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I started watching this video and stopped it to check when it was made thinking it must be old. I've owned these for years and use them together all the time. The drill drills the holes, the driver drives in the screws. Job done.

I like the versatility of having both

The real no-brainer is having both. Buy the two pack!

My shop foreman always said you bore with a drill and you fasten with an impact. Even just for efficiency sake, I'll keep my fastener bit in my impact and my countersink in my drill. That way, I don't have to constantly switch.

I like that my impact driver doesn't try to break my wrist at least twice every project.

I love the short stubby nose because it has caused almost all drill sets to come with 1/4" shafts. That helps cordless drills as well because I don't have to spend so much time spinning the chuck open and closed to different sizes.

I was a delivery driver that packed and unpacked items that were shipped in wood crates. I will say that the drivers I worked with all preferred regular drill drivers over impact drivers for installing or removing screws. The main reason was the impact driver was way too loud for use inside a box truck or other indoor environments. For used outdoors, impact driver all day long. I find it handy having both the drill and the impact. The drill can be set for pilot hole duty while the impact will drive the screw.

I remember as a little kid watching a worker hand crank a d rill to make a hole. Then he used a spring loaded automatic screw driver to drive in the screw. That is how things were done in 1960!

The clutch observation is super important, and the deciding factor for me. I need my drill clutched.

I build an ungodly number of cabinets, decks and other projects using a corded drill to drive screws. I turned up my nose at impact drivers when they hit the market and for about five years after. When I finally tried one, I fell in love and haven't turned back. Still can't live without a drill though. I have three of each.

The drill is still more versatile and more efficient in some cases than an impact. Use it to drill steel and you’ll buy lots of bits.

I’m retired now from forty plus years as a carpenter. I started when we all carried egg beaters and bit and brace( the original cordless). The first cordless drills were a joke. Then good cordlesses and then impacts !! I still use both for my DIY’s

Summary: impact drivers are now more useful and can do some of the things drills do.

My Makita 18V cordless driver is at least 15 years old and has variable speed. As I'm driving in a screw, a light press will turn single "clicks" at a time, about a 1/4 rotation of the screw head at a time. I use my drill to make pilot holes and the driver to drive in the screws. The impact driver is also amazing for lag screws with a socket attachment. If I try this with my regular drill, my arm turns instead of the bolt!

furniture installer for 45 years here. You are spot on with these assertions

Some good points. Two more - Having both makes assembly a lot faster with a drill bit in one and a driver bit in the other. And if you're installing deck boards, the impact drives about twice as many screws as a drill on the same battery. Oh, one more thing - an impact can drive in some awfully big lags without bogging.

I’ve done the opposite, myself. I’m reaching more and more for my drill, while my impact driver cries in the corner.

5:11 "...Anything from a sixteenth to a half-inch drill bit--some even go up to 3/8...." Ooops!

As a remodeling contractor I use an impact every day but make no mistake with out a drill I could not do my job. There are plenty of situations that call for the delicate precision that a drill can deliver. With anti rotation tech now coming to drills I can use it's superior power with out the fear of breaking my wrist. When it comes to driving medium sized screws in construction, and in tight spaces an impact shines, but they are both very important.

Have both but tend to use the drill much more still.

I had to watch this one twice. When he said, 'blew out my pocket and striped out my hole' beer came out my nose and i laughed until the video was over.

Years ago I got a Bosch 12v set of drill and driver and they’ve been perfect for home repair tasks. The impact driver hits well above its literal weight and has variable speed. I didn’t realize it was “special.”

My dad never had an impact driver, he couldn't even find the tools he did have most of the time. When I got one I was in love. I mostly did rough work anyways so I didn't mind the ocassional deep drive. The impact is also a must have for hanging TV wall mounts.

I prefer the control and force feedback of a drill, but the impact definitely has advantages when working in non-ideal situations, such as extended reach from a ladder where you can't afford your arm getting yanked.

I find impacts useful for rough carpentry but for any fine work the drill with torque settings more useful for fine work and small fasteners. Keep the good stuff coming.

