I didn't see this coming! - Death of the Cordless Drill?
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You Still need a regular drill for brittle work where an impact drill is sold and is becoming so hard to find good brands selling not in a 2 pack of drill and impact.
Most of the commentors are saying using the two together is better. Also, hex drill bits are expensive compared to stand drill bits, so not going to use the impact as a drill.
@@epicfail5707 first thing I thought about the hex shank bits, they are pricey.
I started watching this video and stopped it to check when it was made thinking it must be old. I've owned these for years and use them together all the time. The drill drills the holes, the driver drives in the screws. Job done.
^THIS
@@patriotpioneer yup. ole stumpy must be hurting for content.
I could have made this video with my 10-15 year old Makita.
@@jeffbuller6708I think he must be. Can you even buy an impact driver without speed control these days? I doubt it.
Yeah, some good ol content fishing going on here.
The real no-brainer is having both. Buy the two pack!
Or just get a combination drill. Only need two if you are constantly swapping between drilling and screwing.
@@martinrwolfe I'm constantly needing to both both drill and screw. 90% of the time If you're going to put a screw in, you should be drilling a pilot hole as well.
Countersink, pilot hole, screw driver. That's three!
@@jveebklyn1644 or use more expensive screws that have drill-function+countersink-heads.... but yeah, I mostly just use 3 machines in the workshop and cheaper screws too.
💯 I use my impact the most by far but love having both.
I like the versatility of having both
Agree. When you need to use the clutch to drive a screw properly or making pilot holes. I bought a Makita drill and impact kit 2 years ago and you really do need both, IMO.
One for drilling pilot holes and countersinks, the other for driving fasteners!
Haven’t felt the need for a corded drill in the last 15 years or more
Yeah there are definitely tasks where I prefer one over the other. I also like having both available so I don't have to swap bits as often if I need to repeat a series of operations (e.g. drilling pilot holes & counter sinks before driving fasteners).
When I have a job that requires drilling lots of holes and putting screws in those holes, I haven't found a better way than using both. Maybe I'm doing it wrong.
My shop foreman always said you bore with a drill and you fasten with an impact. Even just for efficiency sake, I'll keep my fastener bit in my impact and my countersink in my drill. That way, I don't have to constantly switch.
I don't have an impact yet, but this is the most reasonable solution for my case. I work with small softwood and screws. Without pre-drilling and countersinking you get splits and constantly switching between 3 bits is annoying. An impact for at least the torx bit is very logical.
Exactly. They are team, not competitors.
This is the way
Festool Fast Fix
Assuming you’re in a situation where the ridiculous noise of the impact is acceptable I agree.
I like that my impact driver doesn't try to break my wrist at least twice every project.
You are not using the clutch?
Reactive torque is the technical term. That's what makes impacts the favourite on job sites: not having to fight that all day long.
I hadn’t noticed your comment before I said the same thing in a reply. I used the example of try pushing a nail in steadily as opposed to using a hammer. That is a slightly different point but related.
Its nice to have both so you are not constantly switching out driving bits for drill bits during the building process. A third drill comes in handy to if you like to countersink your holes. Its a real time saver in the long run, however I'd prefer having two drills and one driver as the drills clutch settings allow for more control and finer work without the risk of an accidental mistake by being heavy fingered
I’ve done the opposite, myself. I’m reaching more and more for my drill, while my impact driver cries in the corner.
The drill is just more forgiving. I have a 2400 in-lb impact driver and I don’t even try to drive a Phillips with it. I still haul out the impact if I have a bigger project (and I am sure to use torx screws).
At first I thought this was me being a casual DIY noob, but when the “professionals” installed my son’s playset they split three boards at fasteners by over torquing with impact drivers so I think it happens.
@@miketimmerman6336 That's a beefy impact driver you have there. Most of the 20V impact drivers I've seen are between 1000in-lb and 1400in-lb, with some inching up to around 1600in-lb nowadays. what brand/model is it?
@@5467nick sounds like probably Flex
@@miketimmerman6336I've been building decks (among other things) for 25 years and have never used an impact driver on those jobs. A good drill will sink deck screws all day long, without issue. Heck, I've built decks with brushless Ryobi drills without any real problems.
