You might have found yourself asking, do you really need an impact driver? You might have even considered buying one, but isn’t it similar to a combi or a drill driver?
For example, you’ll probably own an SDS Hammer Drill, which is the best for drilling into tough materials.
Similarly, an impact driver is the best when it comes to screw driving and loosening frozen bolts and nuts.
The strength of an impact driver can be attributed to its curved spine to create a turning force on the core and a unique 1/4th Hex Shank that helps in eliminating “screwdriver bits” and removing cam out.
Therefore, let’s look more into the individual mechanism of an impact driver, its comparison to similar tools and a conclusion.
You might have even considered buying one, but isn’t it similar to a combi or a drill driver?
For example, you’ll probably own an SDS Hammer Drill, which is the best for drilling into tough materials.
Similarly, an impact driver is the best when it comes to screw driving and loosening frozen bolts and nuts.
The strength of an impact driver can be attributed to its curved spine to create a turning force on the core and a unique 1/4th Hex Shank that helps in eliminating “screwdriver bits” and removing cam out.
Therefore, let’s look more into the individual mechanism of an impact driver, its comparison to similar tools and a conclusion.
Features of an impact driver
The impact driver comes with many unique characteristics which make it the top choice for its job, screw driving.
These features thus give the impact driver an edge over other mechanical tools.
- Designed solely for the purpose of screw driving
- Possesses three times faster screw driving ability than a combi drill
- Minimal to no pressure on your wrist
- Lightweight and has a compact design
- Can be joined to a cordless power tool kit
- Comparison to similar mechanical tools
Traditional cordless drill versus an impact driver
An impact driver is specially designed with a motor producing a large amount of driving power even in the smallest space possible.
It also has a higher rotational torque compared to a traditional drill, and faster rotational tapping, which moves the fastener along with keeping the screws in place.
The motor also has two internal pistons which produce the needed amount of torque while protecting your wrist.
An impact driver is thus much easier and comfortable due to the easy transfer of the torque to the screw, thus reducing pressure on your wrist.
This driver is much quicker than a traditional driver.
Using an impact driver can be a great time-saver as well, as the “initial” action of the driver makes a direct push into the timber, which eliminates the need for pilot holes.
Combi drill versus an impact driver
An impact driver might not be ideal for drilling applications compared to a combi drill.
However, it makes up for its lack of robustness and drilling facilities with its high speed, higher torque applications and the ability to work in the smallest space.
How could it improve?
Impact drivers are very efficient; however, they come with their downsides as well.
For example, the lack of a clutch lessens the purpose of driving a lightweight fastener.
Impact drivers with clutches are available in the market, but they are more expensive and are longer than those without clutches.
Moreover, there is a keyless chuck which adds mass and length to a drill which can affect the fit in small spaces.
Secondly, you should add an extra battery to the whole set, though most batteries with a thirty-minute charging time and excellent running time.
“Combination” kits
You can find a number of good options when looking for an impact driver. For example, you can try out “combination kits” offered by some manufacturing companies.
These kits include a traditional cordless drill and an impact driver that use the same lithium ion batteries.
These batteries are light, compact and fast-charging and easily outrun older batteries.
They also come with a drill bit in the drill and a screw bit in the impact driver. These are good for pilot holes for driving fasteners.
The impact driver’s place in your work shed
The impact driver is amazing when you want to install new cabinets, build furniture, construct of theater sets or build a deck.
However, it won’t replace a cordless drill completely.
Due to its extreme torque, an impact driver comes with a hexagonal chuck design. This leads to wastage of the shank drill bits.
The takeaway is, you are going to need both a cordless drill and an impact driver.
Therefore, an impact driver is a much-needed device in your work shed.
However, the need for a clutch and the ability to store round shank drill bits still remain.
One could also buy various combination kits that include an impact driver, a drill with two 12 V lithium ion batteries.
Focusing on separate brands, the DeWalt impact driver gives a slightly better performance, while the Porter Cable is a good choice as well.
DeWalt promises durability and power, while Porter Cable has value for money.