# Forum Home Renovation Roofing  Is this a good driver for roofing screws / tek screws?

## bluehorse

G'day, I want to buy a good tool to sheet a portal steel shed.  I'm told the old impact driver will butcher the job.   Is the attached Makita Screw Gun good for the job? (Makita 570w 2500rpm $289 from Total tools)  I'm assuming from the shed specs (asking for something 2000rpm+) and the makita (advertising 2500rpm) that it is the rpm that make it more effective whacking in roofing screws without damaging them ? 
Any recommendations ? 
Thanks Blue

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## Uncle Bob

Mate, I built my 5x10 shed with a cordless impact driver without any problems or butchering anything. But as long as that will take the necessary or supplied screws then it should work.

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## ajm

What he said. Built many a roofed the g for us and for the animals, all using a big standard cordless drill. No need for special tools.  
Sent fr

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## bluehorse

Would one of those screw guns be better than an impact driver ?   I can't say I've ever taken the time to note what pro roofers are using but would the makita be better than an impact driver ?  snip from my shed manufacturer...

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## YoungBolt

People still buy electric power tools? 
I've never seen a roofer use a screw drill to install roofing screws. It's all done with an impact driver and  standard drill. Predrill the hole in the sheet and underlying support (timber/metal) with the drill then use a impact driver to drive the bastard home.  
Screw guns are for professional gyprockers and not much else.  
Is your shed from an overseas manufacturer?

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## cyclic

> People still buy electric power tools? 
> I've never seen a roofer use a screw drill to install roofing screws. It's all done with an impact driver and  standard drill. Predrill the hole in the sheet and underlying support (timber/metal) with the drill then use a impact driver to drive the bastard home.  
> Screw guns are for professional gyprockers and not much else.  
> Is your shed from an overseas manufacturer?

  This could not be further from the truth. 
Most of today's roofers use screw guns and they sound like a hammer drill when the disengage section of the driver hits the roof, depresses, and the clutch lets go to stop the screw going any further. 
That noise you hear sounds like a hammer drill. 
In the 70's there were no screw guns, so drills were used, and that was when you had to first drill the sheet and purlin because screws were not self drilling teks. 
If I were doing a roof today I would not bother with a screw gun as I have never owned one, always used a drill, but the OP would be wise to get a screw gun because I have seen people try to screw a roof with a drill but have no idea of when to let the trigger go so the drill will stop driving the screw.

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## Marc

Buy a good cordless impact driver and drill. You will use it for many other things.
Makita, Dewalt, Milwaukee or Bosch blue, not necessarily in that order.

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## bluehorse

This is the second portal steel kit I've put up, both manufacturers wanted 2000rpm+ screw gun and warned not to use impact drivers (widespan & allcover, both using strammit steel kits I believe).  They usually indicated a class 4 roofing screw is voided by using impact.   I understand what they are getting at, can usually see wear on the screw head after driving it in with impact .  Not saying an impact driver is ineffective, have used one plenty.   
Talking about steel construction here.   Nobody drills then drives, not into steel and certainly not a pro.  Impact drivers may be more effective with timber roof rafters?. 
thanks for your tips, I appreciate your perspectives.

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## sol381

Impact driver is all you need. Use Self tapping screws which are standard anyway and dont pre-drill. Totally unnecessary. Taking an electric tool on a roof is a pain and the lead is just a trip hazard. No roofers would use that.

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## cyclic

IMPACT DRIVERS ARE NOT USED TO SCREW DOWN A ROOF. 
Is that plain enough ??????????

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## Marc

> This is the second portal steel kit I've put up, both manufacturers wanted 2000rpm+ screw gun and warned not to use impact drivers (widespan & allcover, both using strammit steel kits I believe).  They usually indicated a class 4 roofing screw is voided by using impact.   I understand what they are getting at, can usually see wear on the screw head after driving it in with impact .  Not saying an impact driver is ineffective, have used one plenty.   
> Talking about steel construction here.   Nobody drills then drives, not into steel and certainly not a pro.  Impact drivers may be more effective with timber roof rafters?. 
> thanks for your tips, I appreciate your perspectives.

