Everything it's supposed to be

I'd read many positive magazine reviews and owner reviews for this driver before I ordered it. I expected the best, and so far, it's been a real treat. But not in the way I anticipated. ^M
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For the past 15 years, I've been successfully using my Panasonic cordless drills as drivers, because they "can." I suspect that they're strong enough to "turn some of the cheaper cordless drills backwards..." But, due to the unfortunate economics of battery replacement, I usually replace them when the battery stops taking a charge. I've never "worn out" or broken any of my Panasonic cordless drills. ^M
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But back to the driver... it has a completely different operating "feel" than any cordless drill (which, in retrospect, should have been obvious to me). And it's taken some getting used to. For example, it doesn't want to bog down when pushed to its limit. It just keeps plugging away, trying to further seat the fastener. I initially had to be careful, to keep it from overtightening the work. (I also spun off a few screw heads). But after a brief trial and error period, and experimenting with the different clutch settings and speeds, I became much more familiar with its capabilities. And it automatically became a much more valuable tool. Now, I almost exclusively use this driver to drive and loosen fasteners. My other cordless drills are relegated to doing actual "drilling." ^M
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All in all, it's a super tool. Especially if your work tends to be mostly fastening.^M
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And by the way, I had to read the manual to figure out what that lever "thing" was, on the bottom of the handgrip.

Good driver

Versatile, light, great batteries and charger; jury's still out on durability. Despite what the prior reviewer says, though, it probably won't knock the lug nuts off your old truck unless they're heavily greased -- this driver tops out at about 88 ft*lb. That's pretty good for this type gadget but definitely not for an automotive rattle gun.

Down with America!

First off, don't even think about buying an American made impact driver. Japanese products, as everyone knows are made better than American products - the same goes for power tools. ^M
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Some people swear by Hilti, and Dewalt and other such 'Merican power tools. These are the same people that are convinced that a Ford F150 is more reliable than a Toyota Tacoma.^M
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The Japanese just make better products. With that said, I must say that this gun spanks ANY other product out there. The closest competition is the Hitachi line of impact drivers. True, Hitachi invented this type of driver, but Panasonic seems to have improved and refined it. The Panasonic boasts a useful headlight, yes it is helpful! It has a digital clutch so u can easily dial in your settings, gentle for drywall/finishing, middle for framing, and max for ripping the lug nuts off of your Toyota Tacoma (or Ford F150). Yes its true, attach the 3/4 square socket attachment, and tear off bolts with ease. And the pound them back on! Impressive to say the least!^M
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The power is more than there, need to drill a hole, pop in a drill bit, need to bore, add a spade, the hammer action of the gun just rips through anything! One of the best parts about the set up is the superior battery life, the Hitachi can't compare here. Panasonic is a leader in the battery industry and has the advantage here with the 3.5amp pattery packs. This gun is ready for work.^M
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It feels good in the hand, light weight enough so that you'll easlly forget its in one of your tool belt pockets. After you get this you'll have no need for a regular drill again, there is no comparison!