Sometimes I think what’s the difference between impact driver and impact wrench.
Since they both have the “impact” in their name.
Can I use my DeWalt impact wrench as an impact driver?
Read: What to do if Impact Wrench is not “Impacting”
I believe both impact wrench and impact driver has similar “impact mechanism – the spring” as shown in the image below.
Yes, it is possible with correct adapter as shown in my experiment below!
Read: What are the common DeWalt Impact Wrench Problems?
Use Dewalt Impact Wrench As Impact Driver
If you prefer to watch video, here’s how I convert my impact wrench to driver with the right adaptor.
When To Use Impact Wrench?
Impact wrenches are usually for situations where something needs to be tightened or loosened with extreme force.
This generally means loosening or tightening bolts and big nuts. It’s also useful for when you’re doing construction work in general.
Personally, these tools are super handy for DIY projects too. They’ve helped me a lot with work around the house and little passion projects like building with metal or wood.
Although there are arguments to use impact wrench on lug nuts or not, I found the impact wrench works great for lug nuts.
They’re also a must-have for me in the garage since they help a lot with car work. (I own a DeWalt Cordless Impact Wrench as below)
Related: Why Impact Wrench Unable to Remove Lug Nuts
When To Use Impact Driver?
Though they look like drills, impact drivers are for driving larger screws through strong surfaces like concrete and metal.
Their main purpose is to be used as a fastener. I love them because of how much they can help save time when you’re screwing things into the wall.
Plus, they’re really convenient for when I need to unscrew something that’s stuck without damaging it or its surrounding area.
Long story short, they’re really handy.
Impact Wrench To Impact Driver
So, if you want to use your DeWalt impact wrench as an impact driver, here’s what you need to do:
First, get a suitable chuck or adapter.
You need something compatible with your impact wrench to make it work.
Whatever you use, it should match the anvil and driver.
Take a look at how my components match the required size of the impact wrench.
I wouldn’t suggest using anything expect for something that fits perfectly, because it can be dangerous otherwise, and the impact wrench won’t be able to spin normally.
With the adapter attached, you need a suitable drill bit or screw driver bit to act as your screwdriver.
I use something like image below, it is just a normal screw driver bit.
It fits perfectly into the adapter and has worked out for me pretty well so far. I even put in a second photo so you can see what it looks like when attached.
Is it ready? I recommend taking it out for a test spin to see if there is any jamming issue.
Make sure it works perfectly, and check all the different speed settings on your impact wrench to see if any of them are problematic.
I used all 1-3 available on my device as shown in the image below, and I encountered no problems.
Wood is a pretty good surface to test it out on first as it is softer compared to concrete wall!
Just use any longer screw and try to see if the impact driver can easily fasten it through the wood.
You can see on the bottom how I was already able to get a screw through it without any issues.
Lastly, all I have to say is that you should remember to keep a firm and steady hand on the impact driver.
Guide the nail through the wood, or any other surface you work with.
Once you learn how to handle it perfectly, it’ll do the rest of the work for you.
So, as conclusion, converting impact wrench to impact driver is possible with a suitable adaptor!
