Shopsmith Forums

I've been busy investing in some new hand tools of late and wanted to have some feed back by real users of this stuff. I mean users of bits designed for drill/drivers/impact tools.

Duracore
Shockwave
Impact Ready

I guess those "terms" might sound like they are ready to make a big difference over the non-impact ready bits I already have and use. I get those packages of 20 or so bits in a tube/box and when one wares out I grab a new one. This has worked fine thus far and I do buy name brand stuff.

Now my battery power drills are "old" stuff and even in their prime they might have had something like 300 inchpounds. Now you see rating of 1200/1500 being common on impact drivers. So say I'm use to 300 and how bits last, I'd have to guess it will be another story when you go to 1200, right? I mean that is 4 times as much torque. And yes I've recently upgrade the drill/driver/impact tools so this is a current issue for me.

As I was walking the tool isle of late it seems everyone has their own set and a lot of them are on sale right now as stocking stuffers.

Anyone care to share information on what they have found?

Ed

I'm taking no reply's to mean no one has any observations to share or recommendations.

I was able to get this set locally for under $10 so I'll get some use under my belt and see what I think. Price wasn't that bad anyway.

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss? ... 2034-Piece

Ed

As I understand it steel will do one of two things when placed under enough pressure, bend or shatter.
My understanding is impact tools are made to resist either but even then will do one of the two.

Impact sockets of good quality will resist misforming (running over of edges) until their maxium is reached and then they usually shatter.

In today's market cheap tools often mean the steel will shatter way within the common limits a home user can reach. This opens the door for liability claims so many tool manufactures went to steel that would bend.

I had a chisel/pin driver set from Sears, when I first used the small pin driver the tip bent over. I took it back to Sears and they replaced it and I asked what gives. They told me they would rather a tool bent rather than shatter, less likely to injure someone.

I figure any impact set costing below $100 bucks is probably stronger than a normal socket set costing $40 but they aren't like the impact sockets used at NASCAR that simply won't deform and a normal homeowner can buiid enough pressure for them to shatter.

Driver tips are so cheap I just buy them and when they bend I chuck them and get a new one. Sockets I have good normal sockets and a set of cheap impact. I use the impact when I figure there is a danger of damaging the socket.

Result I do end up with rounded over nuts at times and stripped screws but with care they happen so infreguently that I don't have to worry about it.

Like Ed I use the cheap ones. After a while they will strip out. I just toss it and get another one. That looks like a nice set you bought. The price was not bad either.

I have been real happy with the Milwaukee brand impact drive set. I have been in woodworking for 30+ years and the only bits that have ever shattered on me were two Craftsman bits within the past year. I use a Makita 18v impact driver.

Jack