I just noticed that Tom Silva is using a battery operated hammer drill as a driver for screws and lag bolts. He is using this one:
The page had 15 different products. Do you have one that you prefer?
mcp6453 wrote the following:
It does not have to be operated in hammer mode. It can be operated as a regular driver. Having a combo hammer/driver drill saves having to carry/own two separate drills.
I did not see that episode but it probably was an impact driver not a hammer drill. Impact drivers have far more torque that a regular one.
MikeB
The link the OP provided, and said Tom was using, was for a Makita BHP452HW 18-Volt Compact Lithium-Ion Cordless 1/2-Inch Hammer Driver-Drill Kit
I saw him using a Makita impact driver on a garage door to drive bolts. Hammer drills have a drill mode for regular drilling or running screws, a hammer mode for concrete and stone. Hammer drills are heavier than a drill, impact drivers are a bit lighter compared to a drill.
I suspect this is the real reason someone would use a hammer drill to drive screws. I suppose even in hammer mode, the driver would act something like an impact driver (love my 12V Bosch).
OTOH, the show could have been paid for the product placement. ;-)
krw wrote the following:
Which would have been noted in the closing credits.
That's the episode I saw today, previously recording from DIY. The reason my curiosity was piqued is that I could hear the impact/hammer action, which caused me to do the research. The Makita unit on the page I posted is a hammer drill. In my opinion, based on multiple uses I observed on the TV show, he was driving screws in the hammer mode, which is why I'm asking the question.
Its not a Hammer mode its impact, Hammer is in and out of the bit, Impact is a sideways motion-tightening, You dont use a hammer drill in hammer mode to drive a screw, it wont stay in the screw head, it bounces.
I don't know which one he uses. If you want to really drive lags, Tapcons, etc you want to acquire an impact gun similar to:
I have the 18 volt because I already have some of the batteries. I have corded heavy drivers, so I use the little one:
Question Would a impact driver be good for putting in deck screws or would this twist some screw heads off??WW
The impact guns are much more forgiving for the screws. The impact keeps the bit in the slots and are much less prone to stripping out the slots in the head. They have a marvelous way of getting gentle when they go into impact mode that lets you walk the screw tight.
I put off the expensive purchase for a long while, but now I should be a salesman for them. Greatest thing since sliced bread. They do NOT drill, so they are not a total solution. If you are driving fasteners or removing them, get an impact gun.
What kind did you get, and what kind do you recommend?
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