DEWALT DCF815S2 12-Volt Max 1/4-Inch Impact Driver Kit

by DEWALT

• Maximum initial voltage on batteries (measured without workload) is 12-volts, measured under workload, 10.8 nominal voltage
• Compact, lightweight design fits into tight areas
• 3 LED lights provide visibility without shadows
• One-handed loading 1/4-inch hex chuck accepts 1-inch bit tips
• Belt hook included for portability

Product Description

Amazon.com

The DEWALT 12-Volt Max 1/4-Inch Impact Driver offers convenient features, like shadow-free LED lighting, one-handed loading, and a belt clip. The 1/4-inch chuck accepts bits up to 1 inch. At 6-1/4 inches long and 2.2 pounds, the driver is easy to maneuver in small spaces. The driver comes with two lithium-ion battery packs, each offering 1.1 Ah, and includes multiple torque settings, variable speeds, and a reverse option.

12-Volt Max 1/4-Inch Impact Driver Kit At a Glance: Compact 6-1/4-inch body fits into tight places Radially-mounted LEDs eliminate work area shadows 1/4-inch chuck can be loaded with one hand Two lithium-ion battery packs and belt clip for ease of use Offers up to 79 inch-pounds of torque Three-year limited warranty; one-year free service contract

Its lightweight, balanced design, and belt clip make this impact driver easy to carry. View larger.

Compact Design and Built-In LEDs
At 6-1/4 inches long, the DEWALT driver is designed to fit into small spaces where traditional impact drivers don't, and provides 3,400 impacts per minute. As a result, you get straight penetration and avoid damaging bits from angled driving attempts. The length of the DEWALT means you can apply maximum leverage, enabling you to get the most from this impact driver's 79 inch-pounds of torque.

Additionally, the DEWALT's three LEDs--mounted radially around the barrel--will light your target area for better visibility.

Lightweight Body with User-Friendly Features
With its 2.3 pounds distributed evenly between its ergonomic body and compact battery pack, the DEWALT is easy to lift and handle. The 1/4-inch chuck can be loaded with one hand, and takes bits up to 1 inch. The DEWALT features a built-in belt clip and reverse option for additional ease of use.

Quick-Charging, Long-Lasting Battery Packs
This impact driver comes with two 12-volt max lithium-ion battery packs, each with 1.1 Ah. The recharge time of these battery packs is between 30 minutes and 1 hour.

Warranty Information
This DEWALT tool comes with a three-year limited warranty, a one-year free service contract, and a 90-day money-back guarantee.

What's in the Box
Driver, two lithium-ion battery packs, bag, charger, and belt clip.

The DEWALT driver is designed to fit into small spaces where traditional impact drivers don't.

Product Description

The compact, lightweight design of this tool fits into tight areas, while the 3 LED lights provide visibility without shadows. The one-handed loading 1/4-inch hex chuck accepts 1-inch bit tips. There is a belt hook included for portability. This DEWALT high performance industrial tool comes with a warranty package that includes a 3 year limited warranty, a 1-year free service contract, and a 90-day money back guarantee.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

48 of 49 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars This is all you need; don't need Max Drill Driver or Max Screwdriver February 26, 2011

By Eugene I. Kim

You are probably looking at this if you plan to fix a few things around the house. You might be wondering if you should get the 18 volt version. You might be wondering if you should get the Max Impact Driver, the Max ScrewDriver, or just the Max Drill Driver. That was me. Well, I'm a curious person, so I got all three Max drivers. I think, for most people though, this Impact Driver is the only powered driver you need to fix things, hang things, and assemble a few furnitures around the house.

This is an exceptionally well made tool. The build quality is excellent; just from holding the grip you can tell it's got premium materials when compared to other drills. The power on these little Max drivers are also surprisingly strong. I have a bigger 18v lithium-ion Hitachi, but I really can't tell the difference in power between the Max (12v) and the 18v lithium for most of the stuff I do around the house.

In case you don't know how impact drivers work, imagine a vice grip locked around the drill bit. Then imagine a hammer rapidly tapping the vice grip around to help turn/rotate the drill bit when it is "stuck." That's why these things work so well when driving long screws in to hard wood.

One reviewer commented that the Max Screwdriver has impact-like feature. I don't think that is true. I think he might be referring to the torque control knob similar to a drill driver. This is nothing like the Impact Driver. You can really feel the difference when you use both. When challenged, the Max ScrewDriver will either bounce out of the screw then strip the screw head or just start free spinning because of the torque control setting, but the Impact Driver will really drive the screw in when you simply hold the trigger all the way down. If you didn't want the screw to over tighten, then you can apply less trigger pressure, and it will tap lightly, still without stripping or free-spinning. The "Impact feature" only turns on automatically when there is a need for it, so it is actually quite okay for delicate screwing as well if you know how to adjust finger pressure on the trigger.