  If the shed manufacturer indicates screwdriver, use a screwdriver. Makita is a good brand. The choice between impact driver and screwdriver is based on the fastener used and the material you are screwing. I associate screwdrivers with gyprock fixing, but can see how they will work on a roof. 
Do you have a photo of the screws used? Are they just ordinary tek self drilling screws with a hexagonal head?

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## Marc

> IMPACT DRIVERS ARE NOT USED TO SCREW DOWN A ROOF. 
> Is that plain enough ??????????

  
Maybe you are right? Ha ha  :Smilie:   https://www.brsusa.com/blog/impact-v...hat-works-best 
Plenty of cordless screw guns to choose from, no need to buy a corded tool.

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## sol381

> IMPACT DRIVERS ARE NOT USED TO SCREW DOWN A ROOF. 
> Is that plain enough ??????????

  Every single roofer ive ever seen in the last 5 years uses an impact driver. Its the ONLY tool to use.l What would you use? Get with the times mate. seems you are too old fashioned.

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## cyclic

> Every single roofer ive ever seen in the last 5 years uses an impact driver. Its the ONLY tool to use.l What would you use? Get with the times mate. seems you are too old fashioned.

  They are using a screw gun which you think is an impact driver because you are not bright enough to know the difference.
You are in Brisbane so any time you want to meet up I will be happy to show you the difference.
Better still, go to a tool shop, any tool shop, and ask them what roofers are using, then come back and tell me you were wrong.
FFS every roofer is using battery powered screw guns

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## YoungBolt

Must say the roofers I've seen on a few jobs did look like they were using impact drivers, but I wasn't looking too closely. They certainly sound like one!  
Things are getting heated! Do we need to bring in mummy and daddy ? 
.... who would be considered mummy and daddy around here anyway?

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## sol381

Ive been in the building game 30 years. I know exactly what an impact driver is. I screwed my whole roof off with an impact driver, Ive seen my roofers use them ..It is by far the best and fastest way to do a roof. 
Show me a picture of a screw gun and an impact driver

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## Marc

Hi Sol381 ... to be fair to all concerned, I have fixed my share of corrugated iron roof sheets with impact driver, and seen my share of roofers doing same with impact drivers ... however ... I have never done this to metal rafters, only timber rafters ... so it is possible that there is a difference. Stripping the flimsy thread in a thin metal rafter is easy and a screw gun will limit this occurrence, and the screws used may be different, I don't know.
Also ... over tightening tek screws on a metal roof is easy to do if one is a bit ... how to say, distracted. Squash the seal and then undo it and forget it and you have a leaking screw.   
So perhaps when it is possible to use an impact driver, it may be desirable to use a screw gun. 
As for corded or cordless that is a no brainer. Going on a roof with a cord extension is a pain no one deserves, yet is is possible and the price difference in the tool may be justified if it is a one off job.

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## sol381

ive never seen a screw gun on a roof. Screw guns are just used for plasterboad but even then most will use a collated screw gun. NO idea why anyone would use a designated screw gun or why they even sell them anymore. Even plasterers use impact drivers when needed to screw a single screw. Having said that i think cyclic is just referring to  is a simple drill or drill driver . It is quieter than impact and ive used it on roofs as well. Its just a lot heavier and ive never seen roofers use them. Impacts are noisy and you can hear a roof being screwed from blocks away but its whats being used now.  Both will suffice.

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## cyclic

> ive never seen a screw gun on a roof. Screw guns are just used for plasterboad but even then most will use a collated screw gun. NO idea why anyone would use a designated screw gun or why they even sell them anymore. Even plasterers use impact drivers when needed to screw a single screw. Having said that i think cyclic is just referring to  is a simple drill or drill driver . It is quieter than impact and ive used it on roofs as well. Its just a lot heavier and ive never seen roofers use them. Impacts are noisy and you can hear a roof being screwed from blocks away but its whats being used now.  Both will suffice.

