Difference Between Impact Driver and Drill

Impact Driver is used to driving heavy-duty screws into wood, steel or drywall with significant impact and speed. Drill, on the other hand, is primarily used to drill holes of different sizes into wood, steel or drywall to make a home for screws to be driven in post-drill.

Key Takeaways

1. Impact drivers are designed for tasks that require more torque and are generally used for heavy-duty work, while drills are used for lighter tasks.
2. Impact drivers use rotational force to deliver high torque to drive screws and other fasteners, while drills use a chuck to grip and turn bits.
3. Impact drivers produce less strain on the user’s wrist, making them more comfortable using them for extended periods than drills.

Impact Driver vs Drill

The difference between Impact Driver and Drill is that, unlike an Impact driver, a drill can also be used to directly drive screws in if drive tool bits are used in its clutch instead of drill bits. The advantage of an impact driver is its brute strength and exemplary speed, providing a very easy-to-handle solution if you work with heavy wood beams or steel pieces.

The advantage of a drill is its versatility in function as it can fit a number of drill bits to adjust according to your project needs, providing a one-in-all solution for your shop if you do small DIY projects for home or other accessories.

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Comparison Table

Parameter of Comparison	Impact Driver	Drill
Function	To drive large fasteners/screws into wood, steel or drywall	Primarily to drill holes and to drive small fasteners/screws into wood, steel or drywall
Power	provides high-power rotational force at amazing speed	Provides less power rotational force at a lesser speed
Torque and versatility	High torque, less versatility in function	Less torque, greater versatility in function
Dual purpose	mainly for driving screws in and out	Mainly for drilling precise holes but also drives screws in and out
Driving Force and drilling action	Driven by concussive force, it requires less effort by the handler	Driven by forward thrust, it requires more effort by the handler
Drill bits used	¼ inch hex-shanked	round and hex-shanked drill bits of diameter ¼ or 3/8 inch
Handling and Compactness	More compact and easier to handle	Less compact and harder to handle
Precision	Does not strip screws hence providing precision in screw driving	Strips screws so precision can be compromised if slipped

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What is Impact Driver?

Impact Driver is a powerful tool that is used to drive screws in and out of wood, steel, non-ferrous metals, plastics, drywall or concrete with high speed and accuracy and for nut sets. (Nut setting is the function of tightening or loosening a nut in its bolt set).

Impact Driver provides high torque output, making repetitive screw-driving tasks while building quick and easy.

To make this tool more compact, an impact driver does not have a clutch; it is only fitted with a chuck allowing only hex-shanked bits to be slipped in and secured and can be handled more easily with less exertion.

Driven by concussive force, impact drivers are named so because the impact is provided by the tool itself; significantly less force is transferred to the hand holding the tool, requiring minimal effort for hard-driven screwing.

 

What is Drill?

A drill is a versatile power tool that is used to drill holes of varying sizes into the wood, steel, non-ferrous metals, drywall or concrete, as well as screw-in fasteners into either drilled holes or directly into the host material.

A drill is equipped with a clutch that accepts an assortment of circular or hex-shanked drill bits used for making different types of pocket holes and fitting on various types of screw heads to facilitate screwing fasteners in and out.

The clutch provides options for either drills or drives with varying speeds and sizes. This piece rotates on the tool and adds bulk to its volume, making the drill-less compact harder to handle with greater exertion.

Driven by forwarding thrust, and due to the clutch variation, drills require effort provided by the handler too to drive or drill screws effectively and hence are harder to use than the impact drivers unless only used for smaller screws and holes.

Owing to its flexibility in function, a drill is a tool that is found in most households and used for various fitting and repair jobs.

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Main Differences Between Impact Driver and Drill

1. An Impact driver drives fasteners/screws into a host medium, whereas a drill makes threaded holes for screws as well as direct drive screws into the host medium.
2. An impact driver has advantages in strength and speed, whereas a drill has advantages in various functions.
3. An impact driver is limited in the use of drill bits, i.e. only hex-shanked bits can be fit into an impact driver. In contrast, a drill accepts a myriad of drill bits of different sizes and shapes, including circular and hex-shanked in ¼ and 3/8 inch sizes.
4. An impact driver provides high torque output and can be used for heavy-duty attachments and fastening. In contrast, a drill is comparatively low-powered and is used for small projects, fittings, and repairs.
5. An impact driver is compact and precise in its working, whereas a drill is adaptable and multipurpose in its working
6. The impact driver is compact, less in weight and driven at a breakneck speed, so does not strip screws during rotation, whereas a drill gets slower when the surface becomes hard and the screws strip due to resistance

References

1. https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1755-1315/24/1/012016/pdf
2. https://www.electricianmentor.com/best-compact-drills-for-tradesmen/
3. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12541-012-0290-1