Any chance of an impact driver?

I had the same question regarding the tilt/turn windows and metal shutters (rölladen) after I spent quite a bit of time in Germany.  I located one US vendor or them:
www.europeanwindows.com

They were kind enough to send me a brochure, but they didn't provide any pricing information.  I didn't have the nerve to ask.
 
Hi folks,

today, I had the opportunity to talk to a Protool rep. (Protool is one of Festool's sister companies). He mentioned that this year Protool would introduce three new 18 V Lithium Ion cordless tools - a drill driver, a hammer drill and an impact driver - in Europe.
While this sounds fine to me it's probably rather bad news for you:
  • Currently, Protool seems to be NAINA.
  • As some of you might know, Festool and Protool focus on different branches (in the sense of strategic management). Festool concentrates on "fine woodworking" (cabinet making and such), the automotive finishing and the painting industries, Protool on carpentry and construction.
    Personally, I have the impression that the take of many craftsmen located in Central-Europe is that impact drivers are not really for fine woodworking. It's not my intention to discuss whether this truly applies or not but if this actually is a wide-spread opinion it's not likely that a power tool brand which focuses rather on fine woodworking than on carpentry will offer an impact driver in the near future. This is at least my personal assumption.

Greetings from Austria,

Christian
 
Christian A. said:
Hi folks,

today, I had the opportunity to talk to a Protool rep. (Protool is one of Festool's sister companies). He mentioned that this year Protool would introduce three new 18 V Lithium Ion cordless tools - a drill driver, a hammer drill and an impact driver - in Europe.
While this sounds fine to me it's probably rather bad news for you:
  • Currently, Protool seems to be NAINA.
  • As some of you might know, Festool and Protool focus on different branches (in the sense of strategic management). Festool concentrates on "fine woodworking" (cabinet making and such), the automotive finishing and the painting industries, Protool on carpentry and construction.
    Personally, I have the impression that the take of many craftsmen located in Central-Europe is that impact drivers are not really for fine woodworking. It's not my intention to discuss whether this truly applies or not but if this actually is a wide-spread opinion it's not likely that a power tool brand which focuses rather on fine woodworking than on carpentry will offer an impact driver in the near future. This is at least my personal assumption.

Greetings from Austria,

Christian

Hi,

      Do you know if Protool has any existing impact drivers with NiCd batteries?  And if they are compatible with the Festool C12?

Seth
 
They are not compatible batteries. This has been part of my long drawn out decision process. I want the C12, but I want an impact driver. There would be a Protools impact driver, but it wouldn't be compatible in any way (except it'll be in a systainer). Still thinking about a Bosch impact, if for no other reason than the battery would power my radio.....
 
Eli said:
They are not compatible batteries. This has been part of my long drawn out decision process. I want the C12, but I want an impact driver. There would be a Protools impact driver, but it wouldn't be compatible in any way (except it'll be in a systainer). Still thinking about a Bosch impact, if for no other reason than the battery would power my radio.....

Hi,

    Yoouu...knoow... the batteries are available seperatly right?    Pretty expensive way to power a radio  ;)

Seth
 
Yep. But if I need an impact driver + I have a Bosch radio = buy a bosch impact driver + not need a charger for it. Maybe I should have said "if for no other other reason"
 
its been impact drivers for me for 3 years for me here in england and belt hooks are now a must have

when you are hanging fire doors single handed, if it doesnt have a belt hook forget it

i hate to say it but my 15.6v festool drill has fallen by the wayside because of these things.

for my working methods festool need to pick up their game and they need to improve the chuck

im now back with makita altough my 18v Li Ion impact driver cost the eqivilent of 600 us dollars and the drill driver cost another 520 us dollars
 
  • Christian A. said:
    ...
    I have the impression that the take of many craftsmen located in Central-Europe is that impact drivers are not really for fine woodworking. It's not my intention to discuss whether this truly applies or not but if this actually is a wide-spread opinion it's not likely that a power tool brand which focuses rather on fine woodworking than on carpentry will offer an impact driver in the near future. This is at least my personal assumption.
Christian A. said:
Greetings from Austria,

Christian
I have a impact driver (an inexpensive Ryobi) and I only use it for construction work.  I find it to be too powerful for driving scres in furniture where I wnant a precise depth.  Also, I find that mine sometimes snaps screws when driving them into hardwood. 