  The noise you are hearing from blocks away is the clutch
 The drill simply drives until the screw gun hits the roof and the clutch makes a sound not all dissimilar to a hammer drill/impact drill.
Screw guns as shown by the OP are the tool being used to screw down most roofs. 
As to your 30 years in the building game, you still have a ways to go.
Last year, 2019, I cancelled my QBCC (formerly BSA) which I held from 1980.
I started my apprenticeship in 1965 and am still fixing other peoples mistakes today.
FWIW my QBCC showed Builder Low Rise/Builder Repairs and Maintenance/Plumber Drainer.
I have worked on and in some cases controlled everything from high rise to houses including a lot of renos along the way.
The Builder Repairs and Maintenance was for Commercial Industrial.
As to roofing most of the roofs I did in the 70's and 80's were industrial sheds which also included wall sheeting
But I have done my fair share of house roofs also
When you have done roofs using 11,000 screws, not to mention walls as well, then you should know a bit about roofing.
Good luck in your next 25 years.

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## Marc

Cyclic, all that does not clarify the issue at hand.
Is the screwgun the one that drives collated screws? Is there such thing as collated roof screws?
What is the damage to the screw that is trying to be avoided? 
Does the screw driven by the screwgun differ from an ordinary tek screw? https://www.melbournetoolsales.com.a...-adjustable-to

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## cyclic

> Cyclic, all that does not clarify the issue at hand.
> A) Is the screwgun the one that drives collated screws? Is there such thing as collated roof screws?
> B) What is the damage to the screw that is trying to be avoided? 
> C) Does the screw driven by the screwgun differ from an ordinary tek screw? https://www.melbournetoolsales.com.a...-adjustable-to

  A) No, the one you show is the type I am referring to. It is a roofing screw gun. I have never seen collated roof screws.
B) I have never used an impact driver but I can imaging with impact the screw would have a tendency to bounce off the sheet but also bust the drill tip on metal purlins (industrial )
I also believe it would tend to punch through the sheet and metal batten rather than drill through
C) Not sure what the question is. Most roof screws are 50x12 hex with neo for metal fix or 50x12 type 17 for timber fix (different cutting shank) for use on custom orb, or 65 long for memory for trimdeck. 
I believe the gun you show is probably the type being used but is being referred to as an impact driver due to the sound when, as I have said, the clutch disengages when the screw is almost driven home to it's final point of contact with the roof. 
To use an impact driver without clutch would mean letting go the trigger just like a drill to stop the screw driving too far into the roof.

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## sol381

Actually impact drivers dont have a clutch. The noise is the spring pushing down on the hammer.

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## ajm

Pissing contests are funny and disturbing to watch from the sidelines. It's like when two blokes fight over a chick. The first punch is about the chick and then the rest is about the egos of the two protagonists.  
I have had assistance from both blokes involved here (and Marc too) and value their opinions and experience above most. The thing here is that the OP is not (I don't think) a professional roofer so does he really need the tool that a pro roofer uses? While it's nice to have the best tools that are available, it's expensive for single use jobs.  
So, to the OP, as a non professional who likes to do a good job on his projects big and small, it's really up to you. From what has been said above, you could use any of the tools mentioned. 
Sent fro

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## sol381

Fair points mate . I was just giving my opinion on what ive seen. I didnt come here to get into a fight. More than one way to skin a cat. Use a screw gun, impact, drill driver. or a socket of you want.

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## phild01

I have in the past and recently done my small shed roof with an impact driver and there are odd moments of overdriving just a touch.  Was unaware of using a specialised screw gun for this application but asking, can you still overdrive with such a tool. Maybe it is the secondary oversized thread on the roofing screw stripping the roofing being the concern!