I've gone through that change. With the development of impact rated drill bits I've really come around, especially hand held drilling into metal. Bits always balk a bit, but instead of binding up, a few hammer strokes and the drill is cutting again. What I never expected was impact taps, it sounded like a crazy idea, but I am amazed how easy they are to use. Even surprisingly heavy stuff like threading into an automobile frame went remarkably easy.

The game changer for me is an impact driver applies almost infinitely less torque to my wrist. Even when I’ve snapped a driver bit, there hasn’t been any noticeable torque on my wrist. I don’t think my conventional drill has that much power, but it has more than enough to be exhausting to use on large jobs and without the clutch I need two hands firmly holding the tool to guard against breaking my wrist. My impact driver can be comfortably held in one hand over a long day and it’s safer, particularly working in the ceiling.

They’re both super valuable tools, one can’t replace the other entirely. Bit of a click bait title but all valid points.

"Crap, I blew out my pocket, and stripped the inside of my hole." Ah yes, I too have had Burritos today.

I find that I use my torque drive for anything but drilling holes. I remember when I first got the torque drive and thinking - what the heck would I use that for? Answer: Almost everything!

I use both always have. Makes it very easy to drill holes and screw in without the hassle of changing bits.

I use both, the best combination for all jobs (I have 3 actually...)

I know I'm probably the oddity here, but I never put a fastener in a piece of wood until I have a pilot hole. So in my case both is optimal. Carry both and then not switch bits at all.

I was a bit taken aback, James, when I saw your title. Lots of good points about the versatility and sorta-interchangeability of the drill and driver. You finally get to the clutch, which clinches the topic for me. I’m just a DIY guy (with lots of tools!) and I’ve installed or modified three decks and two dock portions. Screwing all those screws uniformly and to the same, correct depth is just not possible with a driver. My old Ridgid drill is so big and clumsy (but powerful) so I bought a mid-range DeWalt drill. I found a carrying bag that holds both drill and driver, so I don’t have to plan ahead as to which to bring to the work location - BOTH always. I bring drill bits and sockets too, in a Go Bag. I just had to replace several seat boards in a bench that went 1/2-way around a sun deck. I used my driver for the first couple of screws and saw the variability, so immediately switched to my drill with a clutch setting of 9. Much better. Another feature: for pilot holes the drill holds a drill bit while the driver holds a screw bit (or perhaps vice versa). No changing up bits! No, my cordless drill will never lack work.

Watching this video, I had another one of those moments of realization that at some point I became Hank Hill, getting seemingly unreasonably excited over things like a mere discussion of such mundane things as the wheelbarrow, hammer, axe, and right now, the humble drill.

Brushless subcompact is where it’s at. I don’t know how old your impact is to not have variable speed. My ridgid brushed gen 3 is at least 12 years old and is variable speed.

I've had a Ridgid Cordless drill for 15+ years and used it at work for the entire time. It has MORE TORQUE than ANYTHING else in the shop (MORE than 40 ft-lbs!). I've even used it to drill through CONCRETE - thankfully, the variable torque made it EXTREMELY useful, and the LIFETIME warranty on the batteries was a godsend and paid for itself, even though the batteries lasted for 5-10 years! LOVE my Ridgid Tools!

I imported a ryobi quietstrike impact from america over 5 years ago and it has been my go to for driving fasteners ever since it arrived, as it’s much quieter than regular impacts everyone else grabs it too for indoor work, so much so, I got a second that’s still in its box for when the inevitable happens

I used to be the National Sales Manager at Kreg Tool & demonstrated the Kreg Jig at hundreds of Trade Shows & dealer events. After I tried a decent impact driver that’s what I used from that point on to drive my pocket hole screws. I still used a powerful drill to drill the pocket hole.

Mr Nubs, I think you should have a look at adaptors for Yankee screwdrivers (remember them). You can now use all 1/4 hex bits in a hand powered driver that’s very quiet,controllable and the battery won’t go flat. You can thank me later…

I reach for my Milwaukee installation driver the most. Compact, 1/4" collet for quick bit changing, multiple chuck options (standard key less, 90deg, offset). It's able to do most of what I need. The impact driver only comes out when brute force is needed, and the drill only for big bits.