Maybe if I had something better and more controlable than my Ryobi, I would use it for fine woodworking.  Don't get me wrong, it is a grreat tool for construction and rough carpentry with soft woods.
 
practice gives control, never buy cheap screws

pilot holes are necessary for stainless steel screws, they are too brittle whatever type of driver you use
 
I  own the Makita 18 volt LXT impact driver, but for finer work I would strongly recommend the Panasonic EY7540LN2S 14 volt LiIon impact driver. It has three different impact settings, and within each impact strength it has 15 digital torque settings. Once the digital clutch kicks in, if you release the trigger and pull again, it will turn the screw 1/4 turn. This digital clutch would most likely be a feature of any Festool impact driver. I agree that screw technology has come a long way in the past 50 years, and I can understand where a C12 would be all a fella needed for NEW work. But, I have found impact drivers invaluable for remodeling and restoration work, where you are dealing with old, stripped-out and/or rusted screws. Besides, an impact driver would be in keeping with Festool's "Faster, Easier, Smarter" theme:

Faster: an impact driver can outpace a drill when driving screws

Easier: I find driving screws with an impact driver to be MUCH easier than driving with a drill

Smarter: and would be smarter because you're using a tool specifically designed for driving screws, and reserve the drill for drilling holes in wood.

My 2 cents  ;D
 
Just to prove that I do use my impact driver, here are a couple of pictures.

First, I have devoted a systainer to it (and only tools that get used a lot off-site get a systainer):

[attachthumb=#2]

Here is the stack of systainer that I take with me on jobs that involve drilling and screwing:

[attachthumb=#1]
 
Hi Frank,
I too have that Ryobi.  I bought it for a deck job when impact's were just coming out and expensive.  Ryobi was 59.00(not including batteries which I already had a couple) Driving lags screws was like cutting butter with a hot knife.

This tool really fills the gap for me.  Once this one craps out, I will replace it with the latest greatest at that time, something with a clutch, lithium or the like and better control. 

Maybe a Festool?  Oh wait..............That's already a dead horse :-*
 
By the way the Ryobi with charger and two 18 volt battery packs cost me less than I recently paid to have one 12 volt Festool battery pack rebuilt.  I have no idea how they can build the Ryobi stuff (in China) ship it here, sell it for peanuts, and have everyone along the way make a profit.  ???
 
bronx said:
Need a little help in the translation department:

Is this a impactdriver? http://cgi.ebay.de/Ryobi-ONE-Schlag...ryZ19798QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Is it called a "Schlagbohrschrauber"  en german??  (my native language is danish wich makes it rather difficult)

Best regards Thomas

Thomas

No, that is the Ryobi CID1802M hammer drill with two gears and 24 torque settings. The maximum torque is quoted as 46 or 32 Nm (for low and high gears) - an impact driver would have a much higher torque figure, usually in the 100-150 Nm area.

You may have been confused because sometimes a "hammer drill" is called an "impact drill", but this is not the same as an "impact driver"

The same German eBay seller is selling the Ryobi 18V BID1802M  impact driver, and you will see that he quotes the torque as 108Nm which is in the right area for an impact driver.

The same impact driver is also being offerered by a UK seller (with a listing in English) athttp://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=130205520259

Forrest

 
A hammer drill or rotary hammer applies the hammering along the axis of the drill--like hammering a nail.

An impact tool applies the hammering to the rotation of the tool bit--like putting a wrench on a bolt and hammering the free end of the wrench.

Completely different mechanisms, completely different uses.

Ned
 
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