As for lag bolts, I use an impact wrench because it's the right tool for the job. Those little socket adapters they make for impact drivers are just failure points waiting to happen. Why bother when I can have a direct 3/8" or 1/2" connector on an impact wrench? Nope. My impact drivers are probably my least used tools on any jobsite.
Yep, same here. Using my drills way more and actually very happy with the results. i was all impact driver before.
I love the short stubby nose because it has caused almost all drill sets to come with 1/4" shafts. That helps cordless drills as well because I don't have to spend so much time spinning the chuck open and closed to different sizes.
Yes, those 3 seconds are sooo much of a time suck.
"Almost all"? I don't think so! Try to find Letter and number drills with Hex shafts, or micro drills, or sets in 64ths... Hex shafts are usually for the most standard drill sizes used in construction. Impact drivers can't hold onto anything without a hex shaft, but the drill/driver can handle both, and you can also get a hex bit holder for any drill chuck for a few bucks, and I use one for Allen, Torx, and and those wacky odd trickster bits they use on shit they want you to be unable to open and fix so they can sell you a new one! Yeah, it never stopped me!
I use the drills power to spin the chuck open or closed and only tighten or loosen them by hand; mine has a key-less chuck, as most do these days.
When drilling certain materials, round shaft bits and a chuck are superior. They allow you to set the tension lower, so that if the bit binds it will slip in the chuck instead of breaking. In which case, having round bits for your drill just makes sense all around because you can increase tension for those materials where it won't be an issue. Your hex bits are going to break, no matter which tool you use them in.
Impact drivers are for driving with impact. Drills are for everything else.
lol, you do realize that with a drill, you can... get ready for it... press the trigger to rapidly open and close the chuck? Hex drill sets are crap, overpriced and in larger sizes, weak and brittle if quality hardened steel.
Not to mention that the drill chuck has no play / wobble at all. Perfect fit every time. Sometimes that near perfect of the hex shaft in an impact driver is just slightly wobbly.
5:11 "...Anything from a sixteenth to a half-inch drill bit--some even go up to 3/8...." Ooops!
Lol, I came here to say this. 😂 James gets a pass every now and then
Yes, I said it backwards.
Imperial system problems 😂
Oh. I bet there are some good videos explaining fractions. One might even be on this channel. LOL. I agree. He gets a pass as the Silver Lurker said.
@@EntropicTroponin How is a misspeak an imperial system problem? I can flub a line in metric just as easily...
I was a delivery driver that packed and unpacked items that were shipped in wood crates. I will say that the drivers I worked with all preferred regular drill drivers over impact drivers for installing or removing screws. The main reason was the impact driver was way too loud for use inside a box truck or other indoor environments. For used outdoors, impact driver all day long. I find it handy having both the drill and the impact. The drill can be set for pilot hole duty while the impact will drive the screw.
They did get waaaaay more quiet. Especially the oil ones. But I still use my 12yo dill driver because nothing I can afford has beaten it yet.
Fortunately, now we have hydraulic impacts. They're FAR quieter than regular ones, at the cost of a bit of torque. They're perfect for noise sensitive environments.
@@tummytub1161 They are in fact loud, like most of my power tools. I now have Stumpy's sponsored headphones to deal with that.
Summary: impact drivers are now more useful and can do some of the things drills do.
More useful than they used to be.
And some of the things drills have been doing for years.
The whole video is just bizarre. When could you last buy an impact driver without variable speed? Even the cheapest store brand drivers have had variable speed for a long time.
@@ferrumignis
I am not sure. I was at a friend's house about 20 days back. I did not have many of my tools with me and I decided to help him out with a few drywall patches. He passed me his Ryobi impact. I thought nothing of it accept I actual prefer using my drill rather than driver. More because of noise. Anyway I go to pull the trigger softly for a slow drive of the sheetrock screw. But I guess this driver does not have speed control. And I get the thing trying to drive Philips heads screws full blast. I did kind of get used to it. It made me realize how unconsciously I vary my drill speed without thinking.
I am not sure the age of the drill, but I venture to guess probably only a couple years old.
The clutch observation is super important, and the deciding factor for me. I need my drill clutched.
I had to watch this one twice. When he said, 'blew out my pocket and striped out my hole' beer came out my nose and i laughed until the video was over.
