Will an impact driver damage drill bits?

Standard round-shank bits will not fit at all, and non-impact-rated hex bits are the ones that break. The hammering action fatigues hardened steel quickly, so a regular hex-shank twist bit can snap at the shank or shatter at the flutes. Impact-rated hex-shank bits are made with a slightly more ductile steel and sometimes a torsion zone to absorb the shock. They cost a few dollars more per set and are the only sensible choice if you intend to drill with the tool at all.

Can you put a chuck adapter on an impact driver?

You can buy a 1/4 inch hex-shank keyless chuck that accepts round-shank bits, and it works for occasional light drilling. The trade-off is real: the adapter adds two to three inches of length, introduces runout that makes holes wander, and the impacts can gradually loosen the chuck jaws on the bit. It is a field convenience for a few holes, not a substitute for a drill. Owners who rely on one consistently report bits slipping in the jaws under load.

Is an impact driver bad for drilling metal?

It is poor at it. Clean holes in steel need steady pressure and a controlled, fairly slow speed so the cutting edge shears a continuous chip. The pulsing action of an impact driver interrupts the cut, work-hardens the metal at the bit tip and produces an out-of-round hole with a ragged burr. For sheet metal and light steel, a drill at 500 to 1,000 rpm with cutting oil gives a far better result and does not destroy the bit.

Do I need both a drill and an impact driver?

For most homeowners, yes, which is why combo kits pair them. The drill handles pilot holes, hole saws, spade bits, mixing paddles, masonry with a hammer function, and any fastener that needs a clutch to stop it. The impact driver handles long screws, lag bolts and seized fasteners. Buying the pair on one battery platform is usually cheaper than buying two tools separately, and it removes the constant bit swapping that makes a single-tool setup slow.

Can an impact driver drill into concrete or brick?

No. Masonry needs a hammer drill or rotary hammer, which strikes along the axis of the bit to pulverize material ahead of the carbide tip. An impact driver hammers rotationally instead, so it applies no forward blow and simply rubs the bit against the masonry. Carbide masonry bits are also almost never sold with hex shanks in useful sizes. Use a hammer drill for brick and concrete.

Can You Use an Impact Driver as a Drill?

Written & researched by Priya Anand DIY & Tools Editor

Updated August 2026

Close-up detail of the material being worked in a power tools & workshop project, in bright midday sun

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Yes, an impact driver can drill holes, but only with 1/4 inch hex-shank bits and only for rough or pilot work. The collet will not accept a round-shank twist bit, there is no clutch to stop the tool, and the rotary hammering makes holes wander and burr — especially in metal. For pilot holes in framing lumber, deck boards and plywood it is genuinely useful and saves a tool swap. For clean holes, large diameters, masonry or anything visible, use a drill. Neither tool fully replaces the other.

When is it actually fine to drill with an impact driver?

It is fine whenever hole quality does not matter and the material is wood. Pilot holes for deck screws, clearance holes in framing, rough holes in plywood sheathing, drilling out a stripped screw, running self-feed bits for cable in a stud bay — an impact driver handles all of these without complaint, and the extra torque means it does not stall the way a compact drill can in dense lumber. The practical rule owners settle on is simple: if you would be happy with the hole in a subfloor you will never see again, the impact driver is fine.

Low-angle view of a person drilling into a timber board on a workbench, sawdust in the air, in bright midday sun

What are the real limitations?

Four limits matter, and all of them come from the design rather than the power.

Limitation	What it means in practice
1/4 in hex collet	Round-shank twist bits, hole saw arbors and most masonry bits will not fit
No mechanical clutch	Nothing stops the tool when the bit breaks through or the fastener seats
Rotational hammering	Holes wander at the start and finish oversized or out of round
High blow rate	Fatigues non-impact bits; snapped shanks are the common failure
Uncontrolled speed under load	Poor for metal, plastic and anything needing a slow, steady cut

The clutch point is the one that surprises people. A drill-driver set to clutch position 6 will slip and stop the moment a screw seats; an impact driver simply keeps hammering until you release the trigger. That is exactly what you want in a lag bolt and exactly what ruins a cabinet hinge.

Wide environmental view of a person drilling into a timber board on a workbench, sawdust in the air, in soft overcast light

What bits do you need to drill with one?

Impact-rated hex-shank bits, and nothing else. Look for packaging marked impact ready, impact rated or torsion — the manufacturers use these terms specifically to indicate a shank engineered to flex under shock instead of shattering. Useful hex-shank options that genuinely exist in good quality include twist bits up to about 1/2 inch, spade bits up to 1-1/2 inch, self-feed auger bits for electrical work, and short step bits for thin sheet metal. Anything larger, and any hole saw, wants a drill with a real chuck. Our guide to sharpening drill bits covers keeping the ones you have cutting cleanly.

Three-quarter view of a person drilling into a timber board on a workbench, sawdust in the air, in soft early-morning light

Would a drill do the job better?

For drilling, almost always. A drill offers a keyless chuck that grips any shank, a variable low speed range for metal and plastic, a clutch, and on hammer-drill models a masonry mode. What it lacks is the sustained torque to sink long fasteners, which is precisely why the two tools are sold as a pair. If you own only one and you mainly drive screws, keep the impact driver and accept rough holes. If you own only one and you mainly build furniture, drill holes and install hardware, the drill is the correct single tool. The full split is in impact driver vs drill driver and the difference between a drill and an impact driver.

Where to go next

If you are deciding what to buy, our ranked best cordless drills and best impact drivers compare current models on aggregated owner ratings and recurring complaints. A wider view of what an impact driver is for is on what an impact driver is used for, and everything sits under the power tools and workshop hub.

We never buy or physically handle the tools we rank — our recommendations come from aggregated owner reviews and expert consensus, and the method is on how we rank.