Don’t blame yourself if you mistake a power impact driver for a power drill. The device looks exactly like a power drill but comes with a different purpose. Impact drivers are basically there to screw down long screws and drive bolts into wooden logs within a blink of an eye. It’s not that you can’t use it for drilling, but driving is what it actually does.
Fastening screws in wood logs need one additional tool to help the impact driver. That’s impact socket. Without an impact socket, the driver doesn’t live up to its potential. So, how to use your impact driver’s socket? Well, this is what we are going to find out today!
What Exactly Is an Impact Driver?
If you ever heard of or used a wrench for fastening screws, it won’t be quite a difficult task for you to get familiar with an impact driver. It works on the same principle as a wrench but with a motor inside. The driver, when attached to an impact socket, it rotates the socket at high speed to fasten the screw in seconds.
Due to the heavy impact, it delivers over the socket, the driver is known as an impact driver. And not to mention, the socket is also known as an impact socket for the same reason.
What Is an Impact Socket?
The impact socket is a type of socket that is a bit different from regular sockets that we use to screw or unscrew. These sockets are way stronger than the regular sockets and do pretty well in surviving heavy vibration. As the sockets can withstand impact to a greater level, these are named impact sockets.
The difference between an impact socket and a regular socket are a few. Impact sockets are made from chrome-molybdenum material, which is significantly strong and withstands heavy impact. Plus, the sockets are a bit flexible, which helps them to bend and absorb the impact in a smoother and more efficient manner than regular sockets.
How to Use Your Impact Driver’s Socket?
Before we move on, you must understand how an impact driver works with an impact socket. These two are separate units that you need to attach to each other and then apply on the screws and bolts. Impact drivers may or may not get directly attached to an impact socket.
If it attaches well, then there’s nothing to worry about. You can get to work straight. But in the case the socket doesn’t get attached to the driver, you will need an adapter for it. Known commonly as an impact socket adapter, you can find many of these adapters in the market from different brands. You can choose one that you find more functional.
Once you have an adapter with you, simply attach the adapter to the end of the impact driver. You will notice that the attachment option has two methods. One, you can directly put it inside the gun’s head and give it a solid frame. Two, it doesn’t get attached to the gun head with a strong grip, but it somehow moves on the tip.
Depending on how and where you are going to apply the impact socket, you need to place the adapter in one of these two ways. If you are going to screw or unscrew on a straight horizontal or vertical position, simply attach the adapter with a solid grip. Please do use garage or workshop for such task for better equipment availability.
On the other hand, if you plan to apply the device somewhere where you need to bend the socket a bit, then choose the moveable option for more flexibility. This way, you can apply the force equally but without you needing to hold the gun straight.
As for the socket attachment, this is pretty straightforward. Just attach the bottom of the socket to the head of the adapter, and it will immediately place itself in it. You’re ready to work!
Can You Use Regular Socket with an Impact Driver?
This is a common mistake that most newbie DIYers commit. You can’t use a regular socket with an impact driver. This is because an impact driver is designed to deliver much more power than a regular manual wrench. So, the best suiting sockets will be the strongest impact sockets in this case.
If you are using regular sockets with the device, there is a high chance that the socket will break down in the middle. So, be careful before you are choosing sockets. Make sure you understand the risk and then act accordingly.
Final Words
It’s not rocket science to figure out how to use your impact driver’s socket. Perhaps, it’s one of the simplest of devices that you can operate if you have ever used a power drill. Impact driver works in the same manner, and it takes a very little while to get used to. Once you know how to use an impact socket with an impact driver, your tool-working load will get drastically reduced, for sure!