If you’re looking to put together your own handyman toolkit and don’t know what sort of tools to get, consider getting an impact driver first. You can think of cordless impact drivers as cousins of cordless drills. They look like them and can even function like drills, given the proper drill bit to fasten on. But the main function of impact drivers is to rapidly and effectively screw down screws—at speeds of 3000 impacts per minute. Don’t get carried away by the amount of ‘impacts,’ that’s merely how much the tool can handle—no man can use any cordless impact driver and successfully drive 3000 screws down in a minute. Anyway, impact drivers can also easily loosen up stubborn bolts and nuts that won’t come off, and as stated earlier, can replace cordless drills with proper bits installed.
Let’s go into the nitty-gritty for a second and look at a Makita impact driver as an example. Makita is one of the leading names in manufacturing these types of equipment. Take note that the impact driver we’d be looking at was released mid-2003.
Makita 6916D
- Weight: 3.3 pounds
- Chuck type: Hex shank
- Dimensions: 6-5/8 inches long
- Speed: 0 – 2300 rpm
- Chuck Capacity: ¼ inch
- Volts: 12
- Battery type: Ni-MH
- Recharge time: 75 to 90 minutes
Though somewhat outdated, the Makita 6916D can easily be your choice for home improvement works and other minor construction feats. This 12-volt impact driver can deliver almost twice the torque of most cordless drills, too. The 6916D is also lighter and more compact than previous models, but is speedier. It also has pretty good speed control, which is essential for the rookie handyman. You don’t want your screws too deep or too shallow, do you?
Back when it first came out, the 6916D cost about $250. Seven years later you can probably get pristine condition second hand 6916Ds in Amazon.com or eBay.com for a fourth of that original price.
