Since the beginning of the pandemic, the nation has been kept indoors throughout lockdowns and many of us used this time to delve into the world of interior design to give our homes a new lease of life.
Recent reports reveal that 85% of UK residents have undertaken home improvement activities during the lockdown period. The UK’s retail sales of decorating and DIY stores have reached a whopping 7.2 billion this year alone.
But when first dabbling in DIY it can be difficult to know which tools are required for what jobs, and how best to use them. We’ve put together a quick breakdown of the main two tools you’ll require for standard DIY projects and the differences between them.
What is a drill?
In its simplest form, a drill is a power tool featuring a long, thin, screw-like nozzle to produce fast rotation, creating a hole within a surface. They come in various sizes and models to suit a scale of DIY projects. Although drills can be on the heavy side, they are known to be much quieter than impact drivers.
What is an impact driver?
At first glance you may think that an impact driver looks a lot like a power drill, however it has a very different purpose. Whilst a standard drill punctures fast, even holes into a surface, the sole use of an impact driver is to drill long or wide screws into the most robust materials, with ease. Impact drivers use what is known as ‘torque’, which is a way of describing force which occurs through the act of rotation.
It is this high level of torque and impact, that allows you to drive long screws into tough materials at rapid speeds, with little to no effort. Impact drivers are shorter and lighter in weight than standard drills, making them great for getting into those hard to reach places during DIY projects.
What jobs require these tools?
Drills are great for every day DIY so if you need to put a few holes in some wood or a household wall, a drill will do the trick perfectly. However, if you’re taking on larger projects such as laying down decking in your back garden, or building an outdoor bar where large bolts and screws will be needed regularly, consider using a Milwaukee impact wrench. Investing in the top equipment for the job, will give you the best possible results to admire at the end of your project.