I have been using a 14.4 dewalt xrp cordless screw/gun for the past 5 years and have had GREAT success with it. The original two batteries keep on ticking no problems at all plus the tool has taken heavy abuse (dropped, banged, etc. For drilling, the tool is great, can go through 1/4" plate steel no problem. For driving screws, lag bolts it gets the job done no problem but I have always had an interest in impact drivers. I have never used one before(air or cordless) so I figured I would give it a whirl. I am VERY loyal to brands. The screwgun was my first dewalt purchase and since then i have bought everything dewalt(router, table saw, angle grinder, circular saw, jigsaw.
So I brought the impact driver home, gave the batteries a full charge then let er rip on some 3" drywall screws. I was blown away. You blink, its in. I used to have to lean on the cordless screw gun to drive drywall screws.
Moved up to lag screws (5/16ths 3" inch no predrill) the dewalt laughed, no problem at all.
Moved up to taking nuts off 1/2 bolts that were touqed to 80ft/lbs, no problem.
My only regret is that I didnt purchase this tool earlier. Also, using both the impact driver and the drill together saves a TON of time not having the change bits.
I would pay $500 for this tool if I had to. DEWALT DC825KA 18-Volt Compact Impact Driver
This driver works well but gets EXTREMELY hot during extended use. It reached close to 130-135 degrees at the top of the grip and on the back of the motor housing not to mention the gear housing was hotter. The battery needs to cool for an hour before the charger will begin to charge. The driver needs a better cooling fan if it's to be used for more than 1/2 hour at a time. For intermittent use it would be fine. The forward/reverse switch could use a more positive detend and or more throw.
I had one of these for a few weeks but I returned it and purchased a Dewalt 18v drill/hammerdrill (DC925KA). The problem isn't with the tool itself, that is why I gave it 5 stars. As fas a a small bodied cordless impact driver goes, this thing is awesome. Very well balanced and ever so light for an 18v tool. My thoughts are this is best suited for assembly or maybe taking things apart. Not for drilling holes. The downside, it is an impact driver, not a drill. The drills have speed controls and torque settings. The impact does not. Well, in a sense I guess they do but they are controlled thru the trigger, not a physical switch or dial. I had purchased the 3/8 inch keyless chuck for the impact and it worked nicely also. Once again though, this impact driver is not a drill. It does not have the features of a drill because it is a different type of tool. I was told that if I bought the impact I would never want another drill. Well, I proved that wrong. The drill is bigger and heavier BUT, it will handle a 1/2 inch drill bit. The impact and keyless chuck will not. It is 3/8" as I stated earlier. They say the batteries last way longer on the impact driver. I do not know if this is true. When I returned the impact and told the store manager why he agreed with me. He has the same impact but he also has a drill. His words were "It really is hard if this is all you have". Being that I am using this as a home owner type of tool and not on a job site I need something that is more universal than the impact. As I said though, if you need an impact driver, this thing is awesome. If I ever have the need for an impact this will be the one I go for, no question about it. Oh, one last thing. You cannot use this tool for lugnuts on your car. Once they are broken loose you can take them off with it and then run them back on with it. Any breaking loose and tightening MUST be done with a larger torque wrench or a lug wrench. Just figured I would throw that in as I have read some reviews where people were complaining because it wouldn't work for that appliaction.
This impact works much better than Dewalt's previous model, also it is much more comfortable to use. It has a good deal of power for driving screws, I haven't tried drilling with it as I have a regular 18 volt drill for that. A previous reviewer said that the one he got has a great deal of runout, mine does not share that quality with his, I have no problem driving any kind of screw, except flat blade screws. I bought this mostly for driving screws into metal and it works great even better with the new nano batteries. I would reccomend this tool to any one who drive alot of fastners, especially if they drive larger fastners.
This dewalt 18v has plenty of power. I love the light, the size, and most all of the features. The only complaint I have is that it has an ozoney burnt smell when you use it, but it seems to lighten slightly the more i use it. I called dewalt corporation and they informed me it would go away over time. Can't wait! Over all I love the driver love the driver.
I have the 18 volt drill, which works very well, but is a bit larger and can't get into tight spaces, like betweeen rafters. This is perfect as a replacement for a right-angled drill. I also used it to fasten decking, which is ideal for that job. I can't wait to use it with my socket set. Great item!
Unlike my Ryobi the LED lights up to full brightness with a slight trigger pull before the motor powers up, and its much more compact. While it comes with Ni-Cad it can be upgraded to Li-ion any time, it can use ether battery
I have owned two of the regular duty impact drivers and have used them extensively. One of them is about worn out, so I tried the heavy duty model. I am very pleased and would definitely buy another one when I need it. I made the plunge and all of my cordless tools are DeWalt 18 volt. I really appreciate the interchangeable batteries. If you are debating on buying the heavy duty or standard duty impact driver, this is a recommendation for the heavy duty. The noticeable differences are the led light that turns on when the trigger is pressed and the smaller size. - Drill - Dewalt - Cordless Tools - Impact'
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