NitroGarage
Well-known member
Thoughts?
Brushless impact driver - what do you have and why?
- Thread starter NitroGarage
- Start date
Thoughts?
willjogervais
Well-known member
Dealt brushless, I forget the #. Quick easy bit changes, although i leave a 3/8 impact driver in it 90% of the time. Ample power, enough to twist of many of said Milwaukee impact drivers. Lightweight and compact to get into small areas. It is probably my most used tool and I love it. That said, I have never used a different brand and can't compare
Locker537
Well-known member
Milwaukee. I've had some M12 stuff for ~6 years and have been very happy with it, especially how long the batteries last. I ended up buying a bunch of M18 Fuel stuff and love it.
mike93lx
ALLIANCE MEMBER
Dewalt 20v here, the three speed model. I like the size and specs, plus it was in stock at home depot when i had a project going.
Super Mech
Well-known member
Makita 18v lithium ion brushless impact driver. About five years old on original battery this tools owes me nothing. A true workhorse.
Ign
Well-known member
I could tell it was not domestic immediately from the way the 5.0 is larger font on the Milwaukee battery.
Anyway if I could only have one it'd be the Surge. As it is I've got 5 or 6 Milwaukee impact drivers LOL
kctyphoon
Banned
Milwaukee M18 fuel.. cause it's good, better than many, and I feel the Milwaukee system offers more of what I want - most of which feel better than other brands.
I have more brands and voltages too, but the m18 fuel is by far my favorite.. I have a dewalt 20v brushless, dewalt 12v, Milwaukee m12, and their m18 brushed model too. Some old Bosch 18v nicad that's haven't been touched in years...
I have more brands and voltages too, but the m18 fuel is by far my favorite.. I have a dewalt 20v brushless, dewalt 12v, Milwaukee m12, and their m18 brushed model too. Some old Bosch 18v nicad that's haven't been touched in years...
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LawnBoy-5247
Well-known member
Milwaukee M12 fuel, I work on outdoor power equipment so I needed something small and compact that was fairly powerful.
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619DioFan
Well-known member
Milwaukee m18 1/2 and 3/8 drives. 2 years of daily use now. zero issues. well worth the investment.
Stuart96
Well-known member
M12 fuel.. Plenty of power and a wide array of other m12 tools is a plus
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yuanzichen
Well-known member
I bought the Bosch for simply blind love of its name. It is the most accessible German brand in my area... only have light duty needs for it. No problem so far. Hesitant to get other Bosch tools though... actually hesitant to get any other power tools because kicking into a new battery system is pricey...
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KnurledNut
Well-known member
Been using Makita LXT since it was first released in 2005 in a professional setting.
The impacts have been very reliable.
My current brushless model is probably my favorite, and has stood up to abuse without a glitch.
I dropped it off a roof some time ago and it fell 20 feet and hit concrete.
It survived.
Jazzman442
Well-known member
I do not understand the need for a brush less hand tools. Brush less motors have less torque on the lower end and are harder to control at slower speeds. I do not own any but I am looking at a Cordless ratchet.
i should say i love it because of the speed and power. no issues in that department. i'd say the video you linked is realistic to what you can expect.. if you're looking i'd get one of the big 3, dewalt, makita or milwaukee... lowes and HD carry them, plenty of other stores. accessories, batteries, additional tools are always available, all 3 are good performers.
speed bump
Well-known member
DeWalt 20v, I wanted to go Milwaukee but my family went DeWalt so I went DeWalt.
KoolGrandWizardLuke
Banned
- Joined
- Apr 20, 2017
- Messages
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Hitachi.
Because the triple hammer and other features are innovative.
Because the triple hammer and other features are innovative.
Ole Slewfoot
Well-known member
Fuel 1/4 because its small and light
Fuel 1/2 hi torque, because its big and heavy
Miwaukee because they are pretty good, and i already had batteries.
Somehow i ended up with a Ridgid drill, and if it wasn't orange, I honsetly might not be able to tell the difference, but they sure dont have the same resale.
Fuel 1/2 hi torque, because its big and heavy
Miwaukee because they are pretty good, and i already had batteries.
Somehow i ended up with a Ridgid drill, and if it wasn't orange, I honsetly might not be able to tell the difference, but they sure dont have the same resale.
mike93lx
ALLIANCE MEMBER
Batteries last longer and tge tools are more compact.
Depends on the maker. Brushless motors typically have better low-speed regulation than brushed (they can microstep), and have the ability to have a locking torque though I've never seen one that does. Biggest reason to get brushless is enhanced battery life: besides more holes/screws per charge, you can only re-charge those expensive batteries a finite number of times.
BTW, I own M12 Fuel
Ilikeike
ALLIANCE MEMBER
I moved away from Milwaukee cordless about 15-18 yrs ago, but I really like the new M18 fuel stuff. Unfortunately work is slowly upgrading the old DeWalt 18v to the new 20 volt tools over the last two years, so I went that way at home also. Just makes it easy when I need to borrow something.
