Skil 12V Right Angle Impact Driver Sets Performance Benchmark at a Budget-Friendly Price
Right angle impact drivers aren’t as popular as their standard counterparts, but they’re invaluable in tight quarters. The Skil 12V right angle impact driver is part of the brand’s PWRCore 12 system using that uses a brushless motor to power home hard-to-reach fasteners.
Pros
- Higher speed and torque than Makita and Milwaukee
- Accepts 1″ hex shank bits to keep the head length down
- LED halo eliminates shadows leaking into your field of view
- Outstanding value ($129.99 kit)
- Kit price includes PWRJump charger upgrade
Cons
- A little heavier than premium brands
- Head length is a little longer than premium brands
Recommendation
Against premium brands like Makita and Milwaukee, the brushless 12V Skil right angle impact driver has a significant performance advantage. The trade-off is that it’s a bit heavier and the head isn’t as compact. However, its price is so much lower, that it’s bound to get the attention of both Pros and DIYers.
Performance
On paper, Skil boasts 2700 RPM with 900 in-lbs of torque and 3750 IPM. Compared to traditional impact drivers, even on the 12V side, those aren’t mind-blowing.
Keep in mind that the right angle version doesn’t need the same kind of power and speed thanks to the limitations of fastening in tight space. It’s harder to keep the bit engaged when you can’t put as much force directly behind it. With too much power and speed, you end up camming out screw heads.
With that in mind, let’s take a quick look at one of the industry’s 12V cordless leaders, Milwaukee. Their M12 right angle impact driver (2467) specs 2450 RPM, 600 in-lbs of torque, and 3300 IPM. Skil outpaces it on each one of those categories!
A quick look at other names like Makita and Ridgid tell us that their 12V models have much lower figures as well. Does that make Skil the fastest and most powerful right angle impact driver available?
It certainly looks like it at this stage.
When it comes to getting into that tight space, you can use 1″ hex bits to minimize the total head length. The head itself is 2.5″, making it a bit longer than its premium competition but much shorter than any traditional impact driver.
Feature Set
Paddle Trigger
The Skil 12V right angle impact driver has a variable speed paddle trigger that’s just short of 4″ long. With a small choil near the bottom of it, you have an effective grip from the base up to about the middle of the tool. Moving much higher toward the head makes it tough to hold down and nearly impossible to feather. But that’s the nature of a paddle trigger.
The advantage of having so much wiggle room on your grip is that you can get your hand out of the way when you need a longer reach. When you don’t need as much, you can shift your hand higher and get more stable bit engagement.
Battery and Charger
With the Skil RI574502 kit, you get a 2.0Ah battery and PWRJump charger. On the battery side, it’s a PWRAssist design with a USB port you can use to charge other devices.
The PWRJump charger also has a USB charging port. The bigger deal is the quick charging, going from 0%–25% in 5 minutes and fully charging the 2.0Ah battery in 45 minutes.
LED Halo
We love Skil’s LED halo design. It takes all the benefits of an LED ring around the chuck and tightens it up even more to nearly eliminate shadows. The only one you see is created by the collet in the middle.
Additional Features
- 1/4″ hex collet – no one-hand insert or spring ejection
- Bit holder
- Belt hook – left side install
- Forward/lock/reverse switch
Weight
As a bare tool, the Skil 12V right angle impact driver weighs 2.55 pounds and 3.18 pounds with a 2.0Ah battery. That’s a little heavier than Milwaukee and Makita. For me, it’s a trade-off worth making for the performance and price gains.
Price
You can get the brushless Skil 12V right angle drill as a kit with a 2.0Ah battery and PWRJump charger for $127.99. Milwaukee’s kit is $169 and Makita’s is a few dollars more. Ridgid’s Jobmax is around $150 by the time to buy the basic kit and add the right angle impact head.
If you already have Skil 12V batteries, you can pick up the bare tool for $79.99.
Considering Skil’s performance gains and its 5-year warranty, it’s a very tempting price.
The Bottom Line
Against premium brands like Makita and Milwaukee, the brushless 12V Skil right angle impact driver has a significant performance advantage. The trade-off is that it’s a bit heavier and the head isn’t as compact. However, its price is so much lower, that it’s bound to get the attention of both Pros and DIYers.
Skil 12V Right Angle Impact Driver Specifications
- Model: Skil RI574502 (PWRJump Charger Kit)
- Power Source: Skil PWRCore 12 battery (12V)
- Chuck: 1/4″ hex
- Speed: 0 – 2700 RPM
- Torque: 900 in-lbs
- Impact Rate: 3750 IPM
- Weight: 3.18 lbs ( with 2.0Ah battery)
- Warranty: 5 years
- Price: $127.99
