What is an Impact Driver used for?


Whether you are looking to loosen or drive – jammed, rust, or over-torqued screws, an impact driver is what would do the work for you. Sometimes, it could become overwhelming when you’re faced with different power tools with similar looks and perform identical functions.

Having to choose between a cordless impact driver and a cordless drill is somewhat tricky. This could be a challenge for non- experts or rookies. However, for expert DIYers or professionals, this is an easy pick. Nevertheless, in this guide, we will look at what cordless drivers are, what they are used for, and look at the distinguishing factor between a cordless drill and a cordless impact driver.

What is a Cordless impact driver?

As the name suggests, this is a powerful, cordless tool operated on a battery. One of the benefits of not using a cordless impact driver is that it enables users to get right into tight corners to avoid being close to a power supply.

One of the cordless impact drivers’ primary uses is that it is used for driving in screws. Moreover, it could also be used for spinning bolts and nuts. The cordless impact driver is particularly great when used for long screws and should be used when the screw has to be propelled into a very rough or hard substrate. The explanation of why a cordless drill driver may perform both of these functions is that it creates a maximum torque.

Hence, when it comes to placing bits within the wireless impact driver, they require a 1⁄4 “hex shank. As long as the cordless impact drivers are concerned, it is impossible to place some other kind of bits inside. Cordless impact drivers are compact power tools that are very useful for so many things. Let’s take a look at individual functions where the cordless impact driver does perform well.

What is the impact drivers used for?

As highlighted above, one of the primary uses of the cordless impact drivers is for the driving in f screws into materials that seem challenging. Impact drivers can be used for a wide variety of functions aside screw driving. They are also perfect for everything about the building of decks. However, there are functions that the impact drivers are very excellent at;

  • The driving in of self – threading screws
  • The removal of car brake – drums
  • The driving in of long and thick fasteners into hard materials
  • For loosening over-torque and corroded screws. Nut s and bolts

Construction workers find the use of impact drivers beneficial to the work they do, cabinet workers are also not let out of the picture, and they find it useful for jobs that require the use of a good number of fasteners.

How do Impact drivers Work?

These compact power tools work by combining rotational motion with a hammering action to generate a maximum amount of torque. To illustrate an accurate depiction of what this means, see it this way: so, imagine that you are turning a screw, and you also use a hammer to tap it to move in the direction of the rotation. Automatically the screw should go very fast. This is precisely how an impact driver works.

If the engine alone cannot provide a torque to fasten or detach the screw, the spring-loaded hammering process may eventually actuate. The hammer mechanism is lifted and rotated around and then pulled back by the spring. Then the hammer hits the output shaft, passing the rotary motion to it, and this is done repeatedly. This high-velocity blow to the spindle leads to the creation of maximum torque to the spindle.

The significant difference between a cordless drill and a cordless impact driver

One of the significant differences is that while an impact driver is used for driving in screws into hard surfaces, the cordless drills have different torque settings for the benefit of using it for various purposes. Keep in mind that the cordless drills can also be used for screw driving.


No doubt impact drivers are very beneficial to power tools, one of the reasons DIYers love them is their lightweight nature, and they are versatile and can be used in any home improvement project. When you want to purchase one, it is advisable to look out for its power rating, size, and battery life.