evilfij
Well-known member
Ha. Power tools, at least the battery powered ones, are consumables. I have all but worn out the 1/4in dewalt impact I have had for 5 years. I had been given a few cordless screwdrivers over the years, but generally hated them for work around the house and all of them died. I was eying the $20 black and decker one that takes 4 AA batteries though. I guess what Frank is saying is I have what I need. I have a 3/8 to 1/4 hex impact adaptor (when I got that or why I have no idea but it was new in the package in my box so that makes my 12v 3/8 impact a 1/4 hex driver) and a few 1/4in hex 20v impacts (one nice brushless 3 speed) and a 20v drill driver (a nice brushless small one). At this point I have so many tools it’s clearly not for need, but really for entertainment (see below). And since I only have two 12v 2.0ah batteries, rather than buying some more 12v batteries ($100 for 2 3.0ab) I figured I get a tool kit with two 2.0ah batteries and another charger for a few bucks more so I was thinking what tool I wanted.What about depreciation of the power screwdriver? More importantly, what about your other fine German tools? Will the final and ultimate purchase of this thread be one of those Walmart 200 piece toolkits?
If you’re willing to use the thing, you want an electric screwdriver, but not necessarily that one. As you noticed, it’s built in the form of a drill or impact driver. There are far more compact options for screwdrivers. I have a Makita subcompact impact driver and its great for construction projects or removing screws, but not what a mechanic would use.
Hence, the question (which I still don’t understand, is it just the cordless screwdriver is shorter and has a 1/4 hex as opposed to a Chuck on the drill driver?). I do probably more house projects than I do car projects these days anyway so probably the cordless screwdriver makes the most sense.
If I am honest, as far as need, I did go back and use my metrinch set today which I paid $20 for ($200 on Amazon now!) and have had for 20 plus years. It’s been through everything with me. It’s fallen in mud, it’s broken it’s 1/4in slotted bit four or five times, and I just replaced the Phillips end with a free Felo #2 “bit of thanks” from KCTool. I have used the case as a seat, every socket in it has the chrome worn off the inside, the wrenches have rust spots from where I hit them with a hammer etc. The Stanley round head ratchet I put in it to replace the stripped metrinch one (that Stanley survived me using a Land Rover jack handle on it to remove the torx from the jeep perfectly fine so it deserved the place of honor) worked great for what I was doing, and that set has lived through so much abuse I don’t feel bad hitting the wrenches with my cheapo stanley fliberglass shaft claw hammer like the old days (that the shaft on that thing is still together is amazing given that I would use the shaft intentionally to hit things as I did not have a dead blow hammer). And the end game already happened with the Gedore red set for $130 (a huge leap from Walmart, but not much, if any, more money) replacing the metrinch as my go to set. The rest is really a hoard of mostly unused expensive, but deals, tools that sit in a tool box (in lieu of a watch that would sit in the safe). I have so little free time with work, researching and buying tool deals gives me something to do when I get a few minutes or can’t sleep at night.
When I was fighting with the D90 over the weekend to reinstall the Dixon Bate tow jaws on the Mantec bumper, I used the Gedore blue 1/2in set ($90) I have at the castle rather than the red. As I saw the marks on the inside of the 24mm socket from the rusted nuts, I was a bit sad honestly but I got over it when my hand did not hurt thanks to the comfortgrip, the socket stayed on the nut, and the ratchet did not slip and cause me to smash my knuckles.
PS while we are on the topic, who has the best deal on 3/8 metric swivel impact sockets? Amazon gets $90 for the Sunex set and I am waiting for it to go on sale, but I could be talked into something else.
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