Drill Driver vs Impact Driver vs Hammer Drill

Use

Drill drivers and impact drills can both drill holes and drive screws. Drill driver are better at drill holes and impact drills are better at driving many, larger screws. An impact drill can drive screws without a pilot hole and avoid the need to switch between bits.

	Value	Alternatives
Use	Drill in concrete and brick.	Hammer Drill
	Install cabinets.	Impact Driver
	Build a deck.	Impact Driver
	Drive screws in hardwoods.	Impact Driver
	Assemble prefab furniture.	Drill Driver
	Install handles on cabinet doors and drawers.	Drill Driver
	Hang pictures or drapery brackets.	Drill Driver

Material

Hammer and impact drills are often confused as to the type of action each uses to achieve power. Hammer drills “hammer” on the bit along the length of bit as it rotates and impact drills “impact” the chuck in the rotational direction to increase the torque. This give hammer drills it capability to drill into masonry. The increase torque of an impact drill causes less slippage and stripping of the screw head.

	Value	Description	Alternatives
Material	Masonry	Brick, Stone, Concrete, Granite.	Hammer Drill
	Hardwood	Brazilian Cherry, Hickory, Hard Maple, White Oak, Ash, Red Oak, Holly, Black Walnut.	Impact Driver
	Pressure Treated	Wood treated with chemical preservatives to protect against insect attack and fungal decay.	Impact Driver
	MDF	Medium Density Fiberboard: Engineered wood made from wood fibers bound by resins under high temperature and pressure. MDF is denser than plywood or normal particle board.	Drill Driver
	Particle Board	Engineered wood made from wood particles glued together with synthetic resin, pressed, and extruded.	Drill Driver
	Softwood	Balsa, Eastern White Pine, Basswood, Western White Pine, Hemlock, Chestnut, Douglas Fir.	Drill Driver

Screw Size

The increased torque of the impact drill allows it to drive larger screws.

	Value	Alternatives
Screw Size	2 to 3 inches	Impact Driver and Hammer Drill
Screw Size	Up to 1.5 inches	Drill Driver

Good for Drilling Many Holes?

The reduced speed of impact and hammer drills make those tools less suitable for drilling large numbers of holes.

	Value	Alternatives
Good for Drilling Many Holes?	Yes	Drill Driver
Good for Drilling Many Holes?	No	Impact Driver and Hammer Drill

Good for Driving Many Screws?

An impact driver is able to drive a screw without a pilot hole and therefore can drive many screws rapidly.

	Value	Alternatives
Good for Driving Many Screws?	Yes	Impact Driver
Good for Driving Many Screws?	No	Drill Driver and Hammer Drill

Noise Level

The hammer and impact actions of the hammer and impact drills produce higher noise levels that a drill driver.

	Value	Alternatives
Noise Level	High	Impact Driver and Hammer Drill
Noise Level	Low	Drill Driver

Drill Driver vs Impact Driver vs Hammer Drill

Factors

Alternatives

Decide

Use

Material

Screw Size

Good for Drilling Many Holes?

Good for Driving Many Screws?

Noise Level