Woodworker's Journal 2009-33-2, страница 61

Seeing the Light

All of these tools, except the Ryobi, have a built-in work light. I have to admit that, when these lights first started appearing on drills and impact drivers, I was skeptical. But now that I've literally seen their lights, I've really seen the light! Actually, ihere have been many times when I've been installing hardware inside a cabinet that the built-in light has simplified the job. And it never hurts to have a little on-board task light shining on your application at the bench, either. In both cases, you'll appreciate the lights on these tools.

Regardless of price or battery size, all six test tools drilled holes and drove screws with flying colors.

CID120LK $109

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Hauling Your Tools

All six drivers in this test came with a carrying case, which is great, because you know you're going to put some miles on these tools using them in various places around the shop, home or jobsite. The Makita and Milwaukee drivers have hard-shelled cases, and the rest come with soft-sided bags. Either seems a good option to me. The carry cases provide ample space for the driver, charger and batteries.

Results

I was very impressed with the performance of ihese impact drivers, especially when you

I'd like to see a worklight added to Ryobi's 12-volt offering, but it's clear that they were doing all that they could to hold the price down — and this is a good tool for the price. www.ryobitools.com ♦ (800) 525-2579

RIDGID s powerful R82238 made quick work of driving long screws into pine.

RIDGID

R82238 $179

This is one of the heavier and bulkier 12-volt test tools, but it delivered impressive results. Nice finesse, and one of the fastest drivers of large screws.

www.ridgid.com • (800) 474-3443

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look at how compact they are. It's easy to visualize working your way around a project during assembly, or while installing hardware, with one of these handy tools in your shop apron. The 12-volt tools will drive a little faster and longer than ihe 10.8-volt models. But realistically, you'll still need a larger drill in order to punch bigger holes. It was extremely difficult to pick a "Best Bet" winner from this field. Heavy-duty users will be happy with the Bosch, Hitachi, Makita, Milwaukee or RIDGID. Moderate to occasional users might appreciate the less expensive Ryobi tool. But, all things considered, I'm picking Ihe Makita as my "Best Bet." It was only slightly slower at driving 3" screws than the Milwaukee and RIDGID drivers, it has a nice feel to it, and the price is right. @ _/

George Vondriska is the proprietor of The Wild Earth School, where he teaches woodworking.

Woodworker's Journal April 2009

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