Cordless drills are useful for drilling holes and driving in fasteners. Impact drivers useful for… drilling holes and driving fasteners. Do you still need both?
This isn’t a rhetorical question, or a question I will seek to answer for you. I am curious about ToolGuyd readers’ tool preferences and workflows.
Personally, I couldn’t give one up, as I tend to use drills and impacts in very different and complementary ways.
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Most cordless drills have 2 speed ranges, low and high. Some premium models have more, and the most entry-priced models tend to have 1. Drills also typically have 3-jaw chucks and an adjustable torque-limiting clutch that helps users sink fasteners to repeatable depths.
Cordless impact drivers have completely different mechanical drive trains, and quick-change 1/4″ hex chucks. More premium impact drivers will offer 2-4 (or more) speed ranges, and maybe special fastener installation or removal modes.
You can use 1/4″ hex drill bits, screwdriver bits (shorter ones usually require a bit holder or extension), and other such hex-shank accessories in a cordless drill or impact driver. Drill chucks can also work with round or 3-flat drill bits and adapters, up to their maximum capacity (usually 1/2″, or 3/8″ for smaller or entry-priced models).
I tend to use both tools for different tasks – cordless drills for smaller holes and driving smaller fasteners to consistent depths, and impact drivers for larger holes and driving longer or larger fasteners.
Because of how they work, impact drivers tend to be far less prone to kickback or counter-rotational forces, such as if a large drill bit jams. Modern premium cordless drills sometimes offer anti-kickback sensors that cut power to the motor when jamming or counter-rotation is detected.
All this is to say that there are distinctions between how the two very types of tools can be used, but also a lot of overlap.
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I have found that cordless drills experience less bit wobble when drilling holes, but pricier impact drivers and hex-shank bits have gotten a lot better about this.
Premium impact drivers offer multiple speed ranges, and their variable speed trigger switches have become more sensitive and easier to feather for greater user control.
Some users prefer impact drivers for everything these days – drilling holes, driving fasteners of all sizes, and in nearly every way one might have exclusively used a cordless drill for.
I prefer to use both, especially when a project involves pilot holes, or more delicate materials. I don’t really need both types of tools anymore, but there’s no way I’d give either up. But that’s me.
What are your preferences? Why?
What about cordless screwdrivers, which often borrow traits from both cordless drills and impact drivers?
Eugenio
Yes
Eugenio
But seriously, I absolutely need both in my case. Buildings where I live are mostly made out of concrete. Good luck drilling a hole in concrete with a driver and good luck screwing screws into concrete with a drill.
Also, I use my driver to work on my cars, a drill will not break loose any bolts on them and it would also break my wrist in trying to do so.
A W
Agreed. Drills for precision. Impact driver for compact power. With a big overlap in the middle where either tool can work.
I started with just a drill as that was what I had training on (precision sheet metal work). But then I ran into limitations when using larger wood boring bits, and when driving longer (3″) deck screws. With an impact driver, I can safely drive larger screws and lag bolts with no issues.
MM
I agree. The drill has more control, it is preferable for drilling holes and for small fasteners especially if it has a mechanical clutch. The impact driver has more power for driving larger fasteners, and is typically more compact. And like you said there are many jobs that either one is well suited to.
I use both regularly. If I could only have one it would be the drill.
Matt+the+Hoople
I agree with the above. Additionally, power also determines. A buddy and I built a shed recently. He had just his 20v Dewalt drill and I had the 12v drill and driver. He could sink 3.5 screws with his drill into 2x pressure treat without issue. My 12v drill could not. Therefore I had to drive with the driver. This limited how late into the evening we could work without disturbing the neighbors.
Roger
The manufactures say “Yes, you need both and the most up-to-dated ones!”
They keep reinventing the drill and impact. If you check the last 3 years most of the companies have a newer,newer,newer version with incremental bits and bobs. Maybe a little smaller. Maybe a little more torque. Maybe the same tool with an extra switch or button. It’s the same symptoms as cellphones.
I find myself using the impact about 79% of the time. A quick installation that only needs a non-precise hole location. The other times with the drill are for masonry holes, or when you need less wobble. I haven’t used the clutch on my drill for any driving in years. Honestly, they could make drills smaller by excluding that feature. If you have an impact driver, you don’t really need a drill to drive. Thinking back to corded versions. Those only drill.
Stuart
A clutch comes in very handy. I bought a small auger attachment for planting bulbs, and the clutch was the only means of anti-kickback protection until more brands add safety sensors to their highest power drills.
