Impact Driver vs. Drill: What’s the Difference?

A drill and an impact driver are both helpful tools to have around the home, shop, or garage. An impact driver is also sometimes called an impact drill, but it actually isn't meant to be used for drilling at all.

When looking at an impact driver vs a drill, you'll find they share some similarities— which is why they are often confused with each other. With the help of this guide, you'll be able to understand the differences between the two, and why it's worth having each tool on hand to cover a wide range of building and repair needs.

Impact Driver vs. Drill

Although they share some of the same functions—such as securing screws and bolts during DIY and construction projects—a drill's bits can also be swapped out, allowing the tool to create holes in a variety of materials. An impact driver, on the other hand, is only meant to drive fasteners into place, and it does so more efficiently than a drill can.

The other main difference between an impact driver and a drill is that an impact driver will automatically deliver quick, sequential bursts of power to work through different materials, while you would need to manually press and release the trigger of a drill to achieve the same effect.

Drills

Available in corded or cordless options, a drill cuts holes through materials by applying torque, or twisting force, to rotate a drill bit clockwise. When a driver bit is used, a drill can also secure screws, bolts, and other fasteners into materials, and reverse to remove fasteners.

One of the main drawbacks to using a drill is that in order to increase its force, you will need to push down and apply a gentle, consistent pressure manually as you work, which can cause strain on your wrists and arms. The tool also has tendency to bog down, or struggle to work. This can be helped by pressing the trigger several times in short bursts, which will also need to be done manually.

Impact Drivers

Shaped similarly to a drill, an impact driver is usually shorter, smaller, and more compact. It also has many of the same features as a drill, such as a handle, trigger, and a hex collet to hold its different bits. Although you can technically use an impact driver to drill a hole if you're in a pinch, it's designed for securing fasteners using high power and torque.

An impact driver works at one constant speed as needed, and automatically switches over to short, powerful bursts if the tool senses any resistance in the material.

When to Use a Drill

Use a drill for any project that involves creating pilot holes with drill bits, creating precise holes at an angle, securing any short screws, driving small fasteners directly into soft wood, and for drilling into brick, stone, and concrete masonry.

A drill is also best to use whenever you're working with drywall. This material requires precise control to prevent a drywall screw head from pushing in too far and hitting the drywall's core. A drill will give you that level of control; an impact driver will not.

When to Use an Impact Driver

Thanks to their size, weight, and cordless design, impact drivers are the go-to for garages and work on vehicles. It's also best-suited whenever working with longer fasteners, and for driving screws directly into wood—especially when it's dense or knotted—a task that is difficult for a drill even when pre-drilling the hole.

Because of its high power and compact design, you'll also want to use an impact driver for machine bolts or lag bolts, and driving fasteners into ceilings or other hard-to-reach places

Hammer Drills vs. Impact Drivers

A hammer drill is a specialty type of drill, designed for boring holes into hard materials like brick, concrete, and stone, and can also work on glass and tile. They rotate while also rapidly moving back and forth to chip away at a material while drilling holes, much like a hammer would, but they are not designed to drive fasteners into holes.

An impact driver is specifically made for driving screws and fasteners, especially larger bolts that require more torque. Hammer drills and impact drivers each serve completely different purposes, and when working on concrete, brick, or cinderblock walls, you'll need to use a hammer drill to create a hole for each fastener, and an impact drill to securely drive the fasteners in.

Brushed vs. Brushless Motors

All drills and impact drivers work by converting an electrical current into rotating mechanical motion, which spins its motor and rotates the attachments. These tools can run on a brushed or brushless motor, with cordless power tools tending to use the more modern brushless motors, and corded drills using either.

Classic brushed motors have been used in devices since the 1830s, and contain magnets, coils called armatures with an end called a commutator, and two wire brushes, which rapidly switch between carrying positive and negative charges to make the motor spin as an electrical current runs through the commutator. Although tools with brushed motors are less expensive initially, the brushes will need replacing over time as they wear and tear.

The more modern brushless motors rely on an electronic circuit called an inverter, which generates the magnetic field powering the rotating motion. They are more efficient, produce more torque, contain fewer parts, and do not produce any heat, sparks, or friction. And because there are no brushes to wear out, tools with brushless motors tend to last longer, and require little or no maintenance.

The only downside? They can be twice as expensive as a drill or impact driver with a brushed motor—although when you consider the lifespan of a tool with a brushless motor, it's well worth the investment.