Can an electric screwdriver drive 85mmx4mm screws into wood?

ToolbeltDandy · 16 Aug 2010

I have a cheap Draper electric drill which is fine for some purposes but not for driving these screws into deck joists (the speed control is too clumsy, being based largely on trigger pressure).

Since it's just for DIY, I looked towards Ryobi's tools and saw this 24-setting clutch drill on their US website but cannot find an equivalent tool on their UK website.

I'm apprehensive about buying an electric screwdriver because a) I couldn't use it for general drilling and b) I'm not even sure it will have the power to drive my screws for my present project. I think that a variable-torque drill/screwdriver combo would be the best option.

Deluks · 16 Aug 2010

Get with the times! Never seen anyone screw down a deck without a cordless.
I recommend the Bosch 10.8 impact driver.
Or the Ryobi one+ one. Will make light work of decking screws.

Have you tried piloting first?

joinerjohn · 16 Aug 2010

As Deluks says get a cordless impact driver (not to be confused with a hammer drill). I have two Makita impact drivers, 18v powerful beasts they are and will drive a 4"no10 screw into decking without drilling pilot holes.

big-all · 16 Aug 2010

i have the bosch 10.8v /14.4v impact
and the ryobi 18v impact

the bosch 10.8v was no better than the drill driver or the 2 speed drill driver
was very dissapointed

please read this thread
http://www.screwfix.com/talk/thread.jspa?threadID=113631&start=0&tstart=0

ToolbeltDandy · 17 Aug 2010

Hmm.. thanks for the heads-up on the Bosch 10.8 V. I'm not really a fan of battery-powered tools in any case; I have no problems using my extension lead and I don't have to worry about running out of charge or battery degradation. Having looked into the available projects though, there are hardly any mains-powered impact drivers? I found this Makita 90 Nm driver but 90 Nm is lower than I'd expect when Ryobi's 18 V battery-powered driver delivers 170 Nm. Still, I think that Makita driver is cheaper, and possibly sufficient.

Until I decide what I'm going to do, I'll start drilling pilot holes (need to go and buy a long enough/thin enough bit), but with only one drill to make the holes and driver the screws, that's going to be a hassle and a half :/

Monkeh · 17 Aug 2010

90nm is a lot of torque. You can drive a 6x90mm screw, unpiloted, all the way through a 2x3 with less than that.

big-all · 17 Aug 2010

mains powerd drills are not sutable for driving in screws as the electronics dont like low speed high torque applications and will probably burn out

ToolbeltDandy · 21 Aug 2010

I'm still awaiting delivery of my impact driver. Today someone mentioned dipping the screws in washing up liquid before driving them in... anyone else heard of that?

big-all · 21 Aug 2010

what impact driver are you getting !!
and what length off screws
if its at least 14.4 you dont need to lubricate

htgeng · 24 Aug 2010

Get decent screws with self cutting tip and preferably torx head if you are going into thick wood. toolstation sell these pretty cheaply with internal and external coating. Once you have used torx you will never want to go back to pozidrive.

ToolbeltDandy · 8 Sep 2010

big-all said:
what impact driver are you getting !!
and what length off screws
if its at least 14.4 you dont need to lubricate

Due to a bureaucratic error, I actually got to use both a Makita TD0101F (£70) and a B&Q Performance Power 14.4V (£50) and they both worked great. The Performance Power puts its LED in a more useful location, near the tip of the tool, rather than near the base of the handle. The battery only seemed to last about 20-30 screws (4mm x 85 mm) but it came supplied with two batteries so I never found myself waiting around for a charge (which takes one hour).

For DIY use at least, I recommend either as perfectly adequate.

htgeng said:
Get decent screws with self cutting tip and preferably torx head if you are going into thick wood. toolstation sell these pretty cheaply with internal and external coating. Once you have used torx you will never want to go back to pozidrive.

Thanks for that. I used pozidrive heads for connecting joists to noggins and torx heads for attaching the deck boards to the joists and indeed, the driver bit never did cam out of the torx head. Self-centering is not really worth the problems it causes for high-torque situations such as these.

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Can an electric screwdriver drive 85mmx4mm screws into wood?

joinerjohn

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