Cheap Tools

[chappers]

as with any tool it's knowing how and when to use it. yes if your clumsy and don't feather the trigger you can over screw or shear heads with an impact but to be honest I use my impact for pretty much everything, I would always pilot hardwoods and near to the ends of timber but that applies equally to a drill/driver too. too be honest the other day I left my impact at home and ended up using the drill driver, not only did I find it tediously slow, but also found I was camming out of screws all the time as I had forgotten how much extra pressure you had to put on the machine.
Suppose it's horses for courses and what you're used to.
For my everyday work horse tools that get a constant bashing I always buy the best I can afford, but like Woody I'm not a slave to fashion and some of my lesser/occasionally used tools are cheaper brands.
But there are some things such as skill saws and mitre saws that you just can't scrimp on if you want decent, true results.

 

[limakilo]

I've just got a second hand makita cordless double kit. Drill/driver and impact driver, 2 batteries and charger for £44. It's the red batteries. Hopefully more than suitable for Diy. Good working order (obviously that is from the seller). Should speed up getting the utility room done too!

 

[ray.birch]

My understanding - Impact drivers do not necessarily have extra torque, it isn't this that makes them good at what they do, it is the fact that they 'hit' the screw to turn it - hence Impact. I'm not sure how this translates in terms of torque - A Level Physics was a long time ago.

An impact driver will almost have undoubtedly have a *lot* more torque - ordinarily in the 140-200Nm range (versus 20-80Nm for a drill driver, depending on whether its a £20 or £150 model)

 

[ray.birch]

Utter bull, unless you don't bother to adjust the clutch on the drill driver.

I would disagree - you are correct from the point of view that once a screw is tightened all the way, then yes, if you're clumsy on the trigger on an impact driver, you would be better off with the correct setting on the clutch of a drill driver.
However, given that use of an impact driver lends itself to less camming out of the screw, I would advise that this is less likely to knacker the screw in most instances (and has certainly been my experience)