Ign
Well-known member
I've kinda wondered this, too, and this has sometimes been my experience, esp with drills. That said, I'm 99% Fuel so I don't find it that much of a problem. But my M28 brushed drill is a torque monster compared to even my 2704, and you CAN tell the powerband is different, like a diesel.
Really I think brushless is still in its infancy. Manufacturers will continue to find ways to make it better, like low end torque etc
Generally the brushless stuff is more compact which is nice but the M12 Fuel Hackzall is considerably larger than its brushed counterpart, so there are exceptions.
I have the Makita LXDT06. It has 3 impact speed settings:
0-1,300
0-2,800
0-3,400
The lower speed really works well when driving smaller/shorter screws and give you lots of control - especially noticeable when using Spax type screws and I am trying to sink the head flush with the surface
It also has a 'quick-shift' mode that has an electronic speed controller. It starts out at a higher speed for when your first trying to get a screw started and when it starts meeting resistance it will to a slower speed
If I was looking for a new one, I would strongly consider the Makita XST01M - it is brushless, 3 speeds and uses an 'oil impulse' drive mechanism which is supposed to greatly reduce the noise
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00M9D5JIO/?tag=atomicindus08-20
dnschmidt
Well-known member
A comment on the Milwaukee SURGE. If all you're doing is driving screws it's the cat's ***. If you ever want to do any type of automotive work with it it's useless. A specialized tool for a specific application. For general use M18 FUEL.
OP
NitroGarage
Well-known member
On amazon you can buy the m18 brushless (2750) for half the price of the m18 fuel, is 25ft lbs worth 55 dollars?
Are the batteries the same??
Finky198
Well-known member
Hilti. I bought into their 18v line 2010 when they ended their deal with HD. They recently redesigned the whole system but kept the battery platform the same!!! So I'm good for another 5-10 years. That's was a big plus the other is it hilti so it tough stuff. 6 years of constant use and They look, feel, and work like the day I got them.
They offer smaller lineup now as well I'm looking, but have yet to pull the trigger...
They offer smaller lineup now as well I'm looking, but have yet to pull the trigger...
DeWalt 20v XR, 2nd generation. Only one speed range, does everything I want. I've been using DeWalt cordless tools since the mid 90s, happy with 'em. They fit my hand well, the balance is good.
IF I were buying new today with no investment in any platform, I'd go with one of the oil-impulse beasts which are much quieter. When DeWalt comes out with one, I'll almost certainly upgrade to it. I hate the noise of an impact driver.
Basically, any of the Big 4 (Makita, Milwaukee, DeWalt, Bosch) will do ya. Each has multiple offerings of Brushless impacts. Others that are fairly widely available in the US worth considering are Rigid, Hilti, Hitachi, Porter-Cable, Fein, Panasonic, Festool and Metabo. If you're a pro, then there's a good chance you can borrow a friend's for a day or two to get a sense of whether or not it fits your hand. Sometimes, no matter how good the specs, when you get your mitts on a tool it just doesn't work out for ya.
I will be upgrading my Bosch 12v Brushed impact to the brushless model sometime in the next year. Because, just because.
IF I were buying new today with no investment in any platform, I'd go with one of the oil-impulse beasts which are much quieter. When DeWalt comes out with one, I'll almost certainly upgrade to it. I hate the noise of an impact driver.
Basically, any of the Big 4 (Makita, Milwaukee, DeWalt, Bosch) will do ya. Each has multiple offerings of Brushless impacts. Others that are fairly widely available in the US worth considering are Rigid, Hilti, Hitachi, Porter-Cable, Fein, Panasonic, Festool and Metabo. If you're a pro, then there's a good chance you can borrow a friend's for a day or two to get a sense of whether or not it fits your hand. Sometimes, no matter how good the specs, when you get your mitts on a tool it just doesn't work out for ya.
I will be upgrading my Bosch 12v Brushed impact to the brushless model sometime in the next year. Because, just because.
OP
NitroGarage
Well-known member
Bare tool only
bcradio
Well-known member
You already have other M18 stuff?
OP
NitroGarage
Well-known member
bcradio
Well-known member
I think the brushless would do you just fine then. The kit promos make the Fuel much more reasonable (and possibly cheaper) than the brushless.
Local
Well-known member
20v DeWalt because it was free and has been solid for a few years. Only have one battery that has been reliable.
OP
NitroGarage
Well-known member
The m18 fuel kit with 5.0 battery and charger and case is 300 and the brushless with the same battery and charger is 170 if purchased separately.
bcradio
Well-known member
Or you can get an M18 Fuel hammerdrill, M18 Fuel impact driver, 5.0 batt, 2.0 batt, and hedge trimmer for $300.
That's what I just bought.