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Cyber Tools 21V Brushless Impact Driver: A Hands-On Review
The power tool market is as fierce as ever, with every brand trying to one-up each other with tweaks to original designs, or on some occasions, actually bringing something new to the table. This has to be one of the hardest industries to break into as a startup. Yet, that is exactly what Cyber Tools is doing: shaking up the market with a brand new design.
The Cyber Tools 21-volt impact driver is new to the scene and it is as solid a piece of equipment as I’ve ever seen. Adding an impact driver to your toolbox is one of the ultimate hacks you can make, and we are going to take a look at how the Cyber Tools 21V Brushless impact driver stacks up to the crowd.
First Impressions
First impressions tend to be the most important impressions, so here’s what we thought of the tool in the first five minutes.
Unboxing Experience
The Cyber Tools impact driver was shipped in a high-quality plastic case with positive locking clamps. No cheaping out here; it is a case that will serve the owner well for years to come. There are plenty of other manufacturers who will send it in a cardboard box and call it good. Listen, if you want to be competitive and be a major player in the power tools market, you need to act like it. Cyber Tools definitely exceeded my expectations with the packaging.
The kit shipped with a hard plastic case, impact driver with belt hook, two 2,000 milliampere batteries (equivalent to 2.0 aH battery), and a charger.
Design & Build Quality
How does this machine feel?
- Weight & balance: it is a surprisingly compact design. Compared to a brushed-motor impact driver like my Ryobi 18V unit here, it is very compact. With a battery installed, it weighs in at 3lbs, 4oz so it is not exactly a featherweight. However, my Ryobi brushless 18V impact driver weighs in at 3lbs 6ozs, and the brushed motor Ryobi is 3lbs 10oz.
- Grip comfort & ergonomics: the ergonomic design of the Cyber Tools is very good. It handles well and feels great in the hand. It is also very well balanced.
- Visual appeal: I am mixed on this one. The gray and black is very drab, but it is a tool. One thing I like about brightly colored tools is that they are a lot easier to find when I set them down during a job and can’t remember where I put them! With that said, there is nothing wrong with the colors. The visual feature I like the most is the halo/ring light instead of a single LED or an LED triangle used on many competitors, the halo light gives a nice, even glow and since it is around the chuck, it actually shines light directly on the screw or object you are using it on.
Key Features of the Cyber Tools Impact Driver
Alright, so let’s talk about key features of the Cyber Tools impact driver.
Brushless Motor Technology
This impact driver uses a brushless motor, which means that the wire and the magnets are reversed from a brushed motor common to traditional power tools. Brushless motors are much more compact and more efficient than brushed motors, making them a natural choice for power tools.
A brushless motor eliminates brushes and the commutator. It also reverses the position of the copper windings and the magnets. Magnets are then mounted on the motor shaft on a brushless motor while the copper windings are on the armature around the shaft. Unfortunately, this does not make for a simpler motor since it has to be electronically controlled, but it does make for a fantastic motor for power tools.
In my real-world test, I took the Cyber Tools 21V impact driver against a comparable brushless unit and a brushed unit, both of which are full-size units with 2.0aH batteries. The results were pretty staggering; the Ryobi units didn’t hold a candle to the Cyber Tools impact driver. It was faster, clearly more powerful, while still being a substantially lighter overall unit.
21-Volt Battery Power
The Cyber Tools impact driver uses what has been coined the “North American Standard” battery. A 21V unit, these tools are fully compatible with the Makita line of batteries, so if you already have a collection of Makita batteries on hand, they will work with Cyber Tools and vice versa.
A pair of 2,000mAh batteries are included with the driver so you will stay in business for a long time.
Variable Speed & Torque Control
The Cyber Tools 21V impact driver has three distinct torque functions and four speed settings.
The three torque values are keyed by an electric clutch button at the base of the handle, which is right next to the speed switch. In fact, they share the same LED indicators, although they are different colors depending on which button you are pressing.
The three different torque settings are optimized for wood, iron plate, and finally, thick iron plate.
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Speed
|
RPM
|
IPM
|
|---|---|---|
|
1st Speed
|
1500
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2000
|
|
2nd Speed
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2200
|
3000
|
|
3rd Speed
|
3000
|
3800
|
|
4th Speed
|
3700
|
4500
|
The four speed settings on this driver will do just about anything you want and give you the options to tackle just about any task you put it to. The low speed settings and torque settings let you run screws in without worrying about cracking the wood or stripping the screws. But when you need to get through something tough like running a 1” spade bit through hardwood or railroad ties (which I did and this driver ate it up like it wasn’t there).
