air screwdriver?

[Tai Fu]

I need something that will drive wood screws well, and corded drill doesn't do the job well... it basically turns too fast and strips screws and gives very little control.

I am looking at cordless drills but in addition to being expensive, some of them don't have the force needed... its surprising how much force it takes to drive wood screws even if you pre drill them...

So I am wondering about air screwdrivers, are they worth it? I have a fairly large compressor so I don't think air consumption is a problem (not to mention they are intermittent use tools so even if its undersized it can catch up). I tried a smaller air screwdriver at a hardware store and it struggles to drive wood screws... whereas even a cheap electric one does a much better job (but it ran off of a tiny compressor). I have no real need for being on a job site, just shop use.

[Tai Fu]

Problem is I have no way of getting square/torx screws in Taiwan. They only have phillips or flathead wood screws. I'll check the screw shops though (they have shops in Taiwan that sells nothing but screws)

[Rick Lizek]

Get a cordless impact driver. We drive 12 inch Timber Loks with no problem and no pre-drilling. Milwaukee and Makita make special bits for impact drivers. Also Consider Sq., Drive and torx type screws. We used to use the airpower Screwdrivers in the factories but I wouldn't waste my money on one. Impact drivers weren't available in those days.

[Rick Lizek]

Always say where you are as most answers tend be directed to people in the US or Europe. Ironic as most screws in the US come from China or Taiwan.

[Matt Day]

Impact driver for sure.

[Tai Fu]

I guess I'll go look for a cheap impact driver... I don't drive screws that much (I primarily make/repair guitars) but recently I have been making furniture for a guy which does need screws (you can't glue tabletops to the base after all). I normally screw it by hand but it gets very tiring even for a few screws. I use those black hardened screw (it looks like drywall screws) that doesn't strip. It's so hard that the screw bit strips before the screw does. However I did manage to find a few sellers with torx head wood screws (after all most square and torx screws are machine screws) but they cost significantly more than philip head screws.

[Sam Murdoch]

Certainly a variable speed drill/driver will do the job with or without a cord.

Impact drivers are my screw driver of choice these days but you do want one that has multiple settings for the amount of torque. My Panasonic had 5 or 6 settings and the Milwaukee I'm now using has 3. I don't know if there is a good "cheap impact driver".

And for air driven drill same consideration - if it isn't variable speed it won't be useful as a screw driver.

[Thomas Hotchkin]

Thread lube works great. (a little wax on the screw threads) Also a wood brace is great for driving screws I use one all the time better control then impact drivers for small jobs. Tom
https://encrypted-tbn3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQ5B_CY3usKhYxCEvi6F6Xq3xeMFGC7X DW5zaqMwQmLm1DfBEXB

[Tai Fu]

I'm not looking to spend a bunch of money since I don't drive screws that often but I used to have a cheap B&D cordless drill that did the job. However these days B&D stuff have gone up in price and they're still made in China. I'm seeing off brand cordless drills for a really good price at a hardware store but I am not sure if they are any good. I just need it to work.

[Greg R Bradley]

If you are driving phillips head screws in quantity, an impact driver will be the only way to go. The impact action helps to transfer the power into turning the screw without requiring a huge push in to keep the bit from coming out of the screw.

Even a small 10.8v/12vMax driver will be all that is required for furniture sized screws. They will even drive 1/4" (6mm) construction screws although something bigger is nicer for that size. I have a bunch of different impacts in various sizes for different jobs. This is the one I would normally use for the work you are discussing: http://www.boschtools.com/Products/Tools/Pages/BoschProductDetail.aspx?pid=PS41-2A

I'm only giving that to you as a reference as there will be different tools available in your local market.

[Greg Hines, MD]

I use an 18v Dewalt set, that has multiple batteries and tools. It has not given me any trouble.

[Jak Kelly]

A few years ago I was in a fab shop and we went through countless cordless tools. Boss was getting sick of buying cordless tools all the time. One of our local vendors decided to bring in all the tool rep's for us; Milwaukee, Makita, Dewalt, Bosch....... All of these guys had the same recommendation, first was to use a drill for drilling only, as that is what the motor is designed for, plus most drills do not stop spinning when you let off the trigger, hence stripped heads and broken fasteners. Second was to use the impact driver on all fasteners, because that is exactly what they are designed for. As others have mentioned, wax on the fasteners will help.
Once I started using my impact for driving fasteners and the drill for turning drill bits I could definitely see what they were talking about!

[Chris Parks]

Perhaps if the brand or type is not available locally you might consider importing a driver. Depending on what mains voltage Taiwan has as to where you import it from of course. This is a very common practise in Australia as our tool range is very expensive and some tools are just not available. A drill with a clutch is perfectly able to drive screws and they all have a slow speed which has more torque. I just looked it up and you have 110V so import from the US where tools are cheap.

