Power tools drastically evolved in our DIY journey over the past several years. All our carpentry, and repair jobs are hard to imagine without these accessories. Whether you talk about impact drivers or cordless drills, their versatility towards DIY jobs is beyond applause.
The extensive use of these fancy power tools has become necessary for house decor and smaller drilling jobs. Though they are helpful in DIY jobs, some common confusion regarding these power tools may hit our minds.
Two commonly heard tools, cordless drill and impact driver, may look similar in shape or sometimes in function too but vary with various features and different uses.
Let’s discuss the most notable questions regarding these tools, such as what is a cordless drill? what is an impact driver. What is the difference between a cordless drill and an impact driver? Do I need to switch to an impact driver If I use a drill? So, you can get a clear understanding of each tool.
Read this good piece written by power tools pro and find details about the impact driver and a cordless drill.
What Is A Cordless Drill?
A cordless drill is still a dominant power tool for driving and drilling. This tool is also packed with chargeable batteries making it portable to move along with tools anywhere where electricity is not available. It features a keyless chuck that mostly accepts all bits, including hex shank and round shape drill bits, to ensure the driving screws of all size holes.
In addition to its flexibility with various size holes, cordless drills are equipped with a slip clutch that helps with adjustable and desirable torque control settings. This function allows you to set desired striking force for drilling speed to get your DIY job done easily. This versatile tool can also accommodate other accessories such as hole saws, brushes, wire wheels, rotatory sanders, etc.
Cordless Drill Is Best for
Cordless drills tend to be more popular among other power tools for machine work. Ideally, cordless drills are best suited for boring and drilling on soft materials. For, they are considered the best replacement of screwdrivers. Their mechanism allows you to set manual torque settings best suited for objects and surfaces with fewer torque requirements, such as fastening or loosening bolts. Selecting the right bits also makes your job easier with cordless drills.
Pros and Cons of Cordless Drill
Pros
- These are convenient, portable, and easy to use.
- It doesn’t need an electric supply like traditional drills.
- It comes along with rechargeable batteries
- They provide torque adjustment settings
- LED lights to ensure the clear vision
- Lightweight and smart object
- Easy to store
Cons
- Less efficiency than corded drills
- The battery runs out during the task
- Limited voltage
- Little bit expensive.
What Is An Impact Driver?
An impact driver lets you work comfortably without any hustles if you are tired of applying force on your other power tools for driving bolts. A beginner-friendly power tool, an impact driver, is easy-to-use and more professional equipment featuring a hex drive system that holds smaller bits instead of standard chucks like cordless drills.
It is relatively lighter and smaller in shape, giving you access to all possible smaller spaces. The advanced and powerful mechanism of cordless impact drivers delivers more torque than standard drills with high striking rotation, so you expect powerful and fast performance on dense and complex material. Impact drivers can access all tight corners easily to drive screws. I hope you won’t be confused about impact drivers with your hammer drills, as their roles are different from each other.
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Impact Driver Is Best for
An impact driver is considered the best equipment to yield a better result. However, it is imperative to determine which tasks could be performed better with an impact driver. First of all, the distinct quality is that a cordless driver can drive screws into dense materials. You don’t need to worry about controlling torque requirement as it produces high torque to get work done faster. Its fast mechanism makes it possible for you to drive screws quickly where access is almost beyond reach. In addition, when it comes to driving long screws on hardwood, an impact driver is your partner for those operations.
Pros and Cons of Impact Driver
Pros
- It can deliver efficient results even in awkward and small spaces
- These tools are more powerful than standard drills
- High torque producing ability
- With an impact driver, you can manage hard materials and surfaces
- Defeating resistance at its best
- LED lights
Cons
- Torque control setting not available
- Only accept bits with hexagonal shapes
- It makes a loud noise, not forget to use ear protection for safety purpose
- More expensive
Cordless Drill vs Impact Driver
Still confused with tools, let’s get into more details. The main difference between an impact driver and a cordless drill lies in the force of torque. Another significant difference is that the cordless drill allows you to set torque and speed while the impact driver produces more torque for fast results.
Moreover, the high toque depends on battery voltage. The more the voltage, the more the torque to work efficiently. Though both tools let you grip firmer with a flat oval shape, the slim impact driver adds extra support to your grip. Impact drivers are more sensitive to counter resistance, while on the other hand, drills are slippery. If you are using or going to use any equipment for your DIY jobs, you can’t overlook the difference between these two power tools.
Drill Vs. Driver
FAQs
An impact driver has a higher torque output than a cordless drill and is better suited for driving large screws and bolts. Impact drivers also tend to be lighter and more compact than cordless drills, making them easier to use in tight spaces.
While it is possible to use a cordless drill for driving screws, it is not recommended. Cordless drills are designed for drilling holes and are not intended to handle the torque required for driving screws.
While it is possible to use an impact driver for drilling holes, it is not recommended. Impact drivers are designed for driving screws and other fasteners and are not intended to handle the torque required for drilling holes.
It depends on the job. For driving screws and other fasteners, an impact driver is better suited than a cordless drill. However, for drilling holes, a cordless drill is better suited. It is important to choose the right tool for the job.
Conclusion
I hope this blog builds a clear understanding of impact drivers and cordless drills for DIY projects. Consequently, it’s up to the preference of users to switch one over the other. For some people, impact drivers are their life-saving tool, and others are more likely to get drills for their personal use. Besides that, nowadays, many keep both in their toolbox for different jobs. Remember, you need the right equipment and accessories such as bits for your particular job.
