Drill vs Screwdriver

One of the first lessons to learn when you start working with tools is the difference between drills and screwdrivers. I’ll review all the key details about both tools, including different types of drills and screwdrivers. Then, I’ll compare and contrast drills and screwdrivers, revealing their similarities and differences.

Drill vs screwdriver, learn what the major differentiating factor is between a screwdriver and a drill when to use each one, and which is better overall. 

What Is a Drill?

A drill is a rotating or reciprocating tool with a sharp cutting tip. There are many different types of drills, but they all work in essentially the same way. A source of power (either manpower or electrical power) turns a shaft. Drill bits are attached to the shaft through collets or chucks. 

Drill Uses

Drills can usually perform two functions: drilling, and driving. These two functions make up the vast majority of their uses, although drills can also be used for odd tasks such as mixing concrete.

Drilling

When the sharp edge of the bit encounters a given material with sufficient force, it bores through, creating a hole.

A drill can be used to bore a hole in many materials, including wood, metal, plastic, masonry, concrete, stucco, and earth.

The bit used to drill must be matched with specifications such as the material that is being drilled, the size and shape of the hole, and debris ejection. 

Certain drill bits are best for metal, other drill bits for stainless steel, and other bits are all purpose. Bits can be sharpened by using a drill bit sharpener or even with a file if desired.

Driving

Drills can also be used to drive screws into material. An appropriately shaped bit grabs the head of the screw. The rotational force generated by the drill allows the threads on the screw to slice through the material. For hard or brittle materials, a pilot hole may be drilled first.

Types of Drills

There are many different types of drills, which can be broken down into two categories: manual and motorized. 

Manual

Manually operated drills have a crank that is turned by hand, converting your physical strength into rotational force. Manual drills take a lot of time and effort to achieve the same results as a powered drill.

However, when working with very thin or soft material, a manual drill can be used to slow the drilling speed and reduce the risk of tearout and burning. 

Motorized

Motorized drills use electricity to power the motor that turns the spindle. They can generate significantly more torque than manual drills, and operate at much higher speeds. 

Handheld Electric Drill

The best known and most-used motorized drills are handheld electric drills. These drills may be powered by a cord or a rechargeable battery pack. Handheld drills may be single or variable speed. 

Common features of a handheld electric drill are; adjustable torque, removable chucks (either keyed or keyless), and pressure-sensitive triggers. Most handheld electric drills have a toggle switch that allows the drill to run in reverse, which is useful for removing screws or cleanly exiting a hole.  

Battery operated drills can be lightweight, and technology nowadays makes these drills highly affordable.

Hammer Drill

One type of handheld electric drill that doesn’t always come with a reverse function is a hammer drill. Hammer drills combine percussive force with rotational force to power through tough materials.

Hammer drills are often used to create holes or place fasteners in concrete, stone, masonry, or brick. Slotted drive system (SDS) hammer drills operate with reduced friction and increased strength. 

Drill Press

Drill presses are stationary, floor, or bench-mounted power tools. A drill press is used by placing the material on a table underneath the suspended drill bit, which is then lowered through the material.

Drill presses lack portability, but they make up for it with power and precision. The table can also be tilted to change the presentation of the material, allowing drill presses to make angled holes in metal and other difficult materials. 

What Is a Screwdriver?

A screwdriver is a handheld tool used to insert or remove screws. A screwdriver cannot create a hole. 

Types of Screwdriver

Screwdrivers are usually manually powered, but electric models are also available. 

Handheld Manual Screwdriver

The most popular and frequently used screwdriver is a simple handheld, manually operated screwdriver. These basic tools have just three parts – a handle, shaft, and tip.

Shaft

The shaft of the screwdriver is cylindrical metal, usually made from steel. Part of the shaft is generally covered by the handle. The shaft ends in a tip, which is used to insert screws. 

Tip

The tip of the screwdriver has a protruding design, which must be matched to the depressions on the head of the screw. Screwdriver tips may be modified for better grip, including the addition of ridges or magnetization. 

Handle

Manually operated screwdrivers usually have a handle made from plastic, although wood and metal-handled screwdrivers are also available. The handle generally encases the shaft, allowing the user to grasp the handle and turn the shaft and the tip. The user must apply strength and pressure to drive the screw forward and into the material. 

