So, what is an impact driver?

If you are reading this text, then you probably need to find out the answer! And, guess what, you are at the right place! We can give you the answer to this question.

I am not surprised that you don’t know what is an impact driver. There are so many tools on the market today that even a pro with many years of experience might get confused.

The impact driver is very similar to an impact wrench and cordless drills…

…but so different. So, don’t be confused, and don’t let anyone assure you that you are talking about one tool! Those three tools are totally different!

But, now let’s talk about impact drivers, and explain its main purpose.

You will usually use your impact driver for loosening screws or nuts, but that’s not the only situation for which you will use this amazing tool!

What do Impact Drivers do?

What impact drivers can do, and they are the best at is drive screws… over and over and over again. The impact driver uses both bit rotation and concussive blows to drive screws into even the toughest of material.

But, most of the impact drivers can be used for drilling holes. It won’t be as perfect as when using a cordless drill, but if you don’t need to be precise, go for it… use your impact driver and drill holes.

Impact drivers are faster, smaller and more powerful than cordless drills.

Another situation where you can use your impact driver and that it will do is taking off the log nuts. There are some impact drivers that won’t be completely perfect in that, but will do the job!

Your impact driver will be able to screw in drywall.

It’s all about torque

What gives the power to the impact driver is a huge amount of torque! The high amount of torque is the reason why an impact driver can be used for tough materials. That means you can drive a big screw (or bore a big hole) with a small driver.

What Impact Drivers Can’t Do

They definitely can’t make precise holes, and it is not recommended to use them on very soft materials. Impact drivers don’t have a chuck which accepts all different sizes of drill bits. They have a quick-change sleeve that only accepts bits with 1/4-inch hex shanks. You can find drill bits with hex shanks, but they’re few and far between.

Power Drills vs. Impact Drivers: What’s the Difference?

What I would like to say before starting the comparison of these two tools is that a pro cannot imagine work done without both of them.

So, the best thing will be to have both tools in your toolbox if possible: power drills are great for drilling and impact drivers are great for driving. In fact, many tool manufacturers sell power drill and impact driver combos. There are jobs for which you will need a drill and there are some others for which you will like to have an impact drill.

The cordless drill has a chuck, which allows you to use different sizes of drill bits, while, on the other side-impact drivers has a sleeve, which accepts bits with ¼-inch hex shanks.

It will be difficult to drive a screw in soft material, as it will be difficult to screw down a very strong material using a cordless drill.

Many cordless drill drivers have torque control, which impact drivers don’t have. Torque control is used to stop the screwdriver bit from turning once the tool reaches the level of torque preset by the user. Torque control prevents the tool from stripping the screw’s head or damaging the work surface due to too much power.

Impact drivers don’t have torque control, and the only way to regulate the amount of torque is by using the speed control trigger, or you can select a model with several gears.

Impact drivers and drills use the same rotational motion, but as you’re driving in a screw. They mix a hammering action that not only hammers down, but sideways which makes it easier to drive screws into tough materials, and it prevents the drive bit from sliding off the screw head, which could potentially strip the head and ruin the screw.

The size of the impact driver is very important. Impact drivers are very lightweight and compact when compared to cordless drills. We advise always to choose a more compact and lightweight tool.

Let’s get to the point: if you’re working with soft materials stick to the drill because it won’t dent or break the material, but if you have a ton of screws, long or thick fasteners, or driving through thick materials we advise you to save your wrists and your time and go with an impact driver.

Where Do the Impact Drivers Fit in a Woodworking Shop?

Impact drivers are a very handy tool for the workshop. With an impact driver, you can drill holes and drive screws. What will you usually do is to make predrill the required holes in the wood with a cordless drill. Then you will choose the correct size of screws and drive in with the cordless impact driver. The impact driver has plenty of strength and will seat the screws nicely.

Do I need an Impact Driver?

