good impact/drill combo?

Milwaukee FTW. I switched from some cheaper tools to them like 4 years ago and wished I’d done so sooner. The tools are expensive but you’ll be glad you shelled out the cash when you’re using them.

I saw a friends m12 stubby a couple weeks ago and as all their tools it was a beast. I’ve got the m18 fuel impact and I’d bet it’s got more balls than the majority of air impacts.

 

I bought a Dewalt 20v drill/driver set when I bought my house just over 6 years ago. Been pretty happy with it since, and both Lowes and Home Depot run pretty good sales on the set a few times a year. A few months ago I bought a Bosch 18v 1/2" impact gun. I got it for a really great deal as a refurbished tool from CPO outlet (I highly recommend these guys, I've bought a bunch of tools from them). I don't use it a ton but am very happy with it. Certainly more convenient than running the air compressor to use my pneumatic impact.

 

I’m with the others who vote Milwaukee. I’ve had Hitachi, Ryobi, Ridgid, and even the Bauer brand from Harbor Freight. The M18 lineup is totally worth the money as the battery life is insane even after a full day’s use. When it comes to tools, you really get what you pay for. If you just use the tool on occasion, then I’d personally go with Ridgid from Home Depot. The warranty on their batteries makes it worth it for the weekend warrior.

 

The only Milwaukee that hasn't surprised me with an exceptionally long battery life is the M18 4.5" grinder. It's really nice not having the cord so the convenience more than makes up for it. It pretty much lives on the fab table with a flap disk for prepping parts, and I grab the Milwaukee corded for any heavy use. Haven't owned any other cordless grinders, so nothing to compare it to. I'd assume due to the mass they're rotating that's to be expected though.

 

I have a

$124 Milwaukee M18 Cordless Lithium-Ion 6-1/2" Circular Saw - 2630-20 - ( MILWAUKEE ) - BARE TOOL

Milwaukee M18 mid torque impact for all the suspension work. So far there's not a single thing it can't handle and I'm grateful every time I use it. But I honestly love the Milwaukee M12 line too. They have incredible power, light, and very compact. I honestly reach for the M12 tools before the M18. My next tool I'm going for the M12 3/8 fuel ratchet and maybe the 1/2 stubby impact.

 

I use the m18 Milwaukee drill/driver for work every day. The battery life is insane. I charge the batteries once every couple weeks. The hammer drill with the right bit goes through anything you want it to.

Personal use I have the m18 fuel 3/8 inch impact and the 1/2 inch mid torque impact. I have yet to break a bolt with the different settings. Start out easy, and if that doesn't work give it the beans! I have a 200k mile taco in the rust belt and had to remove the back bumper to put on a hitch. Those bolts were nasty crusty and the 3/8 inch impact fit in the hard to reach area and the bolts came out smoking hot. Saved so much time replacing my entire suspension as well.

 

I'll be the Lone Ranger here and say Craftsman. Bang for buck wise, for the average Joe/homeowner it's a good choice IMO. I was gifted a 20v set a while back, been flawless. Had DeWalt 12v, Porter-Cable 18v, and they worked fine. The 20v Craftsman is lighter & more powerful, plus a shitload of compatible tools to add to. I've since added a 4 1/2" grinder, weed-eater, & just yesterday a 1/2" impact, to the original kit. If I made a living using this type of tools, I'd most likely get Milwaukee. Seems to be the trade standard. Time being, the 20v Craftsman stuff suits me & my needs fine. YMMV of course..

 

I've been a Dewalt fan, just recently picked up the DCF894 1/2" medium torque impact not expecting much. I love it so much I haven't touched my air impact since (which puts out some serious torque). It has no problems with lug nuts and broke my girlfriends tC axle spindle nut without breaking a sweat. I have a drill and 1/4" impact drill as well. Slowly building up my collection when sales come by on the 20v MAX XR Brushless series

 

Yeah I use corded grinders and cutoff tools as they drain the battery with the rpm’s being high. Nonetheless, I’d pick Milwaukee over any other brand for battery life.

