Need advice on best drill/driver for building a deck - lag bolts vs. structural screws?

Hey folks, I'm building a 12x16 deck in my backyard and hitting a snag with the framing. I'm using pressure-treated 2x8s for the joists and need to secure them to the ledger board and beams. Should I go with lag bolts or structural screws? And what drill/driver would you recommend for this? My old corded drill is struggling with the torque. Looking for something that won't break the bank but gets the job done right. Thanks!

DemoDave, skip the lags and go with structural screws all the way. They're stronger, don't need pre-drilling in most cases, and won't corrode like lags can. As for tools, grab an 18V brushless drill/driver combo. Milwaukee M18 Fuel or DeWalt XR are solid choices - they've got enough ugga-duggas for deck work. Don't cheap out on bits either; get some impact-rated ones or you'll be stripping screws all day.

MasonMark's right about the screws - I use GRK RSS or TimberLOKs on all my deck projects. For the driver, I swear by my Makita sub-compact set. Lighter than the big boys but still packs a punch, and the battery lasts forever. Pro tip: set your clutch properly or you'll sink those screws right through your joists. Seen it happen too many times!

LOL you sparkies and your fancy drivers. For deck framing, I just use my old impact wrench with a hex adapter. Torque for days! But seriously, if you're buying new, get something with multiple speed settings. Sometimes you want finesse, not just brute force. And +1 on the GRK screws - they're worth the extra pennies.

Thanks everyone! Sounds like structural screws are the consensus. Heading to Tool Discount Club this weekend to check out the DeWalt XR combo - saw it's on sale. Appreciate the bit advice too, almost would have grabbed the cheap ones. This deck's gonna be solid!