The hammer drill and the impact driver have a similar task; however, they differ in many aspects. Every handyman should know basic difference between hammer drill and impact drill driver.
What is a Hammer Drill
A hammer drill is just as much like a regular drill but with a hammering effect which helps the drill push forward through a wall.
This makes drilling much faster and efficient than regular drillers and this is the main reason it should be part of everyone’s homes.
Both corded and cordless hammer drill are available in the market.
Why You Should Have One Hammer Drill
Let us look at some reasons as to why hammer drills are more recommended than other regular power drill.
Reason #1: Hammer drills use the hammer principle which pushes the drill bit very fast and with power.
This makes it possible for the whole drilling work to be accomplished faster when properly used and through experience using them, the hammer drill can be used easily with no problem on handling the recoil it produces.
Reason #2: hammer drills work like jackhammers but smaller and compact.
One advantage of using hammer drills is their compatibility which makes it more convenient in bringing them along and using them almost anywhere in your house.
Like jackhammers, hammer drills are a bit noisy and produce strong vibrations but with time and experience, a person will learn proper handling and then the loudness and vibrations will not be an inconvenience anymore in using them.
Reason #3: They are very easy to use, much like regular drillers. Aside from becoming a danger to young people playing with them, they create a lot of problems when improperly handled.
Hammer drills are designed to push through harder materials, such as old concrete, bricks, or cements etc where regular drillers cannot push through easily.
They are completely safe for use for everyone who needs drilling works and needless to mention, they should be properly stored and kept away from danger to children.
Reason #4: They are available in different types depending on which conditions you are working with.
Hammer drills are divided into three: Dedicated hammer drills which use more power and when there is a lot of masonry drilling that needs to be done.
There are also the corded drills with hammer option, which has great rpm and power for handling those tough drilling needs.
Reason #5: We have the cordless with hammer option, which is actually a great choice for everybody having problems with outlet connection or a lack of electricity source nearby.
There are a lot to consider in putting them to good use but they are all limited to the number of holes to be made.
The cordless hammer drill carries the least number of hole-drilled in terms of its efficiency while the other two have greater efficiency in delivering more holes than the latter.
There may be a lot more reasons to put hammer drills to good use but with just these few points, it is clear to see why you should acquire at least one hammer drill for yourself.
While they are not used for driving screws, they should be handled with great care.
They should also not be confused with some other useful tools such as the rotary hammers which are more powerful than hammer drills or the impact driver which gives very powerful blows and pushes the screws more efficiently to the wall.
Hammer Drill vs Impact Driver
1. Usage
The impact driver is used for the purpose of screw driving whereas the hammer drill is used for drilling through cement, bricks and harder materials. The impact driver is used for loosening or tightening large bolts and nuts.
2. Design
The two tools are drastically different in terms of design.
The hammer drill is significantly heavier and larger than the impact driver. It has a drill chunk of different sizes while the impact driver has a socket instead of a chunk.
The impact driver is much more compact and easier to use. If you have any experience dealing with this type of tools, then using the hammer drill won’t be difficult either.
3. How They Work
The hammer drill vibrates back and forth and uses a large amount of pressure. Because of this, it is harder to handle the tool but with some practice there will be no issues. So every electrician keep this one in his tool list.
When holding the hammer drill in your hands, the high power it uses will feel like a hammer hitting a surface various times in a row. The enormous amount of power this tool provides will cause it to be very loud.
On the other hand, the impact driver does not move in the back and forth motion but rather uses a rotation force to complete the task.
Impact drivers can serve as regular screwdrivers if there is a need for one in a minor task. If you need a higher force to loosen or tighten a bolt, that is when the impact driver goes full speed.
It activates the rotation mechanism which allows it to create a major force. Therefore, the impact driver is a very powerful tool as well.
4. Clutch
Another big difference which involves both usage and design is the clutch mechanism.
The hammer drill has a clutch which allows you to control how much power the tool will distribute. This way you can easily use the hammer drill for lighter tasks without causing any type of damage.
The impact drill does not have this feature, thus makes it harder to work with sensitive items.
5. Pricing
Hammer drills are a lot more expensive than impact drivers. If you are trying to decide which tool you need to get, financially, an impact driver is a better option, unless, of course, you need a hammer drill specifically to drill through bricks and cement.
A hammer drill can do the impact driver’s job fairly easily. Some hammer drill models have a mode that allows you to use them as regular drills.
That way, you get a two in one combo which is not that bad after all. A higher price than the impact driver but more value and a different purpose seem like valid reasons to go for it.
Special Note
Besides the differences between these two tools in particular, you might as well encounter differences between various models. They will vary in price, weight and design but in the end of the day any of them would get the job done. Both tools are powered by electricity.
However, you can find cordless models on the market as well. Some people find them more convenient because they are not limited to the length of a cord. You can take them anywhere and work with them more easily. That might be true but what you need to keep in mind is that you will need to have a spare battery at hand at all times.
When it comes to power, cordless hammer drills and impact drivers can deliver the same power as the ones that need to be plugged in.
Conclusion
In conclusion, both tools serve the purpose efficiently. Their purpose differs, as well as their design and functionality. However, you may use a hammer drill to do impact driver’s job but you will be risking damaging the object you are handling because of the large amount of power.
If you are somewhat experienced when it comes to using a hammer drill, then you will know how to control the power by using the clutch.
Both of the tools are pretty simple to use, however, in order to get the best results it is always best to have some practice. If we compared them in convenience, the impact driver would take the award. Reason being, it is lighter, not as loud and easier to use. In spite of that, for completing those hard tasks, using a hammer drill is inevitable.
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