Today we’re talking about one of Andrew’s favorite, absolute favorite tools that we have in his garage, the Impact Driver. We’re going to be talking about when to use it, what it is, and why you should have it.
Now, for today’s demonstration, Andrew will be using the DeWalt 20-volt Max XR impact, driver. We picked this tool up from Amazon for $99. So, first up, let’s talk about the difference between the impact driver and the standard drill. Most people have a drill at home. Your standard drill comes with a standard chuck, to hold its bits in place. It has high and low-speed settings, a clutch to adjust torque level, a trigger, a forward and reverse switch, and a battery that pops on and off. Drills are fantastic for, well, drilling, along with a ton of other random operations. But if you’ve ever used one of these for driving screws into wood, you know the pain and misery that comes with a stripped screw, and that’s where an impact driver comes in.
Now, an impact driver has a hex chuck, meaning it only takes hexagonal bits versus standard bits. The impact driver has more torque and a variable speed trigger, so the harder you pull on the trigger, the faster the driver spins. It also has a forward and reverse switch and a battery, unless of course you’re using a corded tool. Now, one of the reasons that you’d use an impact driver over a drill for driving screws is that it uses quick bursts of power, called dynamic power, when it runs into resistance. So, instead of one continuous speed like a drill, it changes its speed based on resistance.
The impact driver applies a torque on its own, so it’s easier on your wrists and arms. It’s also ideal for driving screws, and it reduces stripped screws like I mentioned earlier. It’s also almost always smaller than your standard drill, so less real estate in your garage, and it has a ton of power relative to its size.
But as a company that routinely does shots that require pre-drilling a hole, and then driving a screw dozens of times over a short period of time, adding both tools ready with their appropriate bits installed, reduces time and exhaustion. That, guys, is all you need to know about why and when to use an impact driver, one of the best tools that you can have in your arsenal.
For more information about the DeWalt 20-volt Max XR impact driver, head on over to dewalt.com. To see more DIY videos or instructional videos on different tools, visit newswatchtv.com. With that guys, we’re Newswatch. Thanks for reading!
