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Appreciation post: The impact driver that saved my back today
Had a ceiling job go bad this morning. 12 sheets of 5/8 firecode on a commercial lobby. First screw gun died after the third sheet. Battery just gave out. Dug out my old impact driver from the truck. Worked like a charm. No wrist strain at all. Anyone else keep a backup tool handy for days like this?
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the_charlie4mo ago
First screw gun died after the third sheet." Man, that is brutal. 12 sheets of 5/8 firecode is heavy stuff, I can't imagine having to stop and switch tools halfway through a ceiling job like that. Good thing you had that old impact driver stashed away, sometimes the old beat up tools save the day.
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piper_reed4mo ago
Yeah but hold on, let me push back a little here. In my experience impacts have come a long way in the last few years, especially the brushless ones with adjustable speed settings. I've actually hung a few ceilings with my impact when my screw gun crapped out and it worked fine for me. The trick is to feather the trigger and don't just mash it to the floor like you're driving a 6 inch lag bolt. Your mileage may vary but I've had way less cam-out issues with a good impact on drywall than people seem to think.
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grace_knight704mo ago
Gotta respectfully disagree here. Running an impact driver for 12 sheets of 5/8 firecode on a ceiling is asking for trouble. Impacts are great for driving screws into wood or metal studs but on drywall they just cam out and chew up the paper. Ive seen guys snap bits left and right trying to use them on ceilings. Your screw gun dying is unlucky but swapping to an impact mid job probably cost you more time than if you just waited for the battery to charge. Impacts are for framing and decks, not delicate overhead work.
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