Impact drivers

[Big John]

I've never thought I had the need for an impact driver. I've two cordless drills and for a lot of jobs I use one for drilling and the other as a cordless screwdriver. Drill a pilot hole in wood with one drill, for example, and drive the screw in with another drill. Ok, the plan is to put new guttering up at the front. I'm going to be working off a ladder with only one pair of hands, mores the pity. I thought an impact driver would help proceedings e.g. one hand holds the screw and the impact driver does the work of my two cordless drills i.e. drives the screw in without a pilot hole. Having never owned an impact driver does this sound like a viable plan? And if so do I need a basic one or one with huge amounts of torque, brushless motor and variable speeds? Any recommendations bearing in mind I'm on a tight budget - maybe £100 limit give or take a few quid? I'm told once you have one you'll wonder how you've coped for so long without one 😉

 

[newts]

I have used Dewalt 18v for many years impact/drill/grinder etc, very reliable.
Screw choice is important if you don't want to pilot first. Coarse thread/sharp point go in best.
Alot of impacts don't have adjustable speed/torque settings, you have to go by feel (before you muller the head or sink it 1/2" in to the face).
Many makes sell naked tools (sans batteries/charger) very cheaply, what make is your existing cordless drill?

 

[slowmotion]

This is worth a look....

[media]
]View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x2JRhT4tvaM[/media]

 

[irw]

I've got an impact driver in my toolkit for work (when required for bolts)- the only thing I use it at home for is getting seized screws OUT of walls where the radial percussiveness is really useful. I do despair whenever I see (and hear) people using them for small screwing jobs, and it certainly wouldn't be a magic tool to drive your screws into your wall. The chap in @slowmotion 's video explains it all very well.

 

[raleighnut]

I'd get one of these

 

[steve292]

If you are working off a ladder, and you are unable to keep the bit in the screw head with a good positive push you will "cam out " of the screw and round out the head quickly. I use an impact driver a lot. Mine is an erbuaer brushless one, 18v. It will drive a 4" no 12 screw into treated timber and bury the head if you are not careful. They are great timesavers for studding, flooring etc but you have to consider how powerful they are.

 

[Electric_Andy]

Yes I would echo the above. Impact drivers (actually I use an impact wrench with a bit holder) are much better than drills for bigger screws. The impacts drive them in much better than even a more powerful combi drill, due to the percussive action. e.g. my Dad always uses his Dewalt combi drill for screwing, he helped put my partners fence up the other weekend and nearly every screw cammed out becasue he goes in in such a rush and ends up spinning the bit in the screw head. I went in after with my impact and was able to snug them up tightly, even though the phillips slot was heavily worn out.

If you're just using it for this job, don't be afraid to get a cheaper one. Mine was £70 and came with a 4aH battery and charger. It doesn't have variable speeds but is hugely powerful, and as long as you use good quality bits, will not shy away from anything that a Dewalt or Makita can do.

Toolstation do a Bauker one at the mo for 70, comes with 2 x 1.5h batteries. Depends what other tools you have or might need going forward, but I've just switched to Dewalt and have a battery and charger that I can share with other tools if I want to get another Dewalt bare unit. Batteries are pricey though, and I doubt you'll get a branded one with a decent sized battery for £100.

 

[Milkfloat]

I use the Makita CXT kit, the units are only 10.8v but they are great. I bought the drill and impact driver set for a great price, mainly for the drill. However, I find myself using the impact driver a huge amount, as others have said be a little bit careful although for your use case that is what I would be picking up.

 

[Electric_Andy]

Just thinking, maybe something like this would be quicker and easier to just keep in your pocket and pull out, makes starting a screw a bit easier:

spring loaded centre punch

You just push down on it and it whacks in a point, ideal for wood (but is handy for making light marks in metal)

 

[Big John]

Thanks, fellas. All good advice. I've already discovered that it'll be a tight squeeze on a budget of £100. I may even get started on the job next week - the weather forecast is awesome.

 

[figbat]

If that were me I would take both of my drills up there with me, on tethers to a belt. Then use one to drill, let it go, grab the other and screw it in.

 

[Big John]

Lol.....that's how I normally use the drills I've got but 15 foot up a ladder, when you have a head for heights, is a different kettle of fish. I know it's an expense but the way I look at it the tool will get well used by me (on the guttering, etc) and my grown up kids. Once they know I have one they'll be asking to borrow it, just like the tools I've already got 😉

 

[Nick Saddlesore]

Yankee 131 and a hammer. Saves going back down for a new battery just after you moved the ladder along.

 

[the snail]

I wouldn't bother with an impact driver for that job - it would probably be too fierce for driving small screws in such as you normally use for guttering. You would probably be better spending money on good quality screws , possibly self drilling. A combi drill/driver will usually drive screws into softwood without pilot drilling.

 

[clid61]

My Impact driver is over 40 years old , manual obviously . Used for taking Motorbikes and car enginse apart , never let met me down even now