Tool Chest

Craftsman Impact Driver

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High-torque wrench prevents damage to screw and bolt heads

My wife wanted to get me a new drill for Christmas, but picked up a 1/4-inch impact driver “by mistake.” Not so! This thing puts my other two drills to shame! This is a champ — it’ll drive coated screws into the toughest / hardest wood, with fantastic run time and quick recharges.

I had some friends help me erect a patio cover last weekend and they were all fighting over the use of it. I ended up going over to Sears & getting another one that day. It works like a drill but is limited to 1/4-inch hex-head driver bits and special drill bits with a hex head. The driver comes with a 19.2-volt battery pack, a one-hour charger, a socket adaptor, and two bits. (A drive and drill set is sold separately.)

Now I want a 1/2-inch model so I can throw my low-torque drills away.

-- Mike Smith 12/23/13

(Above, a video that uses slow-motion to demonstrate how an impact wrench works. - Mark Frauenfelder — editors)

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