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## sol381

Even the pros over drive them with an impact. Just take your finder off teh trigger just before the screw head hits and then lightly tighten.  its easy to reverse the screw out if it is too deep. Also most impacts come with at least 3 speeds and some like the milwaukee have a self tapping screw mode to avoid over tightening. Never tried this setting on roofs but might work.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DLu4w7_Mi7A.  Skip to the 4 minute mark.

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## cyclic

> Even the pros over drive them with an impact. Just take your finder off teh trigger just before the screw head hits and then lightly tighten.  its easy to reverse the screw out if it is too deep. Also most impacts come with at least 3 speeds and some like the milwaukee have a self tapping screw mode to avoid over tightening. Never tried this setting on roofs but might work.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DLu4w7_Mi7A.  Skip to the 4 minute mark.

  After  talking with my friendly tool man at Get Tools Direct Maroochydore it appears you and I are both correct.
He tells me the most popular roofing tool is a roofing driver with torque settings and clutch, but some people do use an impact driver depending on the job. 
Hopefully the OP will use a battery drill without buying a special driver which he may never use again.

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## sol381

or just hire one for the day.

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## sol381

Jeez . i just realized i skipped over to 2,000 posts. When can i expect my carton of beer.

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## ajm

Maybe cyclic can deliver it....  
Sent fro

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## Bros

> Hopefully the OP will use a battery drill without buying a special driver which he may never use again.

   For a one off job that would be the best

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## Bros

> Jeez . i just realized i skipped over to 2,000 posts. When can i expect my carton of beer.

   To late nothing for 2002.

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## Uncle Bob

Congrats sol381! Been good posts too. Unfortunately we can only do a cartoon of beer  :Smilie:

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## Marc

> A) No, the one you show is the type I am referring to. It is a roofing screw gun. I have never seen collated roof screws.
> B) I have never used an impact driver but I can imaging with impact the screw would have a tendency to bounce off the sheet but also bust the drill tip on metal purlins (industrial )
> I also believe it would tend to punch through the sheet and metal batten rather than drill through
> .

  Now I can understand the confusion. (Or I think so anyway)
An impact driver, has a rotating mass that turns and as the resistance grows, it bounces off at every 1/4 turn or so and the impact is angular not axial. The impact happens as the mass rotates and gives the screw that extra punch but it is not along the shaft like hammering a nail, rather it is around the shank to give an extra turn, like using a hammer on the end of a spanner to tighten a nut. 
A hammer drill has axial impact and would do what you describe, bounce off the sheet and all that. No one in his right mind would use a hammer drill on a roof. They are designed to drive masonry drills and the axial (vertical) impact chips the concrete as the drill rotates.  
The screw gun drives the screw with a smooth torsion as a drill would, but is designed to stop as it makes contact with the surface to avoid overtightening, just like it is the case with screwing gyprock. I am not sure how a screw gun would overcome hard wood rafters without the rotating mass to help driving the screw. 
I can understand a manufacturer recommending a screw gun so that the operator does not overtighten the screws, however it is a bit like recommending rubber mallets to drive nails just in case you miss a blow and damage the surface.
I remember my wife use to tell me to get a rubber mallet when I was building the second floor, before I learned of compressors and nail guns, and used a 24 oz framing hammer instead and was upsetting the whole neighbourhood.

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## intertd6

It looks like I missed the all the fun, different materials need different tools, for light metal roofing with pine or light metal battens a cordless impact driver is the most efficient, when you get into heavy gauge purlins or HWD then you need something with some more grunt than an impact driver, as they are too slow once they have to drop back to impact to drill through heavy gauge material. I haven't seen a screw gun used on a roof for around 15 years, years ago I used to build portal frame industrial sheds with roof areas up to 3700m2 with corded screw guns, I put a couple of roofs on just recently with a makita 18v 4 mode brushless impact driver, I have never screwed down a roof so fast in my life, what a great little machine. Screws can be over driven with any driving tool.
inter

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## bluehorse

Thanks lads.  Yes its the solid z purlins making me question the reliable old impact driver.   It has always served me well on timber batten.  Some of the z purlins are at 1.9mm, so cyclonic standard.    I'll give a screwgun a go just because I collect different tools; something I'm sure you appreciate.