Electric Screwdriver

Electric screwdrivers generate the force needed to drive screws through a small motor, rather than relying on the physical strength of the tool operator. 

Electric screwdrivers are perfect for jobs that require a lot of screw insertion or removal, such as assembling or deconstructing flat-pack furniture. They don’t generate sufficient force for inserting fasteners into raw material. 

Impact Driver

An impact driver sometimes confused with an impact wrench, along with a handheld electric drill, as they have a similar shape and size. Impact drivers cannot drill holes but excel at driving screws into material.

An impact driver can be operated at a low speed to increase torque. Impact drivers tend to be smaller and lighter than handheld electric drills and cause less fatigue to use. 

Screwdriver Tips and Bits

Screwdrivers are available in many different shapes and sizes. Some screwdrivers have interchangeable tips called bits. The most common screwdriver tip shapes are slotted, square, cruciform, and star. 

Slotted

Slotted screwdrivers are sometimes referred to as flat-head screwdrivers or standard screwdrivers. The tip is flat and sometimes tapered, fitting into a slot on the head of the screw. 

Square

Square screwdrivers speed up the fastening process by reducing the likelihood that the screwdriver will slip out of place. 

Cruciform

There are two common types of screwdrivers with a cross-shaped tip; Phillips, and Pozidriv. A Pozidriv screwdriver has ridges on the tip. Phillips screwdrivers do not. 

Star

Star-shaped screwdrivers provide additional torque and make it easier to drive screws. The most usual design is a six-pointed star. 

Drill vs Screwdriver

There are many different types of drills and screwdrivers. The most popular type of drill is an electric handheld drill/driver, while the most popular type of screwdriver is a manual screwdriver with interchangeable tips. For the purposes of this article, I’ll be comparing these two tools. 

Similarities

The similarities between drills and screwdrivers include their use of bits and the shape of the tool’s tip.

Tip Shape

When used to drive screws, the tip of a drill bit and the tip of a screwdriver are the same shape and size. Some interchangeable-tip screwdrivers are able to accept drill bits. 

Use of Bits

Interchangeable-tip screwdrivers and most cordless handheld electric drills are compatible with a wide range of bits. These bits can be swapped out to make the tool usable on different kinds of fasteners. 

Differences

There are major differences between drills and screwdrivers, including their cost, speed, safety, and capabilities. 

Cost

An entire set of screwdrivers can be purchased for the cost of a single handheld electric drill. 

Speed

Electric handheld drill/drivers operate at a significantly higher speed than manually operated screwdrivers.  They can insert and remove screws much more quickly.   

Safety

While basic safety tips for screwdrivers should always be followed, injuries are much less likely to occur than with an electric handheld drill. 

Capability

Drills and screwdrivers are capable of different things. 

All drills can create holes. Some drills, but not all, can also drive screws. 

All screwdrivers can drive and screws. Some can tighten or loosen other types of fasteners. Screwdrivers cannot drill holes. 

Major Differentiating Factor

The major differentiating factor between a drill and a screwdriver is that the former can create holes, while the latter cannot. 

When to Use a Drill

Use a drill when you need to create a hole. It’s possible to use a drill to create a pilot hole, and then insert the screw into the pilot hole with a screwdriver. 

A combination drill/driver can be used to drive screws. 

Wire brushes and polishing cloths attached to a drill can be used to buff and clean metal.

When to Use a Screwdriver

Use an electric screwdriver or impact driver to save time and effort when you have many screws to insert or remove. 

A manual screwdriver is useful for inserting or removing just a few screws, and for handling delicate or very small screws.

When a handheld electric drill is too bulky to reach a tight space, a screwdriver can be used instead. 

Which is Better, a Drill or a Screwdriver? 

A drill is better than a screwdriver at creating holes. Drills that also have a drive function are better than screwdrivers at quickly and easily inserting or removing screws, but not all drills have this capability. 

A screwdriver is better than a drill at reaching fasteners in tight spaces. Screwdrivers are lighter, smaller, and more portable than drills.