Design Engineer Reviews Sick Tech in New Ridgid 18V Sub-Compact Impact Wrench | How's It Made Ep. 11

Ridgid 18V Sub-Compact Brushless Impact Wrench
Model Number R87207B
I have no affiliation with Home Depot or the Ridgid Brand.
#TeamRidgid
#ToolReview
Welcome to this Product Analysis / Review / Teardown / Disassembly from the perspective of a professional Product Development Engineer. I have 10 years of experience bringing complex products to market. My goal is to explain how, how well, and how efficiently the product is designed, manufactured, and executed.
I try to focus on these main areas:
Manufacturing Processes Used
Materials Used
Assembly Processes and Labor Needed
Overall Product Design and Execution
And I will try to rate and compare all of these based on:
Quality, Function, Cost Effectiveness, Aesthetics, Ingenuity, and Synergy

[@saturnmedia1]

Ya know what bud, it was a well made video. You’ve earned a sub! Also, it isn’t 3A.M. alright buddy? It’s only 1A.M. Thank you very much. I’m the 69th subscriber. Nice.

[@JJCCENG]

niiiiccceee...... Thank you very much sir!

[@superglue46]

Nice.

[@saturnmedia1]

@@JJCCENG Keep up the good content! You’ll get a lot more subs! May I ask, have you gotten any inspiration from A.V.E?

[@JJCCENG]

@@saturnmedia1 Thanks for the support man. Actually, I'm kind of embarrassed to say that I didn't know who AVE was until someone put it in the comments of an earlier video. Now that I know who he is, I'm humbled that you guys are seeing similarities.

[@recoveryrider6183]

Reminds me of childhood. Is it broke?, No!, then why did you tear it apart? . To see how it worked... 😆😆

[@JJCCENG]

I didn't think about it but now you've jogged my memory...same here. Thanks for the feedback!

[@mike_t_007]

Story of my life 😁

[@joebass5163]

Guilty 🤣

[@Sarin-Q]

It's late at night and I'm drunk thoroughly invested in a channel with under 2k subs. Couldn't be happier with KZbin recommendeds.

[@JJCCENG]

Lol... Cheers!

[@Sarin-Q]

@@JJCCENG Love finding small KZbinrs who really make high quality content. You're definitely one of them! Looking forward to your success.

[@JJCCENG]

@@Sarin-Q Thanks for the kind words.... working on the next vid now. I'm not posting enough to get the algorithms ramping up in my favor but planning to change that soon.

[@psilocin9533]

I'm late but still impressed by the size of that motor. Good shit man.

[@DiligentDave1966]

Great tool to keep in your vehicle for emergency situations. The new one is even more powerful.

[@flyboy2610]

The "A" mode stands for automatic. When in automatic in forward, the tool can be used as a ratchet. When the tool senses that impacts are occurring, it shuts the tool off. You can use A mode for things such as starting lug nuts on a vehicle. The tool will run the lug nuts down snug, but won't impact them, preventing over tightening and stretching and cracking the wheel studs. Which would be bad.

[@JJCCENG]

That's a cool feature. Great info!

[@ripjones5294]

Just saw this video. Emerson/TTI/Ridgid really do some good engineering build. Yeah, the fan being aluminum, also means it acts also like a little heatsink, as well as a fan. Also, the bearing sits in contact, so the fan keeps the bearing "happy". Good video...

[@jpulley]

I’m bored and its literally 3:33 am. You hit it right on the head in the opening.

[@JJCCENG]

"Nailed it"!!

[@derylstrong230]

Really awesome video. Seeing the product disassembled and analyzed is extremely interesting. I have that wrench, along with its monster sibling the R86211. I've love to see that beast torn down!!

[@frankmiller95]

Nice job. The "A" power function is designed to prevent over tightening and at the same time to stop the motor, despite a depressed trigger, once and a bolt or nut has been broken free. Very clever. Just discovered this after having had one of these for over a year. Very nice little tool and with a square drive to 1/4 inch adapter will serve as a drill/driver with 1/4 inch hex end bits in a pinch.

[@JJCCENG]

Great info, thanks!

[@brettadams417]

The a is for automatic…when in reverse it will cycle from max power for initial break out force to completely stop even with the trigger still pulled so you don’t fling whatever it is across the job sit and conserves power as well. Very informative!! Do more break downs on there other models and equipment as well as other brands. Best wishes!!