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## raelph

Intertd6 states that going into HWD requires more grunt.....i'm a bit confused, you' re saying the impact driver provides that grunt?
I also have another question
I am trying to REMOVE roofing screws with a shovel bit .
That is, a simple horizontal SLOT about 1 cm long is in the screw head , and the screws are in hardwood battens for 40 years .
I'm concerned about breaking the screws or stripping the slots in the head of the screw.
Suggestions...would one best use an impact drill in reverse ???
Thks Rae

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## raelph

Please reply soon everyone

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## cyclic

You have not given enough info in that you don't say what the roof sheeting is, but no matter what you use, if the screws are going to break they will break.
If the sheeting is ac the screws will probably come out ok being steel, but if the roofing is alloy then the screws will be same and won't be very strong.
Having said that, the holes would have been pre drilled so you may be ok because hardwood shrinks away from the screw.
What you use is up to you because using mechanical drills etc with a blade is always going to be awkard unless there is a fitting you can buy to fit the drill which has a socket surrounding the blade so the blade does not come off the screw head.
Something like a hex drive for hex head screws but with a blade in the middle, but I have not seen such a fitting
There is a good chance the screws were fitted using a hand brace.   
.

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## raelph

Thanks appreciate it
Ac means asbestos composite?
That's what the present roofing is...supersix

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## raelph

Have re-read your reply cyclic. Yes agree, i have never seen such an adapter nor heard of one. Local , longtime hardware had not either and winced when i showed him a sample screw that had come out without breaking. He did recommend a more powerful impact driver than what he had in store, and called Makita to see about more grunt. They recommended an 18v 4 mode model ( skin only at $310) with 175Nm fastening torque.
Of course my concern is getting the screws out without having to grind them out or use vice grips to slowly do the job.
Again, appreciate you sharing your knowledge and thoughts.
Saw an asbestos removal team taking screws out the other day, but didnt get opportunity to ask what they would do. 
I have my licence to do the job for over 10 sq m. , but have not in fact done such a roof demolition.
I  am looking forward to overcoming my concerns.
Any other tips are greatly appreciated.

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## John2b

Slotted screwdriver bits with a spring loaded centering guide used to be common, but seem to have disappeared. They were handy for driving one-way security screws and might be useful for slot head screw extraction.  https://www.primeline.net/rg-18514-o...-bit-916-steel

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## cyclic

> Have re-read your reply cyclic. Yes agree, i have never seen such an adapter nor heard of one. Local , longtime hardware had not either and winced when i showed him a sample screw that had come out without breaking. He did recommend a more powerful impact driver than what he had in store, and called Makita to see about more grunt. They recommended an 18v 4 mode model ( skin only at $310) with 175Nm fastening torque.
> Of course my concern is getting the screws out without having to grind them out or use vice grips to slowly do the job.
> Again, appreciate you sharing your knowledge and thoughts.
> Saw an asbestos removal team taking screws out the other day, but didnt get opportunity to ask what they would do. 
> I have my licence to do the job for over 10 sq m. , but have not in fact done such a roof demolition.
> I  am looking forward to overcoming my concerns.
> Any other tips are greatly appreciated.

  AC = Asbestos Cement fwiw no biggie.
As I said, biggest concern is the blade slipping off the screw head because then it is usually a situation where you have to use vice grips/locking pliers which really is not all that bad because when they break they usually break on the thread at the batten, in fact in the 70's we would actually knock them side to side to break them rather than unscrew them.
If you are intending to replace the AC with metal roofing I would not be concerned with the screws breaking.
Also fwiw are you aware you must batten screw all battens and use tie downs to the framing in accordance with QBCC.
Also depending what sheeting you use and if you are reusing the existing battens they will be rock hard to get new screws into and on the bottom batten where you screw every second corrugation or every corrugation to bird proof, you need to stagger the screws so as to not split the batten.
It is not as bad when using trimdeck profile.
Have fun.

