IMPACT DRIVER VS POWER DRILL DRIVERS

The clutch on a cordless drill/driver allows you to reduce the amount of torque applied to a screw so that when that limit is reached, the clutch slips and the chuck stops rotating.

IMPACT DRIVER VS POWER DRILL DRIVERS

Impact drivers are the perfect tool for heavy-duty driving, but most aren’t intended for delicate, precision work. Small hammer drills can be used to drive screws (some consumer-grade models incorporate a clutch), but many are too large and powerful. However, this tool has a different trick up its sleeve: the addition of a clutch. Modern versions offer greater flexibility with variable speed.Ī cordless drill/driver has the simplest action, in that it is purely rotational without any additional force. Early impact drivers were very much brute force, all-or-nothing tools. Thus the focus of the force is to drive screws and other fasteners, or indeed undo them. It makes a similar sound to a hammer drill, but the energy goes in the same direction as the chuck rotation, not in a straight line along the drill bit. It is compressed every half turn then releases, delivering tremendous force. Inside the impact driver body is a heavy-duty spring. In some ways it does, though an impact driver provides increased rotational energy, better known as torque. Many hammer drills allow this, though some SDS models do not.ĭescribing a tool as an “ impact driver” might suggest it has a similar action to a hammer. To do that, the hammer action needs to be disengaged. However, while heavy-duty slotted drive system (SDS) models are capable of drilling through walls several feet thick, it is not an effective way to drill wood, plastic, or metal. It’s an action that’s particularly effective in drilling brick, cinder block, concrete, and similar materials. In effect, it combines chiseling and drilling in the same tool.

While the drill rotates, a gear-driven cam introduces a linear striking motion along the path of the drill bit. The action of a hammer drill is right there in the name: it’s a hammer and a drill working in tandem. Photos: Illustrations: Each type of drill uses a unique motion to get the job done.

Impact driver vs power drill