Every now and then I’m reminded of a great little adapter Dewalt makes, the DW0521 quick connect impact driver conversion chuck. This little gadget is a 1/4″ hex to 3/8″ keyless chuck adapter that allows you to use ordinary drill bits with a 12V or 18V cordless impact driver.
The impact driver conversion adapter features all-metal construction and the keyless chuck has a single-sleeve design for quicker hand-tightening.
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Street price for these adapters is $30-36 or so. There’s also a Hitachi model available at about the same price. Although they’re marketed as being designed for impact drivers, they should work well in cordless screwdrivers’ 1/4″ hex bit adapter as well.
Carry one of these with Dewalt’s impact clutch adapter, and you might need your cordless drill/driver even less.
jeff_williams
Unless you want accurate holes! 😉
This would work great for pocket holes or anything that had a sleeve guiding the bit.
Kevin
I think for 40 bucks I would rather just have a cheap drill.
Stuart
Sometimes it’s a question of weight and capacity. Even a cheap drill will add bulk and weight to a kit, plus it means another battery to charge and monitor.
I’ve mentioned my preference to avoid drilling with impact drivers before. Even so, I cannot argue against the convenience these adapters provide for those users who need them.
Greg E
Got one and love it. everyone in the trades should carry one around in there tool bag.
zdiggler
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0051AE85W/ref=oh_o02_s00_i00_details
This one is cheaper and better.
Stuart
It requires a chuck key and is generically branded. Cheaper, yes. Better? How so?
zdiggler
Dewalt one I had was waste of money!
I must not have good grip or something drill bits keep slipping. Chuck is too small to grip.
That why I went for keyed one.
Than one day one of the Jaw got twisted while putting drill bit on.
At least this cheap one works.
greg e
No it is not I broke one of those in a Milwaukee, the back end unscrewed and even with lock tight never permanently stayed in again. (I didn’t buy it it was a fellow workers/reason why I went with the dewalt b/c I liked the what it allowed me to do.) dont go cheap!
Harold
Milwaukee makes something very similar to this for impact wrenches.
http://www.amazon.com/Milwaukee-48-03-4410-Shockwave-2-Inch-Adapter/dp/B002KKBBR4/ref=pd_sim_hi_3
fred
so does Dewalt
http://www.amazon.com/DEWALT-DW2298-2-Inch-Square-Adapter/dp/B001BZ9YZU/ref=pd_sim_hi_2
but the problem with these is that many inser bits are too brittle to use with the torque output of a pneumatic or even electric 1/2 inch drive impact wrench. Maybe these are better suited to use with a cordless 1/2 inch impact wrench with lower torque
fred
With hex-shank drill bits so readily available – some marketed specifically as “impact-ready” one might forego this and directly connect the twist-drill with the impact-driver.
As I may have posted before – a chuck attached to a 1/2 inch sqaure drive impact wrench is handy for use with auger bits in boring poles and timber and to avoid torque-reaction when you have to hand-drill structural steel, In the latter case, while we prefer using a magnetic drill press – this is not always possible – and while hand drilling with an impact wrench does not lend itself to precise hole geometry – drilling is usually a precursor to reaming (e.g. with a bridge reamer) when structural hole alignment is a must.
fred
Makita seems to make one too:
http://www.amazon.com/Makita-763198-1-Keyless-Chuck/dp/B000O3I5GY/ref=sr_1_6?s=hi&ie=UTF8&qid=1327546905&sr=1-6
fred
Sorry for the multiple posts – but I was looking on the Internet for the 1/2 square drive chucks that we use.
Ours are an apparently discontinued model:
Milwaukee 48-66-0010 – that my inventory says I bought 5 of in 1989 at a total cost of just over $65 ($13+ each)
I see a bit beat-up one on ebay with an asking price of $79,99
Blair
I’ll reiterate a previous comment, that the impact driver drill bits, chucks, auger bits, Etc., may be of use on jobs where precision is not required, IE: deck assembly, where carriage, or lag bolts are involved, along with the requisite washers.
I personally do not see these as “shop bits” for furniture construction, nor do I view the chuck that way, but I do see a use for some in the trades who “drill seldom”, yet drive fasteners often.
Fred @ One Project Closer
Concur with this (very well put) comment. There is merit in having the convenience of carrying one tool when precision isn’t that important, especially for trades where driving is more frequent by an order of magnitude.
Phil
Actually, you can be very accurate with this chuck, even if your driver has slop in its hex chuck. Once you’ve attached it to your driver (this chuck is meant more for a standard 1/4″ hex drill/driver rather than an impact-type driver) you tighten the bit in the chuck by holding the collar and pulling the trigger on the tool. This activates an impact-style mechanism in the chuck that clamps the bit very tightly without needing to muscle down on the chuck and stalling the driver. Once you are all ready to drill the hole, hold the collar with your free hand and pull it towards the bit. This disengages the impacting mechanism and allows the chuck to spin free of the collar, the collar is motionless in your hand. Pulling it forward like this also takes the slop out of the hex shank interface on the driver. You now have a very steady and accurate drill.
I use this same chuck in conjunction with a Bosch 26618 combo driver/drill/impactor. Using the chuck in drilling mode (the tool has two speed ranges) is just as good as using a dedicated drill. I can carry one too with the best of all worlds.
James
Makita has one also, I think it is a couple bucks more than the Dewalt.
I really need one, I use a 1/4″ impact 98% of the time for work. I do have to run a 3/4″ hole saw occasionally which requires a drill chuck. So far I’ve been carrying around a drill with me also.
I plan on getting one soon!