Drills and impact drivers are two of the most common power tools used for almost anything. The main difference between impact drivers vs drills is the way that they work. This is why these two tools also have different advantages and disadvantages. Knowing the difference between these two tools can help you choose the best tool for every task at hand! By choosing the best tool every time, you will also be able to finish your work faster and/or more accurately.
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In this article, we will talk about what’s different between impact drivers and drills comprehensively. We will talk about the basics of each tool and their pros and cons. Finally, we’ll talk about when to use impact drivers vs drills.
Note: When we talk about drills in this article, we’re mostly talking about cordless drills (Ronix )!
An impact driver drives fasteners with an impacting mechanism instead of the rotational mechanism of a drill. Simply put, there is an up-and-down motion inside an impact driver which is converted to a rotational force. Imagine a hammer hitting the end of a wrench that is attached to a screwdriver which then turns a screw. Now imagine the same thing happening thousands of times more.
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In comparison to drills, impact drivers provide significantly higher torque. This is ideal for driving larger fasteners. Remember that the higher torque these tools provide doesn’t mean that they are faster necessarily.
Because of this higher torque, they can be used for driving much larger screws. To drive these types of screws with a drill, you would usually need to pre-drill a hole. This is the main benefit of impact drivers vs drills.
An impact driver delivers force through pulses rather than a continuous motion and if an impact driver gets stuck, it moves a small amount and stops every time.
If drills get stuck, on the other hand, they move in the opposite direction with much more force and cause greater kickback because of their constant rotational movement and their movement has to be stopped using an auxiliary handle to prevent hand injuries.
Stripping usually happens when there is a misalignment between the driver bit and the screw head. Stripping makes the screw unusable. Because impact drivers deliver force through short bursts rather than a continuous force, even if the bit and the screw head are misaligned, this force doesn’t go all the way at once and cause the bit to get stripped.
Impact driver bits are hex bits. You can change the bit on your driver using a quick-release sleeve and then put the new bit in almost instantly. This feature can help you switch tasks much more easily.
There’s almost no speed adjustment on impact drivers. Some drivers come with speed control triggers. Some impact drivers like Ronix could have a 3-speed selector. However, in comparison to drills speed adjustment on these tools is much inferior. This is one of the main downsides of impact drivers vs drills.
Drilling with impact drivers is technically possible using impact-rated drill bits. However, in the absence of speed adjustment on impact drivers, drilling precise holes is challenging. Drills are almost always the superior tools for this purpose, especially for materials like glass or tile. The impact driver sometimes can’t maintain a bit in place on these materials or could damage them.
The force that an impact driver produces is just too much for small screws. It can overdrive or strip these smaller screws. For turning smaller screws, a drill is an ideal choice because of its speed adjustment.
A drill or a drill driver is probably the most popular power tool out there. These tools are also extremely versatile. They are used for drilling holes of every dimension and they can be used for fastening most types of fasteners. Drills work by creating a constant rotational force. This constant rotational force is perfect for drilling holes.
One of the stark contrasts between drill drivers vs impact drivers is the fact that they usually produce a higher rotational speed while impact divers produce higher torque. This higher torque is generally better for driving fasteners while the higher rotational speed of the drills is ideal for drilling holes.
Note: In this article, when we talk about drills we mean cordless drills. This is because most of the corded (electric) drills don’t have some of the features that we are gonna talk about like the selector on the gear or the clutch.
Drills provide a constant rotational force which Is ideal for drilling precise holes. They also have a higher rotational speed. Don’t confuse rotational speed with torque. Their torque and speed can also be adjusted to match different materials. For example, you need a lower speed for drilling in metal than drilling in wood. This is the main advantage of drills vs impact drivers.
A drill comes with a gearbox selector as well as a clutch. With these features, you can adjust the torque and the speed to match the task at hand. Different tasks require different speeds. A drill’s speed control simply gives you a lot more versatility in both drilling and driving tasks.
