An Impact Driver (sometimes referred to as an Impact Screwdriver) is a powerful tool which saves homeowners, do-it-yourselfers, construction workers, plumbers, and many others a lot of time and effort. Here are a few tips and reminders on using the Makita BTD144 Impact Driver.
1. You can position the Belt Hook (just put it in the right-side or left-side groove and tighten the screw) that comes with the Makita BTD144 on either the right or left side of the driver's tool housing. That way you can hang the driver on your belt on either your right or left hand side depending on which of your hand you want to grasp it with. Also, if you prefer not to have the belt hook on at all, you can just remove it. It doesn't affect the operation of the driver.
2. The LED (light-emitting diode) indicator acts as a battery usage gauge. If your battery charge is okay, the indicator will not light up. However, when your remaining battery capacity reaches 20 percent, the indicator will light up. If the indicator light begins flickering, that means that the battery is almost used up and you need to put a charged battery in the driver and put the battery you are removing in the charger.
3. The driver will stop automatically if you keep the driver's trigger suppressed for more than 2 minutes. To reset the driver, just release the trigger.
4. Recharge your driver's batteries only with a battery charger recommended by Makita. Using an inappropriate charger may create a fire hazard.
5. Never recharge a fully charged battery. Overcharging the battery will shorten the battery's overall life.
6. Always check the direction of your driver's rotation before starting to use the driver. That is, make sure it will be tightening if you want it to be tightening and loosening if you want it to be loosening. Additionally, never use the reversing switch on the driver until the driver has completely stopped. Changing the driver's direction of rotation before the driver stops turning can damage the driver.
7. Rule of thumb: For small screws use the hammer mode soft speed setting, and for long screws or for tightening bolts use the hammer mode hard speed setting. If you are not sure which setting to use, start out in the soft mode speed setting and slowly tighten your squeeze on the trigger to judge the results. If the soft mode speed setting is not sufficient, switch to either the medium or hard mode settings and try again.
8. Make sure the bit is fully inserted and secured in the driver before you turn the driver on. If the bit cannot be firmly secured by the driver, don't use it.
9. Be extra careful when fastening small screws that you do not strip the screw head. Carefully adjust your squeezing pressure on the driver's trigger to help prevent this. Also, make sure you are using the correct size screw bit.
10. If the impact driver becomes too hot during use, the light will begin flickering at the rate of 2 times per second. To correct the problem, all you have to do is turn off the driver and let it cool off completely before restarting it.
I hope these tips and reminders are helpful to you.
