   DrChops | Apr 04, 2005 09:18pm | #12

   hi cicero,
   i'm not much fond of the field of screw heads either. when we bought the house 5 years ago, that's the way the deck was, and i'm converting it to use the under-board clips instead. 3" square alumin[i]um plates are screwed to the under side of one board, and then tucked under the adjacent board. in this way, each board has 4 plates screwed to it; two "inner" plates which slip under the previous board, and two "outer" plates which slip under the subsequent board. only the first and last boards are actually screwed/nailed to the subframe. but, as you imagine, with 2 screws per plate, that's 8 screws per board -- it's much easier to do with an ID.cheers,
   bertps. re your tool web site: ouch. would internet purchasing and shipping be any better? i'd guess the european tools wouldn't be any more expensive than the american ones. true? if so, festool probably even looks more attractive. incidently, how popular are tools like dewalt in NZ?
   if it's worth doing at all, then it's worth doing well.

   Edited 4/4/2005 2:21 pm ET by DrChops

1. 
   cicero | Apr 04, 2005 09:54pm | #13

   DeWalt and Makita seem to be the choice for tradesmen here,they of coarse would get the tools at a discount,making it a lot less painful.

   We have 240 volts,so battery chargers from the USA wouldn't work,plus one would be reluctant to buy too far from supplier for guarantee work.

   I think I will stick to nailng deck and leave nails flush,was going to use nail gun,but not keen on leaving hole where nail is driven below surface.

   All the best Bert.

2. 
   cicero | Apr 02, 2005 10:57pm | #11

   Remembering the average wage here is 40 45 k.

   From our biggest tool shop,this will make you feel better about the price you pay:-)

    

   http://www.mitre10.co.nz/products/category.asp?iCategoryID=5&loggedin=False