[Manoj2268]

How many of you have or use an impact screwdriver regularly?

What is to be looked in one when buying? Are the bits any different? Also, any specific brand that majority swears by?

[audioholic]

Originally Posted by Manoj2268

How many of you have or use an impact screwdriver regularly?

I only use an impact wrench but never to drive screws. The impact wrench is used to drive larger nuts/bolts and not for screws since I feel they will end up tearing threads or even the head of the screw. For the smaller applications and to drive screws I have a 7.2V cordless driver with a torque limiting clutch. As to the impact driver I have, it is a Chinese brand called Tenwa and comes with an insane battery life as well as torque. The only drawback is that its too noisy for my liking. The rest of the things like battery life, build quality and so is good and it has a brushless motor which I chose for longer life and efficiency. It has a reverse stop mechanism which automatically stops the motor when the bolt or nut is free. As to the bits, I brought a socket set made specially for impact drill since the regular bits that I have might not take the force of the impact drive and might give up over time. The brand is Chicago Pneumatic. Compared to the regular bits they are much more harder and while I have had damaged bits earlier, these look indestructible.

[Thad E Ginathom]

Indian impact driver for screws: a hammer.

It makes me so happy when I see workers actually use a screwdriver. what do the others think the threads are for? Why does a screw look different to a nail?

I think I've seen advice here in this thread that impact drivers are for undoing, not for doing up.

[rdst_1]

I have the Dewalt DCF 887 which has been extensively used in the roofing of my shed as well as the fitting of wood panels as my false ceiling in the house. I instructed and trained the carpenters to use 3 tools while fitting the planks to the frame of my false ceiling. 2 cordless drills - One to make the pilot hole for the screw and second to make a countersunk hole in which the screw resides. After driving in the screws with the impact driver, all holes were then sealed with wood plugs and fevicol, thereby hiding the screws.

[Thad E Ginathom]

Originally Posted by rdst_1

... After driving in the screws with the impact driver ...

But... Why an impact driver? For speed?

[DIY410]

I have a BOSCH GDX 18V-EC aka IDH182, this has the patented screw hex bit holder as well as 1/2inch socket.

[rdst_1]

Originally Posted by Thad E Ginathom

But... Why an impact driver? For speed?

Actually the impact driver can drive the screws in without the pilot hole, but I just prefer not straining the wood that much and that's why I put in a pilot hole. Also, all over the world, an impact driver is used to drive in screws. What would one use otherwise, in your opinion.

[blackasta]

Originally Posted by Manoj2268

How many of you have or use an impact screwdriver regularly?

What is to be looked in one when buying? Are the bits any different? Also, any specific brand that majority swears by?

I use the makita TD0101

Originally Posted by Thad E Ginathom

But... Why an impact driver? For speed?

When you are screwing 2 pieces of wood, the pilot hole should be on the top piece, with the bottom piece intact. When you drive in the screw, it should have to drill into the bottom piece and sort of grab the top piece towards the bottom piece. This driving into the wood is achieved much better with an impact driver than a normal drill with a screwdriver bit. Almost no cam outs or slippages. Of course it can also be used to drive a screw in wood without drilling a pilot hole, but that is not recommended.
Once I used an impact driver, I could never go back to using drills to drive in screws.

[Thad E Ginathom]

That's quite a recommendation and explanation, thanks!

Ordinary drills have many drawbacks for screw-driving, but I've never had an actual electric screwdriver. I'm sure it would be a better experience all round: far better at the slow-speed torque. Perhaps an impact driver would be even better. I like to think of the screw cutting its thread slow and steady... but having never tried the impact, I'd better keep quiet until I do!

[Holyghost]

The main difference you feel while using Drill Driver vs Impact driver is the control and slippage (cam-out). With an impact driver, chances of cam-out and slippage is much less and you really need a messed up angle or a very low quality screw/bits to make it happen. At the same time, the impact driver can shatter and destroy your work piece or screw if you continue forcing the screw. But you get enough visual clues before that happens, like a stuck screw or the screw head digging into the work piece.
Even though the impact driver produces many times the torque than the comparable drill driver, every impact stroke is followed by a relief. So even if the bit starts to slip during the impact stroke, it goes back to proper fit right before the next impact. Hence the bit tends to stay in place without slipping out.
With a drill driver, You need a steady hands at right angle, steady speed and uniform force to drive in the screws and you mess any of these, you will end up with a damaged screw head. And unlike Impact Driver, if your bit starts to slip, it will continue to slip until the bit is completely out and damages your screw head.
As mentioned by blackasta, You will never use a drill to drive in a screw once you have used the impact driver.

