Makita impact driver 6952 vs xdt 131

[unbridledid]

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000140B4A/?tag=atomicindus08-20

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B074BHJQB3/?tag=atomicindus08-20


I am going to be primarily be using 1/4 tapcons. I am doing a basement remodel, and would be setting the tapcons into 2x4's into concrete. I like the cordless concept and it is brushless. Yet being captive to a battery system concerns me.

The 6952 is corded and has brushes. Never worry about a batter or voltage group (18v).
There are some discounts out there, and when all is said and done the 6952 would be about 65 dollars more which has no bearing on my decision.

Whch one would you fine gents want in your arsenal?

 

[American Locomotive]

Don't waste your time with the 6952. The 6952 is an old school tool, built with old-school impact technology. So its big, heavy, corded and not very powerful.

The XDT 131 actually has more peak torque, and at $100 for that kit, it's a screaming deal. The Makita LXT 18v platform has been used relatively unchanged since 2007. You can take a battery from a brand new 2018 Makita LXT tool and put it in one from 2007 without issue.

 

[KnurledNut]

I think you will find the corded impact lacking just enough power to be annoying for tapcons. Especially when your 3/16 drill bit gets worn a little.
I have set hundreds of Tapcons using Makita cordless. That XDT13 would be very application friendly.

 

[KnurledNut]

You can take a battery from a brand new 2018 Makita LXT tool and put it in one from 2007 without issue.

This is not 100% correct. There are some exceptions.

 

[DFB]

You couldn't give me that corded one these days

Driver with single 3.0 at $99 is pretty good deal

Maybe also consider the kit with twin 5.0's, not much more than money than that corded unit would cost ya

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06Y2F41Z5/?tag=atomicindus08-20

 

[American Locomotive]

This is not 100% correct. There are some exceptions.

I believe you are correct, IIRC some of the newer larger batteries (5.0ah?) will not work with the "non-star" tools. My brand new 4.0 that came with my XPH07Z works with my non-star 2007 LXT drill, however.

 

[Voi]

Which one would you fine gents want in your arsenal?

I have the XDT13. I got it packaged with a brushless hammer drill, two 4.0 batteries, a single rapid charger and a free 5.0 battery plus a rigid case for $299 a couple of summers ago.

I did some interior framing with it and the hammer drill and quickly found I was breaking tapcons so I switched to driving the tapcons with the drill instead of the driver.

I did not break any tapcons with the drill, for what it is worth. Still not sure what I was doing wrong but with only a few to drill and drive and just stuck with the drill for both.

When I bought my kit the driver was advertised as having multiple speeds which I took as having some sort of button to switch between modes. It turns out the speed control is entirely at the trigger.

I made a screen grab of the advertisement and talked to a Makita rep when he was in the area and he agreed it was misleading and he put the blame on the retailer.

I like the impact driver well enough. It is very small compared to my previous driver and I believe is one of the shorter impact drivers on the market.

I do wish it had dedicated modes, in particular a self-tapping screw mode.

 

[Mark v]

If you can, spring for the xdt14. I have 2 and they're awesome. They have 3 modes along with a tapping mode as well.

 

[engineer2]

For tapcons, you might consider one of Makita's cordless impacts with multiple speed settings. I find Tapcons are very easy to break if you over-torque them.
See the XDT12, XDT14, XFT15, or XPT02

An easier solution might be a powder actuated tool (.22 cartridges). Tip: pre-drill a hole into the concrete adout 1/4" deep to prevent spalling.

 

[PhysicsDude]

For tapcons, you might consider one of Makita's cordless impacts with multiple speed settings. I find Tapcons are very easy to break if you over-torque them.
See the XDT12, XDT14, XFT15, or XPT02

^ I also use a 3 speed Makita impact for tapcons all the time (main reason I bought it). It works fantastic. The regular 18V Makitas have a lot more torque than you would expect and its frustratingly easy to break the head of a tapcon if you don't feather the trigger the right way. There is a significant price premium to the multi speed impacts though.

A 12V Makita or Milwaukee impact driver actually does a great job with tapcons too. A cheaper brand, like Ryobi or craftsman would also be a good choice if you don't plan on using the tool that much after you're done with your project. With black friday coming up there are tons of great deals on combo kits. If you're doing a basement remodel I imagine it would be nice to have a cordless drill, light, and saw also.