Snap-On 1/4" Impact Wrench or new Makita 18v

[The Critic]

http://buy1.snapon.com/catalog/item.asp?...re&tool=all

I saw the Snap-On 1/4 cordless impact mentioned in an article and it made me realize that I should really consider purchasing a small cordless impact tool of some kind. It would certainly make removing and reinstalling small bolts a heck lot quicker.

For $209, the Snap-On tool is a lot cheaper than I thought it'd be. However, it does use the older Ni-cad battery technology. For not much more ($329 total), I can get the new Makita LXT239HD kit that is mentioned here:

http://www.makita.com/en-us/Modules/Company/PressReleases.aspx?ID=770

What do you guys think? I do also need a drill, so the Makita kit is more tempting. As a side question, I have never owned a drill before (always borrowed) so I am curious what is the advantage of a hammer driver-drill vs an old-fashioned drill?

Thanks.

 

[Trav]

Tha Makita is a way better buy and a better tool. Snap on make no electric or air tools just rebrands IR and IIRC Milwaukee.
The prices on the models with brush motors is low and will provide years of trouble free use. I have used my LXT 18V everyday for the last 4 yrs and the battery still holds a good charge.
I would buy the Makita again in a heartbeat.

Check these out for under $400

http://www.amazon.com/Makita-LXT407-18-V...099&sr=8-63

These are under $300.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001DN1...;pf_rd_i=507846

Edit: The hammer drill can be used like a normal drill but when you need to drill in concrete, stone, etc you can use stone bits and the tools hammer drill function.
Good tool to have.

 

[Vikas]

If you want small impact, you should look at the DeWalt 12V max impact wrench. It has one of the best ergonomics of any gun unless you have size 15 hands! I posted review couple of years ago.

 

[itguy08]

The new Milwaulkee Fuel 18v looks quite good. I've got their 12V line and the multitool, hammerdrill, and impact driver are great.

 

[bxd20]

I was just doing the same research. This article proved very insightful.

http://www.caranddriver.com/features/impact-wrench-comparison-seven-electric-models-tested-gearbox

If I didn't own any of the battery "systems" yet, I think I'd lean towards the Hitachi. Great reviews on Amazon, and so light. Good for light to medium wrenching, strong enough for lugs which is about what I'd want at the high end. Since I've already got an arsenal of Ryobi One+ at home that I am pleased with, I am probably going to get the Ryobi P260 as the bare tool is less than $100.

 

[Hokiefyd]

I bought a DeWalt two-pack a few months ago. A 19.2V L-Ion cordless drill and impact driver. I thought I'd never use the impact driver, but to the contrary, I almost never use the drill. The impact driver is fantastic.

You can easily find drill bits that chuck into an impact driver. Frankly, I think the small impact drivers are making cordless drills obsolete.

 

[JHZR2]

Id consider getting a dewalt like Hokiefyd mentioned, with the nano phosphate battery packs. It has a different kind of interface, but for 1/4, you cant put a ton of torque on it anyway. I got my dewalt impact and hammer drill as a set.

Id go for the Makita vs snapon in this size.

Honestly, while batteries are convenient, Id consider plug-in tools if you can, as the lifecycle cost is far lower. Batteries are a hassle, and if youre not a regular user, you may not have a hige benefit anyway. Li-ion holds charge well, but you need to remember to keep up on them all the same.

 

[The Critic]

Thanks guys, appreciate the responses.

If I want to eventually use the same battery system for a 1/2" impact, how would that change your opinions?

I presume that this would mean I need to stick with the Miluwakee or Makita 18v units?

 

[bxd20]

Originally Posted By: JHZR2

Honestly, while batteries are convenient,

[snip]

Batteries are a hassle,

[snip]


So are they convenient or a hassle???

I have to respectfully disagree that they are a hassle. I have the following tools in battery powered form and each one has been very handy.

Ryobi String trimmer: great for trimming suburban yards, plenty of power, no cord to drag around, no mixing, no smelly hands.

B&D Hedge trimmer: plenty of power for trimming bushes, no cord that you have to watch to avoid cutting, easy to manuever quickly around the hedges.

Ryobi 10" chain saw: great for pruning larger branches and cutting small logs, no messing with mixing, pull the trigger and go.

B&D Portable vacuum: obvious.

Ryobi Drill: obvious.

Ryobi Sweeper (low powered blower): perfect for sweeping the sidewalk and driveway of clippings, weeds, dirt.

Meguiar's Random orbital buffer: great to take with you to a park, park the car under a tree, and enjoy waxing/polishing on a beautiful day, saves a ton of hand stress over doing it manually, and no cord banging against your paint.


Can't wait for the trusty old Briggs & Stratton powered mower to die so I can replace with a cordless electric. Of course its 20 years old and starts on the first pull so I may be waiting quite a while.

 

[bxd20]

Originally Posted By: The Critic
Thanks guys, appreciate the responses.

If I want to eventually use the same battery system for a 1/2" impact, how would that change your opinions?