Originally Posted by Manoj2268

How many of you have or use an impact screwdriver regularly?
What is to be looked in one when buying? Are the bits any different? Also, any specific brand that majority swears by?

Impact rated driver bits are available, but difficult to source here. The Bosch impact rated bits are also expensive. I have an impact bit set from Bosch and Milwaukee. Impact bits are made of softer material and will have a thinner neck to allow some flexure. It is this flex that ensures your screw head doesn't get damaged. Once you know the limits of your tools, You can use the normal Taparia or Bosch bits in your impact driver. They wont last long, but they are much cheaper to buy in packs of 10. I do not generally use the Impact bits that I have and I am saving them for critical works. For general works, I use the normal Taparia bits and throw them away when it start showing signs of damage.

[Gannu_1]

Car's service coming up next weekend and I wanted a magnetic screw tray. Checked out Amazon and the prices were north of 300 for such a simple tray with a ferrite magnet.

Found some SS trays in my kitchen rack, sourced a ferrite magnet from the nearby scrap dealer and stuck the magnet to the underside of the tray using a 2-part epoxy glue (bondtite; I swear by this desi epoxy glue).





Testing:





The next thing I need is a fender cover. I'll have one stitched using a tarpaulin-like material and magnets.

[rdst_1]

Another important reason to use an impact driver rather than a drill to drive in screws is that a drill can break your wrist if used improperly without a handle when the screw binds suddenly. Sure, more chances are that it will destroy the screw head instead, but in rare cases, especially when working with metal, it can cause broken wrists very easily as well.
BTW, my workers stripped many a heads with even the impact driver because of their carelessness and probably the screw heads being of a soft material as well. I would have loved to be able to do the work myself but am not used to working on ladders or at heights.

[Jeroen]

I do have a traditional impact screw driver. Hit it with a hammer. I rarely use it. The only application I have found for it, is screws that are stuck. For instance the large slotted screws that hold a brake disc on the hub. Very useful for that. I never use the impact screw driver for screwing anything down.

I use my electric (Bosch) drill for just about anything that needs screwing or unscrewing. I buy the right sort of screws and I don’t think I have ever drilled a hole since. Just drive it in there. Don’t use flat slotted types. Try to use Pozidriv or Philips or even Torx if you can get them.

https://resources.tannerbolt.com/art...s/#phillips-tr

Any heavy bolting or unbolting I use my pneumatic impact wrench of course.

Jeroen

[sagarpadaki]

Impact drivers are a boon for wood working to drive screws into the wood. Others have already covered the pros and cons , so i will not repeat them.

One more advantage of have a impact driver is that you can use a 1/4 hex to 1/4 or 3/8 socket adapter and use it to fasten or remove bolts for small jobs and when working on bikes. It makes it a breeze. It might not be able to break loose a nut. However once you break it loose, the impact driver with the socket attachment will remove the nut easily. Same goes for tightening.

Yes Impact bits are a pain to get in India. So if anyone is coming down from the US, once can ask them to carry it . Bosch, Milwaukee, Dewalt, Makita make the best impact bits.

The impact bits set comes with whole lot of bits from PH to Square drive to Torx.

99% of the time the only impact bit that you need is either PH1/PH2 type, especially in India.

[Thad E Ginathom]

I read with interest everything said, and there are things that I never thought about and learnt, but... A screw should not be "driven" into word, it should be screwed into word. It is engagement of its threads as they cut their way into the material that will hold the screw there indefinitely.

Jeroen says he hasn't drilled a hole for ages. I do so little DIY that my information is still in the age of the old-fashioned wood screw.

To be honest, I am absolutely not a woodworker. Most of my screws are headed for plugs in masonry. My domestic-model Bosch drill is often not up to finishing the final turns, but, at least it gets most of the length in there.