The second cordless tool most beginners buy, and the one most often bought too early. Seven compared on the battery platform you are already on, kit versus bare tool, and the speed control that stops you burying screws.
An impact driver is the tool that makes a drill stop feeling underpowered. It drives long screws into hardwood without stalling, without twisting your wrist, and without the screw head chewing itself to pieces. It is also, for a woodworker, the second cordless tool — never the first — and the honest version of this page has to start by saying so. A drill bores holes and sets a clutch; an impact driver does neither. If you own no cordless tool at all, read our cordless drill picks first and come back.
Here is the lens we compare on, in order, because for cordless tools the order genuinely matters. The platform you are already on — batteries and a charger dominate the price of a cordless purchase, so the right impact driver is usually whichever one takes the batteries in your drill. Kit or bare tool — a bare tool is half the price and useless on its own, and that trade decides which of these is cheap for you. Speed control — a three-speed switch or a control mode is what lets a tool rated at 1,800 in-lbs drive a small screw into pine without burying it, which matters far more in furniture work than the headline torque does. Brushless or brushed, which is runtime and tool life rather than power. And size and weight, because the reason to own one at all is often that it fits where a drill does not.
One thing this page is not: a claim that we have run these side by side. We have not. Every figure below was read from the seller’s listing or the manufacturer’s own product page on the date shown on each card, and where nobody publishes a number the card says “Not listed” rather than guessing. Here is exactly what we do instead of testing.
How this is funded:we earn a commission if you buy through our links, at no extra cost to you. It never changes which tool we recommend, and we’ll tell you plainly when to skip one. Full disclosure.
Quick picks
Ranked on the specs that matter for a beginner and honest buyer fit. Select a row to jump to the full write-up. We haven’t hands-on-tested these — here is exactly what we do instead.
#
Product
Best for
Price
1
DeWalt DCK240C2 20V MAX Drill/Driver + Impact Driver Combo Kit
The only impact driver purchase that is obviously good value for a beginner: this kit is the DCD771 drill we already recommend plus the matching impact driver, on the same two batteries and charger. Compare its live price with the drill kit on its own and the second tool costs a fraction of what it does bought separately.
DeWalt DCF845B 20V MAX XR 3-Speed Impact Driver (bare tool)
The right buy if you already own a DeWalt 20V MAX drill: no second battery, no second charger, just the tool. The three-speed switch is the part that matters for wood — speed one drives a small screw into pine without burying it.
The cheapest way onto a serious platform: if you own the Makita 18V LXT drill this site recommends, this is the matching impact driver at roughly the price of a decent hand tool. It is brushed and basic, and for a few hours of driving a month that is the correct amount of tool.
The brushless version of the pick above, sold as a kit with a 3.0Ah battery and charger. It is the one to buy if you are starting on Makita rather than adding to it, and the larger battery is the part a beginner notices more than the motor.
A complete kit — driver, battery, charger — for around the price of a bare tool from the premium brands. If you have no cordless platform yet and no intention of building one, this is the honest budget answer.
Black+Decker BDCI20C 20V MAX POWERCONNECT Impact Driver Kit
The companion to the Black+Decker drill on our drill page — same POWERCONNECT battery, so a second one is optional rather than required. It has the least torque here, which for driving screws into softwood is a non-issue.
The most interesting kit here for a garage with one outlet and no tool wall: brushless, three speeds, a control mode aimed at cam-out, and a battery that charges over USB-C from a 45W charger rather than a brand-specific brick.
DeWalt DCK240C2 20V MAX Drill/Driver + Impact Driver Combo Kit
The only impact driver purchase that is obviously good value for a beginner: this kit is the DCD771 drill we already recommend plus the matching impact driver, on the same two batteries and charger. Compare its live price with the drill kit on its own and the second tool costs a fraction of what it does bought separately.