My Makita 18V cordless driver is at least 15 years old and has variable speed. As I'm driving in a screw, a light press will turn single "clicks" at a time, about a 1/4 rotation of the screw head at a time. I use my drill to make pilot holes and the driver to drive in the screws. The impact driver is also amazing for lag screws with a socket attachment. If I try this with my regular drill, my arm turns instead of the bolt!
I dropped my 12 volt Milwaukee right off and roof and it lands on its edge on concrete. Damage was NOTHING. Amazing.
I will remain bitter toward Makita for abandoning all its early design battery customers.
I add the corded makita impact driver for 17 years now. I should have closed the video at the very begining. It didn't gave anything I didn't knew this then.
I've had a Ridgid Cordless drill for 15+ years and used it at work for the entire time. It has MORE TORQUE than ANYTHING else in the shop (MORE than 40 ft-lbs!). I've even used it to drill through CONCRETE - thankfully, the variable torque made it EXTREMELY useful, and the LIFETIME warranty on the batteries was a godsend and paid for itself, even though the batteries lasted for 5-10 years! LOVE my Ridgid Tools!
I just wrote the same comment. I’ve had mine for over 10-15 years also and it’s never failed. It’s true for almost every ridgid tool I have. By far the most underrated tools
furniture installer for 45 years here.
You are spot on with these assertions
I know I'm probably the oddity here, but I never put a fastener in a piece of wood until I have a pilot hole. So in my case both is optimal. Carry both and then not switch bits at all.
I use number drilsl sized to the thread base, and clearance drill for the shaft.
Use self drilling screws. They save many hassles and problems that takes time using them to see the long list of advantages.
You might try a pocket hole screw which has a self-drilling tip. It pretty much eliminates the need for pilot holes for common screw sizes & it speeds you up tremendously. The only time I drill pilot holes anymore is in an extremely hard wood or for a lag bolt.
@@joelhansen7373 Wait, self drilling screws exist? Why didn't anyone tell me sooner? In case you didn't understand I'm being sarcastic. Now please, show me where in my comment I said anything indicating I need or wanted your advice.
I build an ungodly number of cabinets, decks and other projects using a corded drill to drive screws. I turned up my nose at impact drivers when they hit the market and for about five years after. When I finally tried one, I fell in love and haven't turned back. Still can't live without a drill though. I have three of each.
Would that be a regular, compact and right angle of each or just one for every spot you need it?
Exactly right, they both have their strengths and weaknesses. It's absurd for Stumpy to claim that impact drivers could make drills obsolete.
I hadn't had a battery-powered drill for years, after my initial experiences with the Black & Decker failures that I started with in the late nineties. Then last summer I went to buy one and found that they almost always were paired with the impact drivers. I, too, turned up my nose at the drivers, largely due to ignorance--I ended up ordering off Amazon just to get the drill by itself. If only I had this video explaining to me just what an impact driver was good for! Now I will go out and buy one.....
I’m retired now from forty plus years as a carpenter. I started when we all carried egg beaters and bit and brace( the original cordless). The first cordless drills were a joke. Then good cordlesses and then impacts !! I still use both for my DIY’s
In the early 80s we were using Yankee screwdrivers. About 85 we got the Skil Boss 12 v nicad drill. Or ht Panasonic 9.5 volt drill. A big improvement up on a ladder. Or installing doors.
Brace and bit, plus an adapter for the brace and 1/4 hex bits. Perfect for final set and finish in high end projects. Total control with the brace. High end: Wooden boat building.
Have both but tend to use the drill much more still.
Me too, though I'm a DIYer rather than a tradie. The impact comes into it's own when you have a lot of screws to drive in (e.g. decking) or you want to drive in some big lags. For most everything else the drill is the go to tool.
Some good points. Two more - Having both makes assembly a lot faster with a drill bit in one and a driver bit in the other. And if you're installing deck boards, the impact drives about twice as many screws as a drill on the same battery. Oh, one more thing - an impact can drive in some awfully big lags without bogging.
I've got a fleet of cordless drills so that's no justification at all for me.
@@frankshannon3235If you are driving a lot of screws, especially big lags, an impact is far easier on your wrist. However they are different tools with different strengths, ideally you'd have both but if I could only have one it would be the drill every time.
