Impact drivers - Do the specs tell the truth?

[Fender1325]

I compared the 1/4" impact driver models of milwaukee, makita, metabo, hilti, craftsman and dewalt.

I have the most experience with the craftsman C3 which I own, and my father in law's makita. According to everything on paper, my craftsman is more powerful than the makita - 1600 vs 1420 in lb, 3500 impacts per min vs 3200, 2500 rpm vs 2300, 19.2 volt battery vs 18. The craftsman "outperforms" the makita on the spec sheet.

In the real world, his makita outperforms my craftsman. We had to replace all the subflooring in his kitchen. 3/4" plywood into old pine joists. Both of us have 2 batteries and a charger and recharched a few times so Im definitely comparing everything with fresh batteries. His Makita would drive the screws in Id say atleast 1/3 quicker speed. Adds up during the job.

Makes you wonder how accurate specs are or am I missing another variable in the machine? Its not user - we traded drivers and the Makita was quicker. Seems like specs are bragging rights a little bit and real world usage will tell. Milwaukee's M18 fuel led the pack and apparently the second geneation is super strong with 1800 in lb of torque.

For whatever its worth - metabo and hilti's specs were nothing special. Not class leading either. I have a feeling theyd be damn good though.

This is so much like the truck market. You've got dodge ford and chevy in horsepower and torque wars. Experience will tell you thats not everything. Thats another story all together...

Thoughts?

 

[AceofSpad3s]

Companies are always going to lie,cheat,steal or do what ever they can to get you to buy what they got so they will inflate the numbers or outright lie. What the say and what something is can be completely different from what is actually true.

 

[fatfillup]

Ah,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,marketing

Companies will say what they can get away with. And they may have some lab tests that back them up,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,on the unit they tested

 

[XxToolAholicxX]

Aren't there any laws to what a manufacturers can put on thier boxes? Any government agency to regulate this? Isn't this false advertising?
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I am a ToolAholic, Sometimesi regret it, especially when the Toolman won't give me no credit

 

[jobo1004]

Aren't there any laws to what a manufacturers can put on thier boxes? Any government agency to regulate this? Isn't this false advertising?
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I am a ToolAholic, Sometimesi regret it, especially when the Toolman won't give me no credit

The tests aren't standardized. I'm sure each company has come up with a test that generates the results they post on the box.

 

[lightning02]

I wouldnt even put a cman in makitas league first of all. I owned power tools from both brands and there night and day different.

 

[stage20]

metabo and hilti dont have to inflate their ratings. 9 times out of 10 id say they produce more than the rating. i think most of their ratings are what is minimally expected from a tool, while others rank theirs at the absolute maximum. put 50,000 cycles on any store brand and put 50,000 cycles on a hilti and chances are the hilti will still run like the day it was new. you pay for quality.

if its not for an industrial application, milwalkee, makita and dewalt are the three brands i would choose from. and even then they can hold up to some abuse.

 

[CJM8515]

Craftsman lies, terribly. I had to use some of thier cordless stuff as a friend has them. What cheap **** compared to my M18 milwaukee and even my super old 9.6v makita drill.

Personally Id buy makita, dewalt or milwaukee if you want something like your father in laws makita.

 

[1950mercury]

Cheaper cordless impacts loose the hammering quick. How old where they and how used? I know my 18v dewalt doesn't have the power it did new. I'm sure they are not lying about its power out of the box....

 

[NUTTSGT]

I'd venture to guess that Cman did some studies and found that when new and fully charged, their 19.2 battery could rank up higher numbers than a few of the better name brands.

How else would you come up with odd size batteries unless you're just reaching for the title of having a "bigger" number on the side of your tool. Cman used to have a 9.6V and 16.8V selection of battery powered tool IIRC.

 

[allinon72]

Craftsman is bottom shelf black and decker. Walmart stuff these days. Makita is a professional brand. Specs are to be taken as a guideline.

 

[woody 73]

Funny story I don't know if any of the younger GJ members have ever heard it before, but many years ago Sears would sell some of their electrical/engines at some extreme high rating and homeowner Joe would think my gosh I got a jet engine of a beast.

I believe in the end the Government stepped in to hold manufacturing companies more accountable.

https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic/alt.home.repair/_3Ws5cCjz4g

 

[uart]

Funny story I don't know if any of the younger GJ members have ever heard it before, but many years ago Sears would sell some of their electrical/engines at some extreme high rating and homeowner Joe would think my gosh I got a jet engine of a beast.

One of the first lessons I learnt about just how much BS the manufacturers "ratings" could be was many years ago when buying a simple home audio amplifier.

I compared some quality brands with realistic specifications like "20 Watts per channel at 0.1% THD" with some cheap junk ones that had huge stickers on them screaming out something like "2000 Watts PMPO!".

Needless to say the quality brands with the 20 Watts specs where miles better (and more powerful!) than the "2000 Watt" ones.

 

[rice rocket]

I've been wholly unimpressed with all impact drivers I've picked up. When repairing my deck, I was driving some pretty standard Spax screws, and all of them failed to drive them flush, including my Milwaukee Fuel, which at least on paper was the most powerful at the time. I thought this is what impact drivers were for?!


I ended up getting a 1/2-1/4" hex adapter on my Metabo SSW18 LTX BL impact wrench and sinking them.

 

[racintj]

I've been wholly unimpressed with all impact drivers I've picked up. When repairing my deck, I was driving some pretty standard Spax screws, and all of them failed to drive them flush, including my Milwaukee Fuel, which at least on paper was the most powerful at the time. I thought this is what impact drivers were for?!


I ended up getting a 1/2-1/4" hex adapter on my Metabo SSW18 LTX BL impact wrench and sinking them.

I would be curious which size Spax you were driving and into what type of wood. I would like to do some testing.

 

[Fender1325]

I do have to give craftsman some credit though - my C3 set is a year old and hasnt given me any trouble yet and it was 150 for a drill, impact driver, 2 batteries, charger and case. The drill ***** compared to almost any body else but I use the impact for auto to home remodeling and it gets the job done. When it kicks the bucket I'll pony up for the makita.

I tried dewalt and makita drivers on display at HD the other day. The dewalt was so fast it was almost hard to control. The makita's hammering just felt better and less like Id strip the screw.

 

[DonPowers]

You know that Craftsman stretches the truth when they claim 5 hp motors on 120 volt stuff.

Considering that 746 watts = 1 hp

@ 120 volts =6.22 amps

Consequently, a 20 amp circuit, in theory, could produce 3.2 hp if there were absolutely no losses. Could it be that Sears has invented a superconducting motor that is 155% efficient!!

 

[NUTTSGT]

I do have to give craftsman some credit though - my C3 set is a year old and hasnt given me any trouble yet and it was 150 for a drill, impact driver, 2 batteries, charger and case. The drill ***** compared to almost any body else but I use the impact for auto to home remodeling and it gets the job done. When it kicks the bucket I'll pony up for the makita.

I tried dewalt and makita drivers on display at HD the other day. The dewalt was so fast it was almost hard to control. The makita's hammering just felt better and less like Id strip the screw.

Once you use the newer tool (like the Dewalt) and start using it on a regular basis, you get a feel for the tool and what it's doing. I use mine all the time and that includes running screws in/out of plastic stuff.