Strengths
+Contains the DCD771 drill this site already picks first, so nothing is compromised to get the second tool
+One charger, two batteries, two tools — the cost that usually doubles on a second cordless purchase is already paid
+Both tools are compact: DeWalt states the impact driver at 5.55 in front to back and 2.8 lb
Trade-offs
−The two 1.3Ah batteries are the smallest DeWalt puts in a kit — fine for driving, short on runtime for continuous drilling
−Both motors are brushed, so they run hotter and less efficiently than the brushless tools further down this page
−Pointless if you already own a cordless drill — buy a bare impact driver on your existing platform instead
Type
Drill + impact driver combo kit
In the set
2 pieces
Material / build
Not listed
Key spec
DCD771 drill + DCF885 impact driver, 2 x 1.3Ah batteries and charger
Best for
Best overall — the drill you were buying anyway, with the impact driver attached
Worth knowing. The Amazon listing states a 1/4 in hex chuck that accepts 1 in bit tips, a 1/2 in single-sleeve ratcheting chuck on the drill, LED work lights with a 20-second delay on both tools, an impact driver 5.55 in long and 2.8 lb, a drill 7.5 in long and 3.6 lb, and a 3-year limited warranty. DeWalt's own DCK240C2 page names the contents exactly — "(1) DCF885 1/4-in Impact driver; (2) 20V MAX Li-ion 1.3Ah battery packs; (1) 20V MAX Charger; (1) Contractor bag; (1) DCD771 20V MAX 1/2-in Drill/driver" — and gives the drill as two-speed 0-450 / 0-1500 RPM at 300 unit watts out. DeWalt's DCF845B page rates the DCF885 impact driver at 1,400 in-lbs. Both pages fetched September 25, 2026.
Specs read from the product listing, on September 25, 2026. “Not listed” means the listing doesn’t state that figure.
#2Best on DeWalt 20V MAX
DeWalt DCF845B 20V MAX XR 3-Speed Impact Driver (bare tool)
The right buy if you already own a DeWalt 20V MAX drill: no second battery, no second charger, just the tool. The three-speed switch is the part that matters for wood — speed one drives a small screw into pine without burying it.
Strengths
+Three speed settings plus a variable-speed trigger, which is real control rather than one all-or-nothing gear
+Brushless motor rated by DeWalt at 1,825 in-lbs and 3,400 RPM — more than any woodworking fastener asks for
+Bare tool: nothing in the box you already own, and it runs on the same batteries as the DCD771 kit
Trade-offs
−Battery and charger sold separately — genuinely useless as a first cordless purchase
−Costs close to a complete budget kit from another brand, so it only makes sense on DeWalt batteries
−Far more torque than furniture work needs; the speed switch is doing the work, not the headline figure
Type
Cordless impact driver (bare tool)
In the set
Single tool
Material / build
Not listed
Key spec
1,825 in-lbs, 3,400 RPM, 3-speed, 1/4 in hex, 20V MAX
Best for
Best on DeWalt 20V MAX, if you already have the batteries
Worth knowing. The Amazon listing states a brushless motor delivering 1,825 in-lbs of torque and 3,400 RPM, a 3-LED work light, a variable-speed trigger with a 3-speed setting, a belt hook, tool-only packaging and a 3-year limited warranty. DeWalt's own DCF845B page (fetched September 25, 2026) confirms the same figures, states the box holds only the driver and a belt hook with "Battery and charger sold separately", and rates it at 30% more torque than the DCF885, which it gives as 1,400 in-lbs. Neither page states impacts per minute, length or weight, so those fields are not claimed here.
Specs read from the product listing, on September 25, 2026. “Not listed” means the listing doesn’t state that figure.
#3Best budget bare tool
Makita XDT11Z 18V LXT Impact Driver (bare tool)
The cheapest way onto a serious platform: if you own the Makita 18V LXT drill this site recommends, this is the matching impact driver at roughly the price of a decent hand tool. It is brushed and basic, and for a few hours of driving a month that is the correct amount of tool.
