Impact drivers

[joe-90]

I haven't got one and can't see the need for one. I use a combi drill all the time for drilling holes and driving screws. So why do I need an impact driver?

I use Gold and Turbo Gold screws that cut their own pilot.

 

[Deleted member 174758]

Much, much faster for framing-out, plasterboarding, setting fixings into metal lath, etc. Mainly 1st fix and ceilings - noisy but faster

 

[gregers]

if a m8 has 1 ask to borrow it for a while,then your see how good these things are,then go and buy 1.
then give yourself a slap for not buying 1 sooner

 

[crank39]

Try one and you might be impressed, most people said the same as you until they tried one and now probably will never use anything else to drive and screw.

Just use the correct bit for the screws your driving and you'll love it I'm sure, you'll probably have to throw your Turbo gold's away though, an impact will snap them babies in half

 

[joe-90]

The thing is though that ordinary screws split the timber whereas the fancy ones cut a hole, so you can screw nearer the edge.

 

[joe-90]

if a m8 has 1 ask to borrow it for a while,

Joe-90 - mates? FFS.

 

[big-all]

i know its pointless but with an impact you can countersink a 4" inch screw 2" into a 6 inch bit off wood purely by impact

i only use an impact if rapid hard screwing is required as i prefer a bit less noise
although i have used an impact on one occasion to stop the person hovering over me when i am fitting furniture requiring scribing as he would have moaned at it being me having an extra break as i fit within 1mm

 

[Monkeh]

The thing is though that ordinary screws split the timber whereas the fancy ones cut a hole, so you can screw nearer the edge.

Other screws do that, too.

An impact driver won't snap a Turbogold, though.

 

[crank39]

Well i must have a duff box then, anytime my impact goes near a turbo gold it either snaps the head off or somewhere half way down, very brittle IMO

 

[joe-90]

I think I'll stick to my combi drill and fancy screws. I don't like the idea of noisy drivers splitting wood and having to change tools to drill holes.

 

[cajar]

I've got an impact driver and hardly use it. Like bigall, I dont find the noise comfortable and being a diy'er, time is not a big deal and I prefer the control a combi drill gives me. It does come out from time to time though for countersinking as he said and driving through difficult bits of knotted wood.

 

[big-all]

to be fair impacts only get noisy as they load up beyond a certain point
smaller the voltage [power] the quicker it will reach this point so if reduced noise is the aim go for a higher powered then it will "ratchet" far less up to 75% less

 

[noseall]

We put in as many as 2000 screws on a roof.

The beauty with an impact driver is there is no reverse torque when trying to drive in larger screws, particularly when nearing the last part of the screw.

The effort required to push on the end of an ordinary driver would wear you down in no time. Plus at difficult to access screws, the impact is priceless.

There is no comparison to a pro they are sooo different. I was without my milwaukee impact for just one day and immediately bought another (de walt) which i have to say has been brilliant.

We have many cordless tools on the go all at once but the impact does the most work by about a thousand times.

What makes you thing a regular driver will not split wood?

 

[crank39]

I think I'll stick to my combi drill and fancy screws. I don't like the idea of noisy drivers splitting wood and having to change tools to drill holes.

Personally i find it no problem switching tools, much prefer that tha swapping drill bits to screwdriver bits

 

[noseall]

A seasoned pro' does not need to switch bits or drivers he just grabs the cordless he needs.

sometimes one in each hand!

Only kidding.