My first drill driver was a 9V Makita in the 1990s. I now have half a dozen various drill drivers and impact drivers in my shop. It wasn't until I watched this video that I took the time to understand the difference in capability and when to choose one or the other regularly. Thanks.

I worked in a large wood shop and when you have 20 guys firing off an impact driver, the noise can become unbearable. I relearned to put a little effort in while driving a screw and now just run two drills instead of one of each. Everybody around you will thank you.

All I can say is the right tool for the right job! It all depends on what you're doing and!!!! Great video thanks!!!

I use both. It is easier to have them both loaded up and switch back and forth as needed, saves time in my opinion. One of the features on my M12 is an impact setting. It gives you 3 impact settings and a drill setting that I haven't used. Combine the settings with a variable speed trigger and you can accomplish most projects easily.

I've used an impact for years, we used an impact in our company almost exclusively, now that I'm doing more woodworking I find the drill way better for most things and though i hate the chuck in my cordless, I still use it more often.

Once they started charging extra for a battery and charger, all cordless power tools became obsolete to me. Rarely am I more than a few feet from an outlet. And on those rare occasions where I am, I have no issue breaking out an extension chord.

Anyone else love tools with brushes, because they can be fixed rather than disposed?

I have both and can’t live without either anymore 🤷🏻‍♂️

Good thoughts! A little related story: Today I was having to install anchors through drywall and into steel studs. I started out using my triple hammer impact (because it's what I had on hand) and it about destroyed the drywall and made too large of a hole and about broke my wrist. I immediately ran back to my truck for a drill, which is what I knew I should've done from the beginning. I find a need for both on the jobsite on a regular basis. Even with a self tapping mode, which mine has, the impact action of the impact driver is sometimes too violent for more delicate work.

I really like the hydraulic impact for day to day tasks doesn't hit as hard but does most everything

Two other reasons for a good cordless drill 1. When pre-drilling a bunch of screw holes to avoid splitting wood, it's handy to have the drill bit chucked in the drill and the screw bit chucked in the impact driver. Speeds up the workflow. 2. A good cordless drill has a hammer setting for drilling into concrete, masonry or rock. It's not the same as the impact setting, and it makes a HUGE difference. Like a hot knife through butter.

When I do decks, I use a drywall gun that you can set the depth on. Faster, quieter and very consistent. But when the screw hits something hard like a knot, I finish setting the depth with an impact gun.

Stumpy, you are STILL behind the times! My Makita XPH06 (now is XPH12Z) is a 18V LXT Lithium-Ion Brushless Cordless 1/2" Hammer Driver-Drill with a Ryobi hex shank bit holder inserted almost all the time. The Ryobi one holds the adapter open when removing a bit, so just have to push in the next bit without pulling out the locking mechanism. So this has it all, a 2 speed cordless drill with clutch, straight drill without clutch, can use both quick change shanked bits and loose drill bits and wire wheels, and finally hammer driving for those occasional steel and concrete jobs and works almost as well as an impact driver in driving screws and bolts without the noise. Mind you, there is a difference between a hammer driver and impact driver. The hammer driver "hammers" the drill bit into the material to be drilled, so it penetrates stuff like concrete. The impact driver ROTATES the screw bit to add a LOT of torque to help drive screws and lag bolts into tough materials (and will continue to until you let go of the trigger, heh). The impact driver hardly ever stalls, but it can still keep hammering away at a bolt that is either stuck fast or finished. A drill can stall out and/or torque t'hel out of your wrist for a really stubborn bolt, but with the hammer drill on, it drives about as well as an impact driver as it punches the bolt or screw down into the wood or concrete as it is torquing it down. Both my Milwaukee corded Hole Shooter and my impact driver just sit in a drawer.

