Patrick and BoltBolter wrote in about the new Ryobi 18V One+ Cordless Quiet Strike Pulse Driver (model P290). Thank you for the tips!
I had the opportunity to briefly check it out in person a few months ago, and while slightly larger than the leading compact cordless impact drivers, the Quiet Strike is indeed quieter. But, it’s also faster.
And compared to many brands’ latest and greatest impact drivers, the Ryobi Quiet Strike is nicely affordable, at just $99 for the bare tool.
The Ryobi Quiet Strike isn’t quite an impact driver, it’s a pulse driver. There are 2 other pulse drivers currently on the market (that we know of):
Pros: It’s fast and quiet. Cons: It’s larger than the best professional impact drivers (but around the same size as many DIY or consumer models), and not quite as powerful.
I’m not quite sure what the max torque is, as it’s not specified on the product page, but we do have speed specs: 3,200 RPM and 2,200 IPM. So yes, it’s fast.
They say this about the power:
QUIET STRIKE technology gives more power and speed than a drill but with 50% less noise than an impact driver.
The Ryobi Quiet Strike pulse driver also features a tri-beam LED worklight, a belt clip, and improved overmolded grip.
Lastly, there is a neat feature towards the battery base, called a Magtray. This feature does exactly what you think – it’s a small magnetic holder where you can temporarily place your screws, bits, or other small steel parts.
Price: $99 (bare tool)
Buy Now(via Home Depot)
Update: I checked my notes and found that I thought it important enough to jot down that the Quiet Strike, and pulse drivers in general, is slightly more reactive. You won’t see the counter torques that can develop when a cordless drill binds or jams, but you won’t see the reactionless torque that you would with a traditional impact driver.
Here’s a quick intro video. Once we get a sample in-hand I’ll try to show off its speed.
First Thoughts
Impact driver or pulse driver? High torque, or quieter operation? Smaller size, or faster application speeds?
There’s definitely a lot of good things about this pulse driver, but it’s not a do-all tool. If you don’t have any driver other than your cordless drill, you have some thinking to do.
$99 seems like a great price for the bare tool.
If you’re not already bought into Ryobi’s system, perhaps Ridgid’s Stealth Force pulse driver might be the better choice. Its full price is $199 for a kit that comes with a battery and charger, but when on sale it’s $179 at Home Depot. Maybe sometimes you can find it for less.
A Ryobi battery and charger starter kit is $59. So with no battery or charger, it’s $158 ($99 + $59) for the Ryobi combination, or $179-199 for the Ridgid.