My cordless impact driver doesn't suck now!

[TNToy]

A long time ago I bought a Makita 12V cordless drill, 2 batts, charger, and impact driver, together for $199 at Home Depot when they were having a fire sale on them.

The impact is the top one on this page...
6980FD - http://www.mytoolstore.com/makita/mak1a-17.html

As you can see, being an impact DRIVER and not an impact WRENCH, it doesn't have the standard 3/8" square drive anvil that the impact wrenches feature. They're more for building crews to drive screws and lag bolts, not for mechanics to loosen hose clamps and splash-pan bolts.

I had a 1/4" hex bit with a 3/8" square anvil stuck in there for a while. It twisted and failed eventually. So I got a snap-on one. Broke that too, except that it twisted INSIDE the hex-chuck and I couldn't get it out...

So I finally got around to lopping off the whole snout with a cutoff wheel, and welding the end of a cheap 3/8" extension onto the thing. Tacked it, squeezed the trigger. Lots of runout. Smack it on the ground, check, smack... until it was straight. Then I welded it into place, and ground it down smooth so it won't slice my fingers open when spinning.

Still had a little bit of runout (a 12" extension on this thing was a little exciting)... so I slowly ground down the back half of the anvil similar to a wobble extension... Works GREAT now! No runout, and sockets snap on and off solidly, don't wobble, and I don't have to worry about snapping off tiny 1/4" hex shanks anymore. You can wiggle the end of that 3" extension in about a 1/2" circle, so it's probably about a ten-degree wobble. :)

If you've got a similar unit, or a DeWalt just lying around, it might not be a bad idea to try out. So much more useful now.

:D :D :D

[eschoendorff]

TNT:1
Makita:0
:bowdown:

[kartracer55]

Hahahah awesome fix

[dink]

Hmmmm yes great fix.....but you should also look at the bits your using at the same time....if they are breaking off that easily....are you using cheap bits??

[eschoendorff]

Hmmmm yes great fix.....but you should also look at the bits your using at the same time....if they are breaking off that easily....are you using cheap bits??
I don't think that Snap On bits would be considered necessarily "cheap..."

[Deafautotech]

I only paid 80 dollars at pep boy as goodyear 1/2in dr cordless impact as i only need buy adapter and no problem since... it make me do more work done without dragging the air hose for simple work like take chairs out of jeep grand cherokee as do recall about hear element under of seat on front seats.

[Deafautotech]

but fot the tight area, i use air tool ratchet from mac tool (1/4 dr ar251 and ar7776) as it is good to me to do job. it will loose the bolts and nuts no problems unless someone overtight it that would cause me hit my hand.

[TNToy]

I hate air ratchets. I don't use them unless I have to. I hate (1) stalling it and having my fingers slam into something, and (2) Backing fasteners out in tight spaces until the ratchet is jammed between the fastener and the fenderwell.

They have their places, but if I can sneak any other tool in there to do the job, I will.

That's where an expensive set of impact wobble sockets is worth their weight in gold. Unfortunately, Snap-On and Matco price them accordingly. A good impact wobble socket on a 6" or 12" extension will reduce the situations where you have to use an air ratchet by about 50%. ;)

Hmmmm yes great fix.....but you should also look at the bits your using at the same time....if they are breaking off that easily....are you using cheap bits??
Dude, I'm a tool snob. You know this. :D

I was breaking these (http://buy1.snapon.com/catalog/item.asp?P65=&tool=all&item_ID=2661&group_ID=312&store=snapon-store&dir=catalog) every couple weeks. Although in fairness, I cut the shank down about an inch and ground a new groove where the chuck retains it, so the gun would fit in tighter spaces. They both broke where they'd been ground down.

That impact is rated somewhere around 90 ft/lb of torque. That means it probably produces around 50 on a real-world fastener. But that's just plain too much torque for something with a 1/4" diameter, even if it has Snap-On stamped on the side.

