Customer Reviews

DEWALT DW056K-2 18-Volt Ni-Cad Cordless Impact Driver

5 star:		(19)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

We use this driver for running in ½ x 12 lag bolts through pilings. This putts a lot of stress on a driver. The DeWalt has more then enough power to handle this and all lesser tasks. I have used several hammer drivers and hammer drills in my business, this is truly the undisputed "Power King"; however, after running hundreds of lags and screws I encountered a few shortcomings with the DeWalt:\

1. On two of these drivers the anvil (hammer thingy) inside stripped out in less then 3 months. On the plus side, DeWalt replaced them, no questions asked.

2. It a nightmare to get inside and replace the brushes on the work site. Combine that with the reluctance of our rep. to even get the brushes addes up to sending them in for R&R (repair and rebuild) at the cyclic rate. Time = money. I still don't know if the brushes can be replaced, how to do it, or if that is even the problem. I suspect it is due to a small amount of graphite looking dust around the air exhaust vents after long use.

All in all, not bad for hundreds of BIG lags, but to put it into perspective, we also use Makita 24 volt hammer drivers. These have run thousands of big lags with no problems at all! The Makita brushes are a few bucks for a pack and can be replaced in a minute.
My bottom line is: Get the DeWalt for lower production work that needs lots of power, but if you have your driver turning day on stay on, you might want to consider a Makita hammer driver in the 18 - 24 volt range.

Overall this is a very powerful impact driver and stacks up well against other on the market.

Comfort and ergonomics:
The 90 degree angle is not as comfortable as other angled drivers from Makita, Hitachi and Bosch, although if you do a lot of fastener driving at shoulder level and above (HVAC and cabinet installs) the DeWalt could actually be more comfortable (check out how your wrist angles as you raise it up to shoulder level and beyond). The rubberized grip is very comfortable and it extends to the back of the tool for two handed impact driving. The soft grip covers the front of the handle (below the trigger) too which is good, since typically there is a ridge which joins the two plastic halves of the tools that gives you blisters during extended use. I think DeWalt has put significant thoughts on the user comfort here.

Batteries:
I believe XRP packs are 2.4Ah which is about the top end of Ni-Cd technology. Run time is good and the diagnostic chrager is on-par with other cordless tools. The automatic 'tune-up' mode is a bit of a glorified marketing thing since this is essentially trickle charging, which is done by almost any battery chragers after a fast-charge cycle. This basically tops-up the batteries by passing a small current over 8-10 hours, and is no different whatsoever to the old dumb chargers that perform overnight charging. Have to give DeWalt credit for creative marketing here.

Issues:
No bit holder, you'd think with such a large surface area on top of the large 18V battery they would put in a bit holder. There is also no way for easy replacement of motor brushes, this is a feature that is available on every impact driver from other manufacturers.

I am currently renovating a house and using only 3 1/2" or 4" screws for the framing work. The impact driver is far superior to a drill; it's like cutting butter with a hot knife. It's very amazing how efficiently it can drive screws into thick materials. I've dropped it a few times from the top of my 6' ladder on to either concrete or wood and it just keeps going. It's a lot lighter than my regular XPR drill which I also like as well, just for different uses now. The only thing I wish all drills had, was a few more clips on the bottom to hold extra bits.

I currently owned and used my Dewalt 14v Cordless drill 983 model. I used this drill a lot when it comes to drilling wood screws/lag screws and there were times when this drill will twist. Although it has a torque setting it's not always consistent. Now ever since I bought the DW056 Impact driver it's a wonderful tool, you don't need to mess with the torque setting and the twisting is completely gone. If you're the type who likes drilling screws into wood or metal this is the tool for you. I'm currently using this driver more than I use the drill when it comes to drilling screws. It's worth the investment!!

My company builds alot of decks, so I need to drive alot of lags. I was tired pre-drilling and still putting the kind of stress on my drill necessary to drive lags. I looked at alot of impact drivers and settled on this one because it had the power of 18v but was still compact with the 1/4 inch quick change (very handy). This is an invaluable, time saving tool I use almost daily. It drives lags with no pilot holes all day long, plus anything else I used to have to use a socket wrench for. I highly recommend this tool.

If you drive alot of screws get a impact they are great. I only use my cordless drill to drill holes now. You can't go wrong with the impact driver. Why didn't I buy this sooner?

I own a LOT of power tools, mostly Dewalt, and this one is my absolute favorite. I find myself using this impact driver ALL THE TIME!

I love it so much, I convinced my dad to get himself one. We own a Ranch here in Texas, and tools are put through the paces in some harsh conditions. From getting out rusted screws and bolts to screwing into any type of material, this tool does the job better than any other I have seen.

The "Impact" feature isnt quite as expected upon hearing about it, it actually helps prevent stripping the head or breaking the fastener while at the same time really providing the torque to finish the job the other drivers wouldnt come close.

I was amazed by how well this tool work. I have not stripped out a screw since I started using it. It is great at counter sinking screws. It's compact size makes it work well in tight places.

no problems, this is the best screw gun. I'm sold

I orginally got this tool as part of a kit; for months it sat there unused. Then one day I was refitting the kennels and I got sick of changing the drill bit out of the drill for a screw bit. I decided to fit the screw bit to unused 1/4" impact driver. I was blown away. The screws drove faster, straighter and with less slippage of the bit from the screwhead. If you're regularly driving screws into timber or for second fixing this is a tool for you. The tool is also very good for fitting plasterboard(drywall)slabs (restraint is required otherwise it will pull through the slab). If you already have an 18v dewalt tool, batteries and charger this is a tool to add to your collection. If you don't require a drill function this is the best tool I've ever used for driving screws. It's too powerful for use with slotted/flathead screws but good with philips-head and very good with pozidrive screws. I do suggest using good quality bits and always the correct size and type for the screw you're using.
The driver has a forward and reverse direction. A well designed tool; the direction switch can be left in between the two directions to stop accidental operation and variable speed (controlled by the amount of pressure on the trigger). Like all tools it's best used at its full operating speed. On a somewhat related note I've found that the 2.4amp 18v batteries are the best option; it seems that alot of the cheaper Dewalt sets are sold with lower amp batteries. They're fine but they're a poor second to the more powerful battery. I haven't had any issues with the motor/brushes so far but I'll update the review if it arises as an issue.