Bare-Tool Bosch PS40B 12-Volt Max Lithium-Ion Impact Driver (Tool Only, No Battery)

Bare-Tool Bosch PS40B 12-Volt Max Lithium-Ion Impact Driver (Tool Only, No Battery) Review

Bare-Tool Bosch PS40B 12-Volt Max Lithium-Ion Impact Driver (Tool Only, No Battery) Feature

• 60-Percent more torque than 18-Volt drill and driver - 800-Inch lbs of max torque
• Bosch designed hammer and Anvil system - delivers 1,800 RPM and 3,000 BPM
• Led light ring - 3 leds illuminate work area for use in dark areas
• Spring-loaded impact mechanism - reduces user fatigue
• 1/4-Inch hex drive with quick release

Most manufacturers seem to be using li-ion battery technology to create lighter versions of existing cordless tools, or high-voltage tools that would have been too heavy for use with older battery technologies. Bosch however, seems to have also used the opportunities presented by lithium ion to dream up tools that have never even existed. Last year, they scored big hits with the PS20-2A Pocket Driver and I-driver, which redefined ideas about drills and screwdrivers at the same time. This year, they've extended that out-of-the-box thinking to impact drivers, with the Litheon "Impactor", and it is another jaw-dropper. Impact drivers are smaller and lighter than cordless drills, but because they have a simple hammering function and are geared specifically to spin fast, they produce about three times the torque of a drill. This means an impact driver will put in screws, bolts, and other fasteners much faster than a drill would. They can drill holes, too. What they won't do is drill holes bigger than 1/2 inch, but they'll handle just about any job a homeowner or contractor would do around the house. In size and feel, the Impactor is very much like the Pocket Driver. It's small and light enough to fit into a drawer. Hitched to your belt, you could carry it around all day and barely notice the weight, although it looks so cool, you're definitely going to want to keep taking it out. With the three LED lights on the front, Bosch has not only made sure this thing doubles practically as a spare flashlight, they've really solidified the space-age ray gun look, making the Impactor pretty hard not to pull it out just to play with. With the hammer action on top of the respectable 12 volts Max of power however, this can do even more than the Pocket Driver could. We used it to drive screws through sheet metal and 3/8-inch bolts into pine. It wasn't as fast as 14.4- or 18-volt models, but it got the job done well enough to make this a truly all-purpose tool.