So I just upped the diameter to about 1/2", tapering down smoothly to 3/8" for maximum strength. I've been using it like this for a while and just got around to posting pics. It's been working great. :)

Also, I don't miss the lock-button retainer on the Snap-On adapter. It's nice on long extensions where you can't afford to drop a socket... but I swap sockets and extensions on this thing a LOT, and I was getting tired of holding down the button with my fingernail so that I could slide a socket onto the gun

[Deafautotech]

while i work in dealership, air ratchet work good for me and i had swivel sockets and no problems. i use swivel socket much than deep or stanard socket. i was not happy that craftsman dont sell swivel socket past until last year to sell it but it is almost same with matco tools. so matco tools sell it overprice than mac tool and snap on .

[TNToy]

The reason the Matco costs more is simple: It's worth it.

Matco's spline-drive wobble socket is completely superior to the pin-style swivels Snap-On uses.

Not sure what you were saying regarding Craftsman, Matco, Snap-On at the end there.

[Deafautotech]

i had matco tool swivel adapter (1/2 to 3/8 dr) it is new tool and i have lot of problem with it because it make rough swivel i only use one time and it already really rough swivel so i had it replace by warranty. then i got new one and it is better than before. but 42 dollars for it and already cause me problem when i starting use it first.

[TNToy]

Matco's swivel mechanism gets smoother as it's used, since the spine 'hones' the inside of the socket it rides inside. My 17mm is used constantly at work, and is smooth as glass.

Pin-style swivels will get rougher with use as the pin peens the sides of the slot it rides inside. You can see this on a well-used Snap-On swivel. They get especially rough once the pin bends. ;)

[Deafautotech]

i wonder why matco sell 21 mm shallow swivel socket (1/2dr) for almost 50 dollar while snap on sell for 35 dollars.

[kartracer55]

TNT, how is the actually quality of matco impact sockets compared to snap on? I mean, I know the swivel mechanism is much better, but how do thier impact sockets hold up compared to snap on's? It seems like thier chrome sockets dont wear as much, but I really cant comment on thier impacts.

Im going to see how much the matco guy wants for a 3/8 set this week, but I am curious. While the matco's swivel mechanism will hold up better than the snap on's, will the matcos socket actually wear out before the swivel, meaning I have to buy a new set?

Jim

[eschoendorff]

I hate air ratchets. I don't use them unless I have to. I hate (1) stalling it and having my fingers slam into something, and (2) Backing fasteners out in tight spaces until the ratchet is jammed between the fastener and the fenderwell.

They have their places, but if I can sneak any other tool in there to do the job, I will.

Man, i am glad to hear this, because I have two air ratchets, never use them and wondered if I was the only one who really didn't like air ratchets. I prefer to use a butterfly impact (low torque) and I only really use air tools for disassembly. I usually do assembly by hand so that I can feel exactly what's going on. It takes a little longer, but hey, it ain't my day job.

[toolfreak]

The only thing I really like air ratchets for is bodywork. I use to think that they were great until a 1/2" drive had my hand pinned and I couldn't let go of the trigger. A 1/4" drive won't hurt your hands too bad if it stalls out. Tnt is right about snap on swivels not being as smooth when they get some age to them. I would like to try the matco swivels but I don't have a dealer anywhere close to get them warrantied so I will have to stick with snap on.

[TNToy]

i wonder why matco sell 21 mm shallow swivel socket (1/2dr) for almost 50 dollar while snap on sell for 35 dollars.
We just discussed this. The Snap-On swivel costs less, because the Matco is better. Snap-on isn't always the most expensive.

TNT, how is the actually quality of matco impact sockets compared to snap on? I mean, I know the swivel mechanism is much better, but how do thier impact sockets hold up compared to snap on's?
I'd say they're pretty comparable. In impact sockets, my short 1/2's are snappy, my deep 3/8s are snappy... and the others are Matco. They're a pretty good mix.

I have no preference for either, except that it's easier to spot the sizes on the Matco's when they're off the peg on the hansen racks.

They both wear exceptionally well. Buy whichever you get the best deal on. :)