How is this tool used?

Hello everyone.  First time poster here.  I sought out this forum in hopes someone could shed some light on this mystery.  I bought this tool at an estate sale several years back.  The relative couldn’t give me any info on it.  At first glance, it is a very heavy, well built ratcheting nut/screw driver.  But it has a hardened pin that nests in the handle.  The pin can be pulled out without much effort and there is another hole in the side of the handle that the pin fits.  The hardened pin has obvious hammer strikes on the head and what looks to me like concrete dust on the tip.  I can see a use for the pin and I can see a use for the driver.  I don’t see the purpose of the marriage of the two.  Who would need a tool like this and how would they use it?  

I tried to insert images but it wouldn’t let me.  The link to the pictures is:   https://postimg.cc/gallery/pXWwSy3

Thanks!

I have never seen that but looks very cool.  I am sure someone will be able to shed some light on that tool.

Welcome to the forum.

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Does that “nail” fit in both ways (perpendicular) into the handle?

What fits into the bit end?

Interesting tool.

The nail fits both ways.  Both holes feel like they are fitted with nylon bushings to keep the pin secure while making it easy to put in and take out.  The handle end has a steel collar where the pin goes in suggesting it’s designed to be struck (but why?).   Any standard hex bit should fit in the bit end.  The tool is ~8 inches long and is over a pound.  I called DeWalt.  They made it but can’t identify it without a model number and there are no numbers on the tool that I can find.  

Maybe it is an old school impact driver.

Whacking the handle may cause a slight impact rotation force on the bit.

Back in the dinosaur days I used such a tool w/ a standard ½” male square drive that fit into a socket bit.

Very nice find.

I’ll have to test that theory but, you might have something here.  I’ve been looking at the concrete dust or whatever it is on the pin and it might be a red herring.  The previous owner may have used the pin for an unintended purpose.  If it is a manual impact driver, the pin head provides a striking surface and, placed perpendicular, the pin forms a T handle for additional rotational torque.  It would be great to find an advertisement or something to confirm, though.  Thanks!

I tried searching for this yesterday using various key words and image searches.  Nothing is coming up, not even on eBay, and I’ve even tried searching for Stanley or FatMax versions (since SBD does seem to share some designs between brands).  After spending the better part of an hour searching (it was a slow afternoon at work), I decided to see if anyone else responded.

It does look like a manual impact driver, albeit not the most heavy duty.  I have one that is the usual all metal heavy duty tube shape.  The pin looks like it could have some use to help apply additional torque, though the shape of it is odd.  It almost looks like it was designed to act as some sort of plunger to provide additional impact when struck with a hammer, if that even makes sense from an engineering aspect.  Think almost like a hammer striking a firing pin in a firearm, albeit without the resultant primer/propellant action.  

I’ll continue my search if I have time, as I’m genuinely interested in the reasoning behind the design.

all it is 

is a hex screwdriver

the pin might be confusing, it is just part of the packaging

midogrumpy wrote:

2 hours ago, midogrumpy said:

all it is 

is a hex screwdriver

the pin might be confusing, it is just part of the packaging

 

Makes sense to me, but I find it odd that there’s no trace of it online.  I’m unable to find the pouch either, though it looks like one of those that CLC made for DeWalt.  Sometimes the simplest answer is the correct one, and this very well could be a ratcheting screwdriver, with the pin having originally been fixed in the handle to provide some prying and striking strength but coming loose over the years.

This is a ratcheting driver but, it is more than that.  The pin was not fixed, coming loose over the years.  The pin was designed to come out and the pin was designed to be placed perpendicularly in the handle.  It is not just part of the packaging.  DeWalt didn’t randomly put a removable pin in the handle for no reason.  The question is why.  I agree the pin is an odd shape if the intent was for it to be used as a T handle to apply more torque.  It occurred to me that I’ve got a bore scope that may fit in the hole.  Hopefully, I’ll be able to see if there is something internally the pin does when struck.  I’ll also see if striking causes any rotation.  I’ll post any findings in a few days.  Thanks!

How deep is the hole on the hex driver end? Looks like a telescoping ratcheting screwdriver. 

It’s 22.4mm deep.  No telescoping that I can see, only the spring loaded collar to lock in the bit.  

I’m gonna guess its a dual use tool? 1) ratcheting screwdriver like kobalts found @ lowes 

2)striker pilot bit

3) nail set for siding and wire mesh mason nails

pin could be a aux handle / mini breaker bar like you said

So, I tested the impact driver theory.  The driver caused no visible rotation of the screw.  I also bore scoped the handle.  There is an orange nylon o-ring that keeps the pin secure.  Deeper in, past the perpendicular handle hole, the steel  transitions to white nylon.  The interior profile seems to mirror the pin taper.  As you can see, at the bottom of the hole, a raised ‘4’ appears.  There is no deformation of the ‘4’, telling me the pin never strikes the bottom.  Here are some bore scope pictures.     

Here’s a thought… I don’t see this for use with slab concrete but, for a plumber or electrician securing pipes or conduit to a cinder block wall, the pin could be an effective way to create a shallow pilot hole.  Then if the fastener went in tough, the T handle could be very helpful.  What do you think?

Just sent the link to this discussion to the Assistant Service Operations Manager at DeWalt.  He’s going to research it and get back to me.

Man, I had this exact tool some years back. I believe the pin was just for additional leverage. I think I wound up giving the tool away because it never got used. I don’t even remember where I got it from.

This is the only photo I can find online, which indicated it’s for additional leverage, as well…

Great find!  Thanks!

Aha, ‘picclic’ to the rescue!

The end part (Hex shank chuck) is still available from a seller on eBay-UK I think and I am sure it is a very old stock item, probably from year 2000-2005. DeWALT was making much better tools at that time.

Here is the photo

Dewalt Rapid Load Snappy Quick Fit. Drill Bit Changer | eBay