Impact driver

[Cannyfixit]

Bit of advise please,I’ve had my trusty Stanley impact driver now with no issues,it main function is driving in screws but I also find it useful for driving home rawlbolts
I’m saving up to buy a better quality one but I wondered,am I causing any damage using it as a socket driver ,would it be best to buy two and have a dedicated socket driver
Cheers

[Job and Knock]

If you use a socket driver attachment on a 1/4in hex drive impact driver you run the risk of the attachment shearing-off and leaving the broken end jammed hard inside the hex chuck. Great if there's enough length of the broken piece left sticking out to get a pair of Mole grips on and remove it, not so good if it happens to shear-off just inside the hex chuck as happened to me on my Makita impact driver (in fct it had twisted like a carrot before it jammed and broke). Granted I was abusing it by getting the tool to drive 17mm and 19mm nuts onto resin anchor studs, but not so wonderful as it put the tool out of commission for 2 to 3 days while I attempted everything I could to extract the broken piece. Almost thought that I'd have to scrap the driver - which is what the local Makita repairers had said would be necessary as they didn't think it would be possible to repair the tool for under £100

[Argyll]

I have a DeWalt impact driver. I've had it about 4 years I drive in DeWalt Bluetooth bolts in the road Monday to Friday. Never had the socket attachment break but I'm using a proper socket for impact drives.

https://www.screwfix.com/p/erbauer-impa ... lsrc=aw.ds

[etaf]

i use a dewalt 3 speed impact driver
https://www.ffx.co.uk/tools/product/Dew ... -Bare-Unit
and used on Resin Bolts in a wall to lock a post to - 10 mm
Also used on a subframe on a Car to get diff Off etc
The three speeds are great , for screws and NUTS
Another friend of mine, who does a lot of car repairs also has one of these
https://www.ffx.co.uk/tools/product/Dew ... -Bare-Unit

[Job and Knock]

Never had the socket attachment break but I'm using a proper socket for impact drives.

So was I! My impact sockets are a mixture of King d*ck and deSoutter, but the problem is with trying to do too much with a 1/4in hex drive (as at the impact driver end) and not with the sockets. In the end I simply went out and bought the right tool for the job - a Makita cordless impact wrench with a 1/2in square drive

Etaf - you're mate's tool is an impact wrench which will happily transfer 450Nm or so of torque into an impact socket - your tool is an impact driver with a far smaller drive shaft and they won't take putting-in dozens and dozens of big nuts onto coach bolts or threaded rod (resin anchors) without something eventually giving out. One or two is OK, but multiples.......

[Cannyfixit]

Thanks lads,browsing last night turned up the Bosch GDX18V-200CN ,this unit has twin chucks so designed for the job in my mind ,what do you think ,

https://www.cnspowertools.co.uk/bosch-g ... gKhyvD_BwE

[Argyll]

I have a little 12v Bosch blue driver. A great little drill and well built. Bosch blue build quality is very good.