Replies

1. 
   Manchild | Oct 23, 2003 04:09pm | #1

   Panasonic is the best I think. They have the better batteries and the quick charger.

   I've been thinking about getting the drill that turns into a torque wrench.

   I've heard that screws go in so much better with it, it's worth the cost.

2. 
   bill_1010 | Oct 23, 2003 04:26pm | #2

   if you have a nice cordless drill opt for the makita.  However if youre contemplating a new cordless drill and an impact, opt for the panasonic.

1. 
   graffito | Oct 23, 2003 04:55pm | #3

   [I don't know how to reply to both responses other than replying to at least one of them...]

   THANKS.

   I DO have a nice cordless drill/driver -- a Panasonic, whose batteries have given out, making it disposable, since replacement batteries cost as much as a whole new unit.

   That's the thing that I HATE about this business.

   Oh well.

   THANKS AGAIN

1. 
   bill_1010 | Oct 23, 2003 09:39pm | #4

   In your situation buy the panasonic multi driver.  Youll get a new drill and and impact in one purchase.

   When i bought my makita i had already gotten a 15.6 panasonic a few months earlier.   However it find ti handy to have both the makita and panasonic since im also in the construction world.  

   Make sure you find the 3.5 amp/hr Ni/MD batteries, they are the cats meow.

   FYI panasonic are on the leading edge of battery technology, making most of the batteries in quality battery operations. 

   When its all said and done, impacts are the wave of the future. Ive gotten all my friends who are in the trades hooked on them.    

1. 
   mitch | Oct 23, 2003 10:02pm | #5

   ask next door at breaktime- those guys put way more miles on tools of this type than furniture and cabinet makers.  also, check out the customer reviews on amazon/toolcrib.

   personally i love my makita 6916, but i'm not exactly hard on stuff like that.

   m

1. 
   raybrowne | Oct 24, 2003 12:50am | #6

   I have the DeWalt 12 volt impact driver, it works well and I see no big difference between it and my buddy's Makita. I use a DeWalt drill as well so I can interchange the batteries which is nice.

   -Ray

3. 
   CRAIGCONEY_M | Oct 25, 2003 08:11am | #7

   any imput on Hitachi?  Lowes has the 12 v w/ 2 batt for $169- $30 less than anything else I've seen.  I'm in the market as well for one.

1. 
   craigdidier | Oct 25, 2003 04:50pm | #8

   I have the 12V Hitachi, it drives screws into anything like a hot knife through butter.  I'm amazed at the difference a little impact driver can make.  The little directional light gimmick has actually been useful when working inside a dark cabinet, too.  Also virtually eliminates any kind of cam-out.  I've been able to drive some screws that my regular driver simply couldn't grip at all.

   Only drawback to these is that they don't have any kind of clutch settings to prevent over-torquing.  If it had one of those, my 18V driver would be regulated to drilling only!

1. 
   mitch | Oct 26, 2003 05:23pm | #9

   fyi- these things are amazing little tools!

   just yesterday i needed to remove two 1/4-20 allen socket head machine screws in a clamp mechanism that i had torqued the hell out of at least 15 years ago when i originally set up this piece of equipment.  now they're rusted in and i was just bending the hex key instead of moving the screw at all.  so i pull out my trusty makita 6916, chuck the appropriate bit and barely touch the trigger before both screws are out!  not to mention that this clamp mechanism was designed such that both screws apply pressure around a split collar- in other words, if you remove one screw, it makes the remaining screw even tighter because it now holds the entire load!  they kick a$$.

   m