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| Issue #291 - October
2005 |
| Cordless
Impact Drivers: Three Bonus Reviews
In the October 2005 issue of Workbench,
we took a look at a revolutionary new tool category with our review
of seven 14.4-volt cordless impact drivers. But we also ran in-depth
tests on three other impact drivers that were not 14.4-volt models.
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| Unfortunately, we didn’t
have the space to give you these three reviews in the magazine. But
thanks to the web, we now have the ability to bring you our impressions
and testing results for these tools. Read on for our in-depth reviews
of the Black & Decker, Panasonic, and Ryobi cordless impact drivers.. |
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| BLACK
& DECKER |
| Model
FS1202ID |
| Virtues:
Inexpensive, lightweight,
and comes with two batteries and a bunch of drill
and driver bits. |
| Vices:
Lacked the power and torque
for serious jobs around the house. Only drove two
lag screws before the power dropped in our battery
life test. (The Ryobi drove 12.) |
| Verdict:
The Black & Decker
is definitely a light-duty impact driver, and not
well-suited to large construction projects. |
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At just $120, the 12-volt
Black & Decker impact driver is one of the least expensive models
we reviewed. And for light-duty jobs around the house (such as driving
screws and installing fixtures), the driver seemed to work just
fine.
Once our testing switched to more heavy-duty applications, such
as driving lag screws, long deck screws, and masonry screws, however,
the performance of the Black & Decker dropped off considerably.
This little tool just lacked the power to handle these jobs competently.
If you just need a light-duty driving tool around
the house, then the Black & Decker should suit your needs fine.
But if you need a heavy-duty tool for construction or serious DIY
projects, our recommendation goes to the comparably priced Craftsman
or Ryobi models (see below). |
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| PANASONIC |
| Model
EY6535GQW |
| Virtues:
Unique ability to operate
both as a standard drill/driver and an impact driver.
Includes chucks for both uses, and changes modes
with the flip of a switch. |
| Vices:
Consistently slower driving
times as an impact driver. More expensive ($300)
than any other tool we tested. It’s also the
largest tool we looked at. |
| Verdict:
The Panasonic is very appealing
if you’re looking for both a drill/driver
and an impact driver in one tool. But if you’re
only in the market for an impact driver, there are
better choices for less money. |
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The most notable feature of this 15.6-volt
Panasonic impact driver is that it is both an impact driver and
a standard drill/driver. It features a keyless chuck (for drill/driver
mode) and a quick-change hex chuck (for impact driver mode) that
are interchangeable. You can change between the two modes by simply
flipping a switch at the top of the tool.
Though the Panasonic earns major bonus points for its ability to
perform the jobs of both tools, we weren’t overly impressed
with its ability as an impact driver. While the tool seemed solidly
built and ran cool and smooth, it was consistently slow. Much slower
in nearly every speed-driving test, in fact, than every impact driver
but the Black & Decker.
If you’re in the market for a new drill/driver AND impact
driver, then give this Panasonic model a serious look. But if you’re
buying strictly for impact driving abilities, there are better impact
drivers out there for the money.
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| Virtues:
Speed, power, battery life,
and overall performance that rivaled some of the
heavy hitters of this tool test, all at a much lower
price. |
| Vices:
Slightly longer "barrel"
(body) than most of the other tools in the test.
Battery and charger sell separately from the tool. |
| Verdict:
The Ryobi is a quality
tool at a very reasonable price. For the budget-minded
tool buyer, this impact driver would be an excellent
choice. |
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Ryobi’s new 18-volt impact driver
is available as part of their new One+ System through Home Depot.
The tool itself is a bargain at just $70, though two batteries and
a charger will run you another $60. All in all, that’s still
a good price at just $130 for a tool that performed superbly throughout
our testing.
In the speed, power, and battery life tests, the Ryobi stayed head
to head with the more expensive models in the test (such as the
Bosch, Makita, and DeWalt). The Ryobi also features a handy L.E.D.
light for drilling and driving in dark locations.
Throughout the testing, we were quite impressed with theRyobi.
In fact, if its 18-volt status hadn’t disqualified it from
taking part in our head-to-head 14.4-volt tool test, it would have
given Craftsman a run for its money as the “Top Value”
in the test.
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