Power Drill vs. Impact Drill

What’s the Difference?

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Impact Drill vs. Power Drill

When you think power drill, think General Purpose.

When you think impact drill, think Heavy Duty.

Impact drills are used when drilling a fastener into (a) dense material (think dense wood, metal).  

Power drills are used when drilling (a) fasteners or (b) holes into soft material (wood, drywall, plastic).

IMPACT DRILLS

Impact drills use rotational and concussive power, making them far more mighty than power drills. Particularly, impact drills are used for drilling longer screws, without interruption or strain, into dense materials. The common scenario to think of is drilling into wall studs – for those of you who have yet to drill into wall studs, know that the wood is very dense and you have to push with a regular power drill to drive power into the drill.

POWER DRILLS

Power drills use rotational power only, but they have different clutch settings (think clutch like a car) where you can vary the torque output. Power drills do not drive as hard as impact drills, but they have more rotations per minute and allow for more controllable power during the process.

SO WHICH DRILL DO I USE FOR WHAT PROJECT?

In terms of practical use cases, the power drill has more appropriate use cases. While it’s easy to want to use the impact drill due to its compact size and extra strength, it may be too powerful for most DIY jobs. That being said, the power drill is adjustable and favorable to almost any project and job.

 When you think power drill, think General Purpose.

When you think impact drill, think Heavy Duty.

	Power Drill	Impact Drill
Torque	Moderate; less torque than impact drills	Strong, one setting; higher torque than power drills.
Speed	High rotational speed with adjustable speed options	Less rotational speed
Power	Moderate	Strong
Control	More control	Less control
Interchangeable drill bits?	Yes, also has self-centering jaws that allow you to use drill bits of all sizes and shapes.	Hexagonal socket so the drill bit must have a hexagonal shank at the base. You will need to buy specific drill bits for impact drills.
Ease of changing drill bits	Moderate quick release, twist to lock/unlock the drill bits	Quick release pull that locks/unlocks the drill for easy pull-out.
Use Cases	- Drilling fasteners or holes - General purpose - Building cabinets - DIY projects - Most woodworking jobs - All softwoods, most finishing hardwoods - Adjustable power settings and speed	- Drilling fasteners into dense wood or metal - Heavy Duty - Easy on the wrist - Building decks - Installing cabinets (attaching to studs) - Drilling into dense, hardwood. - Hardwood projects - Home improvement projects that demand extra torque.
Size	Bigger, less agile.	Smaller, compact drill and able to squeeze into small spaces.