I bust out a 12V-class drill or cordless screwdriver for smaller fasteners, and use those clutches all the time.
it’s_jake
when I saw my father-in-law (carpenter) using the clutch to use a big old holesaw, it blew my mind. Especially because a year or two earlier, my father (Electrician) had me up on a ladder drilling a 5 inch hole and almost getting dropped a few times without mentioning that possibility.
Kent
Been using ridgid for the better part of 20 years now. If you took their entire tool catalog, every single different model number, I bet half would be drills and impacts.
Tom
I primarily use a 12v drill and screwdriver for woodworking. I haven’t used the 18/20v since I got the 12v since it does everything I need around the house at a fraction of the cost. I use an impact for home improvement projects, but that seems to be getting used less and less these days. I still have multiple options, but for what I do the drill and screwdriver get used much more often than the impact.
It all comes down to what you use the tools for. Each has its purpose, and I’m glad I have access to all of them for different tasks.
doug in PF
Impacts are awesome for what they’re good at but precision work isn’t one of those things. On the other hand nobody wants to carry three seemingly similar tools. Bosch’s Flexiclick and Milwaukee’s installation tool turn two of those tools into one, but for many it’s probably not enough utility to defeat a genuinely good “more power” impact. I’m conceited enough to the think my trigger finger won’t strip out the P2 but inevitably I will. I ain’t coming back tomorrow to unscrew it so does it matter?
Collin
I think the Bosch and Milwaukee installation drivers are merely “screwdrivers” and lack any sort of impacting mechanism.
When Jeremiah D
Yes, he said 2 purposes. A screwdriver and a drill.
Nate
Drill/driver and Impact are both necessary tools; that said, the impact is not a 1-1 replacement for a driver. For woodworking and most fine installation tasks, I use my Bosch Flexiclick. It’s a great drill and driver, and I love the clutch and attachments for working in cabinets or precision work. For any sort of heavier work or construction task, I love my Metabo HPT triple hammer impact.
Ct451
I often use a driver to drill when working on lumber. I only use a drill to drive screws when I need the clutch to care about the torque instead of me. On concrete, hammer beats impact but I might use a driver if the holes are small. A brush works better with a driver. There’s overlap everywhere and if you add other cordless or corded tools in the mix we’re spoiled for choice.
Robert
Cr451: “ A brush works better with a driver”
What do you mean by that?
Ct451
https://www.amazon.com/drill-brush/s?k=drill+brush
For brushes I put some weight behind, I prefer the impact driver. I keep a brass wire brush my driver. I use it regularly to remove rust or clean up metal parts.
Maybe the long ones people use to wash their car wheels and look like a toilet brush are better on a drill.
Mark M.
Drilling with an impact is super handy and definitely handles about 80% of what I do, kind of the ‘close enough’ middle ground. I still use a drill for precision and also a corded drill (drill motor for the old timers) for mixing. What I could give up is an 18v drill; 12v for precision tasks works just fine.
Bonnie
Pretty much the same. For household tasks like drywall it’s impact all day, or if I’m up a ladder running electrical. For any large drilling task the drill comes out. I basically never use the drill for driving screws through, as my makita impact has a good speed range on the trigger that’s pretty good about feathering in a specific depth. If it’s a really delicate task (brass screws) I’m using a manual screwdriver anyways.
IronWood
I use both pretty exclusively for their “intended” tasks. Drill for drilling, driver for driving. I almost never use the clutch on the drill and I’m perfectly happy with a single-speed impact driver. Often I’m predrilling and fastening as I go, so drill/countersink in the drill and driver bit in the impact, switching tools back and forth; way better than switching bits every ten seconds like the “old days” when all I had was a single drill motor and an impact driver was something you hit with a hammer…
Obviously you can get by with one or the other if you have to, but I would never go back to a single tool. Impacts are so much better at driving, and drilling with an impact just feels and seems wrong. There are so many relatively inexpensive quality options these days that it seems like a no-brainer to have both if you do any amount of work.
Jared
I drill with my drill and drive with my impact driver. I didn’t realize the rest of the world was using their impacts to drill.
That doesn’t mean I NEVER drill with my impact, but that’s usually a consequence of what happens to be nearby.
