Impact driver or good drill, to add to cheap drill

[DaKid]

Hi,

I'm just starting out in DIY, although my old man's been doing it for decades (as a hobby), and my fiancée's father and brother-in-law are both in the trade (sparky and plumber). I currently have a very cheap and nasty cordless drill (some rubbish own-brand one), although it does work for drilling holes in wood and - I presume - some light masonry drilling.

For Christmas, I'm asking for contributions towards a power tool, and my current plan is to go for an impact driver. My Dad has been saying - fairly strongly - that he thinks it's unwise, and that I should get a better drill/driver instead.

I'm intending at the beginning of next year to convert the garage of our new house into a downstairs toilet and study, and will be hanging a new floor, with floorboards, and building a stud partition wall. We will also be getting an extension towards the end of next year, and I'd expect to be doing more DIY in there after the main building work has been completed, alongside any other work that's needed in the house in the meantime.

Just as an extra factor to consider, if I were to need more specialised equipment (SDS drills / corded hammer-drills / etc.) then I could potentially borrow them from the father-in-law / brother-in-law, who both live within five minutes of me, until I get the money together to buy my own ones of course!

I would very much welcome opinions, therefore, on what to go for. By my nature, I tend to buy high-quality things that will last for a long time, and will meet even my extended needs, so at the moment I'm looking at either the Makita BTD146Z driver or the Makita BDF451Z drill/driver (both mine and my fiancée's family are fans of Makita, so I'm happy to go with their multiple recommendations).

If I'm completely off the wall in my plans already, then please do say ... as I said at the beginning, I am relatively inexperienced at this!

Thanks in advance for any help.

 

[big-all]

impact drivers heavy screwing main use drilling yes but not ideal as you need expensive hex drive drill bits
by far the best tool to start with is a 18v hammer drill
i strongly recomend the ryobi one plus stuff as the same batteries fit all tools with 30 tools for the home and garden to fit
i rate ryobi as diy and light to medium trade
http://ryobi-oneplus.co.uk/index/flash/p/12

 

[Deleted member 174758]

I'll sort of second Big All's comments. As a working joiner I prefer a drill/driver or a combi drill to the impact for about 85% of the work I do because most of the screws I drive need to be pilot drilled and countersunk - something an impact driver can't do - whilst some of the stuff I'm screwing needs the masonry to be drilled for which a combi or SDS will work, but again an impact driver just won't do. It's not that I don't own an impact driver, I do, it's just that a combi drill is a much more useful tool. I'd recommend only buying an impact once you've already got a drill/driver or combi drill and an SDS drill.

BTW great choice (Makita), and you're on the money choosing an 18 volt lithium battery system. My everyday drill is a BDF452 (because I also have a BHR202 SDS) for drilling masonry holes) . Big-All's a bit hooked on Ryobi One+, hence his recommendation, but I do have to say that they are excellent value for money

 

[^woody^]

I too would say don't bother with an impact drive at this stage .... its not worth it unless you are doing a lot of jobs with very large sized screws

Think about what you will be doing ... mainly drilling then get an 18 or 14.4v, more driving than drilling then a 12 or 14.4v (due to lightness) and mainly driving then a 10.8 or 12v which are the lightest of all

Also don't buy a tool in isolation. Buy into a system where you can get more tools as you need them and use the same batteries

 

[alumni]

Treat yourself and get the LXT202
That way you get the impact and drill in one package. Well worth the investment.

http://www.aonetools.co.uk/product_info.php?products_id=850

 

[DaKid]

Thank you everyone. I appreciate the opinions, and it's helpful to see some consensus as well.

I think what I will do is to get the BDF452 naked, and then separately a battery and charger. This is substantially cheaper than buying a kit with two batteries. I will then separately pick up a BTD140/141/142/146 impact driver, and - because my usage won't be excessive, and the batteries will charge in just 20 minutes - will initially just have the one battery to swap between the two.

If I happen to get enough money all together, I will get the kit, as I can certainly see the financial advantage, and it'd also be useful to have a suitable case as well!

Just one quick, final question. I saw a nice bits set online from Makita, which had 1/4" hex drill bits ... is there any disadvantage to having these? I know that it's handy, because I could then use them in an impact driver, but would they cause a problem in a normal drill?

 

[Deleted member 174758]

Also don't buy a tool in isolation. Buy into a system where you can get more tools as you need them and use the same batteries

I wholeheartedly agree. Sticking with a single battery system makes things a lot easier and cheaper down the line

Treat yourself and get the LXT202
That way you get the impact and drill in one package. Well worth the investment.

That's the set I started my Makita kit with - I run one with a drill countrsink and the other with a screwdriver bit a lot of the time. Works well for me. I would recommend getting a couple of Insty chucks like the Trend Snappy ones to hold the bits/bit holders. makes changing tools a lot faster and cuts down wear and tear on your chuck

I think what I will do is to get the BDF452 naked, and then separately a battery and charger. This is substantially cheaper than buying a kit with two batteries.

Don't forget that there are now some reliable third party batteries out there as well. Two I can recommend from personal experience are my Tools Down and Axminster Power Tools. Unlike some others both these work in the original Makita fast charger and seem to have the same amount of power as the OEM batteries at £20 to £25 less per battery. I now have four in daily trade use

I saw a nice bits set online from Makita, which had 1/4" hex drill bits ... is there any disadvantage to having these? I know that it's handy, because I could then use them in an impact driver, but would they cause a problem in a normal drill?

The biggest downer I've had is the drill bits detaching themselves from the hex ends. For piloting I use bits like these (Snappy again). BTW impact drills really aren't suitable for drilling - they are designed to drive screws rapidly and would probably damage or destroy a drill bit if the impact action were to kick in