Finally, impact drivers get noticed

Compact and cordless, impact drivers are a big hit with contractors of all types.

Sometimes, we get so caught up with doing the job the way we’ve always done it that new tools and technology sneak right up behind us and bite us – hard – before we take notice.

That’s the story of the cordless impact drivers gaining popularity on jobsites across the country. Once workers get these tools in their hands, electricians, plumbers, and HVAC, cabinet, deck and overhead door installers prefer these tools instead of their trusty cordless drill-drivers.

Front-line research by various power tool companies reveals that cordless drill-drivers are used for about 80 percent fastening jobs and only about 20 percent for drilling jobs.

“Cordless impacts can do about 70 percent of the work that users commonly do with a cordless drill driver,” says Kevin Fairchild, Hitachi Power Tools senior product manager. “It can replace a drill-driver, but drilling larger holes is more efficient with a drill-driver or corded drill.”

Doug Bock, Panasonic sales manager, concurs: “The majority of the work most are doing with cordless drill-drivers is fastening. This is a high speed, high torque application. Drilling holes is a low speed, high torque application. Drill-drivers are not geared correctly to deliver high speed and high torque and that’s where impact drivers deliver.”

The tools have been available in the U.S. for about 15 years and are just gaining momentum. In Japan, Asia and some European countries, the cordless impact drivers have been popular since their introduction as long as 20 years ago.

Tool watchers say it’s taken a long time for users in the United States to catch on to the power of these tools because the tool size – about half the size of a cordless drill-driver and lower voltages – misled users into thinking they were under-powered tools.

“The cordless impact drivers are 40 percent smaller than a cordless drill-driver, but have, on average, three times the torque of a cordless drill-driver,” says Brent Withey, Makita brand marketing manager. “The internal design is simple – it’s a hammer and an anvil mechanism, without a lot of gears that are found in drill-drivers,” he says.

“This is not new technology. It borrows heavily from the designs of corded and pneumatic impact drivers and wrenches,” says Mike Bykowski, Milwaukee product manager for metal-working tools.

Because users do more fastening than drilling with cordless drill-drivers, it makes sense to look at a tool that specializes in this task.

Higher price, higher performance
However, users sometimes balk at the higher price for a fastening tool that can’t handle every drilling chore. “The impact drivers can drill holes, but the Achilles heel is large-diameter hole drilling,” says Tom Baldwin, DeWalt assistant product manager of cordless fastening. “They are not well-suited for drilling many holes larger than 3/8" diameter. For ship auger and self-feed bits, impacts aren’t well-suited. But for holes 3/8" and smaller, using bits with hex shafts that fit into an impact driver perform very well.”

Panasonic’s Bock reports that impact drivers can handle drilling up to 3/4" diameter holes. “It tops out at 3/4”, but we say that 1/2" to 5/8" diameter holes should be no problem.

“You really can’t get rid of your drill-driver for those 20 percent of large hole-drilling jobs, but an impact driver gives you more power in a smaller and lighter tool for 80 percent of your work,” he says.

Tool experts agree that the best way to entice a user to an impact driver is to have him or her sink some serious lag screws. To the person, the power and tool size surprises them.

“When it comes to fastening, it can do everything a drill-driver can do, but in a smaller package that is lighter and causes less fatigue,” says Rick Gray, impact tool line expert at Bosch Tools and Accessories. “In 95 percent of the cases where drill-driver users pick up the tool and use it, they say they won’t use a drill-driver for fastening anymore.”

Creature comfort
In addition to the light weight and more power per pound, the impact drivers have less torque transfer, which means less wrist twisting as the tool drives the fastener home. “If you are susceptible to repetitive motion injuries like carpal tunnel syndrome, impact drivers can help reduce the force to your wrists,” Gray says.

The tool’s smaller size makes it more maneuverable in tight spaces such as installing cabinets and ductwork. “Because of their lighter weight, they are also great for overhead work, such as sprinkler installation,” adds Baldwin.

The impact drivers also nearly eliminate pre-drilling. There is no need for a pilot hole because the impact action will start the fastener and the tool has enough power to drive it home.

With all of the power of these tools, users can rely on a 12- or 14.4-volt tool instead of an 18-volt drill-driver. “Many times, these tools have too much torque for the job,” says Gray. “In the next few years, we will see the demand for torque come down in the United States. As users become more familiar with these tools, they will realize they don’t need all that torque for the types of jobs they do. For example, a 9.6-volt impact driver can have more torque than a 24-volt drill-driver.

“I predict that users will begin selecting lower-voltage impact drivers for fastening jobs that will be much lighter and smaller than the drill-drivers they are using now. Those familiar with impact drivers will likely buy the next size down the next time around because the smaller unit is even easier to handle and there will be more than enough power for the job,” says Gray.

Bykowski concurs that users will fine-tune their tool buying to better match their jobs. “A gourmet chef doesn’t use the same knife for all cutting tasks and a professional arborist doesn’t use the same chainsaw to take a tree down. A true professional has a variety of tools that he or she can match to the job. The cordless impact drivers are an example of that.” /

Published in the November/December 2005 issue of Contractor Tools and Supplies magazine.

back to top