Can a Drill Use as a Screwdriver? – Best Smart Option

A drill is a widely used tool in domestic as well as industrially. It is mostly used for drilling purposes. Screwdrivers are used to drive the screws. There are many types of drills in the market. There are ways and methods to use a drill as a screwdriver. So let’s see, can a drill be used as a screwdriver?

A drill can be used as a screwdriver easily with a screw bit with low RPM. Normally drills are with high RPM and low torque. By reducing the rotational speed, its torque is increased. This will make it easy to use a drill as a screwdriver.

More than that, there are things to be considered when a drill is used as a screwdriver. Let’s keep on reading in-depth detail about how a drill is used as a screwdriver.

How to Use a Drill as a Screwdriver?

A drill can be used as a screwdriver in simple 03 steps.

Step 01- Select the Suitable Driver Bit

Driving a screw needs a driving bit. There are types of driving bits. Most driving bits are with hexagonal cross-sections, and it is essential to bear the torsion when applying the rotational force to the screw. So first of all, find an appropriate driver bit as it fit with the drill chuck and screw head properly by mounting both.

If you do not have the driving bit, you can use any broken screwdriver that really catches with the chuck and screwdriver head.

Step 02 – Use Low Speed

The driving screw needs more torque. When the screw is driven inside the material, you can see there is more resistance. In order to work against the resistance, the tool needs more force. Normally drills are with high speed. In order to increase the torque, we have to reduce the speed.

The low speed will reduce the slipperings, and it will help for safety.

Step 03 – Use High Torque

Torque and angular speed are mainly effective for the power of the tool. The power is constant. When the angular speed is reduced, its torque will be increased automatically. As I discussed above, you had better use the low speed for the driving process.

Read More About – Can Hammer Drill Use As a Screwdriver?

What Drills Can Be Used as a Screwdriver?

There are dozens of drills available in the market. Among them, you can use any drill without any hammer function. The Hammer function is in a hammer drill, SDS plus and SDS max. You can switch off the hammer function easily. hammer function is unsafe for driving, and it will damage the screw head easily.

A hammer function is a mechanism of the drill bit is moving forward and backward. In SDS, this has happened massively. So whatever drill you used, switch off the hammer function.

Some drills are with a combination of hammer function, impact function and rotational functions. So if you have a combi drill, you can directly use a drill as an impact driver by using the suitable driver bit.

If there are speed buttons, use the lowest speed button. So it will really help you to drive the screw inside the material with more torque easily.

Can a Screw Bit Use With a Drill?

Screw bits can be used with drill easily with circular cross-section driver bits. If there are no circular cross-section driver bits, you can easily use the screwdriver without a head.

Normally driver bits are with a hexagonal cross-section in order to be resistant to torsion. Drills chuck is designed for mounting the circular cross-sections easily, and when fixing the hexagonal bar, it may not mount properly. So better use any adaptor for this task.

If you use a screwdriver bar, it will not have enough strength for holding the torque. The drill will produce more torque than our hand. So hand screwer bar will not hold more torque. Therefore it can be broken easily.

Difference Between a Screwdriver and the Impact Driver?

The screwdriver is operated by hand, and the impact driver is machine operated tool. A screwdriver is a simple tool to drive the screws into the softwood. An impact driver is designed for applying more torque and drive screws inside the wood. It is powered by an electric motor, and there is a special mechanism to increase the torque.

Impact drivers are the most efficient and safe ways to drive screws. It can drive screws without any pilot holes. Screwdrivers are simple hand-operated tools and are not able to use in wide areas.

Hammer drill vs Impact drivers

Read More About – 06 Tips to Select the Right Drill Bit

Can a Hammer Drill Use as an Impact Driver?

A hammer drill can be used as an impact driver without activating its hammer function.

When a hammer drill is used as an impact driver, you should switch off the hammer mechanism. When the force is increased, its hammering function is activated, and it will damage the screw head and jump over the driving head.


Tom Mackency

Tom Mackency

Hi, I am Tom Mackency. It has been 10 years that I have been working as a professional woodworker since 2013. I am really enjoying my carrier by creating many kinds of projects in my workshop. But mostly I like for home improvement projects. Home improvement and DIY projects are the most interesting things for me. More than that, the coolest things are power tools. Those are very precious and efficient than a decade ago. So I try to introduce so many things about power tools, woodworking, DIY projects, home improvement and many more interesting topics here.