Screwgun vs. Drill

If you do pocket holes you will be putting a LOT of screws in, and also drilling a lot of holes. For drilling pocket holes and driving screws, almost any drill has enough power.

That drill you linked to is meant for framing houses and other "heavy-duty" work. I think that's the reason for the "useless except for rough carpentry" comment. Something with less power might work better for furniture, be less likely to run away from you.

Some power tools are designed for Godzilla and unless you have man-sized hands, they are awkward to use. Find one that fits your hands. Go look at them, pick them up and see how well they balance in your hand and how easy it is to squeeze the trigger and maintain constant speed. Go for grip comfort and balance.

I have always used a drill to drive screws – I get them almost seated with the drill on a slow speed and finish by hand if looks are important. Lately I've been using a light-weight battery operated screwdriver similar to the SKIL one shown on the Home Depot site (but mine was cheaper). For getting the last bit of screw into place, it's more than adequate. And it 's small and doesn't weigh a ton and my bad wrists are much happier.

It's good to get a drill with an adjustment that controls the maximum speed – if you can find one – if it's a "the harder you squeeze the faster you go" it will be harder to control, but you can learn that skill.

Thanks for the very helpful information, Tsu Doh Nimh!

Cheers,

Cheryl