1st Gen. Lunch Table - General Discussion

I'm not following you and it may be b/c I don't always choose the best words. When I say "impact drill" I'm referring to what other people may call "hammer drill".

While much of what I do these days is security, I still do LV jobs and structured cable jobs, end to end. I typically sub out LV cable runs, but I do all the plans, I drill and mount racks, I install equipment, I configure equipment, I provide support on contract, but most of my customers don't need support, because I use premium equipment that's secure, isn't configured in stupid ways, and I'm anal-retentive. I also have a house with concrete foundation and concrete+granite fill basement walls. Between those two things, I'm using a hammer drill frequently. I can assure you, with walls like our basement has, you're going to burn thru masonry bits left and right using a standard drill vs hammer drill.

That said, if you don't often find yourself needing to drill concrete, there's really no point IMHO buying a hammer drill.

The PF video I just linked covers impact drill vs. impact wrench, which is why I was, like, "Well damn, I guess I shouldn't have said "impact drill, eh?" I was actually pretty surprised watching it. I didn't expect the Skil to do so well, and honestly, at $100 MSRP, I'm tempted to get one just to toss in the closet for when I may need it (I'm looking at you, my asshole UBJs...)

But yeah ... PF video makes me realize cordless impact wrenches are good, cordless impact drills are ass, and I may be adding a Skill tool into the mix. Although the Skil unit he tested was not only 12v, it was also listed as an impact driver vs. wrench or drill, and outperformed almost everything in overall. Maybe goes to show you voltage and amp-hours doesn't mean a hell of a lot if you've got good tool design.

 

PS - here's my corded Makita hammer drill. This thing has been a freaking monster. If it ever dies, I'll probably end up repairing it, it was worth every penny I originally paid for it. I can't imagine a cordless doing even half what it does for 1/4 as long.

I believe all Makita tools are made in Japan, but may be wrong these days. (EDIT: It looks like there's one for a really, really good price right now on fleaBay too...)

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Yeah, I have a nice corded dewalt variable speed from my college days I think, replaced the cord on it once. Also a sander from then. Lifetime tools for sure.

 

My corded craftsman will still start lawnmowers, but it's only variable speed for 30 sec or so, then its either on or off. Searched the serial number on my IR impact and it was built in '86, but dad doesnt know if it was his or his dads.

 

Sorry. They are two different tools.

https://www.northerntool.com/products/dewalt-20v-max-cordless-lithium-ion-drill-driver-and-impact-driver-combo-kit-2-batteries-model-dck240c2-55740?ogmap=SHP|PLA|GOOG|STND|m|SITEWIDE|INTRADE||||857740929|42214667743&gclid=Cj0KCQjwrMKmBhCJARIsAHuEAPS23rMdfc9xsqQEEf7g8N3-x42ganJ8nW3vYHSsgE0cnVhJKjtrNKIaAhazEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

Hammer drill is also different. Dad gave me his corded DeWalt hammer drill which I use when I need to drill into the block walls of my garage.

 

Right, that's effectively what I confessed. In practice, they're generally the same though, it's why I do that, often. Often enough when someone looks at me puzzled I typically realize what I said.

Hammer drill is using the same principle as any other impact tool, multiple impacts while torquing. The form factor is different.

There's one guy I work with from time to time that calls everything an "impact driver" and you really never know exactly what he's asking for unless you know what job he's trying to do. To that point, it almost feels very semantics-ish but I see the value in clarity.

 

And honestly, did you read the link you gave?

• 20V MAX Lithium-ion 1/2in. drill/driver handles a variety of fastening and drilling applications
• 20V MAX Lithium-ion 1/4in. impact driver has one-handed loading hex chuck

They're basically using drill and driver interchangeably too.

 

I love mine

 

Yes. My earlier question wasn't directed at anyone in particular. I'm just curious if people use both impact drivers and cordless drills and for what purposes.

https://www.familyhandyman.com/arti...rivers tend to be,engaged with the screw head.

 

@shifty` - interesting thin 35mm wrench. What’s it for?

 

I'd say both. I don't think you want to use an impact driver for drilling out a hole for an EZ-out to use. Maybe I'm wrong but I'd think you want a more controlled situation when performing this task.

 

Both. Drill for drilling, impact for fastening.

 

I still have mostly corded tools - most of them old. My dad’s old 1960s drill from Monkey Wards and my old 1970s craftsman drill finally gave up the ghost a couple years ago so I bought a Dewalt drill and compact impact last year. I still have multiple corded saws and sanders that will prolly outlive me. This morning used my 40+ year old Craftsman Sawzall to cut up a limb that fell in the storm last night. Yeah cordless tools rock but the old stuff is well made and money doesn’t grow on trees right now.