You know, I was thinking this the whole time. As a Foreman and carpenter by trade, we deal with a lot of different fasteners. From framing to finish, the sizes of screws vary by wide margins. @stumpy, there is something to be said about drivers, heck even a whole video about torque settings. Majority of the time when I'm driving lags from 3 inch all the way up to 12 inch I will start with my impact driver, see how slowly it crawls to seat the screw and then switch to a driver on high torque to send that sucker home. As of late I always tell my crew that if they are fastening timbers together to use a drill rather than an impact just for efficiency. Corded or cordless, it's the same animal.
@@Brandon-sn9yhwow, impacts will do all of that and MUCH easier.
Self drilling screws and an impact beats all other options. But anyone too closed minded to give it a try are welcome to rest on their laurels.
I use both always have. Makes it very easy to drill holes and screw in without the hassle of changing bits.
Thank you, James. I believe both tool have their place in every shop. 😁🙂🙂🙂❤❤❤❤
I find impacts useful for rough carpentry but for any fine work the drill with torque settings more useful for fine work and small fasteners. Keep the good stuff coming.
I reach for my Milwaukee installation driver the most. Compact, 1/4" collet for quick bit changing, multiple chuck options (standard key less, 90deg, offset).
It's able to do most of what I need. The impact driver only comes out when brute force is needed, and the drill only for big bits.
You and I are on the same page
My first drill driver was a 9V Makita in the 1990s. I now have half a dozen various drill drivers and impact drivers in my shop. It wasn't until I watched this video that I took the time to understand the difference in capability and when to choose one or the other regularly. Thanks.
I was a bit taken aback, James, when I saw your title. Lots of good points about the versatility and sorta-interchangeability of the drill and driver. You finally get to the clutch, which clinches the topic for me. I’m just a DIY guy (with lots of tools!) and I’ve installed or modified three decks and two dock portions. Screwing all those screws uniformly and to the same, correct depth is just not possible with a driver. My old Ridgid drill is so big and clumsy (but powerful) so I bought a mid-range DeWalt drill. I found a carrying bag that holds both drill and driver, so I don’t have to plan ahead as to which to bring to the work location - BOTH always. I bring drill bits and sockets too, in a Go Bag. I just had to replace several seat boards in a bench that went 1/2-way around a sun deck. I used my driver for the first couple of screws and saw the variability, so immediately switched to my drill with a clutch setting of 9. Much better. Another feature: for pilot holes the drill holds a drill bit while the driver holds a screw bit (or perhaps vice versa). No changing up bits! No, my cordless drill will never lack work.
I like this video. Very impactful!
I see what you did there... 😅
@@jspring0945 😊
All I can say is the right tool for the right job! It all depends on what you're doing and!!!! Great video thanks!!!
Thank you so much for this! I am new to tools and I have been confused about these two for a while now.
My dad never had an impact driver, he couldn't even find the tools he did have most of the time. When I got one I was in love. I mostly did rough work anyways so I didn't mind the ocassional deep drive. The impact is also a must have for hanging TV wall mounts.
I use both, the best combination for all jobs (I have 3 actually...)
I actually had an Impact driver and a drill driver. The drill is so heavy because I bought one with hammer mode but it's not comfortable for woodworking... so lately I bought another lighter drill driver.
I'm suffering from "Tennis Elbow" so now I have less pain. 🙂
You can find older 20 volt drills for very cheap. I use the porter cable/black and decker drills. They use the same batteries.Interchangable/google.I recently bought 4 drills and 8 batteries for $ 50/ all lithium 2 amp h. 4 amp hr.
Mr Nubs, I think you should have a look at adaptors for Yankee screwdrivers (remember them). You can now use all 1/4 hex bits in a hand powered driver that’s very quiet,controllable and the battery won’t go flat. You can thank me later…
The yankee shines where yu need to get 12 to 16 inches into an area.
Larger drill bits over ¼ inch to fit the impact are just not there
I still keep those around. I have a big one someone wrote Bertha on that’s my favorite. A little paste wax to dip screws as well. My shop is unheated so I don’t keep batteries out there and won’t remember to bring one if I’m just doing a handful of screws so reach for it.
His name is not Stumpy Nubs. That's the company he works for.
@@XxBloggs He has gone by Stumpy for years. I remember when he did videos with Mustache Mike (actually his Father) who called him Stumpy all the time.
