Question about impact drivers

[Louis Brandt]

Hello,
I have a question about impact drivers. I'm not referring to pneumatic drivers.

I'm confused. Some comments that I see regarding impact drivers seem to indicate that they’re not for fine woodworking, but only for “larger” projects like installing decking, etc. On the other hand, I’ve read some comments that would seem to indicate that they are better than cordless drills for driving screws in woodworking projects. Which is it? I know that impact drivers usually have a lot more torque than cordless drills, but can they be used for cabinet work, etc.? Suppose that I want to build a bookcase using 3/4 inch oak for the sides and top and bottom, and I want to predrill for wood screws. After predrilling (maybe with a cordless drill) would it be acceptable to drive and countersink the screws with an impact driver, or would an impact driver be too robust a tool for this? I don't think that I've ever seen Norm use an impact driver, but I'd still like to know the facts about them. Please steer me in the right direction.
Thanks,
Louis

[Per Swenson]

I can tell you this....

I am on my 5th impact driver.

Every screw, except the tiniest brass for some of our delicate hinges...

I use the impact. My current model is A Hilti / lithium.

Per

[Russ Massery]

Same here I have a Dewalt because all my batteries are. For driving screw there's nothing better. I haven't used a drill/driver to drive screws in since I bought mine.

[Jerry Bittner]

I have the Ridgid -- rather heavy but effective. Would not be without one. Just make sure you use quality screws -- easy to break a screw off with so much power particularly in hard woods.

[Nancy Laird]

We have two Makitas, and use them all the time. I liked the first one so much that LOML had to buy another one!! Just pre-drill and use quality screws.

Nancy

[Bert Johansen]

I have the Makita and love it.

[David Duke]

I have the Ryobi and really like it, the only thing you need to be aware of is that impact drivers don't have a clutch and you have to be aware of how much you are torquing it down or you will either break the screw or strip it out.

[Matt Day]

I love both my Makita LXT cordless drill and LXT impact driver. I tend to use both to be honest. The impact driver is smaller and lighter which can be easier when I'm using it for long periods of time. I think it's easier to go to far with the impact driver if you're not paying attention.

[Don Bergren]

I've been using a Makita 12 volt impact driver since they were fairly new offerings. It has always been my go-to driver for any type of screw assembly, and has even been used on pocket screws on occasion. It's been a great asset and makes the job much easier. After using one I'll never be without an impact driver.

As has been mentioned, they don't have a clutch. I think one brand now does, but the way an impact driver works seems to make it easier to judge the amount that one needs to torque the screws in. It's something that seems very easy to do just by relying on "feel" and visual judgment.

[frank shic]

louis, another advantage of an impact driver is that your screws don't strip as easily since the hammer action on the driver starts engaging once it encounters rotational resistance. after wasting NEEDLESS hours trying to extract partially driven screws, i made the switch. you do have to keep an eye on the screw, though, since my impact driver is powerful enough to drive a confirmat screw straight through 3/4" melamine!

[Randy Klein]

I love my impact driver. But I went from stripping the screw heads with the drill to shearing the entire head off (there's alot of torque). Of course, that only happens when you don't pre-drill into hardwoods...lesson learned. For softwoods, you can drive those screws straight on through the other side without predrilling.

[Todd Jensen]

Another vote for the impact - 18v makita lxt. I use it mainly for stairs and cabinets, and anything around the house. I have used it on the cheap supertight Yamaha screws on the throttle body of the Grizzly to avoid stripping them, contrary to what you might think about an impact. It is lightweight, has good hand feel, has double lights that stay on after trigger is released, and is very tough - I throw mine around, down stairs, skip it across subfloor, and toss it in the back of the truck with the other 100 unlucky tools that got stuck with me. :cool:

Short version, get one, you'll love it.