Strengths
+Usually the least expensive pick here, because you are buying a tool and nothing else
+All-metal gear housing and a 4-pole, 4-brush motor rated at 1,460 in-lbs, 0-2,900 RPM and 0-3,500 IPM
+Compact at 5-3/8 in long and 2.8 lb with a battery, which is the spec that decides whether it fits inside a cabinet
Trade-offs
−Brushed motor: shorter tool life and less runtime per charge than the brushless kit below
−One variable-speed trigger and no speed settings, so fine control is entirely down to your finger
−Bare tool — a battery and charger cost more than the driver does if you are not already on LXT
Worth knowing. The listing states variable speed of 0-2,900 RPM and 0-3,500 IPM with 1,460 in-lbs of torque, a 4-pole motor with a 4-brush design, an all-metal gear housing, a compact 5-3/8 in length, 2.8 lb with battery (battery not included) and a one-touch 1/4 in hex chuck. Its own size field gives 5-3/8 in long.
Specs read from the product listing, on September 25, 2026. “Not listed” means the listing doesn’t state that figure.
The brushless version of the pick above, sold as a kit with a 3.0Ah battery and charger. It is the one to buy if you are starting on Makita rather than adding to it, and the larger battery is the part a beginner notices more than the motor.
Strengths
+Brushless motor rated at 1,500 in-lbs with variable speed of 0-3,400 RPM and 0-3,600 IPM
+Ships with a 3.0Ah battery, more than double the capacity of the 1.3Ah packs in the budget kits here
+Makita states the brushless motor runs cooler and more efficiently, which is runtime rather than raw power
Trade-offs
−Roughly double the price of the bare XDT11Z, and the extra buys runtime rather than any ability the cheaper tool lacks
−The listing gives no length or weight for the tool itself, only the packed carton, so it is not claimed here
−Like every single-tool kit, you pay for a battery and charger you may already own
Best brushless kit — a complete start on Makita 18V LXT
Worth knowing. The listing states a BL brushless motor delivering 1,500 in-lbs of max torque, variable speed of 0-3,400 RPM and 0-3,600 IPM, that the brushless motor runs cooler and more efficiently for longer life, and that it is the XDT131 kit with a 3.0Ah battery. Its part number field reads XDT131 + BL1830B, which is the 3.0Ah LXT pack. The listing's dimensions block describes the carton, not the tool.
Specs read from the product listing, on September 25, 2026. “Not listed” means the listing doesn’t state that figure.
#5Best budget kit
Craftsman CMCF800C1 V20 Impact Driver Kit
A complete kit — driver, battery, charger — for around the price of a bare tool from the premium brands. If you have no cordless platform yet and no intention of building one, this is the honest budget answer.
Strengths
+Everything needed to work in one box: the CMCF800 driver, a V20 1.3Ah battery and a charger
+Rated on the listing at 1,460 in-lbs with 2,800 RPM and 3,100 IPM — the same torque class as the Makita bare tool
+Quick-release chuck for one-handed bit changes, and an LED for the inside of a cabinet
Trade-offs
−The 1.3Ah battery is small; a second one is the first thing you will want
−Brushed motor, and the listing states no speed settings — trigger control only
−V20 is a smaller tool ecosystem than DeWalt 20V MAX or Makita LXT, so it locks you into fewer future tools
Worth knowing. The listing states 1,460 in-lbs of torque, a max 2,800 RPM and 3,100 IPM, a quick-release chuck for one-handed bit changes, an LED light, and box contents of (1) CMCF800 impact driver, (1) V20 20-volt MAX 1.3 amp-hour lithium-ion battery and (1) V20 charger. Its own dimensions block gives 2.49 lb.
Specs read from the product listing, on September 25, 2026. “Not listed” means the listing doesn’t state that figure.
#6Best on POWERCONNECT
Black+Decker BDCI20C 20V MAX POWERCONNECT Impact Driver Kit
The companion to the Black+Decker drill on our drill page — same POWERCONNECT battery, so a second one is optional rather than required. It has the least torque here, which for driving screws into softwood is a non-issue.