[@JJCCENG]

Thanks for the great info and suggestions!

[@frankmiller95]

You beat me to it.

[@trippleHelixV2]

Amazing breakdown work… very impressive knowledge base on seemingly all fronts. Brilliant

[@JJCCENG]

Very kind words, thank you.

[@ryancheco4794]

this thing is super powerful and compact almost got it for the value buy i had to go with more compact and slightly more powerful Milwaukee stubby 3/8 impact wrench. The battery is tiny but stores a lot of energy and the brand is probably a little more reliable too.

[@diabeticpanda8979]

You know they are both owned bu the same company

[@alobo75]

Great break down. Precise information. I own a few of the Ridgid cordless tools (around 20 now) and been wanting to get my hands on one of this chubby little impact wrenches I’ll get it tomorrow for sure. Thanks for the info brother . Greatly appreciated

[@JJCCENG]

Glad it was helpful. Anytime!

[@chrono25]

Great video. Gives appreciation to the tools we use. I just got this sub compact impact wrench a few days ago and it's been great. Pairs well next to the mid torque Octane Brushless 1/2" Ridgid Impact Wrench. A design review on that one would be great!

[@JJCCENG]

Thanks for the suggestion!

[@Fu3R4]

This video is making me more comfortable with my purchase of this thing. Wanted milwaukee, but thats a bit too much. Love the vid man.

[@JJCCENG]

Thanks for the feedback! I think you made a good choice... my Rigids have been the most durable electrical tool I've ever owned.

[@MiguelArcangelVilled]

Wtf how did you know? It's 3:07am 😂😂😂 dude your legit 🤣

[@JJCCENG]

lol... I know myself so figured any people nerdy enough to be into this stuff would be similar. Thanks for the comment bro!

[@kr4t0sg.28]

I wish this model came in a 12v. The 12v battery is like the size of the Milwaukee m12.

[@waterman308]

Ha. It is 3 am... Very well done. I work for HD p/t in tools and so this is very helpful to me for when I talk to customers. I've thought that rigid is fairly well made with most products with some useful and innovative features. Your review confirmed that

[@JJCCENG]

Yes, Rigid tools really are well made.. Thanks for the kind words and glad the information was useful.

[@rickygraham8838]

My Lt. in the National Guard was an engineer for Ridgid. He said thy drop then from 30 feet , if it breaks , they re-design it.

[@JJCCENG]

That is one hell of a design goal... drop tests are brutal... 30ft is amazing no wonder they are so durable.

[@vjays9298]

Awesome Tech review!! Ridgid tool owner here-got the impact driver/drill combo set 2 batteries & charger!

[@JJCCENG]

Sweet! I doubt you'll be disappointed. Glad you liked the content!

[@galvanizedgnome]

me watching in the video: "open the tool... open the tool... open it...."

[@JJCCENG]

Yeah, I realize that looking back now "shut up and get on with it" lol....

[@tmegow]

Great review !! would love to see your breakdown of the Bosch “Freak” the C version

[@jaeyouarekillingme]

How is this guy not more popular

[@JJCCENG]

Thanks for the kind words. One reason is I don't post often enough to be "in the algorithm".

[@vanman_fr]

Other than like he said he doesn't upload often its because his actual knowledge of tools is very limited. I don't mean to bash him he's not stupid but his experience in engineering doesn't translate very well to tools his knowledge is good in some ways but in other ways not so much. there are just a lot of things he says that to me sound very dumb not because he's dumb it's just his lack of knowledge in the subject like comparing the impact wrench to the drill and being impressed by the size difference yes the impact is impressive but he is way over stating it you can not compare the two they work very differently impacts don't need nearly as much torque from the motor as drills do and that's just the start of the problem with comparing them you can't do it. Do keep in mind that I'm just going based on his older videos I haven't seen his newer ones yet

[@JJCCENG]

All true. I'm doing tools because that's what people keep asking for but my knowledge is of electro mechanical products more generally. I never aimed at the tool guys but that community seems to care alot about technical details so glad to have some crossover interest.

[@JamieHara]

Great video and breakdown. I like your unique perspective on how it was made and how well it was engineered. I was watching this at 3:10am. I wish I had more constructive criticism or suggestions. Maybe some demonstrations, but there’s plenty of videos like that. You earned my subscription. Buying this ASAP.