As an aside, the biggest, most demanding drilling job I do is drilling 1 &1/8″ – 1 & 1/2″ holes through 8″ and sometimes larger wooden gate posts. I used to do that with my DCF898 an an auger bit (which is a big 7/16″-chuck impact) but a couple of years ago I bought a Ridgid drill that was capable of turning a spade bit through it with an extension. I don’t remember the model, but it’s torque rating is roughly the same as my impacts anyway.
Since these posts are often out in a field, it’s nice not to need to lug the heavy DCF898 out there.
Frank D
Don’t you know that you need both corded, and cordless 18v for power, 12v for confined spaces, plus an sds drill corded and cordless, as well as one of those bosch flexi cameleon things 😉
When Jeremiah D
I know its a joke but ive got all of those, plus a few.
Blocky
Agree. It covers 725% of the tasks that I need to accomplish.
fred
In the last few years my in-house carpentry efforts that had previously had me at my kids houses slowed to a trickle. The M12 and M18 pistol grip impact drivers (2450-20, 2753-2 and 2760-20) that I’d arm myself and family “crew” with – are now mostly gathering dust. Reverting back to more furniture making in the colder months, I typically will set up several pistol-grip drills (typically Bosch and Milwaukee 12V) with different bits, countersinks etc. to speed the work. Once in a while – I’ll resort to a right angle or close-quarters drill. I still prefer an older M12 2401-20 or hand driver for driving screws for hinges and brass trim. For my tastes – impact drivers are not as well suited for drilling furniture pilot holes, clearance holes or counterboring/countersinking as the more wobble-free true drill. And – they are overkill for driving the sorts of screws i use in furniture-making.
In the warmer months I move to outdoor projects – and have lately been using an M18 2765-20 (7/16 hex) driver for both drilling and driving lags. Its chuck makes switching between auger bits (with 7/16 hex) and impact sockets a quick task.
MoogleMan3
Most of my work is woodworking, so I rarely have need for an impact. Most of my use goes to my m12 installation driver, and have a dewalt dcd800 for use with my dowelmax or for larger holes.
Steve
One thing I really like about having both is having the drill with the bit to drill the holes and the impact ready with the bit to drive the screws so you don’t have to constantly switch bits.
Peter Fox
Generally I agree with needing both and most often find that drills are better for drilling and drivers are better for driving.
I do find that I often use impact drivers for drilling small pilot holes in metal as they typically have higher speeds and with small bits (< 1/8") the torque needed is below the threshold to start impacting.
Blocky
That speed is why I use a soft impact for steel stud assembly with self drilling screws and also for drywall. Haven’t found that I am any better with a drywall gun, and I mangle less bits.
Daniel L
Yeah…kinda need both.
Impacts for fast and dirty work where being imprecise isn’t a concern. Also when used for boring holes, where the material is relatively easy to drill.
Anything involving stainless steel: the impact goes right out the window. Those simply rotate too quickly, causing the bit to generate too much heat. You end up destroying whatever bit you’re using…often before even making the first hole.
A drill will operate with more sustained torque at lower speeds: its an absolute necessity for any materials that require those properties. Plus…having a clutch helps a bunch with not stripping fastener heads…or snapping them off.
But is a drill a part of my daily toolkit at work? Nah. It’s in my truck in case I need it. The impact gets 90% of the use, because it’s lighter and faster than a drill. Most of what I need it for is driving sheet metal screws…maybe up to a 3/4″ hex nut on occasion.
Skyy
Hole saw and pesky bolts. Yes
Anton
I use drill only and don’t see any need for impact. Mostly because I need smaller drilling diameters and precision. I drill wood 90% of time and the rest of time is spread between smaller screws and drilling metal.
Besides I like that fact that I don’t need special impact drilling bits. Anything that was produced in the last 100 years would work perfectly well in my cordless drill.
Johny
Hammer drills are the 1 to have if you can just have 1.. but I tend to look at it like lays, can’t have just 1. I need a house screwdriver, impact/drill/hammer drill in a bag in the garage, I need another bag in my truck, so they make it to the jobsite… need is very interchangeable with want, but hey, I want a couple Harleys and 4 vacations a year..
Mark
Has anyone come to market with a device that combines both? Like give us one more twist notch next to the hammer notch and now it act as an impact driver. I’m not sure just how different the internal mechanisms are between the two and if that is even in the realm of possibility.
