Small drill drivers

[Robbox]

Benn working with brother all week, he has this old Hitachi 10.8 screwdriver that is so incredibly powerful and long lasting for its very diminutive size. But it's just a a screwdriver. When I went looking for something similar to buy for myself, all I came up with in the kit form, are drill drivers and impact screwdrivers. Could be Bosch, Hitachi or Makita. The drill drivers are longer and I can see not so useful in tight spaces. The impacts are all shorter and would appear to be good in tight spaces.
But I'm wary about impact drivers, especially if putting together more delicate items. Is there impacts that can be turned into simple screwdrivers? So having best of both worlds.

 

[Deleted member 174758]

But I'm wary about impact drivers, especially if putting together more delicate items. Is there impacts that can be turned into simple screwdrivers? So having best of both worlds.

So you should be. AFAIK there aren't any impacts which can be turned "into simple screwdrivers" (after all, what would be the point?). the nearest you get is impact drivers with multi-power/speed modes such as the panasonic 18 volt impacts and one or two Makita 18 volt models. If you need to get into small spaces you might be better off looking at kits such as the Milwaukee M12 BDDX kit or the Metabo Powermaxx BS, although they won't give you an impact function

 

[ntb]

Yes, most of the 10.8 kits are drill/driver and impact plus (optionally) a torch. You can also buy 10.8 combi's. I find them fine for what I consider tight spaces but If space is really tight I would have thought an angle drill would be what you need.

You will struggle at first with an impact driver as they are both fast and powerful - but that's the whole point of them. You soon get used to them though and I use mine almost exclusively, even with very small screws. The only time I resort to the drill is with delicate stuff like attaching plastic back boxes and the like.

 

[big-all]

yes if your care full an impact is incredibly fast on small screws but you need to have quick reactions
in general any off the bosch 10.8v blue will drive in a 4"screw[angle drill'drill driver'hamer drill and the impact]

what are your expected uses for your 10.8v ??
mostly confined spaces small screws drill driver
mostly in the open 2" screws shelves pelmits ect then a hammer drill

mostly large screws then an impact

 

[Monkeh]

The drivers are easily enough found: http://www.ffx.co.uk/tools/product/...27549 10.8V Hex Drill Driver 2 X 2.0Ah L Boxx

 

[^woody^]

I've got the Bosch kit, and although the impact unit is slightly smaller than the driver, the driver has a really high torque (one of the highest of any similar makes), and I find that the driver does most if not all of what the impact does - and without breaking bits every five minutes.

There are now 2Ah and 4Ah batteries available.

In not aware of impacts that can be just drivers. I think it's to do with how the mechanism works.

 

[Robbox]

Thanks to all and everyone on their replies. What I end up doing mostly is constantly swapping pilot drill for posi-drive bit. This is OK when not in a rush to finish or just the few screws to do, but a royal pain when doing it time and time again.
I knew having two drills would speed things up, but didn't see the advantages until helping out brother fit Blum hinges, so he has a Makita for the pilots and an old Hitachi to screw with.
Thats when I started looking around at dual kits.
The Metabo unit is intriguing, because it looks like the chuck can hold the pilot drill and the hex chuck hold the screw bit. So just one unit, maybe not as fast as two units, but quicker than before.

 

[Robbox]

I should also say brother's Hitachi 'looks' like an impact but is in fact a hex chuck driver. he told me they don't make it anymore and all he sees now like that are impacts. It just struck me as very powerful for it's dinky size and had stamina that lasted all day.

 

[Robbox]

The drivers are easily enough found: http://www.ffx.co.uk/tools/product/....8V Hex Drill Driver 2 X 2.0Ah L Boxx[/QUOTE]

looks good, but not sure where to find the adaptor that converts to a chuck that will take drill bits...

But i can see the speed advantage of this unit, with adaptors for screw bits and drill bits...then just swap them out quickly.

Haven't seen a kit with one of these and a regular style chuck yet, although the Metabo Powermaxx comes close.

 

[Monkeh]

The drivers are easily enough found: http://www.ffx.co.uk/tools/product/....8V Hex Drill Driver 2 X 2.0Ah L Boxx[/QUOTE]

looks good, but not sure where to find the adaptor that converts to a chuck that will take drill bits...

But i can see the speed advantage of this unit, with adaptors for screw bits and drill bits...then just swap them out quickly.

Haven't seen a kit with one of these and a regular style chuck yet, although the Metabo Powermaxx comes close.

You can get hex end drills.

You could also just buy the drill bare: http://www.ffx.co.uk/tools/product/...0538473 10.8V Cordless Drill Driver Bare Unit
Or the combi bare: http://www.ffx.co.uk/tools/product/Bosch Gsb1082Lin 3165140630405 10.8V Combi Drill Bare Unit

 

[big-all]

dont forget the option off the angle drill
http://www.ffx.co.uk/tools/product/...8V Angle Drill Driver L Boxx 2 X 2.0Ah Li Ion

 

[foxhole]

Buy a double end bit, pilot holes one end, driver bit the other.
http://www.screwfix.com/p/flip-driv...d1KwnLktutTXaBfwJRGzsDOF6WkHRUUHcsaArMA8P8HAQ

 

[crank39]

I recently bought this twin pack from B&Q when it was on offer for £100, very impressive for 10.8v, not used the drill driver much yet as I use the impact loads, this will drive a 100mm spax concrete screw

http://tinyurl.com/oznekfs

A while ago I bought this 10.8v hex driver

http://www.dm-tools.co.uk/product.php/section/9175/sn/DEWDCF610D2#.VVhi57stCW8

This is ideal for screw driving without the need for the impact, this is probably the only reason the drill from the first kit doesn't get used an awful lot as I also have hex drill bits but without them you have 3 good little tools; Impact, screwing, drilling