[@JJCCENG]

I'm stoked you liked it man! Thanks for the suggestions and the Sub! Better luck sleeping tonight... (unless you work at night 😁)

[@kevinterry5746]

Great video - I will be watching more of your content. I appreciate the tear down and in-depth commentary like describing items such as glass filled plastic and planet/ring gears.

[@JJCCENG]

Awesome to hear! Thanks for the detailed feedback.

[@brynnond.6952]

I thought my Milwaukee M12 stubby impact was small until you tore apart this ridgid apart

[@JJCCENG]

Seriously... Absolutely crazy how much power they can cram into a tiny package.

[@evictioncarpentry2628]

The stubby is way smaller with a battery lol

[@Osprey1994]

@@evictioncarpentry2628 The only part of the stubby that is smaller is the bottom. The head of the stubby is wider and longer. Pretty sure the Milwaukee is also more powerful and it sounds like they won't give you trouble for warranty work.

[@nguyent2477]

M12 Stubby very good 👍

[@tonywong9095]

Great teardown and analysis. Impressive miniaturization by Ridgid, I bought the combo on sale and it's so small and light. The biggest disappointment is Ridgid's overinflated claims of torque. Watch Builds & Stuff's review of the AEG equivalent (AEG 18v Subcompact Impact Driver and Drill VS HiKOKI, Makita, Milwaukee Impact Drivers). I'm guessing that this unit produces around 1100 inch pounds rather than 1800.

[@JJCCENG]

Thanks for the kind words and info... great stuff!

[@GarenP]

As you've probably figured out by now, the "A" is for Auto mode. It tries to be "smart" and in loosening mode will prevent you from completely zipping off the fastener. In tightening mode, it helps you spin on the fastener and once it starts to get tight, stops impacting to prevent you from over tightening. Would love to see a tear-down of the more popular Ridgid mid-torque too.

[@JJCCENG]

Sounds like they must have some feedback loop sensors then, or at least amp draw monitoring. Great info! I've made a note of the Mid-torque, thanks for the suggestion.

[@GarenP]

@@JJCCENG Yeah! I am really curious how they pulled that off. In a review I read on shoptoolreviews.com they say the auto-tightening stops at about 40 ft-lbs. One of my remaining gear-nerd wishes is that you could program the torque setting on the tool - this would be useful when tightening a lot of fasteners that need to be at the same torque spec. Probably hoping for too much there though..

[@JJCCENG]

@@GarenP That would be awesome for sure. The way tech is moving that will probably be a feature in future generations of this product in a couple years.

[@Heretic306]

Loving seeing the inner workings of this unit, kinda like an AvE BOLTR, but without the colloquial inflammatory language. Not tea bag partner. I'm subscribed, can't wait to see the next review.

[@JJCCENG]

Thanks for the high praise! Just finished recording the Milwaukee M18, should have it posted up soon.

[@arnolds4724]

Nice video just ordered this impact wrench and was really curious on the power of it. not anymore thanks for the great info.

[@kevinaweseom2866]

225 am! Good call im at work too

[@lazerlinec1770]

Just found you thumbs up subscribed wow this is amazing.

[@JJCCENG]

Glad you liked it!

[@AlmightyyCres]

i bought the 1/2 version and love it packs a punch

[@JJCCENG]

Good to hear! Thanks for the feedback.

[@TheShoelaceBandit]

Do we finally have someone trying to fill AVE's big shoes. It's about time. I don't know why he stopped doing tool teardown.

[@JJCCENG]

Ave is the best. Thanks for the high praise... I might get their one day.

[@wyattprothro7443]

The first video of your I've seen and loved it! Serious question tho in your opinion what is the best brand that you've reviewed as far as build quality in the battery powered drill market? Im hoping you'll say ridgid because I'm a ridgid owner and fan but am genuinely curious. Most people only judge by specs features and price but not by actual build quality.

[@JJCCENG]

From a mechanical build quality aspect, i have been the most impressed by Rigid, Bosch and Milwaukee. my personal tools are Rigid and ive abused them for 15 years. 1 of the batteries lasted 10 years. Thanks for the kind words.

[@InsuranceIsLegalizedRobbery]

10:05 your drill driver’s torque mode select is set on (drill mode)

[@JJCCENG]

Good eye... i guess i really never use the clutch setting now that i think about it... i tend to use my finger to modulate the torque... which means i strip threads on occasion :)

[@Deerector]

great review... easy to listen to. good energy, you have. Keep Ridgid reviews coming my man... You just got another like and sub

[@JJCCENG]

Really appreciate it man. Will do!