.. Exactly my experience.. I have 4 cordless drills same model - and 2 corresponding impact drivers. On a big job, being able to wield 4 different drill diameters, countersink, AND have a screwdriver all at once.. even with quick change, it still takes up more time to hop between different drill diameters quickly and efficiently.. than pre dedicated motors to bits. YES, the clutch is VERY critical - especially in soft pine - and finessing in a screw with an impact driver can be a little fiddly. Great Video.
Excellent video and I agree that each tool has it’s advantages, so it depends on what you’re doing. Thanks.
I really like the hydraulic impact for day to day tasks doesn't hit as hard but does most everything
And it's a lot quieter
Two other reasons for a good cordless drill
1. When pre-drilling a bunch of screw holes to avoid splitting wood, it's handy to have the drill bit chucked in the drill and the screw bit chucked in the impact driver. Speeds up the workflow.
2. A good cordless drill has a hammer setting for drilling into concrete, masonry or rock. It's not the same as the impact setting, and it makes a HUGE difference. Like a hot knife through butter.
I have been using both for years and will continue to use both.
Years ago I got a Bosch 12v set of drill and driver and they’ve been perfect for home repair tasks. The impact driver hits well above its literal weight and has variable speed. I didn’t realize it was “special.”
I didn’t see this coming either. However I don’t agree. I had my first Makita rattle gun in 2002. It had a variable speed trigger.
Every day I’m fitting joinery into houses. I run two 18 volt drills and one soft impact. The two drills will be set up with pilot drills, counter sinks, tank cutters etc. the soft impact drives the fasteners.
The drill/driver is here to stay. It is perfect.
You didn't have time to watch it before you left this comment, LOL.
Nor I
I was actually thinking about my next drill would be an impact driver about 4 months ago.
"Crap, I blew out my pocket, and stripped the inside of my hole." Ah yes, I too have had Burritos today.
I imported a ryobi quietstrike impact from america over 5 years ago and it has been my go to for driving fasteners ever since it arrived, as it’s much quieter than regular impacts everyone else grabs it too for indoor work, so much so, I got a second that’s still in its box for when the inevitable happens
3 months ago I got myself a cheap impact driver with a 12V battery, I love how fast you can change the bits, in the past two weeks I had a project for my garage, and used over 1200+ PH2 and pz2 screws, I also have multiple drills but the fact that I could use the impact for driving the screws made a big impact
Indeed it has variable speed control, I couldn't imagine it without
If you think that you might need one, just get one
Even if they have some overlap in their uses, having a drill to drill holes and an impact driver to drive fastners into them is a huge time saver rather than needing to constantly stop and reset bits.
I do projects with 4 or 5 . Thread drill clearance drill counter sink . screw drill or driver.
Once they started charging extra for a battery and charger, all cordless power tools became obsolete to me. Rarely am I more than a few feet from an outlet. And on those rare occasions where I am, I have no issue breaking out an extension chord.
Which key is that in?
You think they should give chargers and batteries away for free? Your post makes no sense at all, you have the choice of buying a kit which includes battery and charger, or buying the bare tool if you already have batteries and charger from a previous tool purchase.
@@CMDR_Elizium51RA😂
Watching this video, I had another one of those moments of realization that at some point I became Hank Hill, getting seemingly unreasonably excited over things like a mere discussion of such mundane things as the wheelbarrow, hammer, axe, and right now, the humble drill.
Great job James, spot on with this information. Thanks for sharing with us .Fred
I well-remember the days before cordless ANYTHING.
My Dad had to create his own, using a strange 12-volt motor, which he managed to attach a chuck to, and run the thing from a 12V car battery.
Later he attached two handles to it, to make using it easier.
We had to drill thousands of holes in our kiln-dried douglas fir interior cladding, so it could be secured with copper nails. The nails were very expensive, and not very hard, so drilling was the best solution, to prevent wasting nails, and splitting boards. GOOD TIMES in 1971!
Today I will NEVER try to drive ANYTHING without the use of my DeWalt Impact Driver. It never ever damages the surface, and drives every screw perfectly. Not only is it variuable speed, but also variable torque setting.
I was an adult before I owned my first cordless tool. It was a Skil drill and it was crap. I used a corded drill before that, and for a long time after, as well.
I use both all the time, for the reasons stated in the video.
I havent touched my impact more than 3 times since like december. Unless youre building a deck with 8 million 3" screws drills are faster at everything and dont give you tinnitus, its also way harder to break bits in half.