The clutch and the gear selector on a drill allow you to adjust the speed and torque for your desired purpose. Using a drill on the low-torque and low-speed settings allows you to drive smaller screws without having to worry about stripping or overdriving the screws.
There is a larger variety of drill bits and driver bits for drills in comparison to impact drivers. You can use drills with specialized metal, concrete, or wood drilling bits. Drills can also be used with spade bits, Forstner bits, and hole saws to give just a few examples.
Drills simply provide less torque than impact drivers. This is because of the sheer force of the impact mechanism on an impact driver. Remember that impact drivers are not faster but they have more torque which helps when you need a lot of force to overcome a high amount of resistance.
When turning large fasteners, drills sometimes don’t provide enough force to overcome the resistance and sometimes they will spin in place and become misaligned, causing the screw to get stripped. This is a big disadvantage of drills vs impact drivers.
One solution to this problem is pre-drilling before driving large fasteners. Impact drivers on the other hand give you enough torque to avoid this problem altogether.
The drill bit or the screw can get stuck inside the material. As a result, the drill will suddenly rotate in the opposite direction because of its constant rotational motion. Kickback is dangerous and can cause hand injuries if not careful. This is one of the downsides of drills in comparison to impact drivers.
Drills and impact drivers are both extremely useful tools for different tasks. Read more as we discuss the topic of when to use an impact driver vs a drill.
If you are wondering which of these tools to buy first, take a look at their different applications and decide which one is more useful to you. Both of these tools are equally useful and having both is the best option.
Use a drill if you want to drill holes, especially precise ones!
The main purpose of a drill is… drilling! Surprising right? Drilling in different materials requires a constant rotational force which the drill provides. The faster rotational speed of a drill vs impact drivers is an important factor in creating precise holes.
Remember that impact drivers have better torque but the rotational speed of drills is higher. The speed control on a drill is also extremely useful for this task. This is because drilling metal for example requires a slower speed.
Always use a drill for drilling holes into glass, tile, or thick metal sheets
Even though you can technically use an impact driver for drilling, there are certain instances for which you should almost never use an impact driver. Drilling into glass, tile, or thick sheets of metal is one of those instances. These materials could crack because of the impact mechanism of an impact driver.
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Use an impact driver for fastening larger fasteners
Impact drivers are the best tools for fastening larger fasteners like lag screws or decking screws. You can even drive large bolts with these tools using an attachment that converts impact drivers to impact wrenches. This is because of their higher torque which is delivered in short bursts. By using impact drivers to drive larger fasteners, you will also avoid kickback, a common problem when driving larger fasteners with drills.
Use an impact driver when you just gotta drive screws!
When you’re on a screw-driving spree, you just need an impact driver! This happens a lot when it comes to jobs like carpentry. Carpenters sometimes need to fasten hundreds of screws in wooden structures or framing.
If you need to take out screws that are stuck, use an impact driver
Because of their higher torque, impact drivers are the perfect tool for taking out screws that are stuck. Using a screw-remover attachment, you can easily remove stuck screws from the workpiece using an impact driver. When comparing drivers vs drills, this is one of the most unique advantages of drivers.
Drills are the best for delicate and small screws!
Impact drivers have too much power for drilling smaller screws. They could strip or overdrive these screws. Drills on the other hand have speed control on the clutch. The best option for driving delicate or small screws is using the low-speed clutch settings on a drill.
FAQ
Can you use an impact driver as a drill?
It’s technically possible to use an impact driver as a drill with specialized impact-rated drill bits. However, impact drivers have shortcomings when it comes to drilling. They are not the best tool for tile, glass, or thick metal.
Can you use a drill to drive screws?
Yes, you can use a drill for driving screws. It’s one of the main uses of drills. Although, impact drivers are the better tool for driving screws, except for smaller and more delicate screws.
Here are some of the different types of wrenches from which you can choose:
A box end wrench (or closed) is used where there is room to place the wrench mouth around the fastener. Box end wrenches are available in 6- and 12-point versions to match the number of sides on the fastener. Hexagon fasteners have 6 sides, or points, and are the most popular.
