screwguns - Contractor Talk - Professional Construction and Remodeling Forum

matjone · 11-25-2007, 12:38 PM

what do you guys think is the best screwgun? I'm not too worried about price I just want to get a good one.

KillerToiletSpider · 11-25-2007, 12:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by matjone

what do you guys think is the best screwgun? I'm not too worried about price I just want to get a good one.

Cordless drill or impact driver?

For a cordless drill I'm very happy with my Hilti.

CustomRenos · 11-25-2007, 12:53 PM

It depends what you use it for, the makita 18v impact gun is amazing, we us them faithfully for many uses, ie: decks, studding, windows & doors, cabinet installs, etc....

**joasis** · 11-25-2007, 01:35 PM

For steel work we use Dewalt 268's.

ApgarNJ · 11-25-2007, 02:27 PM

i second the makita. i was a milwaukee man for a long time, still have a few of their loktors but i recently bought a two piece set(which i normally don't do) for a little over 300 bucks, i got a makita lithium ion impact driver, and an hammer/driver drill also, with charger and two batteries. i bought a two pack of batteries to go with it, making me have 4 lithium ions now. i love these two drills. the impact driver is great. i use it all the time, not sure why i waited this long to buy one but anyone not using a cordless impact, you are missing out bigtime. once you get used to them, they can be very accurate. much faster than using the number one speed on a normal drill and driving a screw in. sometimes there isnt' even a need to predrill.
the lights at first looked dumb to me, thinking why would they put those on there, but now after using them, i wish i had the led lights on all my other drills. they help a lot to see what you are doing even if there is lighting in the room. especially for installing kitchen cabinets where you might not be able to see very well.
also, go for the green/blue makita not the white ones, those are cheaper but also not as powerful and the batteries don't last as long.

dkillianjr · 11-25-2007, 05:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ApgarNJ

i second the makita. i was a milwaukee man for a long time, still have a few of their loktors but i recently bought a two piece set(which i normally don't do) for a little over 300 bucks, i got a makita lithium ion impact driver, and an hammer/driver drill also, with charger and two batteries. i bought a two pack of batteries to go with it, making me have 4 lithium ions now. i love these two drills. the impact driver is great. i use it all the time, not sure why i waited this long to buy one but anyone not using a cordless impact, you are missing out bigtime. once you get used to them, they can be very accurate. much faster than using the number one speed on a normal drill and driving a screw in. sometimes there isnt' even a need to predrill.
the lights at first looked dumb to me, thinking why would they put those on there, but now after using them, i wish i had the led lights on all my other drills. they help a lot to see what you are doing even if there is lighting in the room. especially for installing kitchen cabinets where you might not be able to see very well.
also, go for the green/blue makita not the white ones, those are cheaper but also not as powerful and the batteries don't last as long.

I just picked up the green makita ion impact too, all I can say is why did I wait this long I love it. Now I can't wait for one of my dewalts to go so I can buy the makita drill

Dave

ApgarNJ · 11-25-2007, 09:06 PM

you should have gotten the two drill deal, in one box. it's not much more than the impact driver by itself. i couldnt pass it up. 329 i think it was.

great impact though. it's a must have for anyone doing construction

Home Serve · 11-25-2007, 09:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ApgarNJ

you should have gotten the two drill deal, in one box. it's not much more than the impact driver by itself. i couldnt pass it up. 329 i think it was.

great impact though. it's a must have for anyone doing construction

Do you remember where you got the two drill deal?
Thanks,
Dave

MechanicalDVR · 11-25-2007, 09:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ApgarNJ

you should have gotten the two drill deal, in one box. it's not much more than the impact driver by itself. i couldnt pass it up. 329 i think it was.

great impact though. it's a must have for anyone doing construction

Hell I think the Depot has that 2-piece set for like $269.00.

dkillianjr · 11-25-2007, 11:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Home Serve

Do you remember where you got the two drill deal?
Thanks,
Dave

I'm not sure about homedepot, but I saw it on www.amazon.com for 329.99 and free shipping.

Dave

ApgarNJ · 11-26-2007, 07:53 AM

i looked at home depot, but my local lumber yard had it for the same deal. i don't think it was anywhere near 269 though. it was either 300 or 329. just not sure. i'd rather give my money to the local place than to big corp if it's within a few bucks.

you might want to check, that 269 deal might be the white ones not the makita blue.green one

Twiggy · 12-02-2007, 09:13 PM

I own a 14.4v cordless Dewalt drill. I am a huge fan of the torque these drills have. At work I use the Makita impact gun and the matching drill in both 14.4v and 18v varieties. We also use the Milwaukee 28v cordless hammer drill. For things like sub-floor or sheathing applications, I definitely prefer to use my good old Dewalt. For awkward places, or situations where you are reaching and can't apply good force to the drill, an impact gun is invaluable. They are also great for framing. In terms of cordless hammer drill applications, the Milwaukee is the best I've used (short of a Hilti).

The best advice I can give is to try out several drills and find the one that feels best in your hand, and balances the features you want/need.

Bkessler · 12-03-2007, 02:52 PM

Bosch is my brand, I never have to worry about other people's batteries getting mixed up with mine!

The kid · 12-06-2007, 10:34 AM

I have the white ones and you'll never really notice. I love my drill and I'm getting the impact on ebay for $80.

The white ones are 3.5 lbs. and have 450 In. Lbs. of torque for the drill and 2.8 and 1,280lbs. for the impact
Vs.
the green ones are 4.9 lbs and 560 in./lbs. of torque for the drill and 3.3lbs and 1,280 in./lbs for the impact.

The thing that I like most about my drill is that it's fully charged in 15 minutes and it very light, I forget sometimes that it's even on my belt.

I'm not saying the white ones are better I'm just saying I'm very happy with mine.

The kid · 12-06-2007, 10:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bkessler

Bosch is my brand, I never have to worry about other people's batteries getting mixed up with mine!

Have you seen that new bosch 10.8 impactor? Talk about power in a little package.

"World’s smallest and most lightweight impact driver ".. A high-performance Bosch motor and all-metal gears produce 1,800 RPM and 3,000 BPM and delivers 800 in-lbs. of torque. A bright 3-LED work light specially positioned in the nose of the tool effectively illuminates. Delivers 60% more torque than an 18-volt drill/driver, but at 6-inches tall by 6-1/2-inches long and 2.2 lbs.

ApgarNJ · 12-06-2007, 10:24 PM

it's more about battery runtime for me. the white batteries have a less capacity than the green ones do. so that's why i chose those. that, the white ones are going to look nasty after i handle them all day long everyday. i know that's a dumb reason, i just don't like the white/black combo.
i did just get the white/black flashlight though, on sale for 20 bucks.

woodman42 · 12-15-2007, 08:07 AM

I use my Dewalt impact for most everything except drilling. Its a whole lot easier on the joints when you use them everyday.

a2zhandi · 12-15-2007, 08:53 AM

Makita all the way

Greg Di · 12-15-2007, 10:12 PM

Chevy...No, Ford...Wait, Dodge.