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Electric Screwdriver Vs. Drill: Are They Really the Same?

Get the job done right with this simple guide.
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Both electric screwdrivers and drill bits are flexible and essential. Electric screwdrivers have a small motor attached to them, which is ideal for small tasks. On the contrary, electric drills are mainly solid and good-quality equipment for handling large jobs. They have an adjustable pitch that can put up unlike sizes of drill bits, but electric screwdrivers can accept only 6.35mm.  

Although many people utilize electric screwdrivers and drills mutually, mainly when confronting DIY programs, if you get both in your toolkit, then you want to know the perfect use of it as well as which to use in different tasks.

In this blog post, you will find more about the difference between electric screwdrivers and drills, their benefits, uses, and which is the best to use for perfect results that you need to know. Stay on it and keep reading.

What is an Electric Screwdriver?

Electric Screwdriver
Electric Screwdriver

A screwdriver is a tool almost everyone uses for different purposes at home or the workplace. They are very primary and fundamental tools. It is a tool that can make familiar objects lose or make loose objects fast. 

The screwdriver has a drive head as well. It mainly depends on the head of the screw that we want to make tight. There are various kinds of drive heads. Among them, there are two most famous head types. 

They are flat head and cross slots. The thing to note is that there are many other types as well. The screw head determines the different kinds of screwdrivers. The purpose of all the screwdrivers is the same.
They tighten or lose the objects. Many people also use manual.

screwdrivers, but electric screwdrivers are getting even more popular and in high demand. The screws need to be tightened with a push of the button as the electric screwdrivers have a motor.
The tip is easily replaceable and is called a bit. By using a single electric screwdriver, the bit gets easily replaced.

Benefits of Electric Screwdriver:

The electric screwdrivers are easy to handle as they are comparatively small. They come in handy when used in a narrow space to tighten the screws. Next, they have a significantly less or minimal amount of torque. The most significant advantage is that it does not destroy any soft object. 

They are straightforward to operate and handle, and anyone can use them. In addition to this, the kit of an electric screwdriver is not very expensive and is easily affordable. These screwdrivers have less power and torque, so they are not preferred for making holes.

We can use angled drive heads to help improve mobility when facing difficult angles.  Someone who is suffering from arthritis or any other disease which causes them to lose strength in their hands can also use it.

What is a Drill?

Drill
Drill

The electric drill is also very famous and a simple tool. The drill bits are used to make holes in various objects. The holes are made of wood, metal as well as concrete. By using an electric drill, we can also tighten our screws.

The drill bits also mainly depend on the surface where we will drill. The drill bits are also of various types. Wood, masonry, and metal drill bits make perfect. The electric drills are simple to use. You must fix the correct drill bit in the chuck, put the tip at the right spot, and press down the trigger.

Electric Drills Are of Two Types:

  • Battery-powered electric drills.
  • Mains AC-powered Cordless Electric drills.

The Corded Drills are comparatively more powerful ones. As they have more powerful motors, the other drill has a better and more probability to offer. They have another key feature as well, which includes hammering. While drilling in concrete walls, the hammering feature comes to the rescue as it will cause a better impact.

Benefits of Electric Drills:

The motors in these drills make them very powerful. Thus, they can easily do any screw-driving-related tasks. These drills are versatile and can be used on wood, metal, and even concrete.
These drills can also initiate a hole for the screw where it is needed. The drills machines can be used for other purposes, such as sanding, buffing, and adequately cleaning the drains; they can be instrumental.

What’s the Difference Between a Cordless Drill and an Electric Screwdriver?

Electric Screwdriver vs. Drill
Electric Screwdriver vs. Drill

The main difference between the tools is the size of their motors. After this, the battery voltage also plays a crucial role. Both these things provide power. The engines used in the electric screwdrivers are smaller than the ones used in the electric drills.

Usually, they need around 4v to 10v to function, which helps lessen the torque. The cordless drills have big motors compared to the electric screwdrivers and thus require more battery voltages to work or operate.

The other significant difference is the gripping chuck you can mainly find on the electric drill. The advantage of the chuck is that it will be more flexible when getting in the various bits. The purpose of an electric drill is to make holes and tighten the screws, whereas the electric screwdrivers’ primary goal is only to tighten and loosen the screws.

The electric screwdriver has more medium power motors fitted in them. At the same time, electric drills have potent engines. How a tool moves can also be essential in deciding which one to use and buy. The electric drills can be easily held in one or two hands but load at most 10 pounds, affecting their mobility.

Due to its weight, you can quickly get tired after performing specific tasks. Due to less weight, the electric screwdrivers are also easy to carry. Most of these screwdriver heads need to be adjusted so you can use them in difficult places.