 

It's a 35/36 lp wrench, essentially. Bought it for BMW specifically, though it's apparently used on some big rig engines. https://vermonttoolcompany.com/product/35mm-x-36mm-super-thin-wrench/

 

I look at it a bit differently from that article.

For me and my world, to keep it simple, everything is bit vs. socket. i.e. if it uses a bit, it's a drill, and if it uses a socket, it's a wrench.

I use things with bits for drilling. I use things with sockets for wrenching. And what type of each I use depends on what I'm doing.

• If I'm driving screws in low torque applications, screwdriver it is
• If I'm drilling holes, driving screws in low-to-mid torque applications, cordless drill
• If I'm doing the above ^^ in higher-torque applications, corded drill
• If I'm doing the above ^^ into concrete, I'm using an impact/hammer drill
• If I'm wrenching in low-to-mid torque applications, ratchet it is
• If it's medium-to-high torque applications, I'm busting out an impact wrench/impact hammer
• If I'm just needing to break something stubborn free, or spin something off that has risk of stripping or breaking, impact wrench/hammer also

I think looking at this any other way than "bit vs. socket" is stupid. And maybe tools are different these days, but the last thing I'd trust reaching for when I need an impact wrench is something with a bit, although that Project Farm video may've swayed me a hair on that stance.

 

I do want one of those chinese electric flywheel driven impacts. Project farm might have covered one. Like the tool spins up, then the dogs are dropped centrifugally...a few big whacks instead of alot of little whacks.

i know thats gonna break bolts. Dont care, just wanna play with one for a bit.

 

Maybe I misinterpreted what @FirstGenVol was asking but I think he was implying would you use a hex impact driver with drill bits or own a drill with regular drill bits for drilling purposes?

 

I only used a drill for years for drilling and driving, I even had an impact driver and never used it. I offered the impact to a friend since I never used it, he suggested I try it for driving screws etc; he was right, it’s so much easier for driving screws than a drill, easier on the wrists, strips far less heads, what a difference I can’t believe I hadn’t tried it before. I wouldn’t be without both tools now. I’ve never used the impact for drilling, I suppose you could with hex drill bits, but that’s not really what it’s made for.

 

Same! I finally got the money to get an impact driver (and not just the drill) and the first time I used it I was like omg where have you been all my life! My father in law used mine and had the same reaction.

 

That's exactly the info I was looking for. I assumed there had to be some advantage to the impact driver or people wouldn't buy them.

 

I do a lot of rough carpentry/framing/deck/building stuff at my house and others' properties, it really is a game-changer if you're putting in a lot of screws. And the adjustable trigger/speed/torque settings are so fine that I can even use it for stuff I used to use screwdrivers for (instead of my drill) out of fear of stripping something out--trick is just having the right bits. If forced to choose between the two--drill and impact driver--I would use my freakin' brace and bit to drill holes and drive screws with my impact driver!!

 

Speaking of tools, I was cleaning out my space and re-org'ing my boxes this weekend and found this thing in my box. I have no f'n clue where it came from, what it's for, what it went with. Any thoughts? It's ribbed on one side, and has measurements on the other. round end, but hexagonal top.

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Its a measurement for something. Maybe an adjustable log splitter?

 

I just noticed there's small text on the rounded end. Maybe I'll throw some zoomers on and check that out. Seems like it's so specific. Like, something you'd get with plumbing related crap, to measure depth of something.

 

These come with hammer drills usually. Depth gauge.

 

We had a terrible storm roll though. I heard these limbs snap but the rain was so intense I couldn't see it happen even though I was watching. They got lucky. The other neighbors beside them took roof damage from a tree. 80mph winds. People think I'm crazy for not wanting trees so close to my house. I have an oak tree that I need to get chopped down. Last quote was $1,700.

 

Now that you mention it, I recently had to buy a bunch of Tapcons recently, and it came with extra crap, a masonry bit and some other misc supplies as one big kit (I needed the bit, mine were old). I'm wondering if it came in that. I haven't bought a new drill in years.

Yup, that was here yesterday afternoon through late last night and again around 7am this morning. Weather forecast made it sound like it was moving north. Lots of trees down.

We had one roll through 4 weekends ago that left my friend two doors down's mature 36"-wide-trunk hackberry with a huge limb snapped off, one of three trunk splits. I spent about 90 minutes sawing it apart for them to get it off the road. It was large enough a branch it went across the entire city street, and took out several branches on some Ginkgo trees across the street, 50ft away. It was actually about 48 hours after that my coughing and other bullshit started, I thought it was related to clearing that tree for them, ended up being the cyst.

 

You win the internet today. Apparently it came with my Bosch cordless I got many years ago. Wonder how long it's been in the toolbox? I remember when I had to downsize and relocate my shop space over the last year, I cleared out the blue plastic carrying boxes Bosch gives you, maybe I pulled it out then. I've been in the clouds lately.

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