sbebenelli
Well-known member
- Joined
- Jan 21, 2010
- Messages
- 79
Sub-Compact Drivers are becoming popular and I thought I'd give my opinion about the 3 different brands I have used.
The first thing I want to do it point out that I'm a huge fan of Snap On and buy their tools weekly.
A couple years ago I bought one of these cordless screwdrivers off the Snap On truck. And it seems to be very popular among techs. When I look at the tool box thread I see that tool in a lot of boxes. Personally I never was impressed with it. I found it just wasn't up to the standards I feel Snap On are about. Truthfully I was disappointed in it. Eventually I traded it back in to my dealer.
I also want to talk about the micro impact wrench Snap On came out with a few months ago. My dealer wanted me to try one for a week so I did. This things has to be the biggest joke I have ever seen Snap On come out with. The battery life is the poorest I have ever seen on a cordless tool. I have no idea why they would make it a 3/8 and not a 1/4. It has no power at all. Any forum talk I have seen about it most guys tend to give it back the next week. Compared to the Bosch I review below this thing is a embarrassment for Snap On and their dealers.
Several months ago I bought this Milwaukee 12-Volt Li-ion Sub-Compact Driver Kit and couldn't be happier. There is no comparison between it and the Snap On unit for less money. The battery lasts for an unbelievable amount of time. The only thing I don't like about it is the forward-reverse switch is lower than I think it should be and I have a tendency to push it while using the tool. It has a built in battery gauge that is very handy to have.
I liked it so much I wanted another one for home. I came across this reconditioned Bosch set that includes the screwdriver and impact. For the price I decided to buy it. I like the Bosch even better than the Milwaukee. I don't have the same issue with the forward-reverse switch and I just like the feel better. The only thing I like better with the Milwaukee is the battery gauge.
I'm really liking the impact. It has a ring of 3 LED's around the chuck that shines around the work area. The screwdriver has one LED above the trigger and it shines the bottom half of the work area. The Milwaukee is the same way. I assume it couldn't be put around the chuck like the impact because of the clutch assembly being there.
I would never be without either one now. The time these save is unbelievable. I kept the Bosch set for work and took the Milwaukee home.
Snap ON:
Pros: I really don't see any compared to the competition
Cons: Has no clutch or light. Is only 7.2 volts. Does not come with Lithium-Ion batteries. Batteries die fast. Made in China
Milwaukee:
Pros: 12 volt Lithium-Ion. Outstanding battery life. Battery gauge. Has a clutch & LED light. Very powerful. Will drive a 3" deck screw.
Cons: forward-reverse switch gets bumped to easily. Made in China
Bosch:
Pros: 12 volt Lithium-Ion. Outstanding battery life. Screwdriver has a clutch & LED light. Impact has a ring of LED's. Very powerful. Will drive a 3" deck screw. The impact does even a better job at driving screws.
Cons: No battery gauge. Made in Malaysia
After getting the impact I came across this Locking Power Adapter Set and bought it. This is the cats mow for the impact.
The first thing I want to do it point out that I'm a huge fan of Snap On and buy their tools weekly.
A couple years ago I bought one of these cordless screwdrivers off the Snap On truck. And it seems to be very popular among techs. When I look at the tool box thread I see that tool in a lot of boxes. Personally I never was impressed with it. I found it just wasn't up to the standards I feel Snap On are about. Truthfully I was disappointed in it. Eventually I traded it back in to my dealer.
I also want to talk about the micro impact wrench Snap On came out with a few months ago. My dealer wanted me to try one for a week so I did. This things has to be the biggest joke I have ever seen Snap On come out with. The battery life is the poorest I have ever seen on a cordless tool. I have no idea why they would make it a 3/8 and not a 1/4. It has no power at all. Any forum talk I have seen about it most guys tend to give it back the next week. Compared to the Bosch I review below this thing is a embarrassment for Snap On and their dealers.
Several months ago I bought this Milwaukee 12-Volt Li-ion Sub-Compact Driver Kit and couldn't be happier. There is no comparison between it and the Snap On unit for less money. The battery lasts for an unbelievable amount of time. The only thing I don't like about it is the forward-reverse switch is lower than I think it should be and I have a tendency to push it while using the tool. It has a built in battery gauge that is very handy to have.
I liked it so much I wanted another one for home. I came across this reconditioned Bosch set that includes the screwdriver and impact. For the price I decided to buy it. I like the Bosch even better than the Milwaukee. I don't have the same issue with the forward-reverse switch and I just like the feel better. The only thing I like better with the Milwaukee is the battery gauge.
I'm really liking the impact. It has a ring of 3 LED's around the chuck that shines around the work area. The screwdriver has one LED above the trigger and it shines the bottom half of the work area. The Milwaukee is the same way. I assume it couldn't be put around the chuck like the impact because of the clutch assembly being there.
I would never be without either one now. The time these save is unbelievable. I kept the Bosch set for work and took the Milwaukee home.
Snap ON:
Pros: I really don't see any compared to the competition
Cons: Has no clutch or light. Is only 7.2 volts. Does not come with Lithium-Ion batteries. Batteries die fast. Made in China
Milwaukee:
Pros: 12 volt Lithium-Ion. Outstanding battery life. Battery gauge. Has a clutch & LED light. Very powerful. Will drive a 3" deck screw.
Cons: forward-reverse switch gets bumped to easily. Made in China
Bosch:
Pros: 12 volt Lithium-Ion. Outstanding battery life. Screwdriver has a clutch & LED light. Impact has a ring of LED's. Very powerful. Will drive a 3" deck screw. The impact does even a better job at driving screws.
Cons: No battery gauge. Made in Malaysia
After getting the impact I came across this Locking Power Adapter Set and bought it. This is the cats mow for the impact.
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I would like to hear others here who have owned one and what their experiences have been; I have a DeWalt 7.2 volt Screwdriver Kit, Cordless DW920K-2 which is powerful, little heavy but also bulkier then the others.... the only thing is I dropped it and the head came off and the ball bearings, parts went everywhere... turns out it costs $50 from a dewalt service center to repair (flat fee, new head assembly); I am debating what to do or buy next (since a new one is about $80) but it maybe not quite up to dropping and abuse that one would encounter in a auto shop. While battery operated tools are great; thats one thing I love about air tools, they can handle allot of abuse and keep going! I'm still looking for options; post your recommendations!
