Makita 6952 Impact Driver w/ 1/4" Hex Drive

Look, this thing is kind of expensive but it is made in Japan and always works perfectly. light and handy to hold; this thing drills six inch self drilling deck screws with no problem. It does slow down, but it keeps on chugging till the six inchers are flush if I stop there or deeper if I want that. I don't think a quarter inch impact driver could use more torque for number nine deck screws. You have to balance weight in the hand and sufficient power or torque for the job. I have a half inch impact driver (another Makita) for lug nuts but you don't need that power or weight in the hand while working in the wood shop.I plug it in using a hose reel that hangs overhead in the middle of the shop so I don't trip over the cord. This is one of my favorite tools that has never given me buyers' remorse. My 115vac power is compatible with all brands of tools, rated over 30 amps, and infinite hours or till dinner time. Try that with battery tools.

This should really get 6 stars. 5 for being a quality impact driver made by Makita, and an extra bonus star for being the only corded impact driver on the market.I've basically sworn off cordless tools since batteries turned out to be such a hassle, and Li-Ion tools are still in their infancy. Being the only corded impact driver on the market leaves one little choice, which is usally a bad thing. However, in this case, you really can't go wrong with this one.While this torqe ratings for this driver are lower than the leading battery powered drivers (1062 in-lb vs ~1500 in-lb for many 18V cordless), you'd be hard pressed to really miss the "extra" torque the battery drivers could provide, especially when driving screws or small lags. 1062 in-lb is enough to break most screws, so it should have no problem driving any fastener that's thrown at it.The impacting begins at a good torque level, and you're either going to bury the screw an inch into the wood, crack the wood, or break the screw before you start stripping the head. This means less effort in applying pressure to prevent skipping, which means less fatigue and better control. I only have to apply a fraction of the pressure to this driver to keep the bit from slipping as when I'm using a regular drill.This is a high quality tool, with good balance and trigger feel. The belt clip is handy, and the included carrying case has ample room for a set of impact bits in their own storage case.The only nitpick would be that it'd be ncie to have a grounded power cord - the ground lug provides added holding power to keep the power cord held in an extension cord. Other than that, this is about as perfect as you get for a power tool.

I was looking for a corded impact diver, and like others, realized this was the only one on the market. I really hope Makita doesn't stop making it. I've bought a lot of Makita tools recently but this one takes the cake. I smile every time I get to use it. Screws are no match. Batteries are no concern. The cord is soft and supple and has this way of practically coiling itself when you're ready to pack up. It's almost like a piece of art. You can get a good firework show if you look inside the rear vents and give the trigger a pull, neat. 100% made in Japan, this is the kind of tool that gives Makita the reputation they have. Fits well in one hand and the switch to reverse the rotation is easy to work with just your thumb and index fingers. Oh and changing the bit is a snap!

I love this Japanese made item. It has a very solid feel to it. Works flawlessly, so far. I've been waiting to pull the trigger for months and three things happened: I finally sold my 14.4v lithium Makita cordless drill on craigslist, the price of this went down, and I read the "rumor" from one of the reviewers that this was going to be discontinued. I am so sure that the "new and improved" version will either be made in Taiwan or China. Being a casual do-it-yourselfer, I bought the cordless drill 6 years ago to redo the kitchen....to install cabinets. Never used it again after that so the drill was sitting untouched for a few years. Sure, I could have used it for quick projects but because I would have had to recharge the batteries, I did not bother and used the manual technique for those odd jobs, e.g. installing the baby gate, assembling furniture, etc. This chorded one is the perfect solution for me. No waiting, and not depreciation on those expensive batteries. I'm sure the rechargeable ones have great value/usability to some but not for the casual do-it-yourselfer who does most of the work within reach of an outlet. An extra bonus is the attention to detail....the label stickers are actually put on straight! I'm nit picky about such things and I think Japanese manufacturers tend to be detail-oriented as well. Hope this review could serve as a nudge for others who are on the fence.

I'm extremely happy with this product. It's corded so it's always ready when I need it. If I am feeling aggressive, it will zip a 3 inch screw into a 2x4 without any pilot hole. Compared to a regular drill driver, the screws seem to just fly into the wood. You can, of course, get better precision if you drill a hole first and this unit has no trouble with that either. The hex speed connect on the tip never jams, at least it never has for me, no mater what abuse I've given it. The case it comes in is also excellent, light, slim, and surprisingly spacious. All my bits and other accessories fit right in with the drill. The cord is a generous length and properly supple. There is not anything I don't like about this product. Whenever I'm holding this drill in my hand, I know exactly what quality feels like. One thing to note, because this is an impact drill, it has no torque adjustment. That's the price you pay for impact drill awesomeness, that and the hefty 200 dollar price tag.

It got hot using the variable speed. Well, that's how i burnt out my cordless makita driver.I used it to install cement board siding. Not allot of screws. Only 2" long. It has to run for a while to get into the board then i use the variable speed so it wont break through. that's hard on the driver. It gets hot.