Wera Impaktor Impact Driver Bits

So many people ask every day, what is the difference between a regular driver and an impact driver and as this is such an important topic these days with the advent of more and more powerful cordless power tools, I think it is time to break down how the two work and why impact driver (when used with the correct type of impact driver bits) are so much more efficient for driving screws.

A regular battery powered driver uses a single drive system to apply a sustained amount of given torque continuously and this is what drives the screw in to the material. The problem arises when the driver bit 'cams out' (jumps out of the head of the screw) and this means it has lost all momentum and needs to be relocated in the screw head and started over. This can often lead to damage to the screw head and or damage to the driver bit.

An impact driver uses a different method of driving the screw and this is achieved by applying a large amount of torque in a downward and rotation force repetitively. This is akin to hitting a spanner around a bolt with a hammer, short, sharp but highly efficient strokes. The advantages to using impact drivers over the standard drivers are greatly increased speed, less fatigue and longer battery life for the tool.

One drawback to using impact drivers is the bit quality used as the torque is often far greater than a standard driver bit can handle. This has been an issue that Wera have been investing heavily in recently and this has been reflected in the recent range of Impaktor driver bits and driver bit holders.

To overcome the greater stresses of the higher torque setting of impact drivers, the bits and bit holders have been engineered to take the force away from the screw head and distribute it across the bit holder and driver bit therefore reducing any damage to the tip of the driver bit or the head of the screw. All bit holders in the Impaktor range have BiTorsion which means they have two areas of torsion and the drivers bits themselves have one area of torsion designed to take the stress instead of passing it along to the head of the screw. When used together, the bit holders and driver bits give a total of three torsion zones hence the TriTorsion name.

Another issue that arises is 'cam out' where the driver bit jumps out of the head of the screw and this has been addresses by using a unique diamond tip on all the Impaktor driver bits which engages with the head of the screw, gripping it as it turns and prevents it from loosing connection with the screw.

For more information or to purchase Wera Impaktor Driver bits and Holders, visit: http://www.transtools.co.uk/store/cat_2092/drill-and-driver-bits/impact-driver-bits.html