All Cordless Impact Drivers - DEWALT

Cordless Impact Drivers

Frequently Asked Questions - Cordless Impact Drivers

What is an impact driver used for?

Impact drivers deliver successive bursts of power as you drill, using a spring-loaded concussive force mechanism inside the tool. Those bursts are delivered automatically while you drill. Impact drivers drill at a constant, steady speed and are often used for driving fasteners, rather than drilling holes. They are especially useful for driving 3-inch screws into wood, a task that would be much harder for a drill even with pre-drilled holes, and for driving fasteners into pressure-treated lumber, hardwood, or heavy steel ¬– as the driver has the torque needed to get through these materials with ease.

Impact drivers handle large screws and bolts more efficiently than compact drills, so for tasks like installing decking or erecting a pergola, an impact driver makes the job a lot easier. They automatically add additional rotational force when they encounter resistance. Although Impact drivers do offer features variable speeds and gear settings they do not offer the same level of control as a combi drill or drill driver, so it is not the right tool if you need lots of precision and control. They can be used for drilling into masonry, brick, or concrete However they are not designed for this and we would recommend that you choose a hammer drill for that.

Impact driver vs Combi drills

An impact driver has many of the same features as a drill. It is shaped like a drill and has many of the same parts, such as the handle, trigger and a type of chuck called a hex collet. It’s usually much shorter and lighter than a drill, effortless driving screws, even when held with one hand. They can be quite noisy and only accept ¼ hex shank accessories.

Combi-drills are highly versatile and, as a result, are extremely popular. They tend to be larger and heavier but with a versatile chuck that accepts all types of accessories. With variable speed settings, combi drills are better for drilling, boring and precision work

If you’re a professional tradesman and efficiency is important to you, you may want to consider having both a combi drill and an impact driver in your toolkit. Lookout for twinpacks, that include an impact driver and a combi drill, both running off the same battery platform to keep things straightforward. These ‘twin kits’ often constitute the foundation of our cordless tool kits, as there will be times when having both tools available will make completing a particular task faster and easier.

What are the best brands for cordless impact drivers?

We stock a wide range of cordless impact drivers from the world’s leading power tool manufacturers, including DeWalt, Makita, and Bosch. If you have tools from any of these brands already, it could be beneficial to choose a cordless impact driver from the same brand. This will allow you to switch batteries between your tools nice and easily.

When choosing a cordless impact driver, you’ll want to make sure you choose one with enough power to handle the types of projects you plan to tackle. You’ll want to think about torque, RPM and battery power when choosing your impact driver. Read our detailed power drill buyers guide for 2022 to find the best drills available on the ToolStore UK website.

Torque is probably the single most important aspect of an impact driver and describes the amount of ‘twisting power’ an impact driver offers. The higher torque your impact driver can deliver, the heavier-duty tasks it will be able to tackle. Smaller impact drivers with less torque will still provide plenty of twisting power to drive screws into a range of materials. RPM stands for rotations per minute and most cordless impact drivers will deliver between 800 and 3,000rpm. When more torque is applied, the bit generally rotates at a slower speed. Faster speeds deliver less torque, which is fine for small- to medium-size fixings.

Can you use a cordless impact driver to remove lug nuts?

Although cordless impact drivers can be used to remove lug nuts, they are not the ideal tool for the job. Success would depend on the output torque of your cordless impact driver. If the lug nuts are tightened to 108nm and your impact driver’s output torque is higher than that, in theory you could remove the lug nuts. However, an over-torqued or rusted lug nut is not going to break loose with a cordless impact driver. While lug nuts in most car tires should be tightened or torqued from 108 to 136nm, many are tightened to a greater degree, and large tyres on heavier vehicles need to be torqued even higher.

An impact wrench is a much better tool for removing lug nuts. Designed to deliver high torque with minimal effort, they are far more powerful than an impact driver, with some models capable of delivering up to 300nm of torque. Under that kind of pressure, even the most stuck and stubborn lug nuts will release. By adjusting the settings on the tool, you can deliver short powerful blasts that are effective at loosening and freeing stuck bolts without ruining or stripping the thread.

Can you drill into brick with an impact driver?

An impact driver is not recommended for drilling into brick. Masonry is a very tough and dense material, so it is essential that you use a drill designed for making holes in stone, concrete, or brick. Hammer drills, or drills with a hammer mode, are ideal for drilling into masonry.

Hammer drills rotate the drill bit while providing a hammering action to deliver a high number of blows per minute. These short, rapid hammer bursts allow you to power through heavy-duty materials like brick and masonry, by pulverising the masonry as you drill.

Whether you’re securing gutters into brickwork or hanging shelves, hammer drills will quickly and effectively accomplish masonry drilling tasks. You can control the power delivered to the bit by adjusting the torque settings, helping to avoid potential damage to your workpiece or the surrounding area.

You will also want to invest in some heavy-duty masonry bits. They are often made with fine-grade tungsten carbide tips for additional strength when boring into tough materials. We also stock rotary hammer drills that deliver extra power by applying an additional rotating motion and percussion drills that use a simple hammer action.