MM
It is theoretically possible, but it is not practical. You’re basically taking everything that’s already in a drill, and then on top of that you’re adding the impact hammer mechanism from the impact driver. It would also be challenging to have a method of locking out the hammer mechanism mechanically so it wouldn’t interfere with the drill mode, as well as maintaining the functionality of the clutch. If the clutch is downstream of the hammer mechanism (i.e. closer to the chuck) it has to be strong enough to withstand the hammering. If the clutch is upstream of the hammer then the hammer has to lock out so effectively in “drill” mode that it wouldn’t affect the operation of the clutch. It’s probably possible to solve all these problems, but in the end you’d have a very complex, expensive, heavy, clunky tool.
Joellikestools
I am pretty sure Makita had a 3 in 1. You should be able to find it with a quick Google search. I don’t think it was very popular.
Munklepunk
https://www.makitatools.com/products/details/XPT02Z
Ken
I have a lot of overlap, but tend to use both often enough. Usually the drill with a drill bit for pilot holes and the impact for driving the screws. The impact doesn’t fit things like mixing paddles and I can’t see it working well for metal drilling. The impact is good for taking crank nuts off small engines to pull flywheels and things and the drill wouldn’t do that. I did upgrade my drill recently from an older M18 brushed to a newer Fuel model but don’t expect to do the impact anytime soon.
Jerry
I use both but am finding myself using the driver more and more. No torque reaction when a larger drill bit goes through metal.
I use the drill for precision and smaller holes and have found if I use the clutch I don’t chip drill bit edges when they come through.
I do use both but if I could only have one it would be the impact driver.
newbs7
Harbor Freight doesn’t make crappy drill bits with a hex shank so I need both 😀
Stuart
Yes they do, under their Hercules brand.
AlexK
My impact drivers are LOUD. If I’m working in a place where a homeowner is nearby, I try to use my drill for driving. If I have to drive many screws, I’ll let them know that it will be loud, and then I’ll put earplugs in. I have two m12 fuel impacts and one m18 fuel impact. I only do light carpentry and kitchen installs part time so I haven’t been able to rationalize getting the surge. I’ve used a co-worker’s and it was great, but my m18 is practically unused and one of my m12 impact has never been used. I bought that on a great sale, figuring it will be there when my original one dies. But more than five years later (with heavy use) it’s still going strong.
I like having a drill with drill bit and countersink on one hip and the driver on the other. With the m12 size, I can climb a ladder and have both on hand. Light and small form tools.
Dave P
The surges are quiet for sure, but somewhat hard to tell when things are tight/they sound different/it’s easy to over-tighten and strip out stuff with them. The sound the same all of the time and an impact hard a harder CLICK/”hit” when it’s time to stop.
You can’t beat the surges when installing metal siding/trim/ or in a confined place–when the noise of the regular impact is deafening.
The surges are great in carpentry but not much good in woodworking (Over-tightening is way too easy/frequent).
I wouldn’t dream of using a drill for screws–haven’t done that since “drivers” came out. Then I gave all of my drivers away when impacts came out…. and I wouldn’t dream of using a 1/4″ drive impact for mechanic’s work. If you do, it must be REALLY light-duty stuff and then I could see how they could work, but then again, not really
…
Drills and impact drivers are no where near interchangeable, although their uses can overlap somewhat.
eddie sky
Yes.
see https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=43cuU0lP6To
Impacts can destroy drywall screw heads, etc.
Drivers are crucial for some screws like pocket screws, or where you need a slow driving process that isn’t hammering at it.
You should never use an impact driver with a drill bit or non-impact cert sockets.
I have a reliable, Ol’ deWalt drill/driver that has separate hammer selection…like for mason or cement drilling for “blue” fasteners.
I have an Atomic DeWalt driver just for screws in wood, etc.
And I have an impact driver for automotive or fasteners that need removing like bolts, or installing like lags.
Nathan
I would never drill with an impact driver. so yes I need both. I know you can get impact driver drill bits but I’d rather not. and yes I know to some degree they are the same motor and etc but the form factor is wrong for the job.
Sorry right tool for the job – as much as you possibly can. I don’t use a ro sander to true up the edges of a door either. but you could I guess.
Meanwhile I could potentially argue alot of people really only need one of those installation drill driver box sets. red, yellow or blue. it covers most all the bases. And to be fair had that been out when I got my first impact driver I’d have bought that instead.
HOWEVER I’ve gotten so accustom to having my drill and seperate driver that it just speeds up most construction work I do. worth every penny IMO.
fred
The old adage “horses for courses” applies to both people and tools. While you can always make do and stretch your budget by doing so with less – if productivity and ease of use is important to you – then the right tool for the job can pay off. But having the right tools is not a substitute for skills and craftsmanship acquired through training, practice and innate ability. So, if you do not know how and when to properly use a drill/driver adding an impact driver to your tool collection may not necessarily improve your work.