As a remodeling contractor I use an impact every day but make no mistake with out a drill I could not do my job. There are plenty of situations that call for the delicate precision that a drill can deliver. With anti rotation tech now coming to drills I can use it's superior power with out the fear of breaking my wrist. When it comes to driving medium sized screws in construction, and in tight spaces an impact shines, but they are both very important.
You're about half a decade late to the party...
Video is true to a point...both purchased in a 5 tool kit...impact driver used 80 % of the time...but at least the drill covers the other 20 %...good to own both...great content...💯👍
Good video, thanks. I have a framing background so the impact driver is a big deal, but most of what I do at home and in the shop benefits from the clutch on a drill. I think you "nailed" it exactly.
Learned me a ton! Thanks. I'll be much more deliberate choosing between the two now.
I have multiple of both. I did electrical in the house I found the impact was so handy. Run screws, quick attach spade bits. extensions. I found impact also works surprisingly well on screws that are trying to strip broken loose by hand. My Ridgid has 3 modes and 3 speed settings. I have a Bosh one too that will take the standard 1/4 inch drive but also has the larger 1/2 inch drive for larger sockets, etc. I found far less issues stripping things with impact and driving lag screws is like nothing. I got the first impact in a kit thought they were stupid but quickly ended up liking it. I helped my dad tear apart a boat dock with my impact he'd never messed with one before he was kind of blown away how fast it went compared to like ratchets, etc.
Oscillating tool changed the game! Gonna always need a drill, precision work demands it. Great content ,thanks for the information.
Well done on the video! You bring up some good points, and from using both tools a lot for being a handyman for a school snd putting together a lot of furniture, I would have to agree! Keep up the good work!
Sincerely,
JS
Having both is really a game changer. I use my impact driver a lot with a 3/8" socket drive - it really makes fast work of small lag screws and quickly loosening and tightening other bolts.
The adjustable chuck plus the drive power settings in my regular cordless drill still makes it my #1 tool to use.
I love both, but let's not forget about the finesse of a simple screwdriver, especially for small screws. Great video and advice as always 👍
I used to be the National Sales Manager at Kreg Tool & demonstrated the Kreg Jig at hundreds of Trade Shows & dealer events. After I tried a decent impact driver that’s what I used from that point on to drive my pocket hole screws. I still used a powerful drill to drill the pocket hole.
I love your choice in sponsors since they are actually relevant to why I watch your channel. I will be in the market for a pocket hole thingy in the not to distant future and found your product demo to be quite informative. Will be checking out your sponsor.
Castle isn't cheap, but it is soooooo much better than Kreg. I use pockets for a lot more cabinetry, etc. now that it's so much easier and cleaner. I found them at a little woodworking show several years ago and I never looked back!
Over the past few years I have been using tools called drill drivers. I love them One I have came with 3 chucks. Both are also hammer drills. I love them!
My new favorite tool is the Milwaukee m12 installation driver. It comes with 4 different heads, including a 3/8 chuck, right angle, offset and 1/4 driver. It’s lightweight and very small. That combined with a small impact driver covers 99% of my tasks. The only time I’m taking out my drill now is to put holes in concrete or to use a larger hole saw.
I was a Makita repair tech in the mid 90s and we used cordless impact drivers on the bench and Freightliner was using dozens 9.6V and 12V impact drivers for cab interiors because they eliminated air hoses or power cords. Cordless impact guns have been very common in industrial applicates for decades.
As far as shopping, at sale time you can often get a free tool or sometimes two free tools with drill and impact set, or drop major $$ and get a 5 or 7 tool package.
I worked in a large wood shop and when you have 20 guys firing off an impact driver, the noise can become unbearable. I relearned to put a little effort in while driving a screw and now just run two drills instead of one of each. Everybody around you will thank you.
I prefer the control and force feedback of a drill, but the impact definitely has advantages when working in non-ideal situations, such as extended reach from a ladder where you can't afford your arm getting yanked.
I've gone through that change. With the development of impact rated drill bits I've really come around, especially hand held drilling into metal. Bits always balk a bit, but instead of binding up, a few hammer strokes and the drill is cutting again.
What I never expected was impact taps, it sounded like a crazy idea, but I am amazed how easy they are to use. Even surprisingly heavy stuff like threading into an automobile frame went remarkably easy.