LED Work Light
The LED lamp on power tools was one of the single greatest improvements to electric power tools ever, followed closely by the brushless motor. But not all power tools are created equal. Most of them these days have LEDs around the snout of the tool, which makes sense; you want to see where you’re working.
The Cyber Tools impact driver takes it one step further than I’ve ever seen: you use a halo light around the chuck that gives off even lighting all round the whole chuck with no dim spots. Also, the 10-second timer is great. Some tools only come on when you depress the trigger enough to function the toil. The Cyber Tools impact driver has a soft detect that triggers the light before actuating the tool so you can see your workspace before you start doing whatever you need to do.
Performance Test: Putting It to Work
Alright, so how did the Cyber Tool hold up? Really, really well. Disclaimer: I put it head-to-head against a pair of 18V Ryboi impact drivers, one brushed and one brushless, to have a sort of baseline to work against. I have been using these tools for years and am well aware of their capabilities.
Real-World Usage
I took my drivers out with a whole bunch of different types of screws and fasteners, along with a ⅜” driver adapter to run some lag bolts and nuts. Everything I have ever used an impact driver for was fair game.
My first test was 3 ½” exterior grade screws. I set the torque value down to the wood setting and went at it. As expected, these went in with ease. I selected a few different types and diameters of wood screws in various lengths to round out the assessment. The Cyber Tools driver handled them all easily without stripping screws or any other adverse effects.
I moved on to some larger SDS structural screws, the kind you use for joist hangers, post bases, etc. These went as smooth as can be with no pilot holes.
The first real test that I thought might challenge it a little were Tapcon concrete screws. I have a few laying around from an estate sale and these are great barometers of how well an impact driver functions. The Cyber Tools were flawless. I took it to the middle setting for Tapcons and it handled them easily.
I also decided to try it out on the lowest speed setting by assembling a couple of metal rolling carts. The fasteners are light and strip easily, so I figured it would be a great test to see how it did with items I don’t want to strip or ruin. The lowest speed setting was great and the clutch engaged right when the fasteners were seated. This cures my biggest complaint with impact drivers: they only have one setting, which is full power.
Finally, I took a variety of lag bolts and fastened them into a green, pressure treated fence post. No complaints, no issues, they went in fast and easy.
Pros & Cons
No tool is perfect, although some are a lot better than others.
What Stood Out
- Power-to-weight ratio—this impact driver was lighter than the Ryobi units I have on hand, but a little heavier than the Skil. However, it had the highest torque value and speed of the group of tested units.
- Battery—The battery seemed to hold up as well or better than the rest of the group, although that is speculation. I did not run them all down to zero, and all of the batteries are different ages. With that being said, the Cyber Tools battery held up great and charged fast. According to the owner’s manual, it stated approximately one hour charge time from fully depleted to fully charged, which seems on par with what I saw.
- Ergonomic design—I really like the design on this. The Skil is the closest in terms of ergonomics.
What Could Be Improved
The first thing I would improve on is the chuck. When using a spade bit and backing out from the hole, it uncoupled on its own several times. This is mostly a nuisance, but it could be improved on.
The only other thing that would make this next level would be putting a magnetic pad on it to hold screws and bits. This is not really an improvement, but it is hands-down my favorite feature of my Ryobi drills and impact drivers.
Neither of these are deal-breakers at all, and are very minor.
The Final Verdict
Okay, here we are: how did it perform, and is it worth it?
Is It Worth It?
In my opinion, this impact driver is fantastic. I loved using it, and compared to the other Big Box brands I have on hand (Skill and Ryobi), it was the best performer by a mile. For one thing, those other impact drivers are all one torque setting, one speed units. Having different power settings for different applications is awesome and I will probably never go back to any other impact driver, at least not for serious work.
Would You Recommend It?
Not only do I recommend this unit, I highly recommend it. It is light, powerful, very compact, and overall just a great unit. Also, if you already have a stash of Makita 18V batteries from their system, you can use them interchangeably.
If you are serious about your craft and are ready to step up to a Big-Boy impact driver that is compatible with a common battery brand, this is the one. Pick one up and I promise you’ll love it.