Even if they have some overlap in their uses, having a drill to drill holes and an impact driver to drive fastners into them is a huge time saver rather than needing to constantly stop and reset bits.

I havent touched my impact more than 3 times since like december. Unless youre building a deck with 8 million 3" screws drills are faster at everything and dont give you tinnitus, its also way harder to break bits in half.

I work in a pipe organ shop, and we use impact drivers for most jobs. But we also use a lot of large hole saws, and a drill is indispensable for that. Impact drivers are useful, but drills will always be around the shop too.

Panasonic made an excellent driver about twenty years ago with variable speed, torque and rotation settings. It was way ahead of its time.

I well-remember the days before cordless ANYTHING. My Dad had to create his own, using a strange 12-volt motor, which he managed to attach a chuck to, and run the thing from a 12V car battery. Later he attached two handles to it, to make using it easier. We had to drill thousands of holes in our kiln-dried douglas fir interior cladding, so it could be secured with copper nails. The nails were very expensive, and not very hard, so drilling was the best solution, to prevent wasting nails, and splitting boards. GOOD TIMES in 1971! Today I will NEVER try to drive ANYTHING without the use of my DeWalt Impact Driver. It never ever damages the surface, and drives every screw perfectly. Not only is it variuable speed, but also variable torque setting.

I didn’t see this coming either. However I don’t agree. I had my first Makita rattle gun in 2002. It had a variable speed trigger. Every day I’m fitting joinery into houses. I run two 18 volt drills and one soft impact. The two drills will be set up with pilot drills, counter sinks, tank cutters etc. the soft impact drives the fasteners. The drill/driver is here to stay. It is perfect.

Cool. Something about using a clutch that is important to understand: The torque the drill transfers to the fastener is limited by the clutch but affected by rpm. If you come in with high rpm, the tool will rotate farther because it takes a certain amount of time for the clutch to kick in. (so by the time it does, your screw is over-driven). Always set your clutch and use a consistent speed together for best results. Also, you can buy a 1/4" hex drive keyless drill chuck and use round shank drill bits with the impact.

My first Cordless drill was a Makita 9.6V with the long thin battery. Then I found keyless chuck for $25 back in the late 1980s and was the first mechanic where I worked to have one on the Makita drill. I still own it today.

I use both all the time, for the reasons stated in the video.

You're about half a decade late to the party...

I totally get your early comment, when they were a new thing. I got all excited about getting my first cordless drill in the very early 1990s. 7.2V, and managed to screw in 8 tech screws before needing a recharge. That turned me off cordless tools for almost 30 years. I now have an 18v cordless drill, which I use for everything. I even have square drive socket adapters for ordinary nut & bolt work. I have no interest in replacing it with an impact driver, as it does the whole job. I may consider a full on impact wrench down the track, but for now, my pneumatic version is doing the job just fine. Thanks for the video.

I like using both. Load the drill with a bit to pre-drill holes, and the impact driver with a screwdriver bit. Then there's no need to switch bits. Plus, it uses each tool for its strengths.

I like my impact driver for removing stubborn/stuck screws (like ones painted over on a door hinge). It doesn’t cam out and strip the screw head like my drill does. But I always use my drill for drilling holes. Both my drill and impact drive are Makita, so they are quality tools with the features James mentioned.

I have that exact set of Rigid Drill and Drivers. Best birthday present I ever had. I use them equally. Drill for pre-drilling, obviously, and the driver for screwing in the screws. The key thing about the impact driver is that it works best with square or torx head screws. Phillips head tend to strip out the screw head. The other thing about the impact driver is is that it's not limited to just screwing. I've used it on tire wheel nuts, bolting down nuts, tons of other ways.

I'm a professional handyman, I have no idea where my cordless drill is but my impact driver is essential in my tool bag.

Thank you for the great content. I always enjoy your video but I come down on the side of needing both a drill and impact driver. I retired after 32 years as a remodel contractor and it wasn't until after I retired that I purchased my first impact driver after seeing a demo of the Milwaukee 2760-20 at the lumber yard. The feature that sold me was it used a hydraulic drive system which is significantly quieter that the normal mechanical drive. I would buy another one in a heart beat. Thanks again for the great content.