They’re both super valuable tools, one can’t replace the other entirely. Bit of a click bait title but all valid points.
Thank you for the great content. I always enjoy your video but I come down on the side of needing both a drill and impact driver. I retired after 32 years as a remodel contractor and it wasn't until after I retired that I purchased my first impact driver after seeing a demo of the Milwaukee 2760-20 at the lumber yard. The feature that sold me was it used a hydraulic drive system which is significantly quieter that the normal mechanical drive. I would buy another one in a heart beat. Thanks again for the great content.
Great video as always I think I will always still like having my drill around for them reasons you pointed out I’m keeping mine.
I am a Stagehand who among other things does Set and Stage Construction and used to be an Electrical Apprentice. I've largely learned on-the-job carpentry since the 90s when I was a kid (doing things like volunteering to help construct a boardwalk).
Yeah I can see how for some just an impact would be fine these days, but personally would always suggest BOTH. Also I always find that starting people out with the drill first is a MUST. They always reach for the impact and it always turns out poorly.
Don't know how many untrained and/or unexperienced with power tools I've run into over the years.
This video really made me think of several of the points you raised in this video that are real things many don't know that they don't know. really important things!
How many who use drills on the semi regular basis don't know what the torque setting on the drill IS, or the speed setting, or that the trigger is variable. Not to mention that you need to drive true and for heavens sakes don't overdrive screws! OH I could go on... I swear many need a training video for using a cordless drill.
I use both. It is easier to have them both loaded up and switch back and forth as needed, saves time in my opinion. One of the features on my M12 is an impact setting. It gives you 3 impact settings and a drill setting that I haven't used. Combine the settings with a variable speed trigger and you can accomplish most projects easily.
Interesting analysis. Thank you for sharing.
I have both and can’t live without either anymore 🤷🏻♂️
Completely agree, both are needed. A good adjustable clutch and no need to impact drill bits when drilling metal is, at least IMO, required. And today's brushless 1/4" impact drivers, even with variable speed, are crazy powerful. The latest one I've bought can change lug nuts on passenger cars it's got so much power. I keep an old 9v Hitachi 1/4" impact just for work that I don't want that crazy level of power.
Nice analysis, drill v. impact driver. I use both, and for me that won't change. My drill is a premium drill of it's brand, and it just does certain things (many of which you noted) better than my (premium brand) impact driver. Good points made all around. Thanks James.
Drill clutch comes in handy. Stripping fasteners taught me to love my drill
Thanks for the review
I like my impact driver for removing stubborn/stuck screws (like ones painted over on a door hinge). It doesn’t cam out and strip the screw head like my drill does. But I always use my drill for drilling holes. Both my drill and impact drive are Makita, so they are quality tools with the features James mentioned.
Thanks for bringing this topic for discussion, it re-affirms what I think most us experienced but were not sure. My Dewalt driver has three speeds, the first one is so useless I never use, the second speed is too fast/powerful for driving in soft woods which is most of the time for me. So I use the driver less than I could if it was true variable speed. I also like it’s smaller size.
Thanks for the insights - definitely interesting stuff! I once worked with a Metabo (or was it Makita?) non-impact cordless drill/driver with a detachable chuck; after taking it off you're left with a hex chuck making the whole thing shorter and more agile.
Re the intro on cordless drills. My first was in the mid-70s, a Skil 4.5 V (3 internal inaccessible cells) could drill only a handful of holes before dying. However it was useful as I was sailing on an old 40ft wood racing yacht on a swing mooring and it was a lot simpler to take the drill out in the dinghy rather than bring the boat to the dock for power when doing small jobs - and there was always something to do.
Another advantage of impacts is the chuck. I’ve had 3 keyless chucks lock up and render the tool useless. One a Milwaukee after one year. Two were Rigid, one after one use and sitting for 2 months, and the other brand new out of the package. The second I got in a 7 piece set and didn’t use it until after the 90 day return window.
I use my DeWalt 12V drill to disassemble and reassemble almost all electronics and appliances I work on, with that clutch giving me that reassuring safety margin to not wreck things, but I did consider the driver instead when I bought it, because I saw they were variable speed these days and I had really liked the chuck-less driver when I was in construction (except for that lack of variable speed back then).
