A recent discovery has just about revolutionized my work flow and the amount of time I spend on certain DIY jobs. In a word, the discovery is "cordless impact driver."
If you are anything like yours truly, you almost always use two cordless drills for your projects. You need one with a drill bit for making holes and a second with a screwdriver bit for driving screws. This has been SOP (Standard Operating Procedure) for a long, long time.
18 Volt Power Tools
Or, maybe you only own one cordless drill, in which case you have to constantly change between screwdriver bit and drill bit... awkward.
Recently, my son asked me if I knew anything about impact drivers. The conversation interested me because he said most of the carpenters on his job have started using them instead of drills.
He mentioned that one skeptic grabbed a co-worker's cordless DeWalt impact driver just to see how it worked. He was driving 3-inch screws into framing lumber.
He was amazed at two things. First, he was not impressed with the size of the driver until he started using it. He figured it was too small for the job (but he was dead wrong). Second, he was truly taken aback at how easily the screws literally "melted" into the wood "like a hot knife through butter."
Here's the thing, how did I miss this new tool? And it isn't even that new. After all, most of the carpenters on my son's job are already using it. I really have to get out of my garage more.
A quick search online for "cordless impact driver advantages" showed the following:
An impact driver can apply lots more torque than a drill can - 1400 in.-lb vs 450 in.-lb for a normal 18v cordless unit.
You can use an impact driver for nearly every task that you usually use a normal cordless drill.
You can use this tool in many situations that require a socket wrench.
Surprisingly, they can also be used for more delicate interior work such as trim, and it works quite well for jobs that require minimal pressure like cabinet assembly or attaching an electrical switch plate.
You can do big jobs with a smaller battery. For most carpentry jobs, 12v, 14.4v, or the compact variety of 18v batteries will be plenty for the task, and they don't weigh you down over time.
Drawbacks? The only down side I discovered is the noise. They are a lot noisier than cordless drills. If you are working inside, you may have to wait until the baby has finished her nap.
What does this mean? Faster driving times with less effort. You can work smarter not harder.