Whether you should buy a drill or impact driver depends on the type of work you plan to do. Drills can handle a large majority of basic home improvement and DIY projects. They’re ideal for drilling holes or installing screws in wood, plastic, drywall, glass, and even lightweight metal. You can purchase various drill bits to make boring holes into different surfaces easier and find attachments that allow you to convert your drill into a sander, polisher, paint stirrer, and more.
Impact drivers, on the other hand, are more suited to heavy-duty projects. If you’re a professional contractor, construction worker, or automotive mechanic, you’ll likely require a wide range of tools, including a drill and an impact driver. Impact drivers are commonly used to remove and install car lug nuts, bore holes into hard surfaces like treated wood, concrete, and metal, and install large fasteners.
If you plan to purchase only one of these tools, an impact driver will provide more versatility, while drills tend to be lighter-weight and more mobile.
