Every DIYer and woodworker who takes their job seriously and wants to produce high-quality products knows that certain tools are designed for certain jobs. Even though impact drivers and drills might look the same, sound the same, and seem to work the same, there are crucial differences that make them special for different types of jobs..
We will go over everything you need to know to be able to tell these two amazing tools apart and decide which one you need. You will get to know what qualities to look for when trying to find the best impact driver and drill. More importantly, you will know which tool you need in the first place. You might need both, but it’s important to know what each is designed to handle before buying.
For the reasons above, I’ve made a detailed comparison between these tools, allowing you to know the main differences between an impact driver vs. a drill. The few factors and metrics we’ll be using to compare the tools and make everything a lot clearer will be the following:
- Use
- Power
- Torque
- Bits
- Versatility
- Price
Differences Between an Impact Driver and a Drill
Based on the following differences we’re about to discuss, you can determine which one of these tools you’re more in need of. This isn’t about knowing which tool is better, as both of them are amazing tools for the purposes they’re intended for. Read what I have to say, and everything will make a lot more sense.
Use
Impact Driver
An impact driver is a typically smaller tool than a drill, but it can work miracles when it comes to driving fasteners. That’s their main job. However, the impact driver is a far more complex tool than the drill, making it more suitable for more than just drilling holes. A drill can’t even come close to the experience you will get regarding driving fasteners and screwing them into place firmly.
Drill
As the name suggests, a drill is mainly designed to drill holes. It can handle driving a few types of fasteners as well, but it won’t perform nearly as well as an impact driver. Even the best drill you can buy can’t compete with a standard impact driver when it comes to driving fasteners and screws.
So, if you’re generally going to be drilling holes, no matter big or small ones, a drill will handle this job better and provide an easier and more comfortable experience. You can find out why, as you read further.
Power
Impact Driver
Even though the amount of power an impact driver can produce isn’t always the same, they are much more powerful than their size suggests. This factor can be determined by a few things, including whether it’s a corded or cordless tool, the size of the battery, volts, wats, and more.
Most standard impact drivers will provide all the power you need to accomplish most standard jobs. As I mentioned, they are much more powerful than they look, so you don’t have to worry about that.
Drill
The same goes for drills. More often than not, some cordless drills out there will prove much more powerful than a corded drill. But, that still won’t mean anything until you look at the specific tool you’re considering. As I said, it can depend on a lot of things such as the voltage, whether it’s corded or cordless, whether it’s been used or not, and more.
Torque
Impact Driver
When I first saw how tiny impact drivers can be, I thought that they would for sure deliver less force and torque than a drill. However, that’s not usually the case. There is a massive difference in the way drills and impact drivers are engineered.
Impact drivers do have higher torque. They’re engineered so that they don’t initially give it their all like a drill would. Instead, impact drivers are sensitive and can push their limits once a screw starts resisting. You can notice this whenever you hear that annoying clicking sound when you’re driving a stubborn fastener.
Drill
Drills, on the other hand, have constant torque. They spin the same from the moment you press the button, unlike impact drivers, which, as we said, are sensitive to how much your press the button and how much the fastener resists. Luckily, drilling holes does require a steady torque, making the drill ideal for the job.
Bits
Impact Driver
Yes, even the bits they use are different for these tools. Impact drivers are way more specific than a drill. They need their own special bits that fit them perfectly, as any other normal driver bit would fall off and not be as firm when driving screws.
The bits for impact drivers are specially engineered. They have a hex shank and fit perfectly. You can purchase entire packs of impact driver bits, allowing you to drill different types of fasteners with different heads.
Drill
When it comes to drill bits, things aren’t as specific as with the impact driver. Most drill bits will fit your drill, as the locking mechanism isn’t the same as it is with impact drivers. You simply loosen it, stick the drill bit in there, and tighten. The shank shouldn’t be a hex or any other kind of unique shape. It’s just round.
Versatility
Impact Driver
We already discussed what each of these tools is used for. However, their ability to adapt isn’t the same and differs for a few various reasons. Impact drivers are great for driving fasteners of all sorts and sizes. However, the fact that they don’t have a constant and stable torque makes them less suitable for drilling precise holes.
Drill
Drills have the right kind of torque and design for drilling perfect holes, but they lack the sensitivity and flexibility for driving fasteners. You can drive a fastener with a drill, it’s not impossible, but you will constantly suffer from something known as “caming out.” This happens when the drill doesn’t adapt to the resistance of the fastener and completely destroys the head of the fastener.
Price
Impact Driver
The last thing I feel is also worth mentioning is the price. When it comes to power tools, there is an extremely wide range of prices you can choose from. It doesn’t matter if you’re searching for the best hammer drill ever made, the biggest table saw, or the most effective chainsaw. There is one for every budget range.
Decent impact drivers can range anywhere between $50 and $250. It shouldn’t be much more than that if you plan to use it for standard and common jobs, which is, well, driving fasteners.
Drill
All of the same can be said for drills as well. You will always have many options to choose from. Prices depend on the quality of the tool, which is mostly between ones for beginners and professionals. They differ in quality, as well as features like durability and power.
How to Know Which One You Need
Based on everything we discussed about these tools and everything we used to compare them, you now know the differences between these two power tools. To summarize:
You will want to get a drill if you’re planning to drill precise and clean holes. The steady torque that the drill can provide will make sure you don’t mess up, and you get enough power to drill many types of holes on a few different materials.
If drilling quick, precise, and clean holes isn’t your biggest concern, and all you care about is driving fasteners all day and night, then an impact driver will make this experience quite enjoyable. They’re able to adapt to most types of materials and fasteners and provide a lot of control. This tool makes driving fasteners comfortable, fast, and easy.