Strengths
+Shares the POWERCONNECT battery with the Black+Decker drill and everything else in that range
+Comes with a battery, charger and a driving bit, so it works out of the box
+Listed at 1,375 in-lbs with 3,000 RPM and 3,900 IPM — plenty for deck screws and cabinet assembly
Trade-offs
−Lowest torque of the seven, which shows on long structural screws in hardwood rather than on ordinary work
−The listing does not state the battery's amp-hours, so runtime is an unknown
−POWERCONNECT is the most consumer-grade platform here; the tools are cheap and so is the resale
Type
Cordless impact driver kit
In the set
Single tool
Material / build
Not listed
Key spec
1,375 in-lbs, 3,000 RPM, 3,900 IPM, 1/4 in hex, 20V MAX POWERCONNECT
Best for
Best on an existing Black+Decker POWERCONNECT battery
Worth knowing. The listing states up to 1,375 in-lb of maximum torque, 3,000 RPM and 3,900 IPM, a quick-release 1/4 in hex chuck, a soft-touch grip, the interchangeable POWERCONNECT battery system, and box contents of (1) BDCI202 impact driver, (1) 20V MAX POWERCONNECT battery, (1) charger and (1) screwdriving bit. It does not state the battery's capacity.
Specs read from the product listing, on September 25, 2026. “Not listed” means the listing doesn’t state that figure.
The most interesting kit here for a garage with one outlet and no tool wall: brushless, three speeds, a control mode aimed at cam-out, and a battery that charges over USB-C from a 45W charger rather than a brand-specific brick.
Strengths
+Brushless motor rated at up to 1,800 in-lbs with three speed settings and a control mode the listing says helps stop cam-out and cross-threading
+Charges over USB-C with a 45W charger, and the 2.0Ah battery's own 100W USB-C port will charge a phone
+A 2.0Ah battery in a budget kit, where 1.3Ah is the norm
Trade-offs
−PWR CORE 20 has a much smaller tool lineup than DeWalt, Makita or Ryobi, so the platform argument works against it
−The listing states no RPM or IPM figure, only torque, so its speed is unknown and not claimed here
−USB-C charging is convenient rather than fast; the listing gives no charge time
Type
Cordless impact driver kit
In the set
Single tool
Material / build
Not listed
Key spec
Up to 1,800 in-lbs, 3-speed, brushless, 2.0Ah USB-C battery
Best for
Best USB-C kit — brushless and three-speed for budget-kit money
Worth knowing. The listing states a digital brushless motor with up to 1,800 in-lbs of torque, 3-speed selection, a variable-speed trigger, a control mode that helps eliminate screw cam-out and cross-threading, a one-handed collet, a Halo light, and kit contents of a PWR CORE 20 2.0Ah USB-C battery with a 45W USB-C PD charger and cable, with a 100W USB-C port on the battery itself. It states no RPM or IPM figure.
Specs read from the product listing, on September 25, 2026. “Not listed” means the listing doesn’t state that figure.
First: do you actually need one?
Probably not yet, and we would rather say that than sell you a tool. A first shop bores far more holes than it drives structural screws, and the drill you already own does both jobs adequately. The signal to buy an impact driver is a specific frustration, not a spec sheet — the evening you spend building a workbench or a set of garage shelves fighting a drill that stalls, cams out and twists in your hand. Our drill vs impact driver comparison walks through exactly what each tool can and cannot do; this page is for readers who have already reached that point.
The jobs that genuinely justify one are all the same shape: long screws, many of them, into something that resists. Deck screws and structural screws. A simple workbench with lag screws in its base. Garage shelving into studs. Ledger boards, fence rails, subfloor. Assembling flat-pack cabinets by the dozen. None of those is fine furniture work, which is the honest summary of an impact driver’s place in a woodworking shop.
The platform decides, not the tool
This is the part beginners get backwards. Every tool here is a competent impact driver. The thing that will actually cost or save you real money over the next five years is which battery system you commit to, because batteries and chargers rather than tools are where the money goes, and they do not cross brands. Our battery platform guide covers that decision properly.
Applied to this page, the rule is short:
Own a DeWalt 20V MAX drill? Buy the DCF845B bare tool. Nothing in the box you already own, three speed settings, and it runs on your existing batteries.
