Review of the DCK KDPL04-8 Impact cordless impact screwdriver

DCK is not just a company, but a brand under which various instruments are produced. Jiangsu Dongcheng Power Tools is responsible for the development and production of products under the DCK brand. Founded in 1995, it is one of the largest enterprises in China specializing in tool manufacturing.

One of the most popular DCK tools that we will look at is the screwdriver. This tool is in great demand in the market due to the numerous models available to consumers.

The screwdriver comes in its own plastic suitcase with a foam bed for storing the tool and batteries with a charger.

The screwdriver comes with a charger with two batteries, a double-sided Phillips bit and paper products.

Here and further we will call the tool in question either a wrench or a screwdriver. In principle, it is not forbidden to call it a drill. A universal thing.

The advantage of a pistol impact driver over standard full-size screwdrivers is its compact design. The short length of the working part makes it easy to work in confined spaces.

The screwdriver in question has the shortest working part length of all similar tools we have reviewed: from the back of the engine block to the tip of the coupling — only 125 mm.

Otherwise, the design and construction do not differ from standard, familiar pistol-type screwdrivers.

The screwdriver handle has numerous rubber inserts, thanks to which the tool is held securely and comfortably in the hand.

The front part of the tool — the gearbox — is made of a non-magnetic metal alloy; the tip of the gearbox is covered with a thick rubber cone to protect it from scratches.

The built-in backlight is located at the top; it is used in most screwdrivers, and always in screwdrivers with a pistol battery type.

This may be the first compact pistol-type screwdriver we've reviewed that comes with a mounting bracket. Usually such instruments do not even have simple cords for hanging on the wrist. There is also a whole hook bracket that can be attached to any side of the case, suitable for both right-handed and left-handed people. This demonstrates the high degree of thoughtfulness typical of top-tier professional instruments.

The instructions that come with the charger and impact wrench clearly explain not only the safety precautions, but also the structure of the tool and how to use it. The only negative is that the illustrations are a little small.

The full stroke of the tool's trigger lever is 8.5 mm. When you press the lever 1 mm, the backlight turns on and the battery charge indicators begin to light. If the lever is pushed down another millimeter, the engine starts. This leaves 6.5 mm of lever travel to adjust the rotation speed.

When you release the lever, the backlight turns off instantly, which is a little inconvenient. Sometimes it would be useful to use the tool also as a flashlight.

The direction of spindle rotation is selected by a standard electronic switch, which switches the power supply to the motor. The middle position of the switch blocks the start lever. In this position, it is recommended not only to store the instrument, but also to carry it.

Since this is a screwdriver-nutdriver, there are no adjusting or clamping rings. All there is is a single short sleeve for a standard 6.35mm Hex shank.

The coupling deserves attention for its ability to secure equipment. To install the bit, simply pull the clutch ring away from the body, insert the bit, and then release the ring. After that, pull the bit a little — and the equipment is installed. To remove the bit from the clutch, you must pull the clutch ring again.

Of course, a slight looseness of the equipment with this type of fastening is inevitable, but it is minimal and you get used to it in a minute.

At the top of the case there is an interesting control panel with a button. Consecutive presses of the button switch the operating modes of the tool, each of which is indicated by a specific indicator color.

• Green indicator: the rotation speed increases gradually, the maximum number of strokes is 4000 per minute. Application: basic work, tightening long screws and self-tapping screws.
• Blue indicator: low rotation speed, maximum number of strokes — 1600 per minute. Application: tighten screws with less force to prevent thread damage.
• Red indicator: high rotation speed (up to 3300 rpm), maximum number of strokes — 4000 per minute. Application: operations requiring high forces and speed.

Operation in these modes is demonstrated in the following short video: [insert link to video].

Having measured the rotation speed, we found almost complete agreement with the passport values: 3254 rpm versus the declared 3300 rpm. Perfect.

The battery is inserted into the cavity of the screwdriver handle and tightly secured with side latches.

The instrument in question is not equipped with an automatic protection system. It will not turn off automatically when it encounters resistance that cannot be overcome. Instead, the screwdriver will continue to work, using its «ratchet», in an attempt to tighten the bolt, nut or self-tapping screw.

