Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Which Impact Driver For Building Wood Deck?

I need an impact driver for running countless screws and lag bolts.

Need something that's not only powerful, but has batteries that give long life.

No Junk.


What do I need to be looking at?


Thanks!

Barry

Dewalt is what the guys here use. Lots of decks around here.

Yes, DeWalt, my 18 volt works great.

Thanks.

Dewalt makes good stuff.

I really need specific model, etc.

Get one that has that extended 3ft chuck on it so you don’t have to bend down. Just walk around and zip zip 👍

RBB, I absolutely hate cheap junk from Harbor Freight, but their line of Bauer electric hand tools can't be beat. This is by far the best one I've ever had. Buy the bigger amp hour battery like the one here.

I have both Milwaukee and DeWault stuff. My vote is for Milwaukee.

Dewalt, I run the 60v batteries

Not popular (because of cost), or easy to find, but I use Hilti 14.4 volt tools that flat out perform anything else. I'm retired now, but was a union electrician for 40 years. Tools are like rifles, scopes, gear... cry once!

Always use Dewalt, myself, but going to switch to Milwaukee pretty soon, as my Dewalt stuff is worn out, and I need new stuff anyway. Know a lot of folks that really like the Milwaukee, so I am going to try it out. Have used Dewalt for years, generally get two to three years out of a set, using it every day. Impact gets used to build decks, hang drywall, cabinets, and more. Vastly better battery life than a drill. You won’t go wrong with either Dewalt or Milwaukee, and some guys around here like that Rigid brand from Home Depot really well, too. Rigid is pretty good stuff, but it’s heavier than the others.

Anything to keep me from crawling around on my hands and knees!

Be quicker to just roll off the deck than try and get upright again...

The deWalt 20V tools are hard to beat. Long last battery and re charge fast. Plus you can use the 60V batteries on them if ya wants drop the coin.

all the way....buy the bigger batteries......bob

I might add, make sure to go with Milwaukee brushless design.

DeWalt 20Volt MaxXR

It don't get any better for cordless impact.

You just need to decide 1/4, 1/2 or 3/8.

To Add:

If wanna drop some extra coin to get longer run time but maintain lighter weight get the 20v lithium 8Ah battery vs the 5Ah or 4Ah.

Save the 60v for the bigger tools that you wouldn't be holding in one hand for hours on end.

Weight equals fatigue.

I have Makita LXT impact drivers and saws and grinders, etc. Makita makes quality tools with top notch lithium ion batteries that last for years and years. For a long time they had the best lithium ion batteries in the business by a country mile. DEWALT XRP were the best NiCads. I have a full complement of DEWALT 18V tools too. These were for employee use as the replacement batteries were less expensive and they’d invariably walk. the 1\4” impact drivers walked too. I must have got through 30 of them. My personal tools, the tools in my trucks are Makita LXT.

For driving lag bolts your might want one of the large 1/2 cordless impacts. Although, the standard frame models will be much handier to work with. I have many examples of each size and always use the standard frame size before going to the big boys. They’re just so much less taxing to work with.

I'm sure there are several good makes. Once you start with a line, it is simpler to have one brand. The batteries, and chargers work with all your tools.

Sounds more like you need to hire a meskin instead of buying a driver.

Milwaukee 18v Fuel.

Milwaukee is head and shoulders better than recent Black n Decker own/made Dewalt.

Dewalt used to be the shizzle, now it sucks donkey nads.