Hammer drill vibrates in and out and is used with masonry bits to drill concrete. Impact drill is another name for the same thing.

Impact driver rotates the bit with repeated impacts - like a compressed air rattle gun used on wheel nuts.

Neither is required for drilling wood. Variable speed and reversible would be useful if you also want to use the drill for screwdriving.

As above, but hammer drills are drills *with a setting* to drill holes in masonry or concrete. I don't think I've ever seen a hammer drill that didn't let you turn off the hammer function to drill wood or metal. Drilling wood is pretty straightforward, pretty much any drill will work. Depending on how many runs of Ethernet and through how many studs will determine the size of your bit.

bigalow:

 

whats the difference between a hammer drill  and a impact drill

 

impact drills are the light weight vers of a hammer drill. impact drill are generally switchable between rotary hammer and drill. hammer drills are bigger commercial drills, usually switchable between rotary hammer and chisel. hammer drills take special drill bits.

for a DIY get an impact drill.

An impact driver is usually used for nuts or bolts. If you are using one of these you must use it with impact rated bits.

For wood you use a standard drill.

For masonry you use a hammer drill and masonry drill bits.

so something like this one

https://www.mitre10.co.nz/shop/black-decker-cordless-drill-kit-18-volt-1-5ah-600rpm/p/348328

bigalow:

 

so something like this one

 

 

 

https://www.mitre10.co.nz/shop/black-decker-cordless-drill-kit-18-volt-1-5ah-600rpm/p/348328

 

i would go with something like https://www.mitre10.co.nz/shop/black-decker-powerconnect-cordless-hammer-drill-kit-2-0ah-18-volt/p/2030161

it has hammer, torque settings, 13mm chuck, slightly bigger battery tho its still small which will limit performance. its only a tad more in price, but it has far more useful features.

normally i would say go with the more pro brands, but at much higher prices.

I would not be getting any black and decker product. Go to the green place and get the ozito power xchange tools instead. B+D is the cost cut to the max line from stanley black and decker, has very few tools in the range and nothing seems to be brushless. Ozito is a little cheaper and they have a wider range of products.

bigalow:

 

In going to install some cat6 around the house

 

so i need to get a drill just a basic one that will drill wood

 

whats the difference between a hammer drill  and a impact drill

 

Are you going to be drilling through top plates and nogs lower in the wall?

Impacts are not great at drilling holes.

Saw this at bunnings and it's still going. Great for small one off jobs and 6 year warranty you can't go too wrong.

https://www.bunnings.co.nz/ryobi-18v-one-drill-driver-2ah-kit_p0865959

Another vote for Ozito PXC esp brushless. By no means pro grade but that’s ok coz we’re amateurs. 

hsvhel:

 

bigalow:

 

In going to install some cat6 around the house

 

so i need to get a drill just a basic one that will drill wood

 

whats the difference between a hammer drill  and a impact drill

 

 

Are you going to be drilling through top plates and nogs lower in the wall?

 

yes the nogs ( now i know what they are called) lower plate behind the wall 

shrub:

 

Impacts are not great at drilling holes.

 

Saw this at bunnings and it's still going. Great for small one off jobs and 6 year warranty you can't go too wrong.

 

https://www.bunnings.co.nz/ryobi-18v-one-drill-driver-2ah-kit_p0865959

 

 

 

was thinking about that one

shrub:

 

Impacts are not great at drilling holes.

 

Saw this at bunnings and it's still going. Great for small one off jobs and 6 year warranty you can't go too wrong.

 

https://www.bunnings.co.nz/ryobi-18v-one-drill-driver-2ah-kit_p0865959

 

 

 

I have a version of that which came in a kit. It’s a bit shit, I wouldn’t use it for top or bottom plates. The brushless version is a much better drill. 

You pay for what you get, highly recommend a kit like this . Covers most use cases 

https://www.thetoolshed.co.nz/product/47384-makita-lxt-cordless-sub-compact-hammer-drill-impact-driver-brushless-18v-tool?gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=17182567162&gbraid=0AAAAADLICtLDRfT8OlSX-oFxo21vpEK-s&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIzfDB_ZPKjgMVZRWDAx2Ryhj7EAQYAiABEgIIn_D_BwE

As someone who owns a large amount of Makita LXT gear, I don't see the point in this case. The DIY brands are gonna do the job fine.