Are you a new homeowner or aspiring DIYer looking to invest in a few good tools while making smart choices? If so, there’s one Ryobi tool I bought for projects and home improvement that is not only the best value, but really made things start clicking.
While you have many options these days, Ryobi is a go-to for DIYers thanks to its affordability and durability. Here’s the tool I can confidently recommend to everyone.
You need a quality Impact Driver
The right tool for multiple jobs
If you ask a friend, family member, or even Google about the first tool you should buy, most will say something like a good drill/driver for drilling pilot holes, hanging pictures, and things of that nature. And while I 100% agree that every homeowner should have a quality drill and a few battery packs, there’s one tool that’s even more important.
Choosing the right tool for multiple jobs can be a challenge. There are countless brands to choose from, and each one offers hundreds of tools with multiple models that look the same. It’s confusing. Last year, I finally bought a Ryobi 18V Impact Driver, and not only is it the tool upgrade I needed, but it took all my jobs to the next level.
Yes, I’m talking about the humble impact driver. This cordless power tool looks very similar to a drill, but it couldn’t be more different. Even if you already own a drill, you’ll absolutely want an impact driver, and here’s why.
Bonus tip: Make sure you don’t buy an older, cheap model, either, and opt for a “Brushless” version. Brushless motors are better and more efficient, as shown in the model linked below.
What makes an Impact Driver different?
It’s not a drill, yet it delivers endless driving power for screws and bolts
Impact drivers are one of the most inexpensive tools you can buy that will instantly improve your DIY life. I’ve been buying Ryobi tools for over a decade, but for whatever reason, I waited far too long to get one of these. Don’t be like me—get one today.
There’s a reason every store and brand calls a drill a “Drill/Driver” combo: it can drill holes and “drive” screws into walls, wood, and furniture. It’s an all-purpose tool that does the same things an impact driver can, but you’ll still want one.
Impact drivers serve one purpose, and they do it incredibly well. The sole purpose of this tool is to drive fasteners (like screws, lag bolts, lag screws, etc.) That said, there’s an important difference between a drill and an impact.
Your typical power drill engages a motor that spins endlessly, turning a chuck that holds your drill bit or screw bit. That’s all it does. On the other hand, an impact driver works very differently and has unique components inside, even if it looks similar from the outside.
On an impact, there’s a motor, a spring mechanism, a notched hammer, and a bar-shaped anvil. When you pull the trigger, that motor spins the same way a drill does, but whenever an impact driver encounters resistance (like going through wood), the spring engages, pulls on the notched hammer, which then impacts and turns the anvil with more force.
The difference is right in the name: it “impacts” as it spins, driving through wood knots, metal, and other materials with ease thanks to a ton of torque. Here’s a neat YouTube video showing how an impact driver works from the inside.
When you use an impact driver, you can absolutely feel and hear the difference as that anvil strikes. Those additional components, the impacts, and all that torque are what make an impact driver substantially better at driving screws and bolts than any drill you’ll ever own.
You’ll use an Impact Driver more than you think
All those home repairs, renovations, and DIY projects
Once you buy an impact driver, you’ll quickly start to see all of its benefits, and you’ll end up reaching for it way more than that old drill/driver combo.
When you’re building furniture, hanging pictures or shelves, remodeling a room, building a patio deck, or pretty much anything that requires driving fasteners like screws and bolts into any surface (including wood, drywall, metal, and more), you’ll want an impact driver.
Why? Well, as we said above, they’re simply better. But an impact driver is also more compact than a drill, faster, easier—and more importantly—causes less fatigue. Instead of pushing that drill with all your might to drive a screw, let the internals of the impact do all the work.
And finally, an impact driver is also less likely to strip a screw, as they typically come with 3–4 speed modes, along with an “auto-mode” that starts slowly to prevent stripping or broken fasteners. Trust me, or ask any professional or enthusiast on Reddit, they’ll tell you the same thing.
Better results for all your jobs
Once I bought my Ryobi Brushless Impact Driver, every project became faster, easier, and delivered cleaner results. It’s one of those tools you’ll wonder why you didn’t buy sooner.
Stephan is the sports journalist for the Maple Grove Report.