[@spencer1244]

Wow it’s an outrunner motor ! Weird lol something like you’d see on a racing drone or rc plane

[@JJCCENG]

Yep, the tech from the high end hobbies are filtering down into consumer products... seeing it across a number of industries.

[@stevegillespie6424]

Good stuff. I'm invested in Ridgid. Good to see the praise on quality, on the inside. #192

[@JJCCENG]

Ridgid has never failed me no mater how much I abuse them. Thanks so much for the subscribe!

[@noelestabrooks9040]

I would be interested in seeing the hammer mechanism in hammer drills explained (if you have a spare hammer drill, of course). Great vid btw.

[@JJCCENG]

Good idea. Thanks for the feedback. I did cover some-what in a little more detail is this 12V Ridgid Episode: kzbin.info/www/bejne/mHO9Z6Cjqa2VgcU ....but I should do a more in-depth explanation as well.

[@mfill5043]

Dude, I loved your tear down review! 72nd Sub I would absolutely Love to see you do more Ridgid tools! Also Definitely check out the M12 stuff.

[@JJCCENG]

Sick to hear it man.. glad you liked it! Thanks for the suggestions. Just picked up an M18... and will probably work my way through the M product line. More Ridgid stuff on the way also.

[@mfill5043]

Can't wait!

[@nigel8649]

Can you do a review of Girapow and Enegitech 1/2" Impacts from Amazon please?

[@JJCCENG]

Sure, I have added them to my list to review. I've been really curious about the amazon stuff but nobody asked for them so thanks for the suggestion!

[@ChunkyMonkaayyy]

Too bad they couldn’t put a battery in the handle and get rid of that big part at the bottom like Milwaukee does.

[@JJCCENG]

I agree. Just got done with my M18 teardown and it's small battery profile is impressive. Thanks for the comment.

[@firstlast5139]

Informative tear down...did you just buy the Ridgid 3/8 Impact Wrench? If possible do a tear down of two other Ridgid Sub Compact tools - 1/2" Drill and the 1/4" Impact Driver. Nice combo buy at Xmas..buy kit and get free tool, so all three tools for $199 with batteries and charger! Thanks

[@JJCCENG]

Thanks for the feedback! Yes, I only bought the one, not the combo package; but thanks to the suggestions like yours, I plan on working my way through the Rigid product line.

[@ycdouble1]

Only wish ridgid comes up with a subcompact battery to match it.

[@JJCCENG]

Agreed. That gigantic battery really takes away from how small a space it could fit into.

[@michaelhodge9902]

The ridgid cordless compact impact wrench has a outer rotor brushless dc motor.

[@tjm3900]

Please do a teardown on some Tackline tools, they are all over Amazon. Big ????? On quality They seem very keen to get reviews.

[@JJCCENG]

Thanks for the suggestion. I have added them to my list.

[@NelsonRodriguez-kk8hg]

I really enjoy your tear down and your detailed explanation of the product. I will keep watching your videos. If you can get your hands on the Ridgid high torq octane impact wrench 1/2 inch that would be awesome to do a side comparison with the Milwaukee high impact wrench and explain why is the ridgid more powerful.

[@JJCCENG]

You are the 3rd or 4th person to ask for a teardown of that product so I am putting it at the top of my list. Thanks for the feedback and suggestion!

[@iamrebeltech]

Very well explained, great video. You've just earned a sub. Good luck and more power.

[@JJCCENG]

Much appreciated! More coming soon.

[@lexsteel12]

You mentioned in this video that you are a pro product design engineer? I was just curious, as to which type of products you might be able to hint you've been involved in designing? And I am also curious to know your thoughts, since you are a pro product design engineer, as to how would you improve these tools, such as the rigid sub-compact you reviewed, or any of the other well-known tools from the well-known tool companies? How would you design the tool, improve performance, and or, power? Would smaller tools have the same power level as their big brothers, or perhaps, an all-new design for the tool? What kind of electronics do you see can improve the performance of the tool? Thank you for the review. You've earned a sub.

[@JJCCENG]

Thanks for the comment. Most of the products I have designed fall under the Sport Fishing Accessories Category and they all had electric motors with gear boxes and drivetrains... mechanisms and construction was similar to many common tools that I review. It's hard to say how they could be improved becasue most products go through a rigorous development process to learn the weaknesses. These products were also designed by professionals over the course of years so it would be hard for me to say that they were poorly designed based on the price point. I will say that I was most impressed by the design details of the Bosch Impactor and the least impressed by the Hyper Tough from Walmart.

