CordlessDrillWorld.com

• What can you use your new impact driver for?
• Are they just for the Pro?

These are a couple of queries we were asked last week,

Are they just for Pros?

That depends, we would generally say that they are more aimed at the heavy DIY user or the tradesman, for light DIY use a 14.4 volt cordless drill will have more then enough power for any driving job around the home.

What can I use my Cordless Impact Driver For?

The only time you will need their turning power is if you plan to tack a large construction job - say a deck for example of some timber construction, then their ability to drive large lumps of metal is amazing. Because of their higher speed (2,400 rpm against 2,000 rpm for an average cordless drill) the cordless impact driver is also very good for driving Tapcon screws into concrete and brick for electrical service panels, hex-headed sheet metal screws can be used for installing duct work in offices, drywall screws, and deck screws.

Also a cordless impact driver can be outfitted with an impact socket adaptor then it can be used to drive large lag bolts into timber for the construction industry.

These heavy weight capabilities make cordless impact drivers an excellecnt choice for tradespeople such as electricians, deck builders, steel framers, cabinet installers, HVAC installers and electricians.

The cordless impact driver is one of the very best cordless tools to drive a whole range of fasteners and is a boon on any new construction project. Why is this???

They are lightweight - very lightweight, and genrerally smaller than a traditional cordless drill, they also deliver an immense amount of power for their small size, after you have used a new cordless impact driver you will wonder how you managed without one.

Cordless Drills V Cordless Impact Drivers - how do they compare??

Good question - although they of course look similiar the two tools work in very different ways. A standard cordless drill has a motor which simply turns a spindle to generate a certain amount of torque - generally by pushing the power output through a reduction gearbox to generate more power at less speed.

Whereas a cordless impact driver makes use of a rotational cam which pulses - this has the effect of generating imcreasing amount of rotational torque - rather like a hammer drill in effect, but the effect if rotational rather then inline.

This lets the cordless impact driver develop far more power then a conventional cordless drill - in effect a stubborn nut is hammered loose by the rotational impacts, infact studies have shown that around 3 times the torque is developed by a impact driver over a standard drill. In addition we must also mention that the reactionary torque of a impact driver is greatly reduced - allowing you to easily hold the impact driver with one hand without the machine trying to twist itself free from your grip.

So there you have it, a cordless impact driver delivers more torque, is smaller, lighter and easier to hold than a cordless drill - what are you waiting for - BUY ONE.

We often get asked this question as it looks like you are deciding which battery technology to go for when choosing a cordless drill.

Briefly a Lithium ion battery pack will lose around 5% of it’s charge per month - which is not much whereas a Nicac cell will generally lose around 20% permonth.

A couple of other advantages of lithium ion technology and NiMh batteries over traditional cells for you to think about.

• Lithium ion batteries/NiMh do not suffer memory effects, meaning that the cells do not tend to remember their previous charge state and therefore they do not need to be fully drained before recharging.
• They can be discharged and then recharged many hundreds of times without harm to the battery pack.
• They are lighter in weight than a traditional NIcad cell  - for the same output voltage of course and can deliver more power per discharge cycle.

These facts tend to mean that the the modern battery packs are very well suited to the heavy use tradesman who needs to use his cordless drill every day, 7 days per week. The lightweight DIY user need not worry about the maximum number of charge cycles and can choose a cordless drill based more on price rather than absolute performance.

A nice video guide demonstrating the art of sharpening a drill bit.

Recently we have had to remove a chuck from a Black Decker kr650cre - the black chuck clamping button was damaged and would not lock the shaft properly.

The way we managed to remove the chuck was to take the drill apart - the screws are easy to get put on this model, remove the gearbox/armature shaft assembly. The gearbox can then be carefully clamped in a vice and a decent pair of pliers used to twist and loosen the chuck. This can damge the gearbox assembly, but if you have no chouice then this method can work.

This one is quite nice, Panasonic - they do not just make televisions you know, actually make a rather nice range of cordless drills and their latest one is a bit special. The Panasonic EY7440LN2L 14.4V Lithium Ion Drill Driver Kit comes complete with a separate work light and two battery packs, the batteries are Lithium Ion for longer life and maximum power output.

Unusually for a 14.4 volt cordless drill the chuck is a half inch model so you will have no problems getting those larger drill bits into the chuck.
Panasonic’s increasing range of Revolithium cordless power drills - they make these batteries for a wide range of power tools combine the very latest Li-Ion battery technology along with the ‘Panasonic Solid Solution’ (PSS) technology for improved safety, durability and greatly increased power output compared with traditional Ni-MH and Ni-Cd battery packs.
We really like this cordless drill, it’s main advantages are light weight and high power output. The motor is top quality giving you a super smooth drilling action. A great cordless drill from Panasonic.

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We had to cover this one, in an age where all types of surgery can cost an arm or a leg we love this guy.

Briefly, a highly respected English neuro-surgeon has been carrying out brain surgery at his practice in the Ukraine with a cordless drill - we dont what brand it was, perhaps he went for a 18 volt lithium cordless drill for plenty of power.

Henry Marsh travels to the Ukraine 2 or 3 times a year from his Harley Street practice in London to carry out free operations for the locals in the area, obviously his surgery over there is not as well equipped as his London surgery so he has to make do with low cost solutions. He says that his cheap cordless drill performs the same job as a £30,000 specialist medical drill.

More info on this unique cordless drill application here.