I would say, yes. If you are planning to do a lot of drilling/driving jobs, then you will definitely need an impact driver. An impact driver will save your life if you have to drive a lot of screws, especially if you have to do that through the tough material. Impact drivers are very compact, and they are perfect for jobs that have to be done in tight spaces.

So, is an Impact Driver worth it?

Let’s be clear, impact drivers are more expensive than cordless drills. You won’t need to spend money on impact drivers if you are not planning to use it on a regular base. For a few jobs, you can use your cordless drill. But, if you are dealing with driving screws all day long, repetitively, then impact driver is a great investment.

What to look for when buying an Impact Driver?

Brushless motor: You need a brushless motor. It is easier for maintenance and they are more powerful.

Voltage: Well, as you already know, the higher the voltage is, the heavier the tool is. You will be able to insert or remove screws and drill holes faster with 18V, but it will be heavier than 12V, for example. Simply, a higher voltage impact driver has, it will be able to drive a larger quantity of screws before the battery needs recharging.

Variable speed trigger: You will be happy to have a variable speed trigger on your impact driver. As we mentioned above, impact drivers don’t have torque control buttons, so you will be able to control the torque with a variable speed trigger.

Torque: 12V impact driver has 800- to 1,200 inch/lbs. range, 18V 1,350 to 2,250 inch/lbs., everything else is up to you. Which one you will choose depends on what you are planning to use your tool for.

LED lights: Oh, yes. This is a must-have feature on your tool. Most of the impact drivers have integrated LED light, but make sure and check this before purchasing. This feature will make your job in dark areas much easier.

Hook belt: You will eventually come in a situation to climb on a ladder to make some holes or drive screws. You can imagine how easier it will e to have where to put your tool. Don’t worry, belt hook is your solution. Choose a tool with this feature.

What is an Impact Driver used for?

It is very important to have the right tool for the job that you are doing! There is no bigger nightmare than doing a simple job with the wrong tool. So much waste of time, energy, and money for no reason!

If you ever ask your friend, who doesn’t know much about tools, what is an impact driver used for-he will probably say that it is the same as a drill. Don’t trust him! I mean, you can use the drill to do some applications, but the drill will not give you the power as an impact driver will.

If you do a lot of construction jobs, then I am sure that you know how much time and energy you need for driving screws and bolts. If you didn’t have the luck to have an impact driver, you know how annoying this job was for you. But, with an impact driver, those days will be way in the past for you. With an impact driver, you will be able to drive a 150mm screw 3 times quicker than a normal drill driver will and in doing so you’ll hardly feel any pressure on your wrist.

Let’s get to the point:

These tools can be used for so many things as long as you get the right one. Even though many look the same, there’s a lot of difference between some of these tools.

Primarily, impact drivers are used for the quick insertion and removal of screws as well as drilling holes.

Because they have a much higher level of torque they produce, they are particularly suited to the following:

For driving screws, bolts and other fasteners
Installing items such as cabinets, using long screws
For laying decking
The assembly of metal frame constructions

You will definitely use an impact driver for driving into less forgiving materials like harder wood, masonry, and stone.

We prefer cordless impact drivers because they are versatile. You don’t want power cord dragging around if it’s not needed?

If you drive large screws, bolts and other fasteners – you need an Impact Driver

Driving lag bolts and screws are very large fasteners which are often used to bear a great deal of weight. For these applications, call impact driver for help.

The impact driver’s ability to drive long screws into dimensional lumber, without stripping them, is unbelievable.

If you do a lot of repetitive driving – you need an Impact Driver

Impact drivers can deliver high torque and speed at the same time, and because of that cordless impact drivers are often used for tasks involving the repetitive driving of screws or fasteners.

For example, if you need to do decking laying or the assembly of metal frame construction you will need impact driver because this type of job will be very difficult, or even impossible to do successfully with any other power tool.

Simply, this tool is perfect for any turning of big screws, or screws into stiff wall plugs, or through metal studding, sticking coach screws in joists, and decking.

If you work on tougher materials – you need an Impact Driver

We already know that impact drivers can produce a high level of torque. For this reason, cordless impact drivers are also a popular choice when working on tough materials such as hardwood, metal, and plastic.