[@thesandman775]

"People bored at 3am" Holyyyy, how'd he know?!

[@JJCCENG]

Because I know me :)

[@bluemantom77]

I like your break down when you compare this to hyper tough from Walmart I had a DeWalt impact that's set up the same way obviously much bigger and it was such a long time ago the battery platform was nicad I have seen a few Makita tools set up the same way I have even seen a few milwaukee tools who is owed by TTI who manufactures this impact driver for Emerson through a license agreement the molds are AEG except for a subcompact one I haven't seen it yet with the AEG brand that's owned by TTI they own Ryobi away just to help you out

[@JJCCENG]

Thanks for all the great info. Glad you liked it. Milwaukee Fuel M18 coming next!

[@mediumgrey8674]

I love this kind of content.

[@JJCCENG]

Awesome to hear. Thanks for the feedback!

[@darrenmcquade215]

Loved the review, glad i've recently started to add Ridgid to my arsenal. Now to check out what other reviews you have.

[@JJCCENG]

Appreciate the kind words. Hope you find the others helpful... new ones coming soon!

[@darrenmcquade215]

@@JJCCENG Cant wait, Wold be interesting to see the comparison of Ridgid VS Milwaukee Since both are part of TTI company. Say the 1/2 impact mid torque models. :) Just to see how different or the same they are.

[@JJCCENG]

@@darrenmcquade215 Great suggestion! Sounds very intriguing to me as well. Thanks!

[@hrhservicesllchrhlawncare2298]

Awesome learning experience brother. Earned your 96 sub here! Thank you for your time and knowledge.

[@JJCCENG]

So glad you enjoyed it. I didn't know if anyone was going to be interested in what I could bring to the table so thanks for the support and the Sub! More to come!

[@chicox37]

More Ridgid new power tools.

[@JJCCENG]

Yes sir. thanks for the suggestion!

[@acecabezon]

Pretty good video -- would love to see some torque measurements and testing. Also how the mechanisms work, e.g. the impact piece. Like the discussion of the plastics, etc.

[@JJCCENG]

Thanks for the feedback man.

[@michaelhodge9902]

Can you do a teardown video about the lows craftsman cordless nail gun to see the engineering went into it.

[@JJCCENG]

I will add it to my list. Thanks for the suggestion!

[@carlosenriquerivas2933]

Great video.

[@JJCCENG]

Much appreciated!

[@emmanueljames6669]

Amazing video good to have someone like you with the experience to review products by the quality of the manufacturer For your next video you should compare the Milwaukee to the ridgid or even other brands since Milwaukee is the top dog at the moment

[@JJCCENG]

Great idea. Others have suggested similar comparisons so I'm going to have to do that. Thanks for the suggestion and kind words... more to come!

[@WhalerGA]

Would love to see some Bauer product from Harbor Freight. I liked your Hercules 12v impact wrench review. I wouldn't mind paying the very small upcharge for Hercules vs Bauer, but Bauer has a much more complete product line. I don't own any of either yet. Good luck with your channel.

[@JJCCENG]

Thanks for the kind words. I have been curious about Bauer myself and how it stacks up against the other HF brands.... Good idea.

[@JJCCENG]

Just picked up a Bauer 20v impact.... Basically 5 bucks cheaper than Hercules.... Interested to see what it it looks like on the inside.

[@teirvin]

Love it!

[@JJCCENG]

Thanks!!

[@wesleyhites02gt19]

Would you be able to take apart the Rigid mid sized 1/2 impact wrench? I believe it’s somewhere around 600ft-lbs of torque. That would be cool to see how tiny the motor is.

[@JJCCENG]

You are the 3rd or 4th person to ask for 1/2 Rigid Impact so I am definitely putting it on my list. Thanks for the suggestion!

[@Osprey1994]

Great stuff, I know Milwaukee is expensive but it would be awesome to see.

[@JJCCENG]

Thanks for the suggestion, I actually just got done recording the M18 review, should be up soon. Thanks for the Sub!

[@LUISTHEBOOTYCLAPPER]

Try ridgid subcompact impact love the video new subscriber

[@JJCCENG]

Roger that. Thanks for the suggestion and sub!!

