# Impact drill



## Hudnall18 (Nov 16, 2010)

I just started collecting tools and before I go out and buy a impact drill what does it do that my regular drill doesn't should I even buy one is it a waste of many can't I just use my drill now for all my work?


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## Bondo (Dec 8, 2007)

> I just started collecting tools and before I go out and buy a impact drill what does it do that my regular drill doesn't


Ayuh,... It allows you to drill concrete, 'n stone....
A standard drill will only burn up the bits...


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## tcleve4911 (Nov 6, 2010)

An impact drill is NOT a hammer drill.

The advantage of the impact over the regular drill is the ability to drive fasteners in with much less arm force than a regular drill.

How many times have you been trying to wind in a lag bolt or good sized screws and the bit just keeps slipping off?

I'm not saying it won't happen sometimes, but when it does, you can be guaranteed that is the bit or screw and NOT the drill.

Get a good one
Makita lithium Ion is what I currently use


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## Hudnall18 (Nov 16, 2010)

So I should get a impact drill?


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## Bondo (Dec 8, 2007)

> An impact drill is NOT a hammer drill.




Ayuh,... At 1st glance, it's You who is confusing an impact *Drill*, with an impact *Driver*....

*What Puts the Impact in an Impact Drill?*
Supplemental pressure, operated by a manual feed, describes how impact drills work to aid in boring faster into concrete, rock, or other challenging materials. A mechanism located in the drill gearing system makes it possible, at the flip of a switch or lever, to pulsate the drill chuck and bit forward at speeds of up to 48,000 times every 60 seconds. 
This special mechanism defines in a nutshell how impact drills work. The impact function of an impact drill can only be used when working with masonry, however. To avoid damage to it, the impact mechanism should always be turned to the _off_� position when the drill is used to drill into wood, plastic, metal, or any material other than masonry. 
As defined Here...



> So I should get a impact drill?


Do you ever plan to drill concrete or stone,..?? then Yes...

If not, then No...


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## Hudnall18 (Nov 16, 2010)

Should I get certain drill bits for a impact drill or can I use normal ones


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## Bondo (Dec 8, 2007)

Hudnall18 said:


> Should I get certain drill bits for a impact drill or can I use normal ones


That's completely dependent on the Material you intend to drill holes in...


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## tcleve4911 (Nov 6, 2010)

Bondo said:


> Ayuh,... At 1st glance, it's You who is confusing an impact *Drill*, with an impact *Driver*....


:blush:my bad


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## Bondo (Dec 8, 2007)

Ayuh,... No problem,...
Especially considerin' yer a Maineiac....

I'm a Maineiac in exile,... still got a place Downeast though...


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## piste (Oct 7, 2009)

well...technically...AFAIK...there are hammer drills....and impact drivers....I'm not familiar with the term impact drill...so is that an alternative term for a hammer drill....?? or impact driver? or...neither?

Edit to add...I'm not a Mainiac...but I am a [email protected] in exile!


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## hyunelan2 (Aug 14, 2007)

Hammer Drill: used for drilling concrete and masonry. Most have a switch to turn the impact on or off and you have a nice electric drill for drilling wood also. Cordless and corded versions available. I like corded in this application, because it never slows down.
















Impact Driver: used for driving screws and hex head bolts. Uses a series of impacts to turn the fastener past sticking points. Compact and good to use in tight spaces where a regular drill may not fit.









Impact Wrench (also electric and cordless versions available): generally for mechanic usage. Removes and tightens nuts & bolts. Cordless versions are not all that different from an impact driver, but larger. Has a square chuck instead of the typical drill chuck or 1/4" quick-release impact driver chuck.


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## Squishy (Nov 24, 2010)

^^^ Yup.

Never heard of a hammer drill called an impact before. An impact drill seems to be an umbrella term for both impact drivers and impact wrenches. Over here, it's this:

Hammer drill = clutch driven drill that delivers bumps for concrete and masonry drilling.

Rotary hammer = piston driven drill that does what a hammer drill does better, and can also run in "bump only" mode for chiselling.

Impact driver = drill that only accepts 1/4" hex bits, and uses a spring-loaded impact mechanism to produce more torque without requiring a superhuman grip. Good for deck building, as it is quick and allows better control over fastener depth. I would finish off lag bolts by hand though, to avoid stripping them. As the chuck tends to spin much faster than a standard drill, I also use them with a drywall bit when a drywall gun is not available (edit: actually, I use my impact *wrench*, but I'm just going to write here why I think they're useful). Typically delivers ~100-150 ft-lbs of torque.

Impact wrench = an impact drill with a 1/2" or 3/8" square head to attach sockets to; normally comes with an adapter to use 1/4" hex bits with. You may need this type for carriage bolts in deck building, or for working on cars (great for pounding off rusted bolts). Typically has greater torque than an impact driver, around 200-250 ft-lbs. A pneumatic impact wrench, of course, delivers the most torque of all, ~400-600 ft-lbs.


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## mrgins (Jan 19, 2009)

An impact drill/driver "impacts" with far less power but far more frequency than a hammer drill. They are two different tools for two different purposes. If you do a lot of ...erm...screwing, use an impact drill/driver. I use my Makita ALL the time. It drives screws fast and effortlessly even overhead but the one draw back is that it is noisy.


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## mrgins (Jan 19, 2009)

oh yeah, and they do make impact driver bits, but I haven't had much more luck with them than some regular bits


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## speedster1 (May 13, 2009)

Another great use for an impact driver is for putting screws in cement backer board.


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## piste (Oct 7, 2009)

mrgins said:


> oh yeah, and they do make impact driver bits, but I haven't had much more luck with them than some regular bits


meaning you have problems with any and all driver bits in your impact driver?


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## mrgins (Jan 19, 2009)

piste said:


> meaning you have problems with any and all driver bits in your impact driver?


Well it's definitely harder on bits than a regular driver, but there are differences between manufacturers of bits. Also, the super hard phillips bits will snap off after a while and the softer ones will wear down quicker. Overall, it's still NOT a good reason not to purchase an impact driver


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## Hohn (Jun 16, 2010)

Sounds to me like it's not a reason to avoid an impact driver (a fabulous tool)-- instead, it's a reason to avoid ridiculous Phillips heads in favor of a far superior Torx drive. (Heck, even Robertson/square drive is far better than Phillips).

JMO


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## speedster1 (May 13, 2009)

Hohn said:


> Sounds to me like it's not a reason to avoid an impact driver (a fabulous tool)-- instead, it's a reason to avoid ridiculous Phillips heads in favor of a far superior Torx drive. (Heck, even Robertson/square drive is far better than Phillips).
> 
> JMO


Agreed. The square heads are awesome


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