[Lee Schierer]

I'm not looking to spend a bunch of money since I don't drive screws that often but I used to have a cheap B&D cordless drill that did the job. However these days B&D stuff have gone up in price and they're still made in China. I'm seeing off brand cordless drills for a really good price at a hardware store but I am not sure if they are any good. I just need it to work.

Your lowest cost way will be to drill pilot holes for your screws and lube the threads with beeswax. With a pilot hole and beeswax lube your screws will require about 1/3 the torque you currently need to drive the screws. I've driven over 1,000 screws, mostly philips head type with my 14 volt Dewalt drill in the low speed range without a problem.

[Chris Parks]

Good point Lee, I have never used more than a 12V drill/driver as the new brushless motors are very powerful and are helped by new battery technology. Hardwood will always require drilling to prevent fastener breakage.

[Robert Clarcke]

A few years ago I was in a fab shop and we went through countless cordless tools. Boss was getting sick of buying cordless tools all the time. One of our local vendors decided to bring in all the tool rep's for us; Milwaukee, Makita, Dewalt, Bosch....... All of these guys had the same recommendation, first was to use a drill for drilling only, as that is what the motor is designed for, plus most drills do not stop spinning when you let off the trigger, hence stripped heads and broken fasteners. Second was to use the impact driver on all fasteners, because that is exactly what they are designed for. As others have mentioned, wax on the fasteners will help.
Once I started using my impact for driving fasteners and the drill for turning drill bits I could definitely see what they were talking about!

Good explanation. Multitools are for beginners like me :D

http://dailydigitaldeals.info/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/11/10/buy.gif

[johnny means]

+1 on the impact driver. I waited way to long to get one, thinking it was a construction tool. No more broken screws or stripped heads. I've got the Dewalt 12 volt model and the 20 volt model. The 12 is super handy and will drive most of what i deal with. The big boy is only really necessary for construction type fasteners.

[Jason Roehl]

I just upgraded from my old 14.4V Porter-Cable NiCd/NiMH cordless drills (I will still keep them around) to a 18V Bosch Li-ion kit that has both a drill and an impact driver. I was always impressed with the P-C setup. I could drive 3" deck screws with the drill set to high speed (I mostly operated in high-speed because I found it gave me better battery life overall). However, the 18V Bosch takes it to a new level. The impact driver doesn't break a sweat at hardly anything, it's quick, great battery life, MUCH lower weight, and the trigger control for driving in smaller fasteners with finesse is fantastic. That, and the belt hook that comes with them is worth its weight in gold.

[Tai Fu]

By the way I have seen corded impact driver... should I go for those? Taking the battery out of the equation means more power and no worries about chargers...

[Clint Baxter]

The cordless impact drivers are typically so efficient that the battery will last you all day or longer. Unless you're using the tool pretty much non-stop. If you get a quality tool the battery(ies) should provide a good lifetime as well. This area is typically the area where the cheaper tools come up short. The batteries lose the capability to hold much if any charge and you end up having yo replace them, or the whole tool set. A better quality brand will typically keep you going for many years. Have had good luck using Milwaukee, Makita & Dewalt. You can get the 12V tool for a decent price and it will do what you want for years to come.

Clint

[Steve Rozmiarek]

I used my 18 volt Dewalt impact driver to drive 3 1/2" #9 construction screws yesterday. It did 50 plus of those beasts on one battery. You won't need a corded one for any job I can think of.

[Tai Fu]

So is there anything wrong with the corded one? It's a lot cheaper and not having to worry about battery is a great thing. I am worried it may have excessive torque or it does not have a brake like cordless ones, meaning it's too easy to overdrive or strip a thread...

[lowell holmes]

Pilot holes drilled with tapered bits will solve your problem. The wood screws engage towards the bottom of the pre-drilled hole.
The screw threads engage almost simultaneously and create remarkable griping power. A four volt electric screwdriver will drive the screws.

Lee Valley has an excellent set of tapered drill bits.

[Greg Hines, MD]

I would still opt for cordless. Being tied to the wall by a cord severely limits what you can do with these tools. An 18v Li-ion battery for mine lasts for weeks with my typical use, and even with heavy use, will last all day.

[Tai Fu]

It still doesn't answer the initial question... will a corded impact driver not have brakes and control that would make it easy for me to over-drive a screw? (like a corded drill)

I know about the being tied to a socket but a bunch of my tools, not to mention drill press, bandsaw, etc. are all tied to electric supplies... so I am not so worried about the cord but control is whats important.

[Peter Kelly]

If you can find either a dealer in Taiwan or a someone who will ship from Japan: http://www.spair.co.jp/en/products/detail/?id=SP-8102R&c=impact-wrench

Will easily outlast any battery or electric operated tool.