Next, the electric screwdrivers have small torque but enough to tighten and fasten the screws. On the other hand, electric drills have high torque and can drill holes in metal and concrete. The electric screwdrivers have different bits for different screw drives.

The electric screwdrivers have a variable speed, whereas the electric drills have a hammering feature and variable rate. Lastly, they also are used as a screwdriver. Electric screwdrivers are very common and are readily available. Electric drills are also in demand. Lastly, the electric screwdrivers are very light on the pocket, whereas the electric drills are very costly.

Difference between Electric Screwdriver and Drill:

ParameterElectric screwdriverElectric drill
Main Proper UsedTightening and loosening Makes holes, fastening screws
TorqueLittle torque. It is ok to be fastened screw.High torque, but you can drill and put it in wood, metal, and concrete.
BitsVarious bitsIt is for metals and wood
Additional FeatureChangeable speedHammer action, as well as use it as a screwdriver
Availability The corded driver is uniqueA cordless drill is famous
CostAffordableexpensive

Costs of Electric Screwdrivers and Drills:

The electric screwdriver needs to be provided a vital comparison with drills on budgetary cost vs. tool ability. Moreover, less expensive screwdriver’s price is genuinely meager as to drills machine, same as most of the time more expensive driver’s cost more than inexpensive which are more potential and more flexible.”  

You must know that flexibility needs a spare backup, as a drill is a massive cost. So, selecting a good tool for a task is all upon it. Anyhow, always keep in mind that huge is only sometimes perfect.

 If we survey hardware stores for electric screwdrivers to check prices, we find comparable prices in brands with similar qualities. As we see, the tiniest electric screwdriver has a battery of AA potential, starting at the price limit of $8.67. Moreover top, end equipment is those that have 12v batteries along with extra things such as a spare bit. The cost goes between $90 and $112 

Can You Use an Electric Screwdriver as a Drill?

An electric screwdriver must drill tiny predrilled holes like aluminum, wood, and soft materials, along with one warning. It would help if you had a tool and a hexagram knife, which is different. Moreover, most screwdrivers need to be adjusted at high speed. Therefore, they will relax at drilling.

Fundamental Uses Are Here:

Electric screwdrivers are light and small, making them very convenient to use. Thus, they can use in small and narrow spaces. The most significant advantage is that even beginners can also use it easily. The drills are mainly used to make holes.

As the drills have a speed trigger that needs to be adjusted and a reversible motor, you can also use it as a screwdriver. The electric drills are heavy tools with potent motors installed and hammering functions. All this adds to the weight of the machine.

Pros and Cons of Electric Drill:

Pros: 

  1. The extra powerful motor of the drill can easily make holes in metal, wood, and concrete.
  2. The speed can easily be adjusted by the speed trigger, which needs to be adjusted according to the surface on which a person is working.
  3. The electric drill can sometimes be used as a screwdriver due to its speed-adjusted feature.

Cons:

  1. The slight disadvantage is that they are heavy tools.
  2. They are also a bit expensive due to cordless drill bits.
  3. You have to use drill bits on different surfaces accordingly, which can sometimes confuse the newbies.

Battery Life for Cordless Drills and Electric Screwdrivers:

These tools used lithium-ion batteries. With their small size, they can give more power. In addition to this, they need to be recharged many times. While purchasing a cordless tool, two main factors must be kept in mind.

They are the voltage and the Ampere hour rating. The voltage tells you how much power a battery can give you, and the ampere-hour rating shows how long a battery can hold onto when it is in use.

The ampere-hour ratings vary from tool to tool and also on the manufacturer, but they work well when we need to compare. Similar types of products, such as electric screwdrivers and the drill. The Ampere hour indicator is handy if we compare these tools’ routines. If one has 1AH and the other has 3Ah, the 3 Ah will work longer.


Frequently Asked Questions:

Bottom Line:

Electric screwdrivers vs. drills is a famous debate, mainly one of the primary equipment buyers. They look alike but have very distinctive potential and twisting power. In the view of the expert’s level, an electric drill is more beneficial than a screwdriver as it would assist as same as a screwdriver by just a slight modification.

In this article, we researched the differences between electric screwdrivers and drills, which states that drill machines are notably weighty than screwdrivers and have more force than drivers. You likely find an electric drill more expensive than a screwdriver, as some are more expensive premium electric screwdrivers. 

If you need to know whether an electric screwdriver is perfect for your task or an electric drill, you must first prefer it to be done by hand. An electric screwdriver is the best when you have to be tasked with screws.

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