Own a Makita 18V LXT drill? Buy the XDT11Z bare tool. It is the cheapest pick on this page precisely because it is only a tool.
Own a Black+Decker POWERCONNECT drill? The BDCI20C kit shares that battery, so the pack it comes with is a spare rather than a requirement.
Own nothing yet? The DeWalt combo, and you are done for years.
Own nothing and want to spend the least possible? The Craftsman or Skil kit. Both are complete; both tie you to a smaller ecosystem, which is the price of the lower price.
There is one gap on this list we will name rather than paper over. Ryobi ONE+ is a platform we recommend on the drill page, but on the day we wrote this we could not find a Ryobi impact driver listing on Amazon that both matched its model number cleanly and showed confirmed stock. Home Depot is Ryobi’s main channel, and a ONE+ impact driver or two-tool kit bought there is a perfectly sensible purchase — see where to buy woodworking tools. We would rather send you to the right shelf than feature the wrong listing.
Kit or bare tool: the only math that matters
A “bare tool” is the driver alone, with no battery and no charger. It is typically around half the price of the same tool in a kit, and it is completely useless unless you already own batteries that fit it.
So the decision is mechanical. If you own a drill on a platform, buy bare and you pay for a tool. If you do not, buy a kit and you pay for a tool plus the battery infrastructure — which you would have to buy eventually anyway. What you should never do is buy a bare tool because it looked cheap on the listing, then discover the battery and charger cost more than the tool did. It happens constantly, and the listings do not go out of their way to stop it. Every card above says plainly which it is.
The combo kit is the third case, and it is the one that catches people out in the good direction: because the battery and charger are the expensive part, adding a second tool to a kit costs far less than buying that tool as its own kit later. That is the whole argument for our top pick.
Torque numbers, and why they are mostly noise here
The picks above run from 1,375 to 1,825 in-lbs of stated maximum torque. That range sounds decisive and is very nearly irrelevant for woodworking, because even the lowest figure here is far more than a wood screw needs. Torque headlines are written for the person removing a rusted lug nut, not the person assembling a bookcase.
What does matter is the opposite: control at the bottom end. An impact driver that only knows how to go hard will sink a screw head below the surface of pine before you have finished thinking about it, strip a pocket-hole screw, or snap a small brass screw clean off. The features that solve that are speed settings — the DCF845B and the Skil both have three, and Skil’s listing describes a control mode aimed at cam-out and cross-threading — plus a variable-speed trigger and your own restraint. On a single-speed tool like the Makita XDT11Z, the trigger is the entire control system, which is workable but takes practice on offcuts first.
This is also why an impact driver is the wrong tool for pocket holes. Pocket-hole screws want a clutch that stops at a set torque, and no impact driver has one.
Brushless or brushed
Brushless motors have no carbon brushes to wear out. In practice that buys three things: more work per battery charge, a longer tool life, and a cooler-running tool. It does not buy a capability the brushed tool lacks. On this page the DCF845B, the Makita XDT131 and the Skil are brushless; the combo kit, the XDT11Z, the Craftsman and the Black+Decker are brushed.
For a hobbyist driving a few dozen screws a month, brushed is genuinely fine and the money is better spent elsewhere — a second battery, or the blade and bit upgrades that change results more than a motor does. Buy brushless if you are driving screws all day, or if the kit you want happens to be brushless anyway.
What an impact driver cannot do
Four limits, and all four surprise people:
It cannot hold a drill bit with a round shank. The chuck is a 1/4-inch hex collet, not a three-jaw chuck. Ordinary twist and brad-point bits do not fit. Hex-shank versions exist, but they are a smaller selection — our drill bit picks cover the difference.
It cannot drill an accurate hole. Even with a hex bit, the hammering action and the lack of a clutch make it a poor boring tool. Keep using the drill, and our guide to drilling straight holes for the technique.
It has no clutch. The clutch collar on a drill exists to stop driving at a set resistance. An impact driver stops when you release the trigger and not before.