I have 2 drills and an impact driver. Being just a home user, the drills have hammer action for masonry, a two speed gear box for drilling vs driving, and I always use the variable torque setting when driving into soft wood. Although the impact driver has variable speed, it doesn't have all those options that I use most of the time. It is used a lot more in the workshop when working on cars, or anything metal where the "softer touch" of the drill/driver is not required.

I bought the Milwaukee brushed set. I wore out the impact driver because it was used 95% of the time then when the repair centre wanted to charge me about the same to repair as I could get a brush less for, I swapped. Now here's the bit you didn't expect: I sent the brush less back because it was hopeless in comparison to the brushed version. No torque at low speeds then a further squeeze of the trigger made it go almost out of control. I got my brushed tool repaired, kept the brushless drill, and all is well. The higher torque of the brushed means best low speed control.

Another advantage of impacts is the chuck. I’ve had 3 keyless chucks lock up and render the tool useless. One a Milwaukee after one year. Two were Rigid, one after one use and sitting for 2 months, and the other brand new out of the package. The second I got in a 7 piece set and didn’t use it until after the 90 day return window.

Oscillating tool changed the game! Gonna always need a drill, precision work demands it. Great content ,thanks for the information.

I hated the noise of impact drivers until I bought the Milwaukee Surge. It uses hydraulics for the hammer rather than metal-to-metal and is VERY quiet. I love it.

Another great video! As the owner of a Castle 110? Great machine and I think it is well worth the cost. You end up with cleaner pocket holes and stronger joints. I'm very happy I got one. Just a few caveats - 1. Noisy (but we wear hearing protection anyway, right?). 2. Limited to 1" material so every once in a great while I get out the Massca. 3. You can't do cordless - but I seldom want to do that anyway. Overall I think the Castle 110 is superior. Oh, and when I was ready to buy one I purely coincidentally ended up on vacation just a few miles from their shop. So I actually met the people in their shop and I thought they were great people and worth supporting!

Both are needed. For construction take the impact, for more finish related work, the clutch is important. I do have quick change attachments for my drill. They are even magnetic.

Hi Stumpy Nubs, I have been using and impact driver for the screws and a drill for the drilling if only because the chuck speed for the drill to clear the swarf when drilling is quite a lot faster than is comfortable for driving screws!. The other factor is that even just a small pilot hole before putting the screw in is a lot quicker and easier apart from the fact that a clearance hole in the first piece allows the screw to draw the two parts together much more firmly. By having both tools in operation at the same time allows for continuous use of both without the tedious waste of time changing bits. On some jobs in the not too distant past I was finding myself reaching for the third box of two hundred screws during the same working day!. This I think is a very good example of the 'law of both' where is is not a case of one way or tool or the other but the appropriate use of both!. Cheers, Richard.

Bro just named all the features of the Makita impact driver I got as a gift like 10 years ago. It was the set with the drill, 2 batteries and charger. I still use it today, even for pocket joints. Old news my friend. Edit: I actually use it for removing smaller fasteners on my cars as well, with a socket adapter.

I've had an 18v variable speed Ridgid impact driver for about 15 years. I never knew it wasn't the norm on impact drivers. I actually had to double check that it was indeed variable speed while I was watching this video. I do use it a lot more than my 1/2" Ridgid drill, which by the way has an impact setting.

I am a Stagehand who among other things does Set and Stage Construction and used to be an Electrical Apprentice. I've largely learned on-the-job carpentry since the 90s when I was a kid (doing things like volunteering to help construct a boardwalk). Yeah I can see how for some just an impact would be fine these days, but personally would always suggest BOTH. Also I always find that starting people out with the drill first is a MUST. They always reach for the impact and it always turns out poorly. Don't know how many untrained and/or unexperienced with power tools I've run into over the years. This video really made me think of several of the points you raised in this video that are real things many don't know that they don't know. really important things! How many who use drills on the semi regular basis don't know what the torque setting on the drill IS, or the speed setting, or that the trigger is variable. Not to mention that you need to drive true and for heavens sakes don't overdrive screws! OH I could go on... I swear many need a training video for using a cordless drill.