Brushless subcompact is where it’s at. I don’t know how old your impact is to not have variable speed. My ridgid brushed gen 3 is at least 12 years old and is variable speed.
Good thoughts! A little related story: Today I was having to install anchors through drywall and into steel studs. I started out using my triple hammer impact (because it's what I had on hand) and it about destroyed the drywall and made too large of a hole and about broke my wrist. I immediately ran back to my truck for a drill, which is what I knew I should've done from the beginning. I find a need for both on the jobsite on a regular basis. Even with a self tapping mode, which mine has, the impact action of the impact driver is sometimes too violent for more delicate work.
I’ve had my ridgid drill for over 10 years now and it’s literally never not worked for me. I don’t know if it’s just my luck but I think ridgid tools are the most underrated brand in the market. They’re all reliable as hell.
I bought the Milwaukee brushed set. I wore out the impact driver because it was used 95% of the time then when the repair centre wanted to charge me about the same to repair as I could get a brush less for, I swapped. Now here's the bit you didn't expect: I sent the brush less back because it was hopeless in comparison to the brushed version. No torque at low speeds then a further squeeze of the trigger made it go almost out of control. I got my brushed tool repaired, kept the brushless drill, and all is well. The higher torque of the brushed means best low speed control.
I work in a pipe organ shop, and we use impact drivers for most jobs. But we also use a lot of large hole saws, and a drill is indispensable for that. Impact drivers are useful, but drills will always be around the shop too.
@AndrewJFodor That was something not addressed in the video. Large holes with spade bits or big drills and especially hole saws are best done with a drill. Most of these duties can't be done with a driver drill. By the way... which pipe organ shop or company? I play theater pipe organs but mostly retired now.
I have that exact set of Rigid Drill and Drivers. Best birthday present I ever had.
I use them equally. Drill for pre-drilling, obviously, and the driver for screwing in the screws. The key thing about the impact driver is that it works best with square or torx head screws. Phillips head tend to strip out the screw head.
The other thing about the impact driver is is that it's not limited to just screwing. I've used it on tire wheel nuts, bolting down nuts, tons of other ways.
I agree, drill for drilling and. driver for driving. I started cabinet making over 50 years ago and used corded drills for drilling and driving and experienced the issue of power driving Philips heads then. However, when I bought my first impact driver I found that problem decreased as the hammering helps keep the bit in the head. I've driven many thousands of bugle heads (use to buy them by the 50 lb box) and I've found it's all about predrilling, pressure and trigger control. Happy building!
I like this assessment. Definitely job specific. I work with metal more than wood. In construction where you are driving screws or removing them in wood most of the time, the impact driver is superior in a lot of ways. But I won’t be trading in my drill any time soon if ever. Another drill function is with hammer drilling into concrete. I can’t see an impact driver shining or even glowing in that realm. Great video as always!
I went the exact opposite route: not using much my impact driver anymore. I drill with a drill and I screw with an electric screwdriver such as Festool does. Hexagonal quick release and torque control, best of both world!
Another great video!
As the owner of a Castle 110? Great machine and I think it is well worth the cost. You end up with cleaner pocket holes and stronger joints. I'm very happy I got one. Just a few caveats - 1. Noisy (but we wear hearing protection anyway, right?). 2. Limited to 1" material so every once in a great while I get out the Massca. 3. You can't do cordless - but I seldom want to do that anyway.
Overall I think the Castle 110 is superior. Oh, and when I was ready to buy one I purely coincidentally ended up on vacation just a few miles from their shop. So I actually met the people in their shop and I thought they were great people and worth supporting!
I'm digging the beard Nubs! I'm truly jealous. When I can grow a beard my face looks like a beach ball with mange, and the grey just starting to come in (I'm 44) is so inconsistent my mange now looks like ash was blown in to it. Oh, and thanks for the educational info, I always enjoy your videos.
As an electrician ( in Australia ) I use both, sometimes drilling with the impact, sometimes driving with the drill, sometimes one for the pre drill/countersink, the other for the fastener, sometimes you need the 'correct one' for the job.
I bought a speed chuck when I was gifted a Makita drill years ago, and I use it to quickly switch between predrilling holes and driving screws.
I like using both. Load the drill with a bit to pre-drill holes, and the impact driver with a screwdriver bit. Then there's no need to switch bits. Plus, it uses each tool for its strengths.