ECN Forum Forums General Topics of the Trade General Discussion Area The End of the Drill?

I picked up a corded hitachi impact drill (marketed as a "hammer drill" for whatever reason, but is actually an impact drill) and can confirm that the impact action cuts significantly faster than the drill action alone. It also destroys bits in a hurry and instantly strips screws, too.

I normally use it on plane ole' drill mode so as to not overheat/overstress bits. (Ths instructions say specifically to NOT use impact action when drilling.) Though the temptation to spin a big dull hole saw at high RPM in impact mode is high...

In my drill, even in impact mode, it will drill normally until you bear down hard enough for the impact mechanism to start slipping. THEN you get the impact action. It has a standard chuck, too. This is a corded high-power, high-torque model, and the torque can be enough to really tear your arm up if the second handle isn't attached. So, my experience using a high-powered impact drill may be different than someone using a lower-powered cordless impact drill.