Good but cost-effective impact driver.
Good but cost-effective impact driver.
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Furbo

Original Poster:

3,368 posts

55 months

Sunday 1st March
quotequote all

Ideally available Amazon Prime.

Any suggestions chaps please?

I need one that has sharp and good quality driver bits that won't easily rip out the cross heads of screws on motorbikes.

I say cost-effective because I am not someone who has a passion for spannering bikes.

TIA




996_3.4

56 posts

31 months

Sunday 1st March
quotequote all
Not sure that’s exactly what you need, but I just purchased a Parkside (Lidl) one to swap wheels. They’ll only do about a fourth of their rated torque (maybe that’s true of other brands?), but they’re well made and cheap. Paid 90€ for the biggest one with a battery and charger. That’ll handle lug nuts easily.

Furbo

Original Poster:

3,368 posts

55 months

Sunday 1st March
quotequote all

I am making a price / quality judgement on this one. But this is the sort of thing I have in mind.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Cordless-Battery-6000mAh-...

kestral

2,131 posts

230 months

Wednesday 4th March
quotequote all
Furbo said:
I am making a price / quality judgement on this one. But this is the sort of thing I have in mind.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Cordless-Battery-6000mAh-...
You will be lucky if the battery lasts 6 months.

Buy one of these it has JIS bits and the battery never goes flat.

MajorMantra

1,664 posts

135 months

Wednesday 4th March
quotequote all
Furbo said:
I am making a price / quality judgement on this one. But this is the sort of thing I have in mind.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Cordless-Battery-6000mAh-...
The bits will be rubbish and I highly doubt it delivers its claimed torque. Even if it does I doubt it will offer you enough control for the type of usage you're suggesting.

Nothingtoseehere

5,009 posts

210 months

Wednesday 4th March
quotequote all
You shouldn't need an impact driver for screws on a motorbike. A normal screwdriver or electric drill/screwdriver will do the job!

this is my username

386 posts

83 months

Wednesday 4th March
quotequote all
I wouldn't expect much from the bits that come with any impact driver, and in any case they are consumables. Buy a box of decent quality bits for the type of fastener you will be undoing most frequently - I have some boxes of DeWalt and Makita bits which seem to do OK, don't know if others are better.

E-bmw

12,232 posts

175 months

Wednesday 4th March
quotequote all
Yeah, I wouldn't be using an impact driver on screws, just ever.

Much better to retain control, if nothing else because it is so easy to strip/shear screws with torque assistance.

RedWhiteMonkey

8,620 posts

205 months

Wednesday 4th March
quotequote all
As has already said you don't need, or should use, an impact driver on some screws on a motorbike. You don't say what screws these are (more than likely to be JIS if it is a Japanese bike) but why would they need a torque that only an impact driver could achieve (impact drivers are exactly precise at doing this though). Use 420Nm on a screw and you'll mash it up nice and quickly.

You need to know what the screws are and what torque they need to be (if anything specific). Then buy a suitable torque wrench from Amazon and a set of correct bits for the screw head type.

Furbo

Original Poster:

3,368 posts

55 months

Wednesday 4th March
quotequote all
RedWhiteMonkey said:
As has already said you don't need, or should use, an impact driver on some screws on a motorbike. You don't say what screws these are (more than likely to be JIS if it is a Japanese bike) but why would they need a torque that only an impact driver could achieve (impact drivers are exactly precise at doing this though). Use 420Nm on a screw and you'll mash it up nice and quickly.

You need to know what the screws are and what torque they need to be (if anything specific). Then buy a suitable torque wrench from Amazon and a set of correct bits for the screw head type.
A range of screws. But immediately I am thinking about bar end weights. On the bike that arrives tomorrow they are notoriously “sticky” and if they won’t give readily I want something that will “press and turn” simultaneously, like my old manual
Impact driver used to.

RedWhiteMonkey

8,620 posts

205 months

Wednesday 4th March
quotequote all
Furbo said:
A range of screws. But immediately I am thinking about bar end weights. On the bike that arrives tomorrow they are notoriously sticky and if they won t give readily I want something that will press and turn simultaneously, like my old manual
Impact driver used to.
I suppose loosening can work with an impact driver but you'll fk the screw heads up 99% of the time, and screws really aren't things designed to really be tightened by an impact driver.

Furbo

Original Poster:

3,368 posts

55 months

Wednesday 4th March
quotequote all
RedWhiteMonkey said:
I suppose loosening can work with an impact driver but you'll fk the screw heads up 99% of the time, and screws really aren't things designed to really be tightened by an impact driver.
I won’t be tightening them with one.