Long-term operation at low speed is not recommended as this may cause the engine to overheat.

The chuck, motor and battery are the three main components that require care and attention. The cartridge should be regularly cleaned of dirt. It is not recommended to store the screwdriver in damp and/or unheated areas. During storage, it is advisable to move the reverse switch to the middle position. It is also recommended to recharge the batteries regularly.

Torque is the force with which the spindle, and therefore the inserted equipment, rotates. We measure torque on a simple stand.

Measuring torque for the screwdriver in question presents certain difficulties due to the fact that it cannot work without impact mode, which cannot be turned off. This means that accurate measurement of the instantaneous impact torque using a steelyard is not possible. At best, vibration can destroy the device.

Below are the torques of various screwdrivers that passed through our bench. The screwdrivers are sorted by review date (early reviews above, latest reviews below), and the model name is a link to the corresponding review of the tool.

So, the test failed before it even started. How can we understand the power of the tool? It's elementary. Let's screw different types of screws into the wood.

Interestingly, even a thick screw with a large hex head can be easily driven into wood without much effort, without requiring pre-drilling. A screwdriver can also easily remove stuck bolts and nuts. Thanks to the tangential impact mechanism, which strikes in the direction of rotation with high frequency, the risk of damage to the head is virtually eliminated. At the same time, the tool does not force the hand to twist, as is often the case with conventional screwdrivers.

This practical test involves driving self-tapping screws 50mm long and 3.5mm in diameter into dry wood (pine). The purpose of the test is to determine how many screws a screwdriver can screw in on one charge of the supplied battery. Before starting work, the battery is fully charged.

The screwdriver in question worked on a fully charged battery for about 69 minutes, screwing in 484 screws during this time. However, in fact, it was not the screwdriver that tightened the screws, but the author. This became a real test for both hands and mind. After an hour and a half of use, the battery indicators continued to show full charge, which was a real surprise. A rare example of a screwdriver with such miniature but durable batteries demonstrated outstanding autonomy.

The following table shows the battery capacity of the tested screwdrivers in watt-hours and the number of screws in pieces. Based on these data, the amount of energy spent on screwing in one screw is calculated, which determines the efficiency of the screwdriver. The higher the efficiency value, the more efficient the screwdriver.

Meet the new, absolute record-holder! The obtained coefficient is 22.4 — this is higher than that of the legendary super-duper-professional Black+Decker BL186K1B2 .

One of the most interesting tables. It puts an end to the debate about whether the purchase is worth the money. This does not take into account such advantages of the tool as multi-row backlighting, electronic control and other additional functions. In this case, a screwdriver is considered solely as a device for screwing in screws, and the formula is simple: the price of a screwdriver is divided by the number of screws screwed in. This gives an indicator of a fair price. The lower the value obtained, the more profitable it is to own such an instrument.

The table shows that our screwdriver falls into the average price range, comparable to the level of Metabo or Black+Decker. This is a kind of golden mean: not too expensive, but not cheap, which quickly becomes unusable. This tool is purchased for long-term use with a safety margin. Upon careful examination and comparison of the obvious advantages with the absence of significant disadvantages, it becomes clear that the price of the KDPL04-8 Impact model is quite reasonable.

The screwdriver is supplied with two batteries with a capacity of 2000 mAh with a voltage of 10.8 V (21.6 Wh). There are no remaining charge indicators on the batteries.

The charger included in the kit is a 230 V station with an output of 10.88 V/3 A. During charging, the station's LED indicator displays the current operating mode or possible problems, such as battery overheating. When charging is complete, the indicator color changes to green and remains constantly lit.

The KDPL04-8 Impact screwdriver is characterized by high power, long battery life, compact size and light weight. The complete set of two batteries and a charger ensures continuous operation.

If the company continues to develop and produce such high quality instruments with unique characteristics, then the DCK brand can expect great success. However, the cost of products may be worth considering in terms of reduction, although this raises some doubts.

Pros:

• exceptional compactness, short working part
• highest autonomy and power
• three operating modes
• the presence of a bracket for attaching to items of clothing
• complete plastic storage case

Minuses:

• not found