So the Max Impact Driver pretty much can do everything the Max Screwdriver does, but better. I think most people use the Screwdriver when they are screwing things in to delicate parts like electronics and computers. But even for that, the Screwdriver is over-powered and over-sized. You don't need that much power for electronic stuff, and the Max ScrewDriver is still too big to reach all the small areas inside, for example, a computer.

Do you need the 12v Max Drill Driver? I have it, but I rarely use it. I rarely use the 18v Hitachi drill driver since I got the Max Impact Driver. You can still drill very well with the Impact Driver if you have hex-shank drill bits. It's actually easier to switch the drill bits on the Impact Driver, so again, I prefer the Impact Driver even for drilling. Most other reviewers will tell you that the Impact Driver seems to be better at drilling as well. Yea, I don't know why they are making the other two drivers in the 12v Max series. I'm not a pro, but for non-pros doing non-pro stuffs at home, I think all you need is this Impact Driver.

I was putting in some self-drilling screws in to a metal frame to install a backyard gate latch. I tried using both the 12v Max Impact Driver vs. 18v lithium Hitachi drill driver. Initially, they both drilled the drill-portion of the screw in with similar effort (I can't tell any difference), but when the self-drilling screw got to the thread part to screw through the metal, the impact motion kicked in, and it kicked the Hitachi's butt out of my backyard.

24 of 26 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Big Power In A Small Package November 25, 2010

By Maclen VINE™ VOICE

Amazon Vine™ Review (What's this?)

I'm a power tool nut and have many tools from brands such as Milwaukee, Dewalt, Makita, Ryobi, and Craftsman just to name a few.

When I received the Dewalt 12-Volt Max 1/4-Inch Impact Driver Kit, it was just in time for me to test it on a home project that I've been planning. The project is a heavy, free-hanging, collapsible work table that I wanted to attach to the garage wall. Because of its weight, I decided to use 6" lag screws to attach the table to the wall studs. To my delight, this compact driver sank those lag screws into the studs with ease. I should also note that I first tried my 12-Volt Makita driver for this task, and the Makita couldn't handle it. With that said, the Dewalt driver will be my go-to driver from now on.

Some features that makes this unit great:

*The compact size.
It's small enough to fit into tight spaces like under a cabinet or between ceiling joists and its light weight is great when you need to work overhead.

*Power.
It has a good amount of torque to drive or remove some of the toughest screws and bolts where other drivers I've used have failed.

*Durability and design:
Even though it's small and lightweight, this driver is solidly built. The ergonomically contoured handle is comfortable and the unit is very well balanced.

*LED Illumination:
There are 3 LED lights that eliminate annoying shadows while working. The LED lights also light up without having to engage the motor; a slight pressing of the trigger illuminates the LEDs.

*Accessories:
This kit comes with 2 Lithium Ion batteries that fully charge in an hour (2nd battery only available while supplies last), a durable storage bag to keep everything together, and a handy belt clip to keep the driver with you while working.

All and all, I'd say this is a fantastic driver and very well worth the price. I'd recommend it to anyone, from building professionals to DIYers like myself.

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Great companion to the Dewalt 20 Volt Max Line! September 19, 2011

By Method2Madness "Alex" VINE™ VOICE

There are already about half a million reviews on this tool, so I'll keep mine short and sweet. This thing ROCKS. Especially for it's size.

I have the 5 piece Dewalt 20v Max kit and use the crap out of it and it continues to impress me, but the hammer drill/driver and to a point the impact driver are a bit chunky and heavy, so I went on a search for something more compact. Seeing as how the 20v max charger will charge the 12v battery, buying this seemed like a no brainier. I bought both the 12V MAX Impact Driver and the 12v MAX Drill/Driver. Both are very lightweight, built well and perform flawlessly. I tested the impact driver with a variety of screws and lag bolts and to be quite frank, it surprisingly drove everything the 20v MAX impact driver did, albeit a bit slower and with about half the runtime.

Also worth noting, these are actually 10.8 volt tools (Like all the rest of the subcompact tools available). Like other companies, Dewalt has fallen in-line and started going with MAX ratings. Meaning the batteries are only 12 volts when not under load. Audio companies have been doing this for years, so I guess it was only a matter of time before tool manufacturers started this practice. But don't let the rating fool you...They perform like nothing I've ever seen for this size and weight.

NOTE: Amazon has this listed as 79 inch pounds of torque. This is a mistake. Its actually 79 FOOT pounds, which equates to 948 inch pounds. And I believe every word of it.

This is a great feeling tool. Very balanced. I used the Milwaukee M12 for about a day and couldn't wait to stop using it. It's top heavy and the battery doesn't compensate enough which causes wrist fatigue fairly quickly.

The only negative I have found is the FWD, REVERSE switch feels a little loose and "spongy". It hasn't been a problem thus far, so hopefully there won't be any trouble.

All-in-all, I am VERY pleased with this Impact Driver (along with it's drill/driver brother) and highly reccomend to anyone looking for a powerful, yet compact cordless driver.