Other applications

There are various situations where you can use an impact driver besides the regular purpose.

You can use it for drywall if you’ve got a lower speed/torque option, for tightening/loosening bolts, including those that should be very tight or have been stuck, drilling holes in wood, drywall or metal using new impact driver designed drill bits.

An impact driver can also be used for taking off the lug nuts. There is a socket attachment that you have to fit your impact driver and you can use it when working on your car.

You can also make holes with an impact driver. We won’t advise it for precise, small holes, otherwise, go ahead and drill holes. The important thing is the drill bit. For small holes in softwood, you can use a standard hex-shank drill bit, but if you want to make holes larger than ¼ inch in heavy steel, hardwood, or lumber, you need a bit rated specifically for an impact driver.

How to use the Impact Driver

Impact drivers use impact bits with ¼ inch hex- drive shanks. Look for one that is compatible with the fastener type and size as the screw you want to fasten.

Impact drivers have a lot of power, but not all material requires power. The more torque you need, the slower the speed should be. You can slow the speed of the tool through finger pressure on the trigger or through a speed selection option if the driver is equipped with one.

Materials such as softwood or drywall require less torque and when using the tool for these materials you will need faster speed.

If you are doing more heavy-duty, high torque work, such as fastening large screws on deck supports, low speed will make the job easier and faster.

How Does an Impact Driver Work?

Well, really, how does an impact driver work?

Impact drivers have an impact function which works through a hammer and anvil mechanism. Impact function delivers a series of strong rotational bursts which is producing a high level of torque when you are driving screws. Hammer mechanism repeatedly strikes an anvil that drives the output shaft. As the load increases, they switch from the gentle spinning mode to a rapid impact mode, in which every impact turns the screw a bit farther, while the motor continues to spin and bring in cooling air.

When driving screws into materials, the tool will meet resistance. To overcome this resistance and continue driving in the screw, the tool must deliver more torque. One of the key features of impact drivers is the ability to detect the resistance and apply an extra proportional level of impact.

The user cannot control the force because most of the impact drivers don’t have torque control rings /settings.

When not to use an Impact Driver

Don’t use an impact driver for precise and gentile tasks, primarily because you can`t control exactly when the torque surges kick in.

To be more precise, we don’t advise you to use it for self-assembly furniture, tightening smaller screws into metal or anywhere you want to drill precise holes.

Have in mind that impact driver is not the same as a hammer drill. It has a hammer function, but there is a difference between these two tools.

Are Impact Driver and Drill the same thing?

No, they aren’t!

Drills and impact drivers are similar tools, they look a lot alike, and they both are able to drive screws into different materials. However, impact drivers will make the work a lot easier.

It will be very difficult for you to run a screw in hard material. We have tried, and what we noticed is that drill is meeting resistance and it changes the sound.

Impact drivers are made for these types of tasks. They run hard screws down a hard material in seconds and you wouldn’t even feel any toughness.

Another thing that is different is the clutch, and what we think is missing on impact driver. Drills have a clutch, but impact drivers don’t.

The next thing would be the size. Drivers are noticeably shorter, so you can use them in places where your cordless drill doesn’t have a chance.

Safety

Have you ever heard an impact driver in action? If you have then you have probably noticed that it is really loud.

You hear a repetitive clicking noise that it makes as it’s driving in a screw. Because of that, it is very important to keep your ears safe and wear protective-anti noise earphones.

Trust me, once you purchase your impact driver you will see how much benefit you are receiving. If you’ve never used one on a project then you’re missing out so much! It could forever change the way you build. It won’t replace your cordless drill, but it’s a perfect match for it.

Now when you know what is an impact driver, and what is it used for, you see that impact drivers are absolutely amazing, and you will be glad that you bought one.

You will see that this tool is really must-have for your workshop.

We hope you enjoyed our new-and-improved guide. What did you think of it?

Or maybe you have a question.

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