5 Drill Features Everyone Should Know

Just a bit of a clarification; drilling a hole is a function of both speed and pressure. High speed is not needed, and in fact will lead to excess heat on the drill bit which will soften the tip and make it become dull prematurely. The better solution for drilling is to increase the pressure while maintaining a slower speed. This will result in the drill bit removing more material with each revolution and generates much less heat. A rule of thumb; if you don’t see flakes or chips of material coming out of the hole then all you’re doing is making heat, not drilling a hole. Less speed, more pressure.

My days working in a furniture store warehouse taught me a ton about drills and impacts. When you are putting together/repairing 10-30 pieces of furniture varying in materials and quality every day, you learn your way around power and hand tools. The clutch is an absolute life saver when dealing with cheaper furniture that uses composite woods and thin walled metals.

Thank you! This video instantly changed my relationship with my drill. Appreciate it!

Finally, someone explains this in plain english... Thank you sir, well done!!

Thanks for letting me know all this! I inherited all of my husband’s many tools, when he passed away, and he wasn’t one to keep the manuals. I know, I could have looked on line, but this is so much better!

For new DIYers, whenever you are changing the bits or sockets on your drill/impact, place the rotation selector on "lock" so you don't loose a piece of finger if you press the trigger and your sharp wood or metal drill bit starts spinning. Saved me a couple of times

For easy grab-and-go, I tend to store my drill/driver and a box of hex bits in a little basket hanging from the end of a shelf and I often try to store the drill gingerly so that I don't accidentally set the trigger on the box. Never dawned on me (until now) to set the forward/reverse switch in the "lock" position! Thank you! (And as others have commented, I've often thought, "I should learn what all these settings are", so thank you for presenting them all in a nice clear package!)

I was familiar with all the features, but wasn't using the "correct" grip for the side handle on the drill. The way you hold it makes perfect sense to give resistance against kick back. Also, the impact driver cutaway is excellent. I kind of knew how they worked but to see it in action and in slow motion makes it much clearer. Great video.

Excellent video. I'm a reasonably experienced woodturner now but in an earlier year I was using a very powerful electric hand drill. It jammed and began to turn me around as opposed to the opposite. I had a very painful wrist for a couple of weeks. These tips are worth paying attention to.

FLIPPING OUTSTANDING VIDEO! There should be a scan code on every newly purchased drill to explain these features. Keep up the great work!

Another feature that some don't notice; on many drills, the ring in front of the chuck is free to rotate independently from the chuck/bit assembly. It's useful if you need to hold the drill near to the bit, when accurately positioning drill tips - you can hold the ring (rather than somewhere behind the chuck) whilst slowly starting to turn the drill, to maintain better control so the bit doesn't walk across the surface.

After working for Ingersoll rand for many years, you were taught about the safety benefits of using the right tools for the right jobs ,and the purpose of setting the clutch up to give you the correct torque so as not to damage the furniture wood

I loved the cutaway scenes of the impact driver and the hammer drill. I've ever seen that anywhere else. The bit about holding the drill sideways for best use of the handle was new to me too. Love your content, keep it coming!

When I bought my house 20 years ago, I wanted to drill out some holes in the garage wall which was faced with stucco so I could route the dryer exhaust through it. I had a nice corded drill and it easily went through the wooden wall of the garage, then hit stucco and went nowhere. I couldn't understand why. So I just switched to another drill bit. I managed to make a perforated circle-like pattern in the wood, but in the process dulled about four drill bits of various sizes. None of the holes made it through the stucco. That Christmas, my brother-in-law bought me a corded Dewalt Hammer drill. I went and bought some masonry bits. Then I went back to that hole and in hammer mode, with proper masonry bits ... it made holes through the stucco like a hot knife through butter...it was so effortless! So I learned ... used the right tool for the job! The problem for me at the time was that I didn't know I was using the wrong tool! Thanks for putting the info out there, I'm sure it will help a lot of people!

Thank you! As I was putting together a cabinet and hanging shades last weekend, I was looking at my drill and thinking, "I should really learn what all those different settings are for."

This is a very useful refresher for guys like me who don't get to use their drill very often and don't feel like rereading the manual again to become reacquainted with all the features.

