Milwaukee Fuel M18 Impact Driver Question

[Jsf721]

I ended up buying this as part of a set with a M18 Hammer Drill.

I never used an impact driver before. I purchased some sockets to remove lug nuts and it is not powerful enough to break them.

No big deal. I decided to use it to drive some screws through Gladiator Slat wall, and it too powerful and the screws easily go through the face of the goods. Its all in the timing and I got through it.

It functions as a drill fine.

What is the purpose of this tool?

I like the drill better for driving screws as I can adjust the clutch, it is not a replacement for a hammer drill, and it is just a sub for a drill?

What do you use it for?

 

[rlitman]

The original M18 Fuel impact driver (the one I own) had three power settings. Newer versions have more.

On mine, setting #2 is the one you want for screws driven with a #2 phillips. The most powerful setting is way too much for these, and will either snap the screw or tear out the bit.

Impact drivers spin faster than drills, which makes starting screws easier, and installing them faster. They also are less likely to cam out a phillips head, and you need less pressure to hold it into the screw to prevent camming out.

My first impact driver amazed me, when I could use it at arm's length reaching from the side of a ladder to drive screws that even when straight on, I'd have to push so hard that I'd be pushing the ladder off the wall to keep the driver bit from slipping in a drill. It amazed me again, when I used it to pull screws where the heads were too torn up to grab with anything else.

 

[Ign]

Yep, impact drivers made Phillips head almost a viable option for me again. But by then I had already sworn them off in favor of square drive.

Anyway the effect the impacting action has on reducing cam-out is considerable.

 

[bcradio]

It is used for driving screws. The impact wrench is for using with sockets.

 

[rlitman]

I'd say that the combination of impact drivers AND newly designed good phillips #2 bits have made phillips a viable option for me in lots of cases. I'll still prefer torx when I can get it, and I've never had any issues with #3 phillips (which will work on the highest power setting of this driver, if you're careful).

The other night, I was driving Spax lags with this driver. Set to #3, I was driving 4.5" long 5/16" lags into 2x6 lumber while standing on a ladder, and the impact diver made it just about effortless.

 

[TNBurban]

It is used for driving screws. The impact wrench is for using with sockets.

This. Different impact action. Impact driver impact action is downward. Impact wrench it's sideways.

edit - awesome for deck building and lag screws. Not so good for delicate things where you can split the work piece if you screw it in to far.

 

[rlitman]

This. Different impact action. Impact driver impact action is downward. Impact wrench it's sideways.

edit - awesome for deck building and lag screws. Not so good for delicate things where you can split the work piece if you screw it in to far.

No. You're thinking of a hammer impact driver.
A cordless impact driver only differs from an impact wrench in the chuck style.