The power drill is an indispensable tool for home improvement and other tasks around the house, big and small. For drilling tiny holes for crafts or cutting holes up to five inches in diameter in soft materials, you can attach needle-thin bits or large hole saws. In addition, you can use a driver bit to drive screws directly into wood for home projects. Power drills have numerous advantages, such as the ability to perform fast work, but they can also lead to poorly bored holes, snapped or dulled bits, and even a severe injury or two. A power drill, when used correctly, can speed up your projects and let you complete them in a fraction of the time.
The Basics of Power Drilling
Depending on the model, power drills can be either corded or cordless. Drills with cords provide strength and reliability, but have the disadvantage of being always connected to the power source. A cordless drill with onboard, rechargeable lithium-ion batteries makes drilling hassle-free. Battery packs, however, are expensive and prone to failure. Consider the capabilities and needs of the power drill you choose. A cordless drill that is light, inexpensive, and suitable for light work, such as fixing a few shelves or mounting a mirror, should suffice if you need a power drill only for light tasks. In a do-it-yourself setting, an 18-volt cordless drill is sufficient for midrange tasking like hanging drywall. If you need to use hole saws and auger bits repeatedly, buy a corded or cordless 20-volt drill.
Considerations for safety
Using a power drill incorrectly can lead to serious injuries. Any time you use a power drill, whether to drill holes or to drive bits, you should always wear eye protection. Wear hearing protection, too. Despite the fact that drills do not reach the level of noise like circular saws that emit 100 decibels or more, their average of 65 decibels can cause hearing damage over time.
A power drill may also cause damage to your wrist or hand when the drill rotates out of control. A torque force greater than the force exercised manually will happen when the drill torque forces exceed the force being applied manually. It is especially helpful to use drills with additional handles for bracing the tool. If the drill does not have an auxiliary handle, you can hold its pistol handle with your free hand to counteract its rotation.
