A hammer drill, or hammer drill driver, adds an extra chipping mode to a standard drill driver, helping it work more effectively into concrete and masonry.

For professional and some prosumer brands, their flagship drill drivers often have a hammer drill version as well. They typically have the exact same performance—one just has the hammer mode and the other doesn’t.

Pro Tip: There’s an inverse relationship between speed and torque on a drill. When you select a gear with higher speed, it has less torque. In a gear with lower speed, it has higher torque.

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Selecting the proper bit to use is all about understanding the size of the hole you’re making and the material you’re making it in. Here’s a quick overview of the most common drilling and driving bits, along with the materials they’re best in.

Driver bits are what you use when you’re driving screws, and there are just as many options as there are screw head types. The key is to match the driver bit to the head type and size. Size is important. If the bit is too small for the head, it will start to spin and cam it out quickly. If it’s too large, it won’t grip at all or will have a weak grip that also leads to cam out.

The bits above don’t cover every situation, and there may be others that can help you do the job more effectively plus tons of specialty bits. Here’s are a few more Pros often use that you might find helpful:

These are much larger than standard models and have modes for making larger holes in concrete and chipping to break it apart. Some models also include a rotation only mode for drilling in wood or metal.

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Spade bits (AKA paddle bits) have a narrow tip to start the hole and broad cutting edges that make it larger. These bits are primarily for making holes in wood only.

For most cordless drills, the gearbox switch sits on top of the housing. This physically changes the gear to prioritize either speed or torque. On a two-speed model, gear one is low speed/high torque and gear two is high speed/low torque.

Kenny holds a B.S. in Biology and a minor in chemistry. While that might not sound like a direct line into the power tool industry, his analytical and scientific mindset helps him design repeatable testing methods for Pro Tool Reviews’ head-to-head testing and offers highly objective comparisons in his reviews.

Most people don’t consider a rotary hammer to be a type of drill, but they are used for drilling applications extensively in the concrete industry.

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If you’re new to cordless drills, there are some terms and parts you should know. Here’s a basic overview, starting at the business end and working back.

A much stronger version of the right angle drill—often known as a Hole Hawg after Milwaukee’s design—is specifically geared for the high-torque hole drilling required for rough-ins.

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Many people buy hole saws individually to fit the needs of the project. If you’re looking for something to get you going, click the button for a solid starter set.

What most people think of when they say “drill bit” is the classic twist bit. Their slender shafts with dual flutes for channeling away material are responsible for making smaller holes in a variety of materials.

DeWalt High-Torque Impact Driver Makes Massive Jump in Performance DeWalt fans have watched competing brands push higher impact driver performance […]

Even though you might only have two gears, you can use a partial trigger pull (“feathering” the trigger) to operate at slower speeds and with less torque or to accelerate into drilling/driving with more control.

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Pro Tip: Some materials have highly variable density, and a single clutch setting doesn’t work for all the screws. Many people find it easier to feather the trigger instead of constantly adjusting the clutch in those scenarios.

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The clutch limits how much torque goes into the bit. It’s useful when you’re working with smaller screws and want to avoid driving them too deep into the material or stripping out the heads (AKA cam out).

A right angle drill is an elongated form of a drill driver that has a very short head to reach into tighter spaces than standard models can. The performance level is lower, but the design makes it a good secondary option for remodelers, HVAC techs, electricians, plumbers, and other tradesmen.

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This is the part that holds your bit in place. Most modern drills have a “keyless” chuck, meaning you only need the strength of your hand to secure the bit in place.

The vast majority of drills on the market are cordless battery-powered models, but these same concepts apply to corded models as well.

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The United States Consumer Product Safety Commission has issued a warning to stop using cordless drills sold on Amazon under […]

Cordless screwdrivers spin bits at relatively slow speeds and low torque and aren’t technically a type of drill even though they spin a bit in a similar manner. Their name gives away their function—these tools are for driving small screws, but not drilling holes.

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Most cordless drills you see fall into the class of drill drivers—tools with settings for both drilling holes and driving screws.

Hole saws are for drilling some of the largest holes in a variety of materials. The saw portion looks like a cup and has teeth around the edge that cut out a core to make the hole. The cup attaches to an arbor that installs into the chuck.

Many drills have more than one mode you can work in. By twisting a collar behind the chuck, you can adjust the clutch settings or twist it all the around to the drilling mode. Hammer drills have a third mode that engages the hammering mechanism.

Pro Tool Reviews is a successful online publication that has been providing tool reviews and industry news since 2008. In today’s world of Internet news and online content, we found that more and more professionals researched a large majority of their major power tool purchases online. That piqued our interest.

Pro Tip: Keep several sizes of driver bit extenders handy. Short ones are good for regular use and longer ones can reach into tight spots that are too small for the tool to fit into.

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Pro Tip: Hole saw arbors normally only fit in drills with a 1/2-inch chuck. If yours has a 3/8-inch chuck, a hole saw won’t work with it.

Pro Tip: A small amount of bit wobble (called runout) is normal. However, a big wobble means your bit is off-center. Loosen the chuck, re-center the bit, and tighten it back down to fix it.

Just above the trigger is the switch for forward and reverse. Its position makes it easy to flip while you have a natural grip on the handle.

Nearly every cordless drill has a variable speed trigger. This means the further you pull the trigger, the more speed and torque the motor sends to the bit, similar to the way a gas pedal works on your vehicle.

One of the first power tools people start with is a drill. Even the most seasoned Pros had to learn how to use a drill at some point, and I’m going to help you get over the initial learning curve in this article.