Sometimes you need a tool that will help you get into tight spots that a drill will just not work. That’s when you grab for a Right Angle Impact Driver. Which brings me to our next review, the Craftsman Right Angle Impact Driver, model 5702. Craftsman is a name that has been around a long time and is trusted by homeowners. When you say homeowners, you probably think of a guy doing the work, but that’s not the case anymore. A lot of diy women have been turning to Craftsman and for good reason, now if I could just convince my wife that she can do this work while I just sit on the couch, I would be set. Does Dan fit into the guy doing the work or the girl doing the work?
If your a fan of Craftsman, which who isn’t, the right angle is a great tool to have around especially if you all ready own the Craftsman Nextec line. The tool is great for getting into hard reach spots and provides enough power to get most jobs done. The 1.3 ah 12V Lithium-ion battery powers this driver. The driver puts out a whopping 700 in-lbs of torque. As with other right angle drivers, this also has a forward and reverse selector. The 1/4″ quick connect collet can spin from 0-2100 rpm’s.
The one thing TIA really likes about the Nextec line is the Craftsman Quickboost. The Quickboost is a charger that will charge a low battery in 3 minutes and give the battery a 25% charge. The driver itself is very nice. We like the over molded grip for more control. The variable speed paddle switch is great, which most right angles have. The paddle switch is nice because less fatigue on your fingers when using this driver for long periods of time since you are using all your fingers instead of just one or two. The trigger is located towards the front of the tool, so you have more control when using the drill under harder conditions.
There is also a built in work light just in front of the paddle switch to help light up your working area. On the back of the driver, there is a fuel gauge that tells the user what’s happening with the power. The green means you have power. When it switches to yellow, your running low and red is your basically out of power and needs a charge.
If your a homeowner and you have the Nextec line, the right angle is a nice addition. You might not always reach for this driver, well maybe. When you do need to get into tight spots, this will certain help. The driver comes with a one year warranty, which is shorter than other tools we have seen, but at least there is a warranty for one year.
Other than to artificially make the tool seem so much stronger than it is, why do you think that a manufacturer would refer to it’s capability in in/lbs instead of ft/lbs like all the other tools that we commonly use?