It is loud. The impact mechanism is a hammer striking an anvil thousands of times a minute, and it is a sharp, percussive noise in a closed garage. Wear the hearing protection you already own, which is the cheapest tool-related insurance there is.
An impact driver is not an impact wrench
Worth stating plainly, because the search results for “best impact driver” are dominated by people trying to remove wheel nuts. Every tool on this page has a 1/4-inch hex chuck that accepts screwdriver bits. An impact wrench has a square drive that accepts sockets, is bigger and heavier, and exists for nuts and bolts. If you came here to change a tire, nothing on this page is the tool you want. If you came here to build furniture, nothing with a square drive is.
The rest of the purchase
The driver is not the whole bill, and the two cheap items below change the results more than the choice between any two tools above.
Tool
Why you need it
Price
DeWalt DWA2T40IR FlexTorq Impact-Ready Screwdriver Bit Set, 40 pieces
Impact-rated bits. Ordinary screwdriver bits are hardened to resist twisting, not hammering, and they shatter in an impact driver. Buy these with the tool, not after.
FTG USA 5-Piece Tapered Countersink Drill Bit Set (#4 #6 #8 #10 #12)
A tapered countersink drills the pilot, the shank clearance and the countersink in one pass. An impact driver will happily split a board that has no pilot hole.
Live Amazon prices as of September 26, 2026; they change, and we don’t display stale numbers — a tool with no live price shows “Check price” and is left out of the subtotal. #adHow we’re funded.
Everything in that table except the bit set is already a pick elsewhere on this site, so if you have followed the beginner tool list you likely own most of it. The bits are the only thing you must add.
Four habits that save screws and boards
Drill a pilot hole near an end. A screw is a wedge, and an impact driver has enough power to drive that wedge until the board splits. This matters most within a couple of inches of the end of a board, which is exactly where furniture screws usually go.
Seat the bit fully, and use the right size. Most stripped screw heads come from a worn or wrong-size bit rocking in the recess, not from too much power. Square (Robertson) and Torx heads strip far less than Phillips; when you get to choose the screw, choose one of those.
Practice on an offcut. Drive three screws into scrap from the same board and watch where the head ends up. Two minutes here stops the first real screw disappearing into a visible face.
Slow down at the end. Run the tool at full trigger until the head nears the surface, then ease off. The last quarter-turn is where an impact driver either seats a screw perfectly or buries it.
If a screw does end up buried or a head does strip, that is repairable — common beginner mistakes covers how, and why it happens.
The one to buy first
If you own no cordless tools: the DeWalt combo kit. You get the drill this site recommends first, the impact driver comes on the same batteries and charger rather than needing its own, and you are on a battery platform with more cheap tools available than any other. Check the live prices here against the drill-only kit before you buy — that difference is the true cost of the second tool.
If you already own a drill: the bare tool that takes your batteries — DCF845B on DeWalt, XDT11Z on Makita, the BDCI20C kit on Black+Decker — and spend nothing more. And if you are honestly not sure you need one, you do not. Buy a better saw blade instead and come back the first evening a drill lets you down.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need an impact driver for woodworking?+
No, not to start. A drill bores holes, sets a clutch and drives screws well enough for furniture work, and it is the first cordless tool to buy. An impact driver earns its place when you are driving long structural screws in quantity - a workbench base, garage shelving, deck or fence work - and your drill starts stalling and twisting in your hand. That frustration is the signal to buy one; a spec sheet is not.
What is the best impact driver for a beginner woodworker?+
If you own no cordless tools, a drill and impact driver combo kit, because the batteries and charger dominate the price and the second tool is close to free when it shares them. The DeWalt DCK240C2 is our pick because DeWalt's own page lists it as containing the DCD771 drill we already recommend plus the DCF885 impact driver, two batteries and a charger. If you already own a drill, buy a bare impact driver on that same battery platform instead.
Impact driver or drill - which should I buy first?+
The drill, and it is not close. A drill can bore accurate holes with any round-shank bit and drive screws with a clutch that stops at a set torque. An impact driver cannot do either: its chuck is a 1/4-inch hex collet that only accepts hex-shank bits, and it has no clutch at all. It drives screws faster and harder, and that is the whole of its advantage.