I thought I understood each of those features, but this was far more detail, great video. I was waiting to see a reference/contrast between drills and impact drivers.

Hi there! I found your You Tube video, while I was searching for a "How to do basic cordless drive drilling," husband decease and left me several wood working tools. Thanks for all the step-by-step instructions! I am gone to put these cool lessons into practice. Thanks, and God bless!

Great tips, I've been in construction over 30 years and have had many cordless drills I have a Milwaukee M18 now and didn't know about locking the chuck after tightening it. You can teach an old dog new tricks.

Got confused with all the modes; clutches; impacts etc. Had to replay ur vid almost 10 times. May take few moments to digest all ur info. Kudos for upload. Peace

I knew most of them but your down to earth explanations and fast paced earned a sub. Good video!

Thank you, this is the tutorial I needed! Great job explaining to us non-experts. 👍🏼

This video was perfect timing. I had just taken advantage of a sale at HD and purchased a Milwaukee brushless drill and a couple of lithium batteries. Got it home and realized I had no clue what all the dials and switches were for. NOW I'm dangerous! Thanks

Thank you. I make up things for my chickens a lot. Now because of your video, I should be able to use my drill properly. I will be watching more of your channel.

I enjoy DIY but my tools have always been simple, basic things. I purchased a new drill recently that had all these extras that weren’t on my old one. It was like having to learn everything from the beginning again lol you answered a lot of my questions. Thank you so much.

I have been using my drill / driver occassionally and never knew these functions . I know better now thank you so much for the very clear tutorial

Great for the translation in another language, this will help many new generations that lack bilingual abilities to get a better and proper idea of how to use many more tools and to prevent injuries, thanks for that LRN2DIY.😃

Your so freaking awesome, thank you for this video, I don't understand why the the manufacturers don't include this kind of stuff in the manual after all it is a MANUAL. I would love to see a whole series of videos from you on different types of tools sawzall, grinders, Sanders and especially oscillators there's like a million uses

I was aware of most of these features but I did learn something new today. I never understood about the top mounted 1-2 slide switch and what the difference is between a Hammer Drill and an Impact Drill. Thank you! Loved the cut out view making it a lot easier to understand.
The kickback handle trick works and as a left hander I switch the handle to the 3 o'clock side and hold the kickback handle at the 6 o'clock position. Same principle but left handed.

I recommend you keep your thumb on same side as fingers as they grip the anti kick back handle.
I'm old enough to remember best practice procedures when starting cars with a hand crank. Kick back can dislocate your thumb if, when gripping, it is wrapped in the opposite direction to fingers around the handle.

Fantastic video, thanks for the info !

As a home DIYer I’m always learning more by watching the pros here on RUclips. Appreciate all the content.

This is the clearest explanation on drills I've ever seen! Thanks for covering the basics

for storage in general i'd recommend to open the ratcheting chuck until the 3 thorns are covered by the chuck, for when it would fall and hit the drill/bit holder it won't become untrue/uneven.

Excellent tutorial! I always wondered what the difference between the impact and driver was. The cut away is nice to show that action. The main feature I didn't know about was the hammer and the use of the side handle. I would have never thought to hold it sideways so that if it kicks it hits my forearm.

If you're using a TTI tool, (Milwaukee, Ridgid, Ryobi, Hart) the serial number will tell you when it was made. The first four numbers of the serial number after the letter portion , CS2135, for example, indicate that it was manufactured the 35th week of 2021. Might be helpful for warranty purposes.

Thanks. I've never had an explanation of drill features, so I appreciate the video very much.

Thank you, you cleared up a lot of blah blah blah for me into knowledge.
Love your presentation too clear, straight to the point & no waffling on about stuff.
Thanks again.

Short, clear, simple and precise explanation. Thank you.

Very useful stuff here. I've been thinking all along the numbers were to regulate maximum speed and I thought the drill bit icon meant recommended setting for drilling. You learn something every day if you listen to experts. Also I had no idea about the self tightening chuck and have been struggling to get the clasp to grip a smooth drill giving myself wrist evil ! So thanks for these great tips.

I had no idea what the switch (with option 1 or 2) was for or torque clutch selector. I have a 18volt Rigid set. Probably the best investment I ever made. I am an amateur DIYer so, I am always looking for tips to get the most out of my tools. Thanks so much for taking time to educate your followers.