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## Bros

> Also depending what sheeting you use and if you are reusing the existing battens they will be rock hard to get new screws into and on the bottom batten where you screw every second corrugation or every corrugation to bird proof, you need to stagger the screws so as to not split the batten.
> It is not as bad when using trimdeck profile.
> Have fun.

   With old hardwood it would be a two stage process first to drill then screw. I had to do a bit of work on my place recently and was using wood screws into old hardwood and I drilled a pilot hole that would be the diameter if the thread base and broke screws but adding a bit of soap to the thread made it easier.

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## cyclic

> With old hardwood it would be a two stage process first to drill then screw. I had to do a bit of work on my place recently and was using wood screws into old hardwood and I drilled a pilot hole that would be the diameter if the thread base and broke screws but adding a bit of soap to the thread made it easier.

  Possibly on the bottom batten drilling would be good, but today's timber fix roof screws are usually good to go into old battens provided the fixing tool/driver has enough grunt.
I have only ever used a Makita 750 w electric drill for roofing.
Probably not allowed to use 240 power on a roof these days, and I must admit to dragging leads across a roof and hearing zzzzz behind me as the lead was stabbed by a sharp bit of iron.
With regards to soap, are you not old enough to remember carpenters running 3" nails through their brylcream/california poppy coated hair.LOL

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## Bros

> With regards to soap, are you not old enough to remember carpenters running 3" nails through their brylcream/california poppy coated hair.LOL

  No don't remember that happening.

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## johnc

> Possibly on the bottom batten drilling would be good, but today's timber fix roof screws are usually good to go into old battens provided the fixing tool/driver has enough grunt.
> I have only ever used a Makita 750 w electric drill for roofing.
> Probably not allowed to use 240 power on a roof these days, and I must admit to dragging leads across a roof and hearing zzzzz behind me as the lead was stabbed by a sharp bit of iron.
> With regards to soap, are you not old enough to remember carpenters running 3" nails through their brylcream/california poppy coated hair.LOL

  
Remember it very well, rubbing the nail against a piece of candle was a thing as well, not to mention reversing the nail for the first tap to help prevent splitting then turning around the nail to drive it in.

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## Bart1080

> Some of the z purlins are at 1.9mm, so cyclonic standard.    I'll give a screwgun a go just because I collect different tools; something I'm sure you appreciate.

  Are you coastal or within 10km of the coast?  
The reason I ask is a distinct consideration (and I'II make a couple of assumptions here) is using an impact driver will damage and remove the coating on the screw head more than the Screw gun. 
If that assumption is correct, then you will have a larger problem down the track with many screw heads rusting away.  Living in a cyclonic area....I'd suggest that's not a good thing  :Smilie:   So investing in a screw gun or hiring one out for a "one off job" might end up being a good investment. 
To give you some perspective, Recently sold a place in Cairns and on inspection there were ~50 screws on the roof quite rusty and small in number in the context of the entire roof.   
When discussing the issue, it was one of the better 13 years old roofs in the area as quite a few houses had significant rusting issues with >50% of the roofing screws usually affected.  Would be interesting to turn back time to find out what they used to drive in the screws.  I've never really seen this issue here in Vic (50km to 300km inland - no salt air and little humidity compared to FNQ).  
It could also be the high humidity that plays a part.

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## John2b

> No don't remember that happening.

   

> Remember it very well, rubbing the nail against a piece of candle was a thing as well, not to mention reversing the nail for the first tap to help prevent splitting then turning around the nail to drive it in.

   I remember chipies on building sites blunting the point of nails and then using a bucket of something slimy to coat them with to help them in. Bros you must be the younger bro...