[@nguyent2477]

M12 Stubby very strong # Only Milwaukee 👍🇺🇸

[@JJCCENG]

Got the M18 coming soon. Thanks for the comment!

[@JasonNortwich]

Awesome video!! Subbed

[@JJCCENG]

Thanks so much dude!

[@Dicofol1]

Can you give the head dimensions of Ridgid 18V Sub-Compact Brushless Impact Wrench I can't even find it on the Rigid website? Thank you.

[@JJCCENG]

Sorry, I would but I no longer have this unit.

[@J-TAB]

great video ......can you do the new high torque impact from ridgid

[@JJCCENG]

Yes, I have added it to my list. Thanks for the feedback?

[@YoungNakMedia]

When will you start your onlyfans page? I would love to see you strip more rigid impact drivers. Maybe a hammer drill exclusive 😉

[@JJCCENG]

lol.. you win most unexpected comment... glad people are enjoying the content... more stuff coming this week.

[@rocketman121]

Design review an Ego battery please!

[@JJCCENG]

Thanks for the suggestion! I have added it to my list.

[@ToolswithSoAlz]

I didn't really like how you kept comparing it to a very poorly made Hyper Tough tool. Outside of that, very nice video.

[@JJCCENG]

I had actually considered editing most of that out since it didn't really have a practical point, just a curious observation really. You're the first one to notice.. Thanks for the feedback!

[@donmoloney8478]

Nice teardown. I think at least using it purposefully once would help to put the teardown in context.

[@JJCCENG]

I was trying save $ by buying the driver-only package but I see your point. Thanks!

[@kartboarder22g17]

Very impressive what Rigid is displaying here. A lot of metal use here, excellent plastic too. Makes Ryobi's new impact wrench look pathetic. Plastic use all over in Ryobi's. I feel Ryobi is trying to move Rigid up and Ryobi down to very DIY and Ridgid more into the Pro area.

[@JJCCENG]

I agree. I believe Ryobi is also owned by Home Depot like Ridgid so it would make sense that they want to have different brands to compete at multiple price points.

[@kartboarder22g17]

@@JJCCENG No Ryobi isn't owned by HD. They must have contracts/negotiations to sell Ridgid/Ryobi at their stores with TTI, just like TTI has a contract with Walmart to sell and produce Hart tools. Personally I own a lot of Ryobi tools and they work great, I'm just not impressed with this new HP line that just came out like some others are. At least not with plastic head impacts. The other new HP tools are meh for me. It's just disturbing to me that they seem to be going more crapy then what was shown here with the Ridgid. I now also own 2 M12 tools and the high torque 1/2" impact wrench for M18. This will allow me to get quality tools when I need them and Ryobi tools for smaller jobs etc.

[@JJCCENG]

@@kartboarder22g17 Very interesting. I've been wanting to tear down a Milwaukee for some time now... They seem to be the standard of professional quality... So would be cool to see how Bosch and Ridgids compare.

[@bread-gz3rl]

Do you manage to get these things back together

[@JJCCENG]

Yes, so far all the items on this channel have been put back to normal working order.

[@jayfrancis7731]

“People bored at 3am” How did you know

[@JJCCENG]

lol... I just know myself I guess

[@h8GW]

I hope you're doing well since I haven't seen much activity on the channel, but your quick teardowns compress a lot of good info into down. I don't subscribe often, but I did to you and I hope you can release more good content. Question though (if you're still around to answer): why does the battery regulating PCB contain potting but the motor one doesn't? Is the motor PCB engineered to withstand more shock?

[@JJCCENG]

Thanks for the kind words... it really is nice to hear that there are people who value this weird niche type stream of consciousness commentary. My house has been under remodel for better part of year so I lost my recording area... I intend to get back into it harder than ever as soon as I have a recording space again. On the potting, (1) the battery I took apart in another video is much older than this impact wrench so batteries could be potted now. (2) batteries are meant to be replaced much more often than the driver itself both becasue of the limits of battery chemistry and also the profit motive of continuous replacement revenue... so this could be built in obsolescence or simply a shorter time frame durability design goal due to the chemistry degradation... Thanks so much for the Sub!

[@h8GW]

Oh, I didn't mean about the usually bare PCBs you find in battery packs, which I would refer to as a BMS, but the module you're holding at 15:51. I'm just curious on why that's potted when the PCB that controls the brushless motor isn't, as I'd imagine the motor PCB gets stressed _far more,_ being on the drivechian. Anyway, thanks for replying and I'm glad you're doing okay!

