Makita BTD140 Impact Driver
Saturday, November 15, 2008 at 08:46PM I would consider myself a relatively ‘aware’ builder, keeping an eye out for latest advances in equipment and materials. For some time I had seen impact drivers being advertised fairly heavily on websites and in the tool catalogues. But sheepishly I must confess ignorance to what they were actually for. In fact, seeing them always given away as freebies, made me wonder if they were like the ubiquitous torch that seems to come in every pack. What a shame it took me so long to get wise. Now the impact driver is the one tool I seem to use every single day.
The impact driver is a very simple tool. It accepts standard quarter inch hex bits which are very easy to fit in the driver. You can insert screwdriver bits straight into the tool or use a bit holder. It has forward and reverse selectors and that is it. But when you start to screw a fixing into the workpiece the tool comes alive. Similar to hammer action on a masonry drill, the impact driver vibrates the screw with 3,200 impacts per minute thus making screwing with large screws into tough wood a very simple job. It provides masses of torque for a very small tool. Our Makita BTD140 delivers a maximum torque of 145Nm. Our previous Makita Combi driver could only manage 45Nm. It can screw oak to oak, and fixing 4”x2” timber together with 100mm screws is easy with no pre drilling required. The speed of screwing is also much faster than with a normal combi drill making it ideal for hoardings, shuttering and flooring.
Such is the power of the impact driver that the screw or bit will give out before the machine does. The reliance on the tool has become so great that the cry of “Has anyone got the impacter” is heard even more often than “tea’s up.” WE LOVE THIS TOOL!
But before we endorse this product whole-heartedly lets remember that tools cost money and they are supposed to make work more efficient and thus more profitable. A tool that doesn’t pay for itself is a liability. A Makita BTD140 with two 3.0Ah Li-Ion batteries will set you back in excess of £250 but each Li-Ion retail at approximately £80 each. Thus a bare impact driver will only cost you about £100 (prices from tool-net.co.uk). As the driver is so often bundled up with other power tools I recommend buying it as part of a package. In fact, the impact driver is so useful it is the perfect excuse to upgrade an old combi-drill just to get one.
One final note of caution for any prospective new purchasers. The Makita BTD140 is quite fantastic at screwing large (plus 60mm) screws into large bits of wood (100mm x 50mm). If most of your work is on a smaller scale, perhaps second fix or fine joinery, then you will not use this tool very much. But if you do first fix or shuttering carpentry, or a little bit of everything, then this tool could make a real difference to your productivity and enjoyment. It only took me five years to find out they existed and now I feel obliged to spread the word. There are drill drivers and combi drills that can put screws in but they are not impact drivers. If you can only afford one then it must be a combi driver but get yourself a package that includes both and you are ready for anything. Screwfix currently offer an 18v Li-Ion twin pack of combi and impact driver with two batteries for £329. Clearly a lot of money but the two tools will cover every cordless drilling and screwdriving application you are likely to encounter.
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