I need to buy a new electric screwdriver for general household stuff - my £30 12v Black and Decker was OK for a while but the batteries are knackered and more expensive to buy than a new 'driver so....

A quick bit of online research confuses me - there are drills (not screwdrivers) which look exactly like the B&D thing i've been using as a screwdriver (AND as a drill) and there are impact drivers too...

Are electric drills basically the same as electric screwdrivers anyway ?

And are impact drivers the same but with have higher torque capability or some sort of shock action for freeing off stubbon bolts or similar?

I am asking because there seem to be a few sets sold as a pair - drill/screwdriver and impact driver - so wondering whether to get both.

I got a "titan" band cordless hammer drill from my mates at screwfix, it drills holes, undoes screws, nuts and bolts etc and if used in hammer mode works like an impact wrench as well as drilling holes in concrete.
got a set of adapters to use 1/4,3/8 and 1/2 inch sockets in the chuck and it,s a general do it all tool....apart from banging nails in that is.

The impact drivers are much smaller& lighter due to lack of gearbox. This is handy if you're on a big job or a serious user. The impact action is to prevent 'camming out'... so far fewer chewed up screw heads. You don't have to press them in to the screw as with a torquey dual-purpose electric drill.

Check the wording, if wantint to do automotive work you want an impact wrench, not an impact driver. its a big jump in price (just an example below)
As above, the impact part of the driver is for light work, but with less risk of damaging heads.

Driver £180 https://www.toolstation.com/shop/p31520?table=no
Wrench £450 https://www.toolstation.com/shop/p67372?table=no

[Edited on 23-11-17 by loggyboy]

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Originally posted by loggyboyan impact wrench, not an impact driver[Edited on 23-11-17 by loggyboy]

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I was in toolstation earlier. They have a managers special, looks like a national thing in store only?
They had a "sparky" drill/driver for about £50 with 2 Li ion batteries, an absolute steal.
I was tempted, but recently bought new (after a thieving scroat stole my previous one........)

Makita
Dewalt
Milwaukee

They will all go screwdriver combi drills for all purposes
I have got a makita set with 14 different tools Impact, hammer drill
combi drill, multi tool, orbital sander ect ect, i would highly recommend
it as you can buy each tool body only.

I've got an Aldi driver/drill the 30 quid one.

Very handy indeed I must say....

https://www.amazon.co.uk/DeWalt-DCK211D2T-Li-ion-Cordless-Compact/dp/B00OTYXWE4?SubscriptionId=AKIAJ7T5BOVUVRD2EFYQ&tag=camelpopular-21&linkCo de=xm2&camp=2025&creative=165953&creativeASIN=B00OTYXWE4

If you have amazon prime, theres a link on the right of the screen to get it for £125 for both if you wait for it to come back in stock.
Thats a fantastic price for great tools. My dewalt cordless drill has been flawless and very powerfull compared to other mid range tools like bosch ive had in the past.

[Edited on 25/11/17 by ste]

Have you seen the Dewalt gyro screwdriver? It’s a great thing - twist the screwdriver and it turns in the direction you twist. It has a good chuck on it as well.

There was a chap doing a job in my house for me, and he had one. The two of us had a 10 minute conversation about how awesome it was.