Tools, Sharpening and Power Machinery - Driving Bits

With all of the sales going on, I'm trying to give my fiancee something to work with...

I saw on Home Depot they have a bunch of Milwaukee drill accessories on sale. My question is: I don't have an impact driver yet, but plan to get one in the future. Do impact drivers specifically require impact bits (made of "premium proprietary tool steel", or will S2 steel work just as well? I'm just a DIY, not an everyday professional.

Any help would be greatly appreciated...

Thanks!

Just out of curiosity what do you plan on using an impact driver for? Will it be air driven or electric/battery? If it is 1/2" drive you will need sockets made for impact use.

This would be a 18V system. All I'd be using this for would be driving screws and fasteners.

Do you really mean an cordless drill/driver? or an actual impact gun?

Most of us just have a cordless drill in which most any decent bit will work. An impact gun is a different animal and requires special bits/sockets.

Thus the question. I sort of thought all you needed is a drill/driver, as impact drivers are pretty job specific, and I only use mine professionally about once a month, if that often.
A good quality drill/driver with an assortment of screw driver, torx (the next best thing since butter), hex sockets from 1/4 to 1/2 in 16th increments, will do just fine. Drill bits in an index are also helpful. You may want to forego the drill bits fastened to a hex shank. They are a little expensive when compared to regular bits.
If you haven't already bought the drill, consider a 1/2" chuck with at least 14.4 to 18 volt power.

I believe the impact drills have a 1/4 in. hex chuck. These are not the same as a hammer drill.

This is what I plan to get eventually:

Ryobi 18 Volt Impact Driver - P230 at The Home Depot (http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?jspStoreDir=hdus&catalogId=10053&productId=100049838&navFlow=3&keyword=ryobi+impact&langId=-1&searchRedirect=ryobi+impact&storeId=10051&endecaDataBean=com.homedepot.sa.el.wc.catalog.beans.EndecaDataBean%401285ce48&ddkey=Search)

I'll have to build a small deck the next spring, and will need to sink lags into the base board. Reading the reviews on it, sounds like its a good way to fasten the decking down as well. This is not a drill, nor is it an impact gun you would use on a car or something...

The only advantage I see for this for you is for lag bolts and if you predrill pilot holes you might not need it for them either.You certainly do not need it for driving deck screws.

This is a decision you should make based on future uses down the road because otherwise I believe you could do your project the same way most all Joe Homeowners do it,with a regular decent quality cordless VSR drill.

Watching Holmes on Homes, they seem to use impact drivers for almost all the driving of screws and lags that they do. I think the impact drivers may be a little better for those uses, but they aren't as versatile as a drill/driver.

btw to answer the original question, I think regular sockets and bits work fine with impact drivers (as opposed to impact GUNS).

You will be limited to 1/4" hex head drivers, and they won't take the torque of lag screws with a 9/16 or 3/4" head and 1/2" shank. They will snap off. Being limited to hex head driving items, you lose the capability of using conventional drill bits.

Would an impact drill be a good tool for installing kitchen cabinets?
They seem to be more compact for working in small spaces.

you would be better served with a right angle drill. the impact tools do not drill very well at all.

life begins when the kids leave home and the dog dies

It's all about terminology....

You have......

Drill/drivers....standard cordless/corded adjustable torque keyless chuck stuff, normally 2 -3 variable speed ranges. Longer body. May have as much torque as an impact driver, but at much higher speeds, which leads to cam-out and head stripping.

Impact drivers...slower speed,higher torque, normally 1/4" quick connect chuck, shorter but sometimes fatter body. They ARE NOT hammer drivers or hammer drills. They use a system to impart more torque to the bit, but do not "hammer" the end of the bit to drive it into the material. They function poorly as a drill. Normally around 900-100 INCH pounds of torque.

Hammer drills (sometimes confusingly called impact drills)...similar to a drill driver only they basically smack the end of the bit to drive it into the material.

Impact guns (air and electric).....very high torque...up to about 150 FT/lbs for normal consumer use. Normally used just for automotive/equipment repair, though has some residential applications.

This is just my top-of-the-head info...but I think it's basically accurate.