The 14 Different Types Of Drills – And How to Use Them

Different Types of Drills

Drill is one of the most crucial tools other than wheel in the history of mankind.

The first drill ever used was a rock piece rotated against hands for boring holes. And then followed bow drill, core drill all the way up to modern electric drills.

You can find drills for every field including medical and space exploration.

We will cover only the drills that you can use at home and workshop for hardwood and metal works.

Here are the 14 different drills and their uses.

Electric Powered Drills (Best for Professional and Home Use)

Electric-powered drills are the most widely used drills today. They require almost no manual stress and can do most heavy-duty works. Get to know more of these if you have a DIY passion or a professional.

1. Cordless Drill

Cordless drills are becoming more popular these days. They use battery source for power and are super portable.

If you intend to use a drill for casual home stuff, a cordless drill will be sufficient. It also works for professionals who have work on the go.

As they have a limited operational time and power, most people prefer corded drills.

2. Corded Drill

Corded drills offer the most versatile features among other drills. They are powered directly by electricity and can take quite a load.

People who have drilling tasks on a regular basis, these are the best. You can use them for basic drilling on wood & metal and also for fastening all sorts of screws.

3. Reversible Drill

Reversible drills can function both in a clockwise and anticlockwise direction. This doesn’t add any value to your drilling work.

However, if you are working in a situation where you need to loosen and tighten multiple types of screws, you can get a reversible drill. It’s more of a specialized drill than regular drill. 

4. Impact Drill

An impact driver is slightly different than the traditional power drills. It rotates just like any other drill. But when it encounters resistance, it starts to pound forward.

These drills are great for heavy-duty woodworking. For fastening works, they don’t do quite well as they can jam screws into the surface.

5. Hammer Drill

Hammer drills are the most powerful among all hand held drill drivers. These drills have a constant pounding motion that gives a hammering impact.

You don’t want to use hammer drills for everyday fastening and drilling. These are best for drilling holes inside concrete, tiles and rock-solid surfaces.

Some hammer drills even have options for regular drilling. If you get one of those, it will serve you in multiple ways.

Here’s a quick video from Jordan smith demonstrating the differences between normal drill, impact drill and hammer drill

6. D-handle Drill

A D-handle drill uses the same mechanism as the hammer drill. The only difference is the trigger is placed at the back instead of the front.

D-handle drills are great for home users working on heavy projects. You get more control and also the shape helps to easily drill in.

Pneumatic Drills (Air drills)

Pneumatic or air drills have special uses. They are more lightweight than the electric ones. If the place where you are working has explosive gases nearby, pneumatic drills are the best and safest option. You will need an air compressor for these drills. 

7. Straight Air Drills

Straight air drills are specially designed drills for small and compact spaces. They are a great alternative to power drills as traditional drills are large and requires more space to work.

If you need to drill inside a metal or wood object with limited space, air drills are your best option. You just need to connect it to an air compressor. Voila!

8. Gun Handle Drill

These drills are more powerful than the straight air drills. In normal circumstances, you wouldn’t need a gun-handle pneumatic drill. But in explosive conditions where you need safety and power both, these drill drivers become compulsory.

Drill Press (Industrial Drills)

If you have a workshop that requires constant heavy-duty drilling, your best option is a drill press. They are large and powerful. So, not very suitable for home users.

9. Bench Top Drill Press (Portable)

A bench top drill press is compact in size. It has a smaller column and base. So, if you need to drill holes precisely for lots of different items at your home, a bench top will be enough for you.

For more power, you can get a floor drill press. 

10. Floor Drill Press

The floor drill and benchtop drill both have the same mechanism. The floor drill is sufficiently large and more powerful.

These drills are perfect for drilling dense and long objects. So, get a floor drill if you are working on an industrial project. Otherwise, a benchtop model is just fine.

Manual Drills (for Home Use)

Manual drills are no longer popular. But it’s always good to have one of them at home. You never know when you have a power outage during a drilling work—stressful but life saver in certain situations.

11. Eggbeater hand drill

The design of these drills is similar to an egg beater and hence the name. Before the advent of electric drills, this was one of the most popular manual drills.

Though people no longer use them, they can be handy to drill quick holes in wood and other soft materials.

The lack of versatility makes them pretty much useless nowadays.

12. Breast drill

Breast drills work similarly to the egg beater drills. The only difference is that it has a plate at the back. You have to hold the plate against your chest and apply pressure while you operate the drill.

These drills are more powerful than the age old egg beater models.

13. Brace drill

This is a handheld drill that can give more control and precision compared to the eggbeater drill. The U-shaped design allows you to hold the tool properly and apply pressure as you desire.

DIY enthusiasts still use these drills for woodworking. And why not? The design looks pretty interesting.

14. Push drill

The last of all the manual drills to survive is the push drill. This drill is not for everyday drilling. It’s for precision drilling in tight spots.

The sleek and compact design makes them perfect for drilling holes in panels and other stuff. Keep in mind, this tool is not powerful enough to work on wood or metal objects.

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