By Julie Peri–
Most people are probably familiar with drills. They are power tools used to drive screws into a piece of wood quickly and more efficiently than a handheld screw driver. When you are shopping for a drill, you may come across another tool that looks very similar to a drill and has a similar function as the drill, but is not the same. This is called an impact driver. Many times, you can purchase a set that includes both a drill and an impact driver. So, what is the difference between these two tools?
The main difference between a drill and an impact driver is in the power and force of the tools. While impact drivers do have a similar function as a drill and are operated in essentially the same manner, the impact driver has one main function: to drive screws quickly and efficiently.
Drills are an all-purpose tool, most commonly used for drilling holes and driving screws, and provide more precision than an impact driver. Impact drivers are more commonly used to drive in a large quantity of screws or longer ones quickly, and work well when more torque is needed but the size and placement of the hole are less crucial, as they are not as precise as a standard drill.
Another difference between these two tools is a drill has a chuck that tightens around a variety of sizes of drill bits and driver bits, making it very versatile. An impact driver is typically smaller and lightweight, but instead of having a chuck, it has a quick-change clamp that holds drill bits and driver bits with a hexagon shank in place, so not all drill bits can be used in an impact drill.
An impact driver provides more force than a typical drill, is more comfortable to use over a long period of time, and is less likely to strip screws, since it tightens the screws in short, controlled pulses. When deciding whether or not to buy a drill, an impact driver, or both, you need to decide what you will be using it for the most. If you are looking for the everyday tool for most home improvement and maintenance jobs, the basic drill will do the job.
Join us to learn more fun tool tips at one of our events! Here is what we have coming up next:
Happy Hour, September 23, Temescal Brewing, Oakland
How to Build a Step Stool, September 25, Online
Introduction to Tools Workshop, October 30, San Francisco
For more information about these and other events, go to: https://www.dykeswithdrills.com/workshops
Julie Peri is the Founder and Director of Dykes With Drills. https://www.dykeswithdrills.com/
Published on September 23, 2021
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