CAMO DRIVE is the fastest, easiest, most versatile, and affordable deck tool. CAMO DRIVE also offers an adjustable handle, for left or right handed installers as well as an adjustable fastener depth setting.
We highly recommend the use of either square drive or Torx (or the similar “star drive”). Square (Roberts) drive provides a more positive bit engagement over Philips. This makes it easier to drive and harder for impact driver bits to strip the heads of stainless steel decking screws.
Realistically, the impact driver is the better tool for the job. It's more compact, and it's more than just a matter of being easier to handle and lighter. It also puts the pressure you're applying closer to the fastener head so you stay engaged with the fastener head better.
Do You Need an Impact Driver? If you need to drill holes and drive the occasional medium-sized screw, a regular drill will suit you fine. If you've got a deck to build, a plywood subfloor to install, a tree house to screw together or any other job involving lots of wood screws, consider investing in an impact driver.
Drills Offer More Speed for Fasteners…at a Price
As a result, impact drivers, while giving you more torque, tend to drive fasteners a little more slowly. We've seen this over and over again in our drill vs impact head-to-head comparisons.
A impact screwdriver is much more powerful than a regular electric screwdriver. You can use it if you drive screws for a longer time back to back or if you have to use large, wide screws. Because the power isn't provided by the motor but by the head of the screwdriver, the motor won't overload soon.
An impact driver is not ideal for precision drilling tasks and should be limited to jobs where the size or placement of the hole is not crucial but more torque may be needed, such as drilling through metal and dense or knotty wood.
When choosing a drill for driving screws, choose a cordless drill that has high and low or variable speeds and an adjustable clutch. An impact driver is the best choice for longer screws, since it combines increased torque with a hammering action to get the job done easier.
Impact Driver/Drill
A quality impact driver incorporates the drill's rotational power with a force of impact like the hammer drill to drive a deck screw and saves its bursts of quick power when it feels resistance. It's indeed the finest of both matters.
The majority of fastening will be done once all of the boards are tacked down. The screw length is very important; these screws need to penetrate in the joist by 1-1/2 inches. When it comes to the board ends, predrill to prevent splitting. The screws should be countersunk, but only enough to dimple the surface.
Like the cordless drill, an impact driver uses rotational force to drive a screw and saves its bursts of quick power when it feels resistance. You would use an impact driver for long screws or large fasteners when working with wood. An impact driver is also lighter than the hammer drill, making it easier to handle.
Impact drivers are high-torque tools primarily used for driving screws and tightening nuts (an operation known as nut setting). Their chuck accepts only bits with a ¼-inch hex shank. You either pull up on the chuck sleeve to insert a bit or you just slip the bit into the chuck.
For a flathead screwdriver, you need something thin and flat yet sturdy enough to turn the screw. Examples include a butter knife, a credit card, a metal nail file or tweezers. For a Phillips head screwdriver, you may be able to use a pocketknife as a makeshift screwdriver.
But You Should Really Buy Both…
This also gives you the ability to use the drill for pilot holes and use the impact driver to sink fasteners. Since you don't have to switch bits for each fastener, you're much more productive. If you want a top-of-the-line solution like the Milwaukee 2804-22 and its 1200 in-lbs.
Be sure to hit the impact driver squarely on the handle end, seating the bit straight into the screw head. Hitting the impact driver at an angle can damage the screw head. Impact drivers are relatively inexpensive and are typically available in standard hardware stores.
The rotation works in a two-steps-forward, one-step-back pattern, and the bursts of impact happen up to 50 times per second when the driver encounters resistance. This function makes an impact driver significantly more effective at driving in fasteners than drills.
With the right bit attached it will even drill holes. If you're working on jobs that require driving loads of screws, or long screws into hard material, then you should definitely own one.
Small hammer drills can be used to drive screws (some consumer-grade models incorporate a clutch), but many are too large and powerful. Impact drivers are the perfect tool for heavy-duty driving, but most aren't intended for delicate, precision work.
Yes, you should, making sure the drill bit is slightly smaller in diameter than the screws narrow measurement is. Meaning not the 'biting part' of the threads, but rather the main body of the screw itself. This will prevent splitting or cracking the wood.