I like to build reproduction furniture. I have way more tools than the craftsman who built the originals that I try to copy. While my results have improved compared to my first few efforts – I am still humbled by the masters like Duncan Phyfe who built fine furniture with hand tools – no cordless drills or impact drivers in his shop.
fred
I might have added that using the absolute wrong tool for a job – can indeed mess things up and lead to lots of frustration. Sometimes it is a matter of degrees – like in this discussion about impact drivers vs, drills. Other times it can become more apparent (or even dangerous)- like hammering on a knife blade instead of using a chisel and mallet.
Scott F
Same as most here, I use both and generally stick to the impact unless I’m drilling holes in metal where I just find more comfort in my drill. Or masonry which is where I well break out the M18 hammer drill, which I have used one time in the 2 years owning it, solely for drilling in concrete.
My 2nd gen M12 Fuel drill (not hammer) is what started my Milwaukee collection 5 years ago, and until buying the impact driver ~3 years back I never even used an impact driver. I was missing out… but at the time all of my experience was working on vehicles/metal fab. With hindsight, I would never give up the impact – I much prefer it to the drill these days for ease of use and just raw power, but I also do a lot more wood projects these days and far less metal working since I bought my house. For metal work, I still think I prefer my M12 drill (whose chuck is a giant POS and needs to be pried open regularly with my large Knipex Cobras, might I add…)
If I had to draw the line and pick one or the other, I would probably pick the drill because it is not related to 1/4″ hex, and I like the more precise speed control (when it is needed). I do not think I would love sending a 1.5″ spade bit through a 4×4 post with the drill like I do the impact, but I’m sure it would get it done… If I did and would ever do only wood work, I would pick the impact…
neandrewthal
Comparing current gen cordless in the hands of highly experienced users, drills are faster in almost all scenarios including fairly large lags. Impacts are easier to hold, aim and control. Easy to quick drive a screw and then rotate is 1/8 a turn with a few slow impacts.
Hoser
I would give up all my impact drivers in less than a second. I still have a hard time finding situations where an impact is a better choice than a drill/driver.
Dave (not here)
Definitely both. I’ll sometimes drill with an impact in a pinch, or drive with a drill in delicate material, but both serve their purpose. It’s especially nice to have both tools at once if I’m drilling pilot holes and then driving fasteners…
Scott K
I love having both and would replace one if/when it dies. A lot of the projects I work on require drilling and driving- I really like being able to simply alternate between a drill and driver with the correct bits already set. I’m saying this without having used drill bits in my impact driver- maybe I wouldn’t mind as much with the quick change my driver offers…
TomD
I am going to say that in THEORY you need both, but in PRACTICE/REALITY I just use the M12 Surge™ for everything under the sun, unless I need to bust out the SDS.
I can’t recall offhand the last time I got out the actual drill, as the surge with drill bits “works good enough” for the around-the-house type of thing I’m usually doing (and I know where it is because I used it last).
Dan the Tool Man.
I have bought and in corded and cordless models. And I’m not giving any of them up. Because they all have different uses at Different time.
CNAndrews
I would say you don’t need 2 units, you need 5.
I’ll use DeWalt’s offerings to illustrate:
1. 12v drill
2. 12v impact driver
3. 20v drill
4. 20v impact driver
5. 20v hammer drill
For items 1-4, it’s a matter of scale, convenience and possibly safety. The lower voltage items provide (typically) smaller and lighter unit sizes which are not only convenient but also a bit safer for occasional or smaller-framed users. The higher voltages are the inverse argument, providing more power at the expense of weight and possibly safety in the hands of inexperienced or otherwise compromised users.
Item 5 is simply a matter of the right tool for the right job. Using a normal drill to try and create a seat for a concrete anchor, for example is both ineffective and less safe.
Big Richard
You can add a couple more:
6. 20v 7/16″ impact (DCF898)
7. 60v mixer drill (DCD130)
Little more specialty niche tools, but they certainly have their place. You also could add drywall guns to the list.
fred
Our cabinet installers would have probably added 12V and 18V right angle drills as well. In the days of corded tools they also used Sioux and Milwaukee close quarters drills. In our plumbing business – the guys could not live without corded right angle hole hawgs – until they got replaced with cordless right angle super hole hawgs for use with selfeed bits. While your #5 (hammer Drill) may have its place – we generally skipped over this in favor of a range (small to large) rotohammers. Of course, when a rotohammer would not do – we’d call in a subcontractor with either a core drill or (if it was a blasting job) a rock drill.
