On the subject of tools, I've been building out my off roading toolkit that I keep in the back of my truck. Got a nice Black Friday deal on the 1/2" drive mid torque impact on the right, to go with my existing 3/8" drive compact impact on the left. This should bust any nut I need to. I gotta say the new design Milwaukee fuel impacts are super nice, and along with a scissor jack modified with a 1/2" drive socket to spin it, they make short work of the job when you stop to help someone change a shredded tire on a forest road.
The belt hook on the handle, is it (both specific to this machine and in general) movable to the other side for my left-handed operation needs?
I'm more of a pressurised air type when it comes to impacts but knowing the alternatives is always good.
Also, I'm a Bosch/AEG/Makita person around battery drills/drivers, but brands being layers of paint on generic constructions way too often these days, I'm probably fooling myself..
[snip]
Indeed, it is designed to be ambidextrous. You can move the clip to the other side with just a screwdriver.
Really, as long as you stay away from the cheap big box home store brands like Ryobi, they are all pretty good. Milwaukee is really nice stuff, and their battery technology probably has an edge over everyone else. and that is probably the most important part. I purposely bought a two pack of the high output batteries for these. Expensive, but worth it for run time. The mid torque is really a sweet spot in the lineup too...it has enough power to bust semi truck (lorry for you folks on the other side of the pond ) lug nuts. A friend of mine has the high torque model too and it is totally overkill for most applications...he's broken wheel studs with it.
I like air tools as well, but these are meant to go with me on offroading trips. Easier to carry than a big air compressor when you need to do a trail fix. And my 4Runner has a built in inverter so I can charge batteries while I drive if need be.
Similar here. Ryobi is known across the GWN as cheap, but suitable for single small project as a disposable tool. I agree Milwaukee is very good, but I find the tools are heavy (which means strong). Again, Bosch is very good,
especially their drill bits, but a bit heavy and on the expensive side. RIGID are rather impressive in performance with a leading warranty, but again a bit heavy and quite expensive. I have been giving good reviews on Makita as being not quite so heavy while still being almost as good as the heavier tools, but at a much better price point. However, I have proved to myself that Makita bought at a tool store is not the same as Makita bought as a big box store. I have two of the same Makita tool, except the Rona/Lowes version has plastic gears and the other from the professional shop has metal gears.
I like air tools, but it becomes a PITA working away from the garage. For high-power tools away from the garage, I still prefer corded tools, even if it means dragging an extension cord or using a generator. Generally, if I have a corded tool, I do not spend additional funds on an air tool version. For most outdoor work or quick jobs, battery tools are so much more convenient.