Drill or impact driver: which you need, and when a combo kit makes sense
You are buying your first cordless tool, or your second, and the choice is between a drill/driver and an impact driver. Which one does the work you have in mind, do you need both, and when is a two-tool combo kit the simpler buy? This page answers by task, then shows current examples of each.
What we compared and why
- The jobs on your list. Drilling holes and driving long screws are different jobs. List the next five things you will do with the tool and match them to the task table below.
- Chuck or bit holder. A drill/driver has a three-jaw chuck (1/2 in. on the drills here) that holds round drill bits and hole saws. An impact driver has a 1/4 in. hex holder that takes hex-shank bits only.
- How the tool delivers torque. A drill turns steadily with a clutch you can set. An impact driver adds rapid rotational blows (impacts per minute) when the screw resists. That is why their torque figures are not comparable.
- Kit or tool only. A tool-only listing has no battery or charger. If you have no batteries yet, a kit, or a two-tool combo kit, is how you get them.
The models compared
| Model | Platform | Drive or chuck size | Max torque (as listed) | Speed | Impacts per minute stated | Brushless named | Sold as |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DEWALT 20V MAX 1/2 in. compact drill/driver kit (DCD771C2) | 20V MAX | 1/2" | Not stated in listing | 1,500 RPM | Not stated in listing | No* | Kit or not stated* |
| DEWALT 20V MAX XR 1/4 in. hex impact driver, three-speed (DCF845B) | 20V MAX | 1/4" | 152 ft-lb | 3,400 RPM | Not stated in listing | Yes | Tool only |
| Milwaukee M18 FUEL 1/2 in. drill/driver (2903-20) | M18 | 1/2" | Not stated in listing | Not stated in listing | Not stated in listing | Yes | Tool only |
| Milwaukee M18 FUEL 1/4 in. hex impact driver (2953-20) | M18* | 1/4" | 167 ft-lb* | 3,900 RPM | Not stated in listing | Yes* | Tool only |
| CRAFTSMAN V20 drill/driver and impact driver combo kit (CMCK200C2); table figures are the impact driver's | V20 | 1/4" | 122 ft-lb* | 2,800 RPM* | 3,100 IPM* | Not stated in listing | Kit or not stated* |
Table values are read from each product's current Amazon listing at the time of this page's build and normalised to one unit by us. "Not stated in listing" means the listing does not give the figure; "Listing gives two values" means the listing states it two different ways, so we show neither. Values marked * come from the maker's own spec page, linked under Sources.
We earn a commission if you buy through the Amazon links on this page, at no extra cost to you. Commissions never decide which products are listed or how they are described.
DEWALT 20V MAX 1/2 in. compact drill/driver kit (DCD771C2)
Who it fits: A first drill with two batteries and a charger in the box, for holes and small to medium screws; DEWALT lists two speeds up to 1,500 RPM.
Skip it if: You expect to drive long screws or lag bolts often; that is impact driver work.
DEWALT 20V MAX XR 1/4 in. hex impact driver, three-speed (DCF845B)
Who it fits: DEWALT 20V MAX owners adding an impact driver for long screws and lag bolts; DEWALT gives it 1,825 in-lb and a brushless motor.
Skip it if: You have no DEWALT batteries yet; this is sold as a tool only.
Milwaukee M18 FUEL 1/2 in. drill/driver (2903-20)
Who it fits: M18 owners who want a drill for larger holes and hole saws; Milwaukee names a brushless motor and a 1/2 in. all-metal chuck.
Skip it if: You have no M18 batteries; it ships with a side handle and belt clip but no battery or charger.
Milwaukee M18 FUEL 1/4 in. hex impact driver (2953-20)
Who it fits: M18 owners adding an impact driver; Milwaukee lists 2,000 in-lb (about 167 ft-lb) and up to 3,900 RPM.
Skip it if: You need to drill round-shank bits or run a hole saw; a hex driver will not hold them.
CRAFTSMAN V20 drill/driver and impact driver combo kit (CMCK200C2); table figures are the impact driver's
Who it fits: You have no batteries yet and want both tools at once; CRAFTSMAN lists a drill/driver, an impact driver, two batteries and a charger in the kit. The torque, speed and impact figures in the table are the impact driver's: CRAFTSMAN gives it 1,460 in-lb (about 122 ft-lb), 2,800 RPM and 3,100 impacts per minute.
Skip it if: You already own batteries on another platform; buying both tools there as tool-only models avoids a second battery system.