Retired now – doing landscaping/fence projects I’ve added a Makita XGD01Z (36V Earth Auger Drill). While not up to the capabilities of a larger gasoline-engine earth auger – it is way easier to haul around.
Munklepunk
Impact drivers have a tendency to overpower light duty fasteners where a driver with a clutch is perfect. Certain trades may never have a use for both and may not see the use in the other and don’t get it, like trying to teach a framer what anything smaller than ¼” increments are.
I used a impactor to drill some holes in joists, it worked great and I’ll never do it again because whatever time it may have saved was easily made up for by cleaning the shavings across the room.
fred
Before the cordless revolution – we used corded and pneumatic 1/2-inch drive impact guns fitted witha push-on Jacobs chuck to drill thick steel and tough timbers. When we needed a handheld solution (mag drill press would not work) – the impact gun plus drill bit would result in little or no torque reaction at break-through.
Mopar4wd
I like having both, I have 4 drills now having at least 2 drills and impact driver really makes jobs go faster. I was late to the impact party but man I love mine. I really prefer it for driving screws and doing lighter mechanical work. I built a bunch of out door furniture over the last couple years and I find the impact driver great for things like that also great for decking. I find it much less likely to break screws or cam out with the impact driver. I mean I did it for years with a drill but now I can’t see going back.
Shawn+Y
My first big boy tool after my B&D drill died is the Dewalt DCF895 impact driver. I researched the pros and cons of using an impact as a drill replacement with the mindset of a new home owner (which incidentally, is how I found this website). My conclusion was, with impact rated drill bits and a made in Japan 3/8″ Makita chuck adapter for regular bits, I’ll be fine.
I later got the Dewalt 8V gyro drill for light duty stuff but the DCF895 is still going strong (though I think the switch started acting up).
QUESTION: All these comments about how precise a drill is vs impact has peaked my interest though… I’ve read that you can hammer drills can have the hammer function switched off. Would it then perform with the same precision of a stand alone drill? It’s really just a practical minimalist mindset.
Lastly, a great follow-up article to this would be describing how the mechanical design translates to the operator’s experience/control to where the comments unanimously chose both drill & driver. Is a driver less precise period or only when it starts hammering?
MFC
I have the following cordless “drills/drivers”:
Two Hammer Drills
Two Impacts
One 1/2″ mid-torque impact wrench
One 1/2″ High torque impact wrench
One 3/8 impact wrench
Two compact drills
Two compact impact drivers
One right angle drill
One joist drill
One ratchet
One paddle mixer
One SDS-Plus rotary hammer
One SDS-Max rotary Hammer
One drywall Screw-gun
Two screwdrivers
Some of these things are redundant, but most have specific purposes and uses that make the job easier and faster than an alternative. My fairly beefy drill could bore a 2 3/8″ hole through double top plates, but in the time it took to drill 5 holes with that drill I could do 20 with the joist drill. The right tool for the job makes a big difference and extends the longevity of the tool by not asking too much out of it.
A lot of people use an impact for most everything because it’s lightweight and can get most jobs done, but they overheat fairly quickly and die if you use them to consistently drill 3″ or larger screws with them. A drill performs much better and stays cooler at that higher torque, but I wouldn’t use either to put in 4-8″ lags. I turn to the high-torque for that. Not only does it extend my other drills lives, but it reduces fatigue on me and makes the job enjoyable. I know some guys that have gone through 1-2 impacts in a year (M18 fuel) and I have gone through one brushless impact in 7 years because I don’t use it when it creates excessive heat.
TLDR; Use the right tool for the job and try new things out occasionally to see if there isn’t a better tool for your application. You’ll make it easier on yourself and extend the life of your tools.
Paul
May want to explain drills (and screwdrivers as a separate category), impact drivers, impact wrenches, and rotary hammers as they are all very different tools. Many people for instance chuck up a concrete bit in an impact driver expecting to make holes better over a drill but mostly just destroy bits because it’s not a hammer drill. Or chuck a tap into an impact wrench! Yes I have someone on my crew that does that.
kent_skinner
I see them as two different but related tools. I use both on a regular basis, and only occasionally have to think about which one is more appropriate for the current job (it’s usually obvious).