What is the difference between drills and drivers

When it comes to the hammer drill vs. However, not all cordless motors are the same. There are two types: brushed or brushless. Brushed motors are the older kind, originally used in corded drills. However, the big difference is in how efficient the motors are at using battery power.

Brushless motors are more expensive, but in general use 10 to 15 percent less power for equivalent performance. So a brushless tool will run longer than the brushed counterpart between charges. Hammer drills and, in particular, SDS hammer drills are power-hungry beasts. While most drills and drivers stop at 20V, in order to cope with the demands of professional jobs that need more power, 40V and even 60V hammer drills have been introduced.

The more affordable alternative is to resort to what may seem an old-fashioned solution: a corded hammer drill. These can be very powerful tools and, as a result, there are still many available. If you can work where there is access to power outlets, or you already own a portable generator, they are a cost-effective option.

In general, 12V drills and drivers are light-duty homeowner tools. A step up in power, 20V models suit the needs of more serious DIY enthusiasts and professionals.

Currently only cordless SDS hammer drills offer more power, with 40V and 60V tools aimed squarely at contractor use. However, each type of drill and driver has specifications that are particular to their type and purpose. Almost all drills and drivers have variable speed, activated by the trigger. However, this relies on the user exerting sustained pressure, which is easy at full speed but not so much at lower revolutions.

Better tools offer two or three speed ranges, so even when the trigger is fully depressed, a slower speed is reached. This gives greater control, which is often useful when using small drill bits, or when starting to drive screws. With hammer drills you may also get a figure for blows per minute BPM.

This is the speed of the hammer action. It is the combination of these figures that is important, rather than just big numbers. Professional hammer drills have lower BPM but higher impact energy. In other words, they hit more slowly, but each strike is much harder. With impact drivers the key statistic is torque—twisting force—usually given in inch-pounds in.

Some manufacturers also provide impacts per minute IPM. If two similar models offer the same torque output, then faster IPM might be the deciding factor, but the torque figure is far more important.

The number of clutch settings is often quoted. Physical size and overall weight can be important considerations for whichever type of drill or driver you buy. Hammer drills can be especially bulky. Many, particularly SDS models, have an additional handle at the front that gives a clear indication that the tool needs to be operated with both hands.

This should not be ignored. If a drill bit jams while cutting through thick masonry or rock, the drill body itself will try to rotate. This happens suddenly and because of the weight and the energy transferred can cause serious wrist injury to those who are unprepared.

Similar though less severe injuries are possible when you use impact drivers, so caution is advised. Why own it? Drill with one, drive with the other. This is the one we keep in the PM shop. Another tool that we keep in the shop is this slim, little Bosch volt kit.

This combo kit is an incredible value and really is contractor duty. But if you need more capacity, this one from Milwaukee Tools is also a great pick. Pro Tip: Consider buying a factory-reconditioned tool at a steep discount. Sometimes these are essentially brand new tools that have no more than a few minutes or a few hours of run time.

They have to be cycled through the factory reconditioning process because they are no longer considered a new product. Professionals and homeowners alike find themselves using impact drivers instead of cordless drills, especially with the advent of bit sets with hex-shank accessories that are specifically designed to withstand the stresses that these drivers impose on a bit.

Impact drivers are high-torque tools primarily used for driving screws and tightening nuts an operation known as nut setting. You either pull up on the chuck sleeve to insert a bit or you just slip the bit into the chuck. These tools are lighter and smaller than drill drivers, and although they are not as versatile, they will perform many of the same functions. Since their torque output is higher than a typical drill driver, they get through work more quickly.

Purchasing power: Like cordless drills, great deals are to be had on some of our favorite impact drivers if you know where to look. On the clock, Kenny dives deep to discover the practical limits and comparative differences for all kinds of tools. Off the clock, his faith and love for his family are his top priorities, and you'll typically find him in the kitchen, on his bike he's an Ironman , or taking folks out for a day of fishing on Tampa Bay.

The battery-powered blower landscape sure has changed since we did our first head-to-head review several years ago. There are a lot more options and the performance is leaps and bounds ahead. So who makes the best cordless leaf blower in ? Pros […]. When you need to grip, position, twist, cut, tighten or loosen various things, pliers can cover a pretty broad range of applications. Their general design consists of two handles, a pivot, and a head.

Consequently, […]. Thanks for your valuable tips. Great Post! Very Informative for all people who are looking for difference between drill and impact drivers. This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognizing you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.

Feel free to read our full privacy policy. Strictly Necessary Cookie should be enabled at all times so that we can save your preferences for cookie settings. If you disable this cookie, we will not be able to save your preferences. This means that every time you visit this website you will need to enable or disable cookies again. No personal information is collected until or unless it is voluntarily submitted for purposes of manually entering a giveaway.

A typical cordless drill from Ridgid. An older impact driver anvil left and the redesigned second-gen FUEL impact anvil right. A Milwaukee Impact Driver. The typical ratcheting drill chuck foreground and a quick-release hex chuck on an impact driver background. A typical hex bit shank is required to work in an impact driver. The chuck of a drill or hammer drill will also hold this bit type. The FLEX hammer drill in concrete. Want more?

Join our newsletter and get the latest tool reviews every week! We hope that this article helped you understand the differences between these two drills and when to use a drill vs impact driver.

Now that you understand the differences between a traditional power drill and an impact driver, which one should you use for your next project?

The answer to this question depends on what kind of project you are working on and for what purpose you need a drill. Standard power drills are primarily used for drilling holes and screwing in small fasteners. An impact driver is designed for screwing in large fasteners. Screws that are longer can be driven in much easier with an impact driver. A traditional drill is better suited for jobs that require precision.

Considering an impact driver is not well suited for tasks that require precision, it should be used for jobs where the placement of the hole is not crucial, but extra torque is required. A cordless impact driver can easily blast through dense wood or metal, while a traditional power drill may be stopped in its tracks. Aaron is the founder of and Essential Home and Garden. He likes to spend his spare time with his family, and doing DIY projects in the home and garden.

An interesting article, I was definitely wondering what the advantage of an impact driver is having just replaced my Makita combi drill that died of natural causes after 15 years and three house renovations.

Having read this it seems to me that it is essentially about speed of working. Happy with my choice of combi but can see how a pro, or more dedicated DIYer would want both tools.