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DEWALT Impact Ready Review | Impact Driver Accessories

By Todd Fratzel on Power Tools, Product Reviews

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DEWALT Impact Ready Accessories

Every job that I’m on these days has every trade using some type of impact driver. They have become popular with the electricians, plumbers, HVAC guys and our carpenters can’t survive without them. We use them for driving screws, lags and truss locks into the engineered lumber. Impact drivers are capable of driving large fasteners into really hard materials with ease. Impact drivers have certainly improved efficiency and productivity in the construction industry. However, the accessories that go with them have been lacking with regard to strength and durability.

DeWALT recently introduced a new line of accessories for Impact Drivers – Impact Ready. The last few years has seen an influx of impact drivers on the market with sales more than doubling in the last five years. Impact drivers offer more torque and increased driving power for tough jobs. However, the increased torque and power has resulted in a need for more durable, tough accessories to prevent premature damage and failure.

Because of the increased demand for more durable accessories, DEWALT designed a specific set of accessories for impact tools. The IMPACT READY™ line from DEWALT offers:

• Reduced bit breakage – users felt that existing bits were not durable enough to withstand the high levels of torque generated by impact drivers and were seeking accessories that would help to reduce the occurrence of breakage, saving money on replacement bits and improving productivity.

• Improved versatility – contractors wanted to use their impact drivers to complete a wider range of drilling and fastening applications, but bits designed for durability in extremely high torque applications did not exist. Therefore, users were limited to using their impacts for a small number of drilling and fastening applications such as deck construction, hanging drywall into wood studs, and light assembly.

Wide Range Of Accessories

• IMPACT READY™ Drill Bits are five times more durable than conventional hex shank drill bits. Built with a patented one-piece, taper web design for increased durability and a patented pilot point tip for increased speed, life and hole quality, users can now drill holes into sheet metal, stainless steel, steel studs, and junction boxes using an impact driver.
• IMPACT READY™ Holes Saws offer two times more life than standard bi-metal hole saws when drilling 16 gauge steel. The thin-walled design and optimized tooth geometry provides longer life and faster drilling speed.
• IMPACT READY™ Nutsetters are equipped with patented, recessed corners that distribute torque across flats and eliminate stripping.  These accessories offer best-in-class magnetic strength for increased bit retention with impact drivers and wrenches.
• IMPACT READY™ Pivot Holders and Pivot Nutsetters have a locking collar for straight or angled driving and pivot at a 20 degree angle to complete applications in tight spaces.
• IMPACT READY™ Screw Driving Bits include Phillips head, square, and slotted bits, which are able to withstand high levels of torque.
• IMPACT READY™ Driver Sockets are designed with patented, recessed corners that distribute torque across flats and eliminate stripping. The IMPACT READY™ driver sockets are thinner than wrench sockets for tough access areas.

Jobsite Performance

They say the proofs in the pudding…well I say the proofs in a happy crew! Our carpenters use all kinds of engineered lumber on our projects so we’re always drilling, bolting and lagging fasteners into the extremely dense wood. We’ve been using regular accessories with impact drivers for quite some time with mixed results.

For our crews the most demanding application is using a philips head bit to drive screws into engineered wood. It seems that most bits break or shatter rather easily with an impact driver. My crew is currently working on a commercial project that has lots of engineered lumber so we used the new Screw Driving Bits on the DEWALT 18V Compact Lithium Ion Impact Driver to drive 3 inch long screws (several hundred!) into paralams. Let’s just say my crew is sold and I am too! Not only due the bits hold up to the punishing impact but the screws didn’t strip out and easily sunk all the way in.

My personal favorite of the group of IMPACT READY™ accessories are the nutsetters. The center of the “sleeve” is meant to hold onto while the drive shaft spins. This gives you a great advantage when trying to work on smaller fasteners. The nutsetters are very useful on appliance repairs and other small tools.

Overall Impression

DEWALT has never disappointed me in their quality tools built for professionals and DIY’ers. Once again the folks at DEWALT have listened to their customers and delivered quality tools that serve a growing market. I’m certainly sold on the line of IMPACT READY™ accessories and I hope you’ll give them a try as well. If you own an impact driver then do yourself a favor and buy some quality impact driver accessories from DEWALT.