The answer is very simple at first. The drill has the ability to drill more or less hard materials, while the screwdriver is used to screw or unscrew screws, pins, nuts and bolts. This is the starting point.
Clearly, however, the difference between a drill and a screwdriver goes much further since these tools, evolving on different levels, manage to obtain different results and in some cases overlap.
They are able to perform similar tasks but this does not mean being able to give up certain characteristics. Here, then, are some insights to understand what these power tools are, how they are used and when it is convenient to work with one or another. Or you can decide to use one of the two interchangeably.
Use and characteristics of the drill
A drill is a cordless or cordless power tool that allows you to insert a threaded bit into a chuck. Once tightened, this bit can do its job whether it be drilling, countersinking, turning or milling. Much depends on the form you choose.
Some bits allow the drill to transform into a milling cutter or a lathe, although not quite with the characteristics of a dedicated tool. But in most cases the difference between a drill and a screwdriver is that the drill is dedicated to drilling work. So you can make holes in concrete, metal, wood.
Best of all, you can do this with precision and professionalism. If you have to drill the wood without burrs, you must use a drill capable of reaching certain parameters in terms of speed and stability of the work. With the right bit and a powerful enough drill, perhaps a hammer drill, you can drill practically anything.
The drill therefore differs in that it is equipped with a chuck in which the drill bits are inserted and fixed. Sometimes drills are equipped with an additional handle and depth stop.
In a drill it is generally possible to adjust the maximum number of revolutions and during the work phase it is possible to accelerate or slow down the speed of the spindle up to the maximum speed.
Furthermore, the drill is often equipped with a percussion. Percussion is a mechanism that moves the tip back and forth, beating and crushing the harder material. It is measured in strokes per minute. Powerful models can exceed 50,000 rounds per minute, but for occasional jobs, a model rated around 20,000 rounds per minute is sufficient. To get the feel of hammering imagine someone pounding the back of the drill while you are drilling, this is why a hammer drill can feel like you are holding a jackhammer in your hand. Some cordless drills have a hammer design, with a lower hammer frequency than corded drills.
What is a screwdriver for?
Its main purpose is to rotate an insert to communicate a clockwise and counterclockwise rotary movement which is used, in fact, to screw or unscrew. In general, it allows the use of inserts in the shape of a cross and slotted screwdriver, but also with a hexagonal and tube tip for working on bolts and pins.
One of the main characteristics that distinguish it from the drill is the tightening torque. The tightening torque is the force that the screwdriver is able to impart to the rotation, generally much higher than that of a drill which does not need to impart much force to the rotational movement. The tightening torque is measured in newtons per meter (Nm). The higher this value is, the more capable the device is of screwing screws in very hard materials or of tightening or unscrewing large bolts.
In order to obtain greater tightening torque, screwdrivers are generally equipped with an impulse mechanism. Unlike the percussion in drills which strikes perpendicular to the hole, the impulse mechanism strikes in the direction of rotation and thus increases its strength.
The screwdriver does not have a spindle but an attack that can only be hexagonal, for screwing inserts, or square for socket wrenches.
In addition, the screwdriver has a reversible function. The reversibility allows the insert to rotate in both directions, simply by moving the appropriate lever. This function allows you to screw and unscrew.
The substantial advantage of an electric screwdriver is that of simplicity of use since you can work on a large number of screws in minimal time. If your work is very long you can substantially speed up the work.
The drill driver is the middle ground
The drill driver can do the job of both drilling and screwing and unscrewing. It is a power tool halfway between a drill and a screwdriver both from an aesthetic and functional point of view.
These models have a speed regulator and in some cases also the possibility of switching to percussion for drilling building materials.
In addition, at least the most advanced models, have the tightening torque regulator, perfect for tightening a screw like a torque wrench would do, and the reversibility button that allows you to vary the direction of rotation to allow you to screw and unscrew.
The drill driver has more torque than a drill but not as much as a screwdriver since they are not equipped with an impulse mechanism.
Which one to choose?
There is no certain and definitive answer.
The drill is always the ideal tool for drilling any surface you may encounter in everyday life. However, it is better to choose it with a percussion movement in order to have a greater possibility of intervention.
The screwdriver might seem like an unnecessary tool if you are used to screwing and unscrewing with manual tools, but after trying it you realize that it can be really practical especially if you are often engaged in assembly and disassembly work.
A good tool capable of drilling and screwing can be useful so you don't always have to change tools. But it is clear that if you have to intervene on very hard materials, for a large number of times in a short time, having specific tools available and therefore drills designed only for drilling makes the difference.
The same also applies to screwdrivers. Each job corresponds to a tool. The only solution to sleep peacefully is to have a well-equipped workshop with the right tool for every occasion.