[@JJCCENG]

@@h8GW ahh, yes.. that is a good question.. possibly its a less critical circuit board to basic function or the much smaller mass is less prone to impact failure. great observation.

[@davidmayorga2734]

That circuit board, right behind the motor and all that heat. Is that a good idea?

[@JJCCENG]

Thermal management is one of the primary design aspects of a circuit board, they plan for peak surrounding heat as well the heat generated by the board itself from the current flowing through it and a host of others.... also they probably only put the necessary components on that board and left the more sensitive components like the processor on the big main board down below. great question.

[@fumanpoo4725]

I am bored, but it's 4 am...I got diarrhea...and I gotta be at work at 7 am.

[@brendapham4636]

Awesome video! I learn a lot from your content. Is it possible that you go over more parts of the product next time (like the trigger)?

[@JJCCENG]

So I was wondering if some would want more detail since I did skip over some of the parts that I thought were less interesting. I think I can do that. Thanks for the feedback!

[@brendapham4636]

@@JJCCENG Thanks so much! I really appreciate the time you take to make these videos. I'm also a mechanical engineer but I'm early in my career. This has helped a lot.

[@JJCCENG]

@@brendapham4636 Wow.. Awesome to hear... people like you were actually the intended target audience for this series... a while back I tried to find internet content to make a training program for the junior engineers and new hires to help reduce the long learning curve for successful product design, but I couldn't find the type of content I was looking for so I started this teardown series and figured other new or aspiring engineers would find it helpful too... then the tool guys started loving it so I have been doing mostly tools... but really the scope is anything mechanical.

[@brendapham4636]

@@JJCCENG That's funny because I was actually trying to convince my boss that we should have a monthly teardown of an interesting product....and that's how I eventually came across your youtube videos.. My idea was to get any interesting product from a second hand store and sit down as a group to look at it. I'm a mid level engineer at an engineer consulting company and we're looking to hire young engineers. I wanted to make sure we had educational things in place, like what you're doing, so that they (and myself) don't get lost in the weeds. Consulting is hard because there's not enough time for young engineers to learn unless you make time.

[@JJCCENG]

@@brendapham4636 What a great idea for the young Engineers to teardown products themselves... they get to see what success looks like without taking much time away from the higher ups... I might have to take that ;). If there are any specific technical subjects you think would help your company, let me know. I have been wanting to start another series to condense down a complex technical topic into the main bullets like 5 minutes "Rapid Engineering Answers" or some such.... like material selection, or manufacturing process selection...

[@TheShoelaceBandit]

Failure point. Try to identify the failure point of the tools when you tear them down.

[@JJCCENG]

Most of these tools aren't broken but I guess I could take my most educated guess on where the weakest point might be. Thanks for the suggestion!

[@chunkyloverMC]

a couple subscribers, and random pop ins

[@johnargumaniz9179]

This guy is like a well mannered AVE

[@JJCCENG]

Very high praise... much appreciated.

[@nigel8649]

Is the housing Fiberglass reinforced 30%? 430am.

[@JJCCENG]

Yes it is made of 30% glass and roughly 70% Nylon. However, The term Fiberglass is typically reserved for non-meltable base polymers like Epoxy, Vinylester or Polyester Resins. Also, the glass fiber is typically it's own independent fabric(substrate) made of long interwoven fibers that make up the majority of the weight. In the case of the housing part, the base polymer is meltable nylon, the fibers are very short and only make up 30% of the weight, and the glass is mixed in with the nylon before the part is made. So in this case we call it "Glass-Filled" or "Glass Reinforced" Plastic and not "Fiberglass" per say. Nice to see another night owl :). Thanks for the question!

[@newdeathscope]

Great job. Could I send you some more tools to look at?

[@JJCCENG]

I hadn't thought about it; but I don't see why not. I haven't figured out how to do private messages on youtube but if you can share your email address in a reply ill delete it as soon as i see it. Thanks!

[@newdeathscope]

@@JJCCENG i hope you got my email. I haven't gotten one from you yet

[@newdeathscope]

@@JJCCENG i think that KZbin is auto deleting emails. If you add one to your about page I should be able to see it

[@JJCCENG]

@@newdeathscope Thanks for the heads up... I have added an email address to my about section.