The difference in one paragraph
A drill/driver turns its chuck steadily, and a clutch lets you set how hard it drives before it slips. That makes it the tool for drilling holes, for hole saws and for screws you do not want to sink too deep. An impact driver turns a 1/4 in. hex bit and, when the screw resists, adds rapid rotational blows on top of the turning force. That makes it the tool for long screws and lag bolts that would stall a drill. Each can do some of the other's work, badly: an impact driver drills small holes with hex-shank bits, and a drill drives long screws slowly. This page is research-based, from the current listings and the makers' spec pages; we have not used these tools ourselves.
Which tool for which task
| Task | Drill/driver | Impact driver |
|---|---|---|
| Pilot holes for screws in wood | Yes, the usual tool | Possible with hex-shank bits |
| Holes in metal | Yes, set to low speed | Not the right tool |
| Hole saws and large spade bits | Yes; a 1/2 in. chuck holds the larger shanks | No: the hex holder does not take round shanks |
| Masonry holes | Only a hammer drill, not a plain drill/driver | No |
| Small screws: hinges, outlet covers, cabinet hardware | Yes, with the clutch set low | Possible, but easy to overdrive |
| Deck screws and long construction screws | Slow, and it may stall | Yes, the usual tool |
| Lag bolts and lag screws | Often stalls | Yes, with a hex-shank socket adapter |
| Furniture assembly | Yes, with the clutch set low | Easy to overdrive |
| Mixing paint or thinset with a paddle | Yes, on a low speed | No |
The masonry row is the one most often misread. Neither tool on this page is a hammer drill. For brick or concrete you want a hammer drill, which adds a hammering action along the bit; that is a different tool from an impact driver, whose blows are rotational.
Why the torque figures do not compare
The table's torque column shows the maximum torque a listing or, where marked, the maker gives, converted to ft-lb. Read it within one kind of tool, never across kinds. An impact driver's figure is measured with its rotational blows, and a drill's is a steady turning force, so a higher number on the impact driver does not mean it drills better. Milwaukee, for example, gives its 2953-20 impact driver 2,000 in-lb and its 2903-20 drill/driver 1,400 in-lb; those two figures describe different kinds of work. The speed column has the same limit: an impact driver's RPM is no-load spin, and its impacts-per-minute figure (the IPM column) is what it adds under load.
If the in-lb and ft-lb units are the confusing part, our torque units page explains them: 12 in-lb make 1 ft-lb.
When a combo kit makes sense
A two-tool combo kit (a drill/driver, an impact driver, batteries and a charger, as in the CRAFTSMAN kit here) makes sense when three things are true:
- You have no batteries yet. The kit is how you get them. If you already own batteries for a platform, the tool-only models on that platform, such as the DEWALT DCF845B or the two Milwaukee tools here, add the second tool without paying for batteries again.
- Your task list has both kinds of rows. If the table above puts your jobs in both columns (pilot holes and deck screws, say), you will use both tools, and swapping between a drill bit and a driver bit in one chuck all afternoon is what owning only one means.
- You are happy with that platform for later tools. A kit commits you to its battery system. Our platform comparison shows what each maker says about battery compatibility.
If your list is only furniture, pictures, curtain rods and the odd pilot hole, a drill/driver kit alone, such as the DEWALT DCD771C2 with its two batteries, covers it. If your list is mostly decking or framing screws, the impact driver is the one to buy first.
The examples in the table
The five products are current examples of each kind, not a ranking. Two are drill/drivers (DEWALT DCD771C2, a kit with two batteries and a brushed motor per DEWALT; Milwaukee 2903-20, tool only, brushless per Milwaukee), two are impact drivers (DEWALT DCF845B and Milwaukee 2953-20, both tool only and brushless per their makers), and one is a combo kit with both (CRAFTSMAN CMCK200C2). A brushless motor is a design feature the maker names; we do not measure runtime or output.
What this page does not tell you
We do not measure runtime, weight in the hand, clutch settings or real driving speed, and we do not rank the tools. Hammer drills and right-angle drills are other tools and are not covered here. For the screw or bolt your project calls for, follow the fastener maker's instructions on pilot hole size.
Sources
- DEWALT 20V MAX compact drill/driver kit DCD771C2 product page (dewalt.com)
- DEWALT 20V MAX XR 3-speed 1/4 in. impact driver DCF845B product page (dewalt.com)
- Milwaukee M18 FUEL 1/2 in. drill driver 2903-20 product page (milwaukeetool.com)
- Milwaukee M18 FUEL 1/4 in. hex impact driver 2953-20 product page (milwaukeetool.com)
- CRAFTSMAN V20 cordless 2-tool combo kit CMCK200C2 product page (craftsman.com)