Ridgid has added a 12V palm impact driver to its cordless 12 volt line. Although I have seen impact drivers in the regular pistol grip and right angle forms, as well as 12V, 14V (20V), 24V, 8V, 24V, etc., never before a palm driver. This new design mashes the shape and form factor similar to palm nailers and a right angle impact driver. When I first seen it, the first thing that popped up in my mind was Milwaukees M12 12V palm nailer as the overall shape is similar. This doesnt surprise me as we all know that TTI makes both of these 12V power tools.
This information was originally found on the Home Depot website about the new palm impact driver, but it has been removed. What we know so far is that users will operate this new palm impact driver similarly to the M12 palm nailer in the sense that the user must press the impact driver into the screw and thus the pressure will act as the trigger to activate and drive the fastener. It works by pushing the tool into a fastener, such as a screw. It is not a traditional trigger, as it is pressure sensitive. The palm driver’s speed will depend on the pressure applied by the user. This is also interesting. It was also interesting to note that the tool is described as being compact and useful for small spaces. They say that this tool is ideal for contractors who need to access difficult-to-reach areas.
Other features include a true one handed 1/10 cm hex chuck with self eject feature, a fuel gauge, and a usual forward/reverse switch with a lock. There is no word yet on whether a LED light has been integrated, so we will have to wait and watch. We are looking at 400 in/lbs max torque, 2,000 RPM, and 3,000 IPM.
(EDIT) Some viewers speculate that the LED light is built-in and that the tab black that looks like a button activates it. This is hard to confirm or not because the info supplied by the Home Depot didnt mention a light. It doesnt mean it doesnt have one, I was simply stating that a light is not mentioned. We can only speculate as to whether or not it has a built-in light until official news is available. It makes sense that it should have a light since this basic feature has proven its usefulness plenty times over but I will repeat myself by saying that this hasnt officially been confirmed.
My thoughts: Im excited to see a new tool design on the horizon, even though this is a mashup of two existing technologies. I’m eager to hear what other people think about it and how it will be received by the general public. It is being promoted as a tool for difficult to reach places, but it appears bulkier than a right-angle impact driver at its head length front to back. My guess is that it looks to be a tad bit shorter in length front to back than a regular 12V impact driver. Ridgids JobMax right-angle impact driver attachment is a good choice for those looking for a compact impact driver. I believe the key feature of the new impact driver will be its pressure sensitive push-to-drive feature. The palm grip style, short front to back distance and simple use of the handle grip style will compliment this feature. I will end my rant by saying that the torque of 400 in/lbs is not very impressive. However, we’ll have to wait and see how it performs in real-life.
This is a very brief glimpse of the Ridgid 12V palm-impact driver. Pricing and release date are still unknown so please keep checking back.
Ridgid 12V Palm Impact Driver R8224KSpecifications:
- 12 volt palm impact driver
- 1/10 cm one handed self ejecting hex chuck
- 400 in-lbs torque
- 2,000 RPM
- 3,000 IPM
- 24 kg body weight
- 9 cm productdepth
- 23 cm product height
- fuel gauge