 

My 25 gallon craftsman compressor has been replaced with my collection of cordless dewalt and ryobi tools. Nothing beats the convenience of cordless tools for garage work,rotating tires or building a fence.

 

Im a fan of the Fuel M18 milwaukee impact driver and drill. i use them professionally for work, Residential construction. they are quality and reliable as all of there tools are in the M18 platform. Thats a big reason i made the switch from Makita, Which i used for 9 years, they were great. The I use many of the M18 tools now, even my weed whacker is milwaukee now.

Find the brand (really a battery) that has the most tools that you'd want to use and go with that. the M12 line up is great too for lighter duty stuff. i use them in the cabinet shop.

Like i said I'm partial to miluakee, but 5 years ago i would have said makita. just pick a battery and stick with it for awhile. usually you can find deals too like buy a tool and get an extra tool or battery free. I got my multi-tool that way.

 

Dewalt ..... 12 Volt impact for all sorts of general work like removing things good amount of power and battery life same with the 12 volt drill (brush-less) 12 volt saw all are great for both auto work and around the house, Then I have the 20 Volt max impact for heavier work it can do lug nuts but that is pushing it, 20 volt max drill for getting thru some serious metal like 1/2 inch several times in a row.

 

Milwaukee or Mikita

 

Millwaukee

 

I used to use makita just recently switched over to Millwaukee. Way better.

 

You got the Fuel, or a regular brushed one?

I haven't used anyone else's brushless grinder, but my Fuel grinder is everything you could expect from a cordless grinder. It sees about the same use as yours, lots of flap disc to clean stuff up, a little metal cutting, I use it to sharpen mower blades.

My old one was about worthless after maybe 2-3 minutes, almost any pressure would kick it off. Even on a fresh battery, enough pressure to use a cup brush or do some real work with a flap disc and it was kicking off. This one's good for 10-15 minutes, I can overload it, but I have to really try. Wouldn't be practical for near constant use, but that's not what it's for.

 

I have the Mid-Torque and High Torque.
I almost always use the Mid. It weighs less and has A LOT of power.

 

I use Milwaukee, I swapped over to one brand after my house flooded and they are extremely tough. I have the M18 Fuel 1/2" drive impact I use for lug nuts and about anything that is really tight. Only bad thing is the size, I want the compact version in 3/8" also, the 1/2" M18 Fuel works great on tire changes but about everything else it usually does not fit in the tight spaces or when you REALLY need it. I think the 3/8" compact impact would be be perfect for most spots on the tacoma. I use the smaller 1/4" impact driver for all sorts of stuff on my truck, as well as just about everything around the house besides drilling holes.

I have the M18 skillsaw also, I almost bought the M18 Fuel version of the same saw but didnt want to spend the extra money being that im not a contractor or anything. After watching a guy rip a full sheet of 3/4" plywood in like 10 seconds with no binding or slowing down I was sold lol.

Milwaukee has the cornered the cordless market in the past few years, their batteries coupled with the quality they produce is pretty hard to beat. And they basically make battery powered everything, from chainsaws to jackets. It would be the ONLY battery powered chainsaw I would consider buying, which says alot lol.


HF makes some good battery powered impact and battery powered tools as well for the price point, meaning they are not garbage one time use tools. I wont buy them because I want only one battery that will work for everything.

 

Dewalt. Until that brand fails me I will stick with it. Just bought a combo for my son that has started in the HVAC business.

 

It's the Fuel, model number 2780-20. I was just remarking on it as the only M18 product that doesn't last for ages on a single battery. I was using one of the slim batteries and I'd only get maybe 10 minutes of moderate grinding on it. Just using it to remove mill scale I'd be swapping batteries all the time. Bought a Redlithium XC 5 Ah battery and it'll last for maybe 35-40 now, which is pretty impressive. It's perfect for small, quick jobs, or using it for weld prep and not having to deal with the cord. A lot of times I just grab it and a spare battery since it's still easier than dropping a cord.

Also, as far as I know the standard M18s are still brushless, the "fuel" is just the upgraded motor. I'm not sure if that goes for all of their products, it's just what I found when I was deciding which impact to go with.