|
While DeWalt is aware of this problem they will not remedy the issue for those of us that own this tool. It was the (plastic) cooling fan that broke. I THINK the brushes burned up. Also, the little fan will cost around $50 and labor is approx. It will cost (MINIMUM) $75 to repair along with a lengthy stay in the repair shop due to DeWalt's SLOW performance delivering repair parts. First the good:This is a solid tool with great daily performance- drives your screws like a cordless drill could only hope to.Now the not so good:DeWalt's batteries seem to fail a LOT earlier than they used to.
That sounds like a lot but honestly, the tool was used rather modestly. Seems they get brittle with usage, eventually shattering. I don't know why but at $60 each to replace them, well, I'm not thrilled.I have owned this tool for about 1 1/2 years. I will have at least 3-4 weeks of down time just waiting for parts.In general, while this is a very useable tool I am not very impressed with it's longevity and have already ordered a lighter, more powerful, easier to service unit from another maker to hold me until (and IF) this comes back from the repair shop.Homeowner buyer: buy it.Pro daily user: keep looking, friend.Edit: I spoke to my tool repair guy today. $75.Interesting coincidence that you can buy the 'bare tool' for $129. In that time I built 3 good sized decks with it and it performed very well for the most part, but.today it failed (broke).I estimate the tool drove 4,000 3-inch screws.
Unfortunately, unlike the competition's impact driver, DeWalt's brushes are not user-serviceable- they are inaccessible unless you open the tool housing.
r.tokunaga handy and powerful little impact driver, great price, got it delivered on time, packaged great, no hassles, will shop amazon again. rev.
Except for drilling, I never pick up my other cordless drill/drivers. It doesn't weigh much, is small enough to get into tight places, and goes a long way on a charge. It is pretty noisy, but who cares (unless you're working on a house while the next door neighbor is trying to sleep. I have some rental properties that always need something done, and man, does this tool get a lot of use. Pick up one of these impact drivers and you will surprise yourself with how often you reach for it. We liked it so much I bought a second unit so my helper can use one while I use the other. I've used it for putting down plywood, some sheetrock installation, putting stainless steel screws into redwood fence boards and a number of other things. Like another reviewer said, people love this tool.
Because if it sits idle for a minute, someone on my crew has nabbed it for whatever they're building. To a man, everyone on my crew says they're going to buy one of these for themselves. This is a great screw gun. I haven't seen a WOW factor like this from a tool since the first Hitachi slide saw. I hope they do - so I can use mine. I bought mine last week, and have hardly had the chance to use it. Why.
Even a DeWalt 14.4 bisquet joiner. Well balanced, nice weight for all day use on a single charge (XRP) but, a bit loud (actually they all are). I think I have every DeWalt 14.4v tool made. Back to the DeWalt 14.4 volt IMPACT DRIVER. I shopped (data and spec-wise)around for this style of tool and finally decided on the DeWalt 14.4v.
The flat bottom of 14.4 battery held it upright and stable on inclined surfaces. The quick release is much smoother for single finger releases (the Makita actually takes two hands to change a bit), slightly quieter and felt better in hand than the Makita. A really sweet tool and drives the screw straight and slightly countersunk without splitting face frames or braking the heads off the screws. So, I ended up with a Makita 14.4v (it was my orginal 2nd choice) and I can tell you, I liked the DeWalt better. But, the 18's can take me all the through a cabinet and the outside wall of the house before I can let go of the trigger (not a good thing). I had to replace this new tool immediately and local resources had none (DeWalt 14.4 any way). I know most contractors like the 18 volt, and I agree for circular trim and recip saws. %#@.*&^$%$.
As a professional cabinet installer for 4 national manufacturers, I rely on my tools for my income and my high quality reputation million dollar plus homeowners demand. BUT.Unfortunately, I only had the tool for about 10 days before it and all the rest of my DeWalt 14.4 tools (all neatly placed in thier cases with xtra batteries and chargers)and a couple brand new XRP batteries, were stolen. Suffice it to say, the impact driver is THE tool for driving screws, and the DeWalt 14.4v is the front runner in my opinion. I like the professional grade 14.4v because it is light enough to use all day long and because most pro grade 14.4v drivers and drills won't "over torque" the screws. I have a couple Bosch 18 volt for heavy drilling in concrete, but all the DeWalt 14.4's have more that enough power to take a 2-1/2" hole saw thru a 2x4 or neatly drill a 1-1/4" forcner bit into hickory and still break off the heads of screws if you want.
|
