loudtdi

iTrader: (1)

Just like the title asks, do you use a drill or impact? I am hearing good things about the impacts and they are usually physically smaller than a drill of same voltage.

The Wizard

iTrader: (2)

Cordless drill because impact drills are made for drilling concrete and removing/installing very tight fasteners, not woodworking. I have a couple of hammer (impact) drills as well but do not use them for anything other than concrete.

Dukk

^ I think you may be confusing 'hammer' with 'impact'

I like an impact for dimensional lumber, but find it kind of beastly for most of the materials we use in car audio.

SID0001

iTrader: (1)

um, I use an impact with wood all the time, especially if I'm using 4" or longer screws, The impact is also great for screwing in tap cons(masonry screws)Not drilling concrete.
I know the good dewalts have a hammer drill setting and variable speeds(a must)

The impacts are makes it easy to use screws but don't allow you to use drill bits and tend to get hot after short use(in my experiences)......
...so in the end if your thinking of getting either or....choose the cordless drill......Dewalt if your any kind of a man...lol.....with a hammer drill setting.

master2828

Impacts are good for driving fasteners into wood, concrete... they drive it right in (you could probably put it right through a 2x4) with little effort. They do not work for drilling holes, when i meets resistance it starts the impacting action and causes the bit to spin slower or not at all.
Drills are much more multi purpose, dill, drive and more.
Good drills do not end with DeWalt, try Milwaukee, Makita, and if you've got the $$ Hilti makes the best tools

Toddyboy

iTrader: (1)

i use both. The drill for pilot holes the impact for drivin the screws works out well

loudtdi

iTrader: (1)

Yeah, I've since bought a 1/2" Ridgid cordless drill and a Ridgid cordless impact....I use the impact more often but the drill is pretty damn good for drilling.

ShockingCanada

iTrader: (1)

the impact is way better. All I do is build boxes with 1.5" screws from Home depot and 0.75" MDF. With a drill the screws go in alot slower because you have to have it on the max torque setting, with the impact the thing flies and mine doesn't have any option for speed its always fast and puts them in with ease. The bit never gets loose and falls out like it does in a drill because the attatchment isn't like a normal chuck it clips into place. That means you can't use a drill bit in it but I don't care I just get the self countersinking screws that have flutes on the head so they sink in. Also if you are mounting speakers a impact is much better because its less prone to jump out of the screw hole and through your surround. Same applies to putting screws in you can get them in easier with the impact because it doesn't jump. Also I found that my regular 12volt dewalt drill would put the screws in slowly and often the heads would break when it started getting some resistance, with the impact head breaking never happens. I use an impact and it was probobly the best thing I ever bought for car audio. It not an expensive one its a Dura-Pro I got from Costco a few years back for like $50...came with two batteries, a one hour charge and a flashlight...don't really use the flashlight but its nice to have two batteries because since they are a few years old I keep one on the charge at all times because when you take them off the charger they take to drain from parasitic load pretty fast but they hold their charge enough to do 2 boxes easily, if I need to do 3 then I just grab the other battery off the charger and put the drained one back on