Where to find a good Impact Screwdriver?

[dan at angband.org (Dan)]

On Sun, Dec 14, 2003 at 06:35:28AM -0800, L F wrote:
> Normally, Dan gives good advice...but I have to take issue with this one.
>   When it comes to tools, get the very best you can.  Good tools will last several lifetimes and using them is a pleasure.  Cheap tools are a good source of frustration.
> (I always ask myself this: "Six months (or years) from now will I rather have the few extra bucks or the quality item?") 

Oh, I'll admit that 95% of what is sold at HF is crap.  But there are a
few jewels in the rough, so it were.  An impact screwdriver is not exactly
a high tech or precision item, kind of hard to screw up building one.  In
fact, I like the HF one better than my Craftsman one, because: it came
with a case, meaning that I haven't lost all the bits for it (and sears
does not sell replacement bits for my craftsman one) and it has a nice
built-in rubber hand guard which prevents me from smacking my knuckles
with a hammer. It's also not something I need to use very often. The last
time I had used the Craftsman one was 15 years ago... which I probably why
I couldn't find the bits.

A few other "good finds" at HF:

Metric lug socket set, $9.99.  Identical to the set Griot's garage sells
for $39 (and I mean same manufacturer and case), and the only socket
thinwalled enough to fit my aftermarket wheels.

Oil filter pliers, go onsale all the time for $3.99 Almost the same as the
ones from Sears for $19.99.

Their "house brand" 4.5" cufoff wheels... $7.99 for a 10 pack, Home depot
gets $2.25 for each one.

2" ratcheting tie downs, on sale at $3.99 each.  More like $15 or so at
the autoparts stores, for the same "made in China" quality.

Clamps.. I do a fair bit of woodworking, and you can never have enough
clamps.  They sell a clone of the "Pony" pipe clamp really cheap, and
their ratcheting bar clamps are nearly as good as the Vice-Grip ones at a
quarter the price.

100 pack of nitrile rubber gloves for 7 bucks.

This one is a bit of a stretch, but I had a one-time need for a cordless
circular saw and didn't want to spend $250 on a one-time need tool.  They
have a 5 3/8" 18v saw for $59, often marked down to $49, so I gave it a
shot.  While obviously not of Makita quality, I was surprised to find that
it worked prettty well.  I can get around 45-50 cross cuts on a 2X4 on one
charge, so long as they are not too wet.

Finally, their 11 piece hole saw sets.  On sale all the time for
$2.99.  Actually not that great of a hole saw, they get really dull if
you allow them to overheat,  but you can get the whole set for a third the 
price of a single saw at Home Despot.. and the expensive ones also dull if
you overheat them.

Dan

 


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