Often seen as the scrappy and uncouth compared to its more socially refined sibling, the majestic cordless drill, the impact driver can be criminally overlooked in various DIY circles.
Its direct, uncompromising nature is admirably brutal yet beautifully simple – blast your screw into the subject or unapologetically remove it.

Regardless of raised eyebrows or turned up noses this master of the dark arts will be held in high esteem and certainly have a place by my side.

If solely used for its increased torque and driving power, the impact driver, for me, is a must have addition to the workshop. Must have.

I used it extensively when building my studio. Direct, no-messing, precise and powerful tool that made my life a whole lot easier and allow the project move with less faffing about.

One hit driving. Bang! No messing around with changing clutch settings.

Having a dedicated tool when making jigs, driving into stud-work and fixing sound boards was a big deal.

Brief Torque about Torque

Impact drivers come in either a 10.8v or 18/20v power.

Personally, I recommend, budget depending, in purchasing the larger 18/20v models. They produce more torque, and that is more-or-less their raison d’être.

Most 18/20v models produce approximately 165-175Nm of torque. Smaller 10.8v models will give you around 105 Nm of torque. 
Deeply buried screws will be harder to remove or you’ll need greater effort pressing into hard layers. 

However where you don’t need quite as much torque, they will do their job.
If you can afford a more powerful driver, get it. If not, you will get a reasonable level of performance though may be compromised by energy & time.

We have only have a few impact drivers in the workshop. A couple DeWalts and a Makita.

I inherited a Black & Decker that I’ve given to a friend – no issues reported thus far (its been 7 years) and he’s not the most elegant of craftsman.
At home I use a Makita driver.
On site I’ve worked with Bosch and Ryobi’s and my dad has a Black and Decker so have a pretty good idea about how these tools perform.
Admittedly, I find the Makita slightly better in terms of durability but the DeWalt does what it says on the tin and works without fault. 

Recently Used On

The last project that had extensive use was the construction of my home studio.
The driver was probably the most used tool for joining solid wood and studs. Was in constant use on the roof along with the nail gun and smashed screws through concrete with relentless determination.

NOTE:

This guide gives you an idea of whats out there at the time of writing.
Be it this year or next, the tools in this list may even be a few years old but are the tools we’d choose based on budget, performance and project. The tools are still available for a good reason and will make a sensible addition to any toolbox.