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## intertd6

> Intertd6 states that going into HWD requires more grunt.....i'm a bit confused, you' re saying the impact driver provides that grunt?
> I also have another question
> I am trying to REMOVE roofing screws with a shovel bit .
> That is, a simple horizontal SLOT about 1 cm long is in the screw head , and the screws are in hardwood battens for 40 years .
> I'm concerned about breaking the screws or stripping the slots in the head of the screw.
> Suggestions...would one best use an impact drill in reverse ???
> Thks Rae

  More grunt means a fast speed drill, impact drivers will drop back to impact & take longer to get a screw in.
inter

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## r3nov8or

> More grunt means a fast speed drill, impact drivers will drop back to impact & take longer to get a screw in.
> inter

  A DIYer is not concerned by a few extra seconds per screw, and an impact driver will perform a 1000 more jobs around the home/workshop compared to a roofing screw driver

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## intertd6

> A DIYer is not concerned by a few extra seconds per screw, and an impact driver will perform a 1000 more jobs around the home/workshop compared to a roofing screw driver

  i wasn't even thinking of a roofing screw driver, just a drill.
inter

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## davo

So any recommendations for specific model roofing screw guns in a popular brand like Makita or whatever?  
I only have Ryobi 18v tools at the moment including impact drivers and they don't have a purpose built roofing screw driver. 
Sure, impact drivers will get the screws in OK, but I'd rather use the right tool for the job - don't mind spending money on new tools.  :Smilie: 
Have a huge roofing job coming up and I've found all the points made above about impact drivers stressing screws, damaging coatings, over-driving etc happen on big jobs when you're working like mad to get it complete. 
This job is fixing steel to 50 year old hardwood from the north coast NSW - super hard red coloured wood.

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## phild01

_Hi Davo, please add your location to your profile , state level as a minimum. It helps for advice (regs, services, products etc)._

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## sol381

As r3enov8or said , dont get screw gun  get an impact. At the moment the milwaukee gen3 is by far the fastest and most powerful gun, Its also one of the smallest. The makita and dewalt also make good drills. Just make sure whatever brand you get you stick to that platform for future purchases as  all you'll need is skins. Cant go wrong with milwaukee and makita.

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## Marc

> So any recommendations for specific model roofing screw guns in a popular brand like Makita or whatever?  
> I only have Ryobi 18v tools at the moment including impact drivers and they don't have a purpose built roofing screw driver. 
> Sure, impact drivers will get the screws in OK, but I'd rather use the right tool for the job - don't mind spending money on new tools. 
> Have a huge roofing job coming up and I've found all the points made above about impact drivers stressing screws, damaging coatings, over-driving etc happen on big jobs when you're working like mad to get it complete. 
> This job is fixing steel to 50 year old hardwood from the north coast NSW - super hard red coloured wood.

  If you read the previous page you will see that a modern brushless cordless good quality impact driver like Milwaukee, Makita or DeWalt _is_ the right tool.
I have Makita everything, but lately bought other brands and the idea that you have to have just one brand is not necessarily so. Yes you have one charger and one set of batteries, but the more tools the more batteries you need and one charger will not cope so you have to buy more batteries and more chargers so may as well go into other brands if you so choose. My opinion of course.

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## davo

Yes, I have read every single post in this thread. 
I have three impact drivers already and have driven thousands and thousands of screws with them. Also have a fleet of drill/drivers with torque settings. Now I want to try a proper screw gun. I don't care about spending money on tools, they always pay for themselves many times over. 
And I don't think impact drivers are the best way to fit screws. Sure they are easy to use and get the screws in fast. But they are a crude weapon. They tend to stress the fastener (leading to premature failures), damage the coating (premature corrosion) and are more prone to stripping (pain in the @@@@) than a proper screw gun. 
So if anyone has a proper roofing screw gun they can recommend, I would be very interested to hear about it.
Please don't tell me any more stories about impact drivers - been there, done that.

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