I presume that this would mean I need to stick with the Miluwakee or Makita 18v units?


Ryobi has both 1/4" and 1/2" impacts that run on their 18V system. I am not saying Ryobi is the best out there, but I feel they catch a lot of flack for no reason. As you can see, I own multiple tools by them that I do not baby and they have worked dependably for years.

My Ryobi drill has proved no weaker or worse built than my previous, much more expensive, Makita.

That is my experience, others may have different experiences. If I was starting over, I would go by which brand has the most tools I could take advantage of. Look at all of your corded tools, ask yourself which ones you wish you could cut the cord, then see who makes them and comparison shop.

 

[Vikas]

Meguiar's Random orbital buffer? What kind of battery it came with? I do not believe this is being sold any more. I thought it was a huge flop.

And parking your pride and joy under a tree?????? All the birds and tree sap just waiting to drop all their gifts on your precious car!

- Vikas

 

[bxd20]

I think you know what I meant to say.

Parking somewhere shady, on a beautiful day, away from noise and distractions, to polish or wax can be very relaxing.

I'm not referring to my typical parking spot.

It came with two battery packs and a 5 hour charger. I think it is old Ni-Cd technology but it has served me well for years. Last time I picked it up I could do an entire car on one battery or my wife's crossover on about a battery and a half. During the winter month's I do my best to charge the batteries a few hours every couple months and that seems to have worked.

 

[JHZR2]

Originally Posted By: The Critic
Thanks guys, appreciate the responses.

If I want to eventually use the same battery system for a 1/2" impact, how would that change your opinions?

I presume that this would mean I need to stick with the Miluwakee or Makita 18v units?


I wouldnt want to. The torque that you can practically apply to a 1/4" drive system is far less than you need to do real jobs with a 1/2" impact. This means that you can get a ton of runtime with a far smaller battery on a 1/4" system.

So much of the benefit of working with 1/4" stuff is that it is small and light and handles well. This is the case even with ratchets - I use my 1/4" drive whenever I can because of conveneience and ease of fit and light handling. I wouldnt want a big battery system with upsize bussbar to handle crazy current weighing my small tools down.

If the charger can be the same, great. But I wouldnt want to be using the same batteries. I want small and light in 1/4".

 

[JHZR2]

Originally Posted By: bxd20
Originally Posted By: JHZR2

Honestly, while batteries are convenient,

[snip]

Batteries are a hassle,

[snip]


So are they convenient or a hassle???

I have to respectfully disagree that they are a hassle. I have the following tools in battery powered form and each one has been very handy.



They are convenient from a laziness perspective. No need to run and handle an extension cord to the jobsite to run.

They are a hassle for a variety of reasons. First, they cost an arm and a leg. Second, while Li-ion is much better, they do undergo ageing which is irrespective of usage (side reactions that reduce capacity and power by increasing battery impedance), and there is self discharge so if you seldomly use something, it will loose charge and then you go to operate it and it is dead. Third, when you are doing jobs, if you are using it heavy, you need to own multiple batteries because otherwise you are at a dead stop when it is fully discharged.

So there are convenience benefits, but there are a ton of hassles and costs associated with batteries too. Can't look at it one-sided... And if lifecycle cost and NOT having to buy a tool every few years is of interest, I dont see how the battery model fits well.

 

[bxd20]

JHZR2-

Fair enough. There are many positives, and many negatives.

That is true of any power source, as I tried to point out but perhaps could have done it in a clearer way.

I can't tell you how many times my parents have cut their own power cord on accident when using an electric hedge trimmer. And the hassle of dragging a cord around when you have to weave between trees and landscaping is a nightmare with a cord and a string trimmer.

Negatives of a gas powered tools are several. If I'm standing around waiting for the wife and kids to get ready to go out for dinner on a Friday night, and I see one bush that has gotten overgrown, I grab my cordless hedge trimmer and take the top off in 3 minutes, wash my hands, and go on with life. Any gas tool means exhaust, and if you don't wear gloves, gas on your hands usually. Every chore ends with a shower before you can go on with life. Plus mixing oil for 2 cycle engines. Plus certain tools are hard to start. And finally the noise factor of gas.

The cordless impact is especially nice, since it frees you of an air hose and a noisy compressor. Unless you need the compressor for other uses, its actually cheaper to go cordless.

I may sound like a big hater of gas tools, but I'm really not. I do love my Husqvarna chain saw for serious log cutting, no cordless tool could do that. And I love my 400hp GTO.

Each person's needs and situation vary. I think there's a place for all 3 "power sources": cordless electric, plug in, gas.

 

[JHZR2]

There is definitely a place for all 3! I have all three!

I dont own any air impact, I have a battery and a corded one.

The Milwaukee will do 7A all day. 7A*120V=840W

For my IR cordless to do 840W, it has to pull 42A from its 19.8V battery pack. Using 18650 cells in a 2P configuration, this means that the cells are running at roughly 10C-discharge rate. Thats pretty aggressive ops!

its all neat stuff, and there are definitely uses, pros and cons to each!