When you look at the side by side speed for driving long screws between an impact driver and a drill that's powerful enough to drive long screws without stalling, you'll save hours with the drill if you do this a lot. Impact drivers are useful for a mix of jobs that occasionally require long screws to be driven in as they will do it better than an equivalent spec drill, but paying the extra for a more powerful drill up front will save a huge amount of time in the long run - and it's not deafeningly loud every time you use it.

One thing not mentioned is that drilling with an impact driver can sometimes shear the bit. I learned this the hard way the other day when drilling into some mild steel square tubing with a Milwaukee metal bit. That last moment when the bit usually grabs before it punches through is when the impact started and it sheared the bit. Now I have to buy a single replacement to complete my set again. The right tool for the job…

Thank you, James. I believe both tool have their place in every shop. 😁🙂🙂🙂❤❤❤❤

I love your choice in sponsors since they are actually relevant to why I watch your channel. I will be in the market for a pocket hole thingy in the not to distant future and found your product demo to be quite informative. Will be checking out your sponsor.

I figured everyone used the impact in most cases. The only time I ever pull a drill out is if I need to drill a pilot hole, use holesaws, or a paddle bit. Driving screws with anything but an impact driver is a chore at this point and the lighter and more compact designs with more power and speed are very nice. Drills still have their place, I’ve never gotten an impact driver to go as slowly and smoothly or seen one with an adjustable chuck to use bits that aren’t a standard shank.

By far my best tool purchase has been Milwaukee's Surge Impact. The hydraulics are far quiter and hit softer. The power settings and the hydraulics allow for very delicate work. I barely bust out the drill now.

3 things: cordless drill, impact drill, cordless jigsaw. With these 3 items I can do anything... I have built a set of stairs, created an Archimedes machine, built an opal cutting machine... even cut opals! I'm very used to switching out bits on a key less chuck, but drilling, countersink and drive are super fast if you just drill with drop, pick up drive, countersink using the screwdriver bit, drive screw. Fast and elegant

Big benefit of Drill v. Impact on drilling more significant holes (ex: 3/4" holes for wiring a house): impact drivers are actually slower to drill the hole as well as being louder.

Cordless impact drivers have been around and in extensive use by mechanics and service tradesmen for over thirty years. They have always worked fanastically for fastening and unfastening steel.

I agree. I rarely use my cordless drill anymore, but only for drilling a pilot hole for the impact to prevent splitting or in metal when I don't want the impact effect. So, probably 95% of the time I use the impact.

We ve been using impact drivers for pocket holes in wood face frames for the last 40 years, allbeit air powered, i grew up in and still run a cabinet shop

Fun tip, when inserting the bit into the impact you can just push it in, no need to pull the release.

I use my DeWalt 12V Extreme screw driver more than any tool I own. It combines the smoothness and control of a drill with the convenience of an impact driver. I pretty much only use my drills for drilling holes, and my impact drivers for large projects like building decks, or driving lag screws.

The market is full with fun stuff. You can take the chuck off many modern drills and then just put in a 1/4" bit. That obviously also makes them a lot shorter to the point where they rival impact drivers. It's almost as convenient as having both a drill and a driver.

As a (now) retired, kitchen & bath remodeler, I can't see how you can really function (professionally) without both power tools. One is for drilling, the other is for driving👍

Don’t forget the hammer setting on drills! I think I use mine about equally. Granted there’s cross-over, but each have the clear positive biases that you point out

My cheap Ryobi impact driver I got over 6 yrs ago is variable speed. I use it with the drill all the time. Drill a pilot hole and then drive the screw without the need to change bits.

As an electrician ( in Australia ) I use both, sometimes drilling with the impact, sometimes driving with the drill, sometimes one for the pre drill/countersink, the other for the fastener, sometimes you need the 'correct one' for the job.