TwinKam

3,476 posts

118 months

Wednesday 4th March
quotequote all
For that specific use, loosening the cross-head machine screws on Jap 'bikes, you really need no more than the good ol' fashioned clout-type impact driver, and yes, use with good quality bits. You normally only need one sharp tap to get them moving.
The drivers are as cheap as chips (like most things, cheaper on Ebay than Scamazon wink ) and I would suggest that you buy the (branded) bits separately. Remember that those Jap cross-heads are invariably 'Phillips', not 'Pozidrive'; it's really important that you check they are a snug fit on the bit before applying any force.
I take it that you know how to use a manual impact driver correctly?... loading it up in the direction of desired travel?...
I've always replaced those Jap screws with socket head screws ('allen bolts') on every bike I've owned, makes it easier next time.
Good luck.

Edited by TwinKam on Wednesday 4th March 19:03

Furbo

Original Poster:

3,368 posts

55 months

Wednesday 4th March
quotequote all
TwinKam said:
For that specific use, loosening the cross-head machine screws on Jap 'bikes, you really need no more than the good ol' fashioned clout-type impact driver, and yes, use with good quality bits. The drivers are as cheap as chips (like most things, cheaper on Ebay than Scamazon wink ) and I would suggest that you buy the bits separately. Remember that those Jap cross-heads are invariably 'Phillips', not 'Pozidrive'; it's really important that you check they are a snug fit on the bit before applying any force. I take it that you know how to use a manual impact driver correctly?... loading it up in the direction of desired travel?...
I am old. Of course I do.

TwinKam

3,476 posts

118 months

Wednesday 4th March
quotequote all
Furbo said:
TwinKam said:
For that specific use, loosening the cross-head machine screws on Jap 'bikes, you really need no more than the good ol' fashioned clout-type impact driver, and yes, use with good quality bits. The drivers are as cheap as chips (like most things, cheaper on Ebay than Scamazon wink ) and I would suggest that you buy the bits separately. Remember that those Jap cross-heads are invariably 'Phillips', not 'Pozidrive'; it's really important that you check they are a snug fit on the bit before applying any force. I take it that you know how to use a manual impact driver correctly?... loading it up in the direction of desired travel?...
I am old. Of course I do.
Sorry, didn't mean to insult you! ... but I've seen some things over the years biglaugh
I've amended my post before I saw your rapid reply!

Furbo

Original Poster:

3,368 posts

55 months

Wednesday 4th March
quotequote all
TwinKam said:
Furbo said:
TwinKam said:
For that specific use, loosening the cross-head machine screws on Jap 'bikes, you really need no more than the good ol' fashioned clout-type impact driver, and yes, use with good quality bits. The drivers are as cheap as chips (like most things, cheaper on Ebay than Scamazon wink ) and I would suggest that you buy the bits separately. Remember that those Jap cross-heads are invariably 'Phillips', not 'Pozidrive'; it's really important that you check they are a snug fit on the bit before applying any force. I take it that you know how to use a manual impact driver correctly?... loading it up in the direction of desired travel?...
I am old. Of course I do.
Sorry, didn't mean to insult you! ... but I've seen some things over the years biglaugh
I've amended my post before I saw your rapid reply!
I don't know where my old impact driver went. I won't have thrown it away.

E-bmw

12,232 posts

175 months

Thursday 5th March
quotequote all
TwinKam said:
Remember that those Jap cross-heads are invariably 'Phillips', not 'Pozidrive'; it's really important that you check they are a snug fit on the bit before applying any force.
Not actually true though is it?

They are frequently JIS which is not Philips & also not Posidrive.

Use the correct bits or you will absolutely increase the chance of rounding off the slots.

Furbo

Original Poster:

3,368 posts

55 months

Thursday 5th March
quotequote all
E-bmw said:
TwinKam said:
Remember that those Jap cross-heads are invariably 'Phillips', not 'Pozidrive'; it's really important that you check they are a snug fit on the bit before applying any force.
Not actually true though is it?

They are frequently JIS which is not Philips & also not Posidrive.

Use the correct bits or you will absolutely increase the chance of rounding off the slots.
Can someone confirm for defo that this is the case and I'll buy some driver bits to suit.

RedWhiteMonkey

8,620 posts

205 months

Thursday 5th March
quotequote all
It is pretty impossible for us to know without seeing the screw heads.

Is the bike Japanese, are the screws original to the bike? If yes and yes I would say there is a good chance that they are JIS. If they are aftermarket addons it is likely that whoever added them used JIS screws. Replacing with inner hex headed screws (as already suggested) is probably a good idea.

Have a read of this - https://www.abbeon.com/ItemFiles/articles/JISInfoS...

Nothingtoseehere

5,009 posts

210 months

Thursday 5th March
quotequote all
Furbo said:
E-bmw said:
TwinKam said:
Remember that those Jap cross-heads are invariably 'Phillips', not 'Pozidrive'; it's really important that you check they are a snug fit on the bit before applying any force.
Not actually true though is it?

They are frequently JIS which is not Philips & also not Posidrive.

Use the correct bits or you will absolutely increase the chance of rounding off the slots.
Can someone confirm for defo that this is the case and I'll buy some driver bits to suit.
Wait till you get the bike Furbo! You can have the right bits delivered next day or pick them up same day if you need to!