How can installers really get the most of out of their power tools and ensure they really deliver what they promise on the box? John Dabb, Sales and Marketing Director at Hyde, explores a new solution designed to maximise impact driver efficiency.
When you consider the sheer number of screws an installer will drive or loosen during an average day’s work, it’s a good job that modern day power tools are around to help take some of the strain. Impact drivers are a good case point, or at least they should be.
Providing considerably more torque than a standard drill driver, the intention with an impact driver is to drive screws quickly and efficiently by delivering rotational blows as well as linear to drive or loosen large screws, while forcing the bit into the screw head for improved grip.
While this is all good in theory, and impact drivers certainly do make life easier than if your tool bag only contained a few conventional screwdrivers, this is not always the reality.
The problem
Just as there are pros and cons of most good things in life, in the case of impact drivers the disadvantage lies in the drill bit, which until now has been unable to cope with the power coming through from the driver. This means that torsion zones have had to be applied during the manufacturing process, to prevent the bit from breaking too easily, although even premium-priced bits are still prone to breakages.
While no-one wants broken bits flying off all over the place, the consequence of this is that by driving in a screw with an impact driver using a Torsion Impact Bit, less power gets to the screw. In essence, each 180° turn applied by the drill is reduced by the torsion zone, resulting in the driver making less of an impact.
The solution
Fortunately, there is now a way for installers to really get the most out of their impact drivers without ending up with an armful of broken bits, courtesy of a new bit designed specifically for the job.
Durum impact screwdriver bits have been manufactured by Australian company Josco, and are now available in the UK through Hyde. These screwdriver bits have been designed to fit European and UK fasteners and deliver more torque to the tip, maximising the power of the tool by transferring virtually all of the torque directly to the screw.
The result is a range of bits that are up to 38% quicker than a torsion bit, while the precision tip offers a perfect fit to the screw for maximum efficiency and reduced cam out.
The bonus
There is more good news to be had in terms of the cost of this power tool. With no requirement for a torsion zone to be engineered into the bit, they are actually cheaper to make than many of the alternatives.
This is a saving that the manufacturer is happy to pass on to the trade. Durum bits have also undergone rigorous testing and have proved themselves as long lasting as a premium bit, so installers can really get their money’s worth longer-term too.
For more details on Durum by Josco, visit www.brianhyde.co.uk
