{"id":22250,"date":"2013-01-28T06:00:10","date_gmt":"2013-01-28T12:00:10","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/toolsinaction.com\/?p=22250"},"modified":"2017-05-03T14:04:23","modified_gmt":"2017-05-03T19:04:23","slug":"hilti-sid-18-a-cordless-impact-driver-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/toolsinaction.com\/hilti-sid-18-a-cordless-impact-driver-review\/","title":{"rendered":"Hilti SID 18-A Cordless Impact Driver Review"},"content":{"rendered":"

If there is one tool we have tested the most at Tools in Action, it’s probably the cordless impact driver. \u00a0We have tested just about every manufacturer on the market when it comes to 18V impact drivers, well almost everyone. \u00a0We haven’t tested the Hilti, but that just changed. \u00a0Now I fully understand about the old saying of save the best for last. \u00a0We get emails all the time asking about our opinion of Hilti tools and wondering why we never review them. \u00a0We can finally put that one to sleep. \u00a0If you know me, you know I am a huge fan of Hilti, primarily because they don’t make junk. \u00a0In my opinion, they make some of the best tools on the market.<\/p>\n

I remember when I first started in construction back in 1992, Chicago had a huge flood. \u00a0Not a flood anyone could see as it wasn’t caused by rain. \u00a0It was a flood due to a crack in the old freight tunnel that runs under Chicago. \u00a0So the dirty Chicago river water actually flooded buildings because most of the buildings where connected to this freight tunnel. \u00a0I was a laborer for a large construction company, so my job was to clean up, tear down walls and more. \u00a0I was assigned to a well known retail building that was hit hard. \u00a0The basement and two sub basements were all under water. \u00a0During this time is when I was first introduced to Hilti. \u00a0All I can say is another newbie and myself were assigned to do the worst of the worst for clean up and tear down. \u00a0We were young and didn’t really care about the tools. \u00a0They were job bought tools, times were good, so no one said anything about how we treated the tools, so we didn’t even bother taking care of them. \u00a0Looking back at myself and what we did, someone should have slapped us in the head. \u00a0Anyways, we beat on these tools. \u00a0Dropped them in oily water, left dirt and debris on the tools and really just worked the heck out of them. \u00a0The only tool I remember that didn’t break down on us was the Hilti tools.<\/p>\n

Okay, enough babbling about the old days, times change and that’s why when I had the opportunity to use the Hilti SID 18-A Cordless Impact Driver, I just couldn’t pass it up. \u00a0I wanted to see if Hilti was the way I remembered them back in the day. \u00a0All I can say is Hilti nailed this one dead on and produced an unparalleled impact driver.<\/p>\n

\"HiltiI had the opportunity to use this impact on a couple different jobs such as a green house, bar, shed, and a basement remodel. \u00a0Each and every time the SID 18-A didn’t fail. \u00a0 When I first picked up this impact, the first thing that stood out to me was the balance of the tool. \u00a0It didn’t matter if I had the 3.3 or 1.6 Ah battery attached to the impact, the balance was great. \u00a0If I was using this tool in front of me, below or above my head for an application, it just felt right. \u00a0I never had to struggle with the tool in any position. \u00a0Next on the list is the handle. \u00a0The impact has a very nice grip that contours to your hand and it doesn’t matter if you have a glove on or not, it just fits right.<\/p>\n

Hilti implemented some great features to this tool that we have seen in some other tools, but not as a whole package like Hilti did with this impact. \u00a0First, Hilti uses a brushless motor that powers a 1\/4″ hex quick release chuck. \u00a0If you are not familiar with a brushless motor, a brushless motor is more durable, more compact and more efficient. \u00a0Next, Hilti sealed all the electronics to protect it against dust, dirt and humidity. \u00a0This is a huge plus that is not even seen by the end user. \u00a0However, with the environment this tool is used in, this is a must. \u00a0Dust, dirt and humidity can play a huge part in tool failure, so we are glad to see Hilti protected against this outside enemy.<\/p>\n

\"HiltiThe next cool feature is the three speed adjustment. \u00a0On the front of the tool, a user can adjust the speed of the tool to their application by simply pressing a button. \u00a0Once you press the button, you can see which speed you’re in, 1, 2, or 3 speed. \u00a0One nice feature is you can’t accidentally hit this button when the impact is running, so you don’t ever have to worry about changing speeds when you really don’t want to change speeds. \u00a0As long as we are talking about speeds, the variable trigger is great. \u00a0The trigger has just the right touch to it so you can keep a constant speed. \u00a0The trigger is not too easy or too hard to press.<\/p>\n

Hilti didn’t just stop there, they also added four LED lights around the head of the impact which truly gives the user a shadow free experience. \u00a0We found the four LEDs to be the best on the market by truly illuminating the work area and preventing any shadows. \u00a0Another feature we really enjoyed was design of the impact and how the back is tapered. \u00a0We are not sure if this was designed for that reason, but we did find it very useful when working on applications above our head. \u00a0On the back part of the impact, the head is tapered. \u00a0So when you are working above, you can position your hand easier to give you a better grip and more control, with less arm fatigue.<\/p>\n

\"HiltiYou can have the best tool on the market, but if you don’t have the right batteries powering the tool, then it doesn’t mean a thing. \u00a0Hilti put some serious batteries on these impacts. \u00a0You can use either the 3.3 or 1.6 Ah Lithium-ion battery. \u00a0Both batteries are great and give you plenty of run time. \u00a0For most of my applications, I was doing repetitive work and ended up using the 1.6 Ah battery. \u00a0I am not sure how many screws I was driving, but this impact didn’t disappoint. \u00a0I could easily get one full day of use driving fasteners and sometimes even part of the next day without recharging the batteries. \u00a0As a note, it takes about 20 minutes to charge the 1.6 and 50 minutes to charge the 3.3 Ah battery. \u00a0Most batteries we see have a separate button for the fuel gauge. \u00a0Hilti decided to implement the fuel gauge button into the battery release button which is a very cool feature. \u00a0You can press either button or both to get your battery status. \u00a0I can’t scientifically say these are the best batteries, but for my use of batteries over the years, I can say these are the most impressive batteries on the market.<\/p>\n

Overall using this tool was a pleasure. \u00a0At the end of the work day, I didn’t have fatigue in my arms. \u00a0The tool is well balanced and easy to use. \u00a0Best of all, the impact transfers to your work and not your arms. \u00a0\u00a0Bottom line, Hilti is the real deal. \u00a0Anyone who relies on tools to make a living and get things done, Hilti is the perfect choice. \u00a0Tough, reliable tools to get the job done. \u00a0They are tools that will not let you down, they will work when you need them to work and best of all, they are backed by Hilti. \u00a0With a 2 year full warranty (wear and tear included)\u00a0and life time warranty, Hilti stands behind it’s tools. \u00a0Having more features and benefits than it’s competitor, gives this impact the edge. \u00a0This is the perfect tool and we don’t say that much at Tools in Action. I personally think that the best Impact on the market. \u00a0In fact we named the Hilti SID 18-A the impact of the year for 2012.<\/p>\n

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