We first previewed Dewalt’s Impact Clutch Adapter back in November, and now that the accessory bit holder is coming to market, additional details are becoming available.
Dewalt claims that the use of this impact clutch should extend the usability of screwdriving impact bits by [at least] five times. 5x the bit life = 1/5th fewer bits to buy. This is accomplished by having the clutch engage before complete tip failure and breakage occurs.
Another benefit of the impact clutch is that it can be used to prevent fastener damage. When driving in smaller screws with an impact driver, the absence of a built-in clutch makes it very possible to shear off the head of the screws entirely. Dewalt’s impact clutch adapter reduces (if not eliminates) the chance of this happening.
The clutch adapter features an all-metal design and quick on-off slide switch.
We received an Impact Clutch sample for review (which is in progress), and since it’s in retail packaging, these adapters should be hitting store shelves soon. As reported when the adapter was first announced, the retail price should still be less than $20.
Following is a quick Impact Clutch demonstration video that Dewalt shared with us.
I’m no tool engineer, but why not just build the clutch into the impact driver? I know the impact mechanism in mine kicks in at a certain level of resistance, so how hard would it be to make that level adjustable?