How much torque does an impact driver need for woodworking?+
Far less than the marketing implies. The tools on this page run from 1,375 to 1,825 in-lbs of stated maximum torque and every one of them is more than a wood screw requires. What matters more for furniture work is control at the low end - three-speed settings, a control mode, or simply a variable-speed trigger and the discipline to ease off as the head nears the surface. Torque headlines are written for automotive work.
Is an impact driver the same as an impact wrench?+
No. An impact driver has a 1/4-inch hex chuck that accepts screwdriver bits and is sized for fasteners you drive into wood. An impact wrench has a square drive that takes sockets, is larger and heavier, and exists for nuts and bolts - wheel nuts, machinery, automotive work. Most searches for 'best impact driver' are really about wheel nuts. If you are building furniture, you want the hex-chuck tool.
Should I buy a bare tool or a kit?+
Bare if you already own batteries that fit it, a kit if you do not. A bare tool is roughly half the price and completely useless without a battery and charger, which together usually cost more than the tool. Every pick on this page states plainly which it is, because buying a bare tool by accident is the single most common cordless mistake.
Is brushless worth it on an impact driver?+
It buys runtime, tool life and a cooler-running motor - not a capability the brushed tool lacks. For a hobbyist driving a few dozen screws a month, a brushed tool is genuinely fine and the money is better spent on a second battery or on better bits and blades. Buy brushless if you drive screws all day, or if the kit you wanted happens to be brushless anyway.
Can I use regular screwdriver bits in an impact driver?+
You can, but they break. Ordinary bits are hardened to resist twisting, not the thousands of hammer blows per minute an impact driver delivers, and they shatter - sometimes into the work, sometimes past your face. Impact-rated bits are made to flex instead. Buy a set with the tool, and wear eye protection either way.
Can an impact driver drill holes?+
Only badly, and only with hex-shank bits. The chuck will not hold a round-shank twist or brad-point bit at all, and even with a hex-shank bit the hammering action and missing clutch make it inaccurate and hard on the bit. Use the drill for holes and the impact driver for screws - that division is the entire reason both tools exist.
Will an impact driver split my wood?+
It can, easily, because it has enough power to drive a screw like the wedge it is. Drill a pilot hole whenever a screw goes near the end of a board - a tapered countersink bit drills the pilot, the clearance and the countersink in one pass - and ease off the trigger as the head nears the surface. Splitting and buried screw heads are the two failures beginners hit first, and both come from full trigger all the way in.
Sources
DEWALT — 20V MAX 1.3 Ah Drill Driver/Impact Driver Combo Kit (DCK240C2) — The kit contents, which the Amazon listing never spells out: "(1) DCF885 1/4-in Impact driver; (2) 20V MAX Li-ion 1.3Ah battery packs; (1) 20V MAX Charger; (1) Contractor bag; (1) DCD771 20V MAX 1/2-in Drill/driver". The drill is given as a two-speed transmission, 0-450 / 0-1500 RPM, 300 unit watts out, with a 1/2 in single-sleeve ratcheting chuck; the impact driver as 5.55 in front to back, 2.8 lb, with a 1/4 in hex chuck that accepts 1 in bit tips. Warranty: 3 year limited, 1 year free service, 90 days satisfaction guaranteed (accessed September 25, 2026)
DEWALT — 20V MAX XR 3-Speed Impact 1/4 in. Driver, Tool Only (DCF845B) — 1,825 in-lbs of torque, 3,400 RPM, three speed settings plus a variable-speed trigger, an integrated 3-LED work light, and a box holding only the driver and a belt hook — "Battery and charger sold separately". Also the source for the DCF885's rating: this page describes the DCF845B as delivering 30% more torque than the DCF885, which it gives as 1,400 in-lbs. Length, weight and impacts per minute are not stated (accessed September 25, 2026)
OSHA — Woodworking eTool — OSHA guidance on woodworking hazards, guarding and safe work practices (accessed July 24, 2026)
