Impact drivers and combi drills are two of the most popular power tools, with both lending themselves to a wide range of applications. We’re proud to offer an extensive selection of each in our product range.

If you’re not sure about whether an impact driver or combi drill is best for the jobs you’re planning, then this guide is for you. We’ll introduce both tools and give you the info you need to choose the right one for the job.

Here’s what this blog post will cover:

• Technical specifications of impact drivers and combi drills
• The functional differences between impact drivers and combi drills
• Different uses for each tool
• Pros and cons for each tool

Technical Specifications and Differences of an Impact Driver and Combi Drill

Impact drivers and combi drills are share some similarities, but their distinctive differences make one or the other more appropriate for different jobs.

Let’s first explore these distinguishing features.

Functionality

• Impact drivers: Use fast-paced rotational tapping and high torque to drive screws. They are not suitable for drilling holes.
• Combi drills: Use rotational drilling and hammer action, with the option to toggle between different options offering increased versatility. They are suited to driving screws and drilling holes.

Clutch

• Impact drivers: Focus on high torque means that they don’t feature an adjustable clutch.
• Combi drills: Use an adjustable clutch to give the user control over how much torque is applied. This grants combi drills a higher level of versatility when it comes to material type.

Speed Settings

• Impact drivers: Have a single speed setting, and this high rotational speed is part of what defines the tool.
• Combi drills: Have multiple speed settings, further increasing the levels of versatility in terms of material and application.

Bit Type

• Impact drivers: Use hexagonal screwdriver bits, allowing the user to quickly and easily switch to the most suitable bit for the job at hand.
• Combi drills: Can use standard drill bits, masonry bits, and hexagonal screwdriver bits, offering higher levels of versatility.

Level of Precision

• Impact drivers: Aren’t suited to precision work: their focus is the quick and impactful driving of screws.
• Combi drills: Offer high levels of precision thanks to their varying torque settings, speed settings, and bit compatibility.

Material Suitability

• Impact drivers: Are suitable for use with wood, metal, drywall, chipboard, and plastic. They are not suited for concrete, brick, glass, or ceramic.
• Combi drills: Are suitable for all materials mentioned above, and more.

These features mean that each tool lends itself best to different types of job, which we’ll explore in detail in the next section.

Different Uses for Impact Drivers and Combi Drills

To get a better feel for which tool best suits your needs, lets look at some projects where each would be most effective.

Impact Driver

Impact drivers are designed to quickly insert or remove screws. Their torque and power make them great for repetitive jobs with lots of screws, such as:

• Woodwork: building decking, assembling furniture, and similar
• Jobs with large screws or lag screws: building decking, frames, or other heavy-duty construction projects
• Jobs with tough materials: screwing into metal, attaching metal brackets, and similar
• Removing damaged or stuck screws: disassembling old or damaged furniture, removing rusted screws from outdoor furniture

To learn more about impact drivers and whether they’re right for you, check out our impact driver guide.

Combi Drill

Combi drills are powerful and versatile power tools suited to a wide range of projects, including:

• Woodwork: assembling furniture and other jobs where holes need drilling or screws need driving
• Masonry work: a combi drill’s hammer drill function is ideal for drilling into concrete and brick, or securing fixtures to masonry surfaces
• Metalwork: drilling into metal surfaces, installing brackets, framing and similar
• Carpentry: including structural elements or framing projects
• Multi-material projects: combi drills come into their own in projects involving multiple materials, thanks to their versatility

If you’re still not sure whether a combi drill is right for your needs, check out our drill selection guide.

Pros and Cons

With each tool introduced and explained, it’s helpful to compare their overall pros and cons. In this section we’ll take a look at the benefits and drawbacks of each tool.

Pros of an Impact Driver

• Compatible with many different types of hexagonal screwdriver bit, making it suitable for many applications
• Their high speed (50+ bumps per second) makes them very efficient, especially in repetitive jobs
• Their high speed also reduces the level of physical effort involved compared to alternate tools (or to manual removal!)
• The rotational tapping action reduces the risk of cam-out, meaning more secure fastening
• Compact design makes them easy to carry and ideal for work in tight spaces
• High levels of torque make them suitable for large screws and hard materials
• Great for removing damaged or stuck screws, where a drill might struggle

Pros of a Combi Drill

• Multiple drilling modes make combi drills highly versatile
• Compatible with a wider range of bits than an impact driver, further increasing their relative versatility
• Suitable for a wide range of materials, further broadening their list of applications
• The hammer drill functionality opens up a combi drill to masonry materials, further its applications relative to a regular drill
• Adjustable clutch gives you control over the levels of torque, letting you fine-tune it as the job demands
• Often cordless, offering greater levels of flexibility and portability

Considerations For Each

There are some things to keep in mind when choosing impact drivers and drills.

• Both are very loud, meaning that adequate ear protection should be worn to prevent damage to your hearing
• Both have high levels of vibration, which may lead to physical discomfort or even injury over extended periods of use

When it comes to impact drivers vs combi drills, there are clear differentiating factors between the two. Both are powerful and versatile tools, but each is best suited to its own list of applications and projects. We hope this guide has been useful in understanding which tool aligns best with your needs.