[@newdeathscope]

I hope you got my email. Sent one the other day.

[@TechTokOffical]

None of these small impacts matter if the battery hanging off the bottom is bigger than the whole tool,and to date milwaukee is the only company that has a sub-compact with a 12v battery that still packs a 18v punch. Esp now that their 12v has a high output stick battery

[@JJCCENG]

Yep, the tiny little battery on the Milwaukee 18v surge is a huge selling point for me

[@mistergeff]

1 2 3 and A settings,A for automatic

[@JJCCENG]

Thanks for sharing so people know. I figured it probably meant that after I posted the vid but forgot to mention in the description.

[@markmccormack1796]

Better than the M12 Milwaukee 3/8 stubby impact wrench?

[@JJCCENG]

Hard to say. The Milwaukee does have that nice quiet impact tech.

[@Surfbeagle381]

Way too long you repeated yourself without adding anything new very informative and really neat to learn about the details of how and why they might have done what they did

[@JJCCENG]

Can't argue with your there.... trying to get out of the habit. Thanks for the feedback!

[@lanebigham6570]

I don't give a damn about that impact driver what I want to know is where to get a battery for that black and decker drill

[@JJCCENG]

Amazon but haven't found 1 that doesn't absolutely suck

[@cowboy41231]

Stupid with the massive battery , stick a m12 slim cp3.0 in that and it would be badass

[@JJCCENG]

I'm going to have to review a M12 or a M18 for my next tear-down... so many people talking about them, they must be good.

[@dtester]

If you have no other requirements other than be as small as possible, then the Milwaukee stubby line is probably the best choice. But if you are an existing owner of that family of batteries then it's nice to have options. A potential new buyer might be just fine with the lighter weight and smaller head to be good enough and they also want options of buying other full size tools in the same battery family.

[@JJCCENG]

@@dtester Good point. I just picked up the M18 and it's battery is nice and compact for tight spaces, but I am all-in on the Rigid tool family so, like you said, doesn't really make sense to make the switch in my case.

[@joemamma6162]

Sacrifice u make to have all the same battery line that works in all the tools. LIFETIME warranty. Ridgid all the way.

[@WHATDATTOOLDO]

Ridgid has a 12 volt battery it was a no brainier to put it in this...

[@jacobjche]

Well first of all... I have a youtube channel..... kay..lol

[@JJCCENG]

Glad you liked it!

[@legobuildingsrewiew7538]

Can we get into contact somehow? Im a starting student in Robotics and Engineering and I would like to talk to you about an idea I have!

[@JJCCENG]

Sure. I put my email in a comment on your channel. If you don't see it let me know; some people's notifications settings don't alert them to all types of comments.

[@legobuildingsrewiew7538]

@@JJCCENG Thank you for your quick response. I dont see it but I accessed the settings and if you comment again I should be able to see it now!

[@JJCCENG]

@@legobuildingsrewiew7538 Just commented it again. If you still don't see it, try looking manually in the "discussion" tab of your YT channel homepage.

[@TheGaryNinja]

Hey how is holding up today?

[@JJCCENG]

I don't have this 18v model anymore but both my 12 volt driver and impact are still kicking after 15 years.

[@intheshopnyc849]

Kill a SKIL brushless 12v LOL 😂💯👍

[@johnavi]

Can you take guns apart for us?

[@JJCCENG]

I think KZbin has new restrictions on showing guns taken apart... They call it showing how to modify... But I can look into more. I have plenty to take apart lol

[@ACoustaDC]

That is an impact wrench, not impact driver.

[@JJCCENG]

That is correct; good catch Still kicking myself becasue I knew the difference but just miss-spoke.

[@ACoustaDC]

@@JJCCENG well I thoroughly enjoyed your knowledge of the product. I recently purchased this impact. I'm still within my return window and kind of deciding whether or not to keep it. I only have one two amp hour rigid battery so that may be the deciding factor for returning it. You seem fairly competent in your knowledge. I think the view count would go up if you could make your information just a little bit tighter. But I did enjoy seeing all the little aspects of this amazingly powered little device. Thanks again

[@JJCCENG]

@@ACoustaDC Thanks for the feedback!

[@johnargumaniz9179]

Garbage. Milwaukee m12 stubby makes more power in a 12v platform and doesn’t look stupid because an over sized battery

[@legros731]

This small ass motor need the 18 volt to make the power on 12volt it will be pathetically underpowered