This type of wrench is used for turning fasteners in locations where a box end wrench cannot encompass the fastener. It's can also help loosen fasteners.
A combination wrench is a versatile tool that masterfully combines two types of wrenches into one. On one side, it features a box-end, a closed loop that expertly grips hexagonal or square nuts, ideal for those tough-to-loosen nuts. On the flip side, it has an open-end, a U-shaped design, perfect for swiftly unscrewing the nut once it's loosened [source: Tameson].
The dual functionality of a combination wrench makes it a go-to for many DIY enthusiasts and professionals. Available in both metric and standard sizes, combination wrenches cater to a wide range of bolt dimensions.
An adjustable wrench is also sometimes called a crescent wrench. Adjustable wrenches can be used on a variety of fastener sizes. The disadvantage is that it is less stable than a fixed-size wrench and can easily injure you or damage the fastener.
An adjustable wrench should be used only if the correct size wrench is not available.
A torque wrench is a precise tool for controlling the force on a bolt, preventing over- or under-tightening, crucial for sensitive tasks like engine work. Similar to a socket wrench, torque wrenches have a head, adjustable socket, rotating handle with measurement marks, and a locking nut at the bottom.
To use a torque wrench, loosen the bottom nut, adjust the handle to the needed torque level (in lb-ft, lb-in, or Nm), then attach the socket and turn to tighten or loosen the bolt. The wrench signals when reaching the set torque. Always reset it to the lowest setting after use for accuracy [source: SkillCat].
A socket wrench, also known as a ratchet wrench, is a must-have tool for turning fasteners with precision and ease. Socket wrenches fit over the fastener, making removal easier and safer than with other wrenches.
The magic of a socket wrench lies in its ratcheting system attached to the handle. This clever design allows you to tighten or loosen nuts and bolts by simply pushing or pulling the handle, without needing to remove and reposition the wrench after each turn.
It’s especially handy in tight spaces where movement is limited. Sockets come in standard and extended depth; extensions are available to make removing fasteners easier [source: Lowell Corporation].
The pipe wrench, ideal for soft piping such as black pipe, is a key tool with an adjustable jaw and sharp teeth for a strong grip on various pipe sizes. It comprises a handle, adjustable nut, fixed jaw, and adjustable jaw.
Use it by holding the end of the handle for leverage and adjusting the nut to fit pipe sizes—clockwise for smaller and counterclockwise for larger pipes. The adjustable jaw on pipe wrenches moves up and down for easy positioning. Longer than other wrenches, the pipe wrench provides extra leverage and grip, perfect for securing or loosening pipes effectively [source: SkillCat].
The Allen wrench is an L-shaped wrench that is easily recognizable by its hexagonal head, designed to fit into bolts with hexagon-shaped sockets. An Allen Wrench stands out for its two hexagonal ends, each offering distinct advantages.
When you insert the wrench vertically into a bolt, you'll have less leverage, making it slightly harder to turn but easier to reach tight spots. However, for really stubborn bolts, use the wrench at a 90-degree angle to the nut. This position gives you more leverage, making it much easier to loosen tight bolts. Remember, the longer side of the wrench provides more leverage [source: SkillCat].
The strap wrench is a unique and versatile tool, perfect for gripping and turning objects without causing damage. Unlike traditional wrenches, it uses a strap, usually made of rubber, to create friction and securely hold objects. This design ensures that delicate surfaces stay scratch-free, making it ideal for sensitive materials.
Most strap wrenches come with handles for a sturdy grip, but some are made to attach to the square drive of ratchet wrenches. Its adaptability to any size makes it not only useful for professional tasks but also handy for everyday household chores, like opening tight jar lids [source: Tameson].
The pedal wrench is a specialized tool designed for cyclists and bike mechanics. This type of wrench is used specifically for attaching or removing the pedals from a bicycle. What sets the pedal wrench apart is its thin profile, which allows it to slide easily between the pedal and the crank arm, where space is often tight.
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