Your demonstration is valuable.
Just wanted you to know you are appreciated.
Thanks for teaching

Very good hints especially for the home handyman who only uses a drill when a project arises and thinks you only but the bit in and press the drill expecting the right result for any task. Thanks

Great Video. I relearned quite a bit and maybe learned a thing or two about the clutch that I wasn't aware of. A fantastic tutorial for the new user as well as a very good refresher for the experienced user. Thanks for posting this. I just became a subscriber.

Thank you for the video. All of these things are in the manual. I saw this video and then went to read the manual on my drill and found most of these features. Thank you!

Biggest problem with those handles is losing them once you remove them. I couldn't find mine and did some permanent damage to my wrist. I recommend people always use them unless space doesn't allow for them.

I really enjoy his videos. He's thorough without any note of condescension. The one thing I wasn't aware of (to which he devoted a whole other video) was locking or tightening the chuck by turning it to the left when initially tightening the chuck. I'm aware not every chuck has this feature but it's helpful to know.
In his video about the Rohm chuck it would be useful if the manufacturers listed the brand of chuck amongst the drill's data.

Great video. It was good to hear the features described along with why/when to use them.

I have the same Ridgid drill and love it. I knew when and how to use all these features, but didn't know exactly how they worked. I didn't know that the hammer action was any different than an impact and I didn't know that the clicks were a ratchet in the chuck. Thanks for the explanation!

Great video! I didn't realize torque affected when drill disengaged. There have been a few times when I wanted something a little tighter and did the final twist or two by hand. I will have to check the torque next time! For switching bits in chuck, I use a quick-switch base that allows me to swap out standard bits in about 2 seconds. I think they are pretty common but might be good to point out in future video for others. Thanks!

Thank you!!! Sat here with my drill and found out all the great features I've been missing!!!

Great info - reinforces what I've learned and helps to recall what I've forgotten or haven't used for a long time. Your presentation is succinct and enjoyable to watch.

WHOAH!!! Thank you so much for this video. Ive been doing a lot of stuff wrong with my drill and now moving forward I know how to proceed.

Nicely done & well explained. 👍
For hammer drills I prefer a corded one. Cordless just doesn't have the power IMO.
Also, side note...don't try to drill into masonry with a non-hammer drill. It can be done, but you'll very quickly be hating your life, lol.

Dang! You've saved me a ton of money. I was using my drills in hammer money by holding them by the chuck and hamming in nails with the handle. Thanks!

Use impact drill for masonry and hammer drill for concrete. If you are drilling into soft bricks or hollow/semi-hollow bricks do not use impact as it will cause triangular holes (the drill bit is wandering from side to side).
When drilling into wood, steel or plastics use higher speeds for small diameter holes and decrease the speed as the hole diameter increases. Be careful with steel or aluminium as there is a risk of getting triangular holes as well.

I’m a new user of the makita drill, so I appreciate all the advise . Thank you !

Care needs to be taken when tightening the chuck by gripping it and running the drill. Brushless motor drills have a lot more torque than standard brush motor models and tend to run faster. This can easily result in nasty friction burns to the hand if you are not careful, especially if you are doing it for the first time with a new drill.

I had a rough idea based on intuition on all of these but it was good to know what they actually mean and learned something from each one. Great video.

I learned that 82 percent of people polled don't use their drill often enough to learn its features.

Thank you so much. Learned so much from your easy to understand and follow demonstrations and explanations

I learned about hammer drills recently because I wanted to hang stuff out in my yard like shade sails. The problem is that I live in a house adjacent to a very tall brick wall so to hang the shades from that side of the yard I was going to have to drill through brick rather than wood. However, getting up on a ladder with a hammer drill didn’t seem like a good idea, especially since I’m not too experienced with power tools. So I got the idea to take loose bricks that match the wall and drilled through those-which were four holes in each of the three bricks I needed to attach the pad-eye plates-while in my garage safely. 😅 Then I just got up there on the ladder and laid the bricks with the plates attached to them on the top of the wall in a few different spots. I tried to make it look as inconspicuous as possible. 👌 I added a couple more regular bricks on top as well for the weight to hold up the shade sails.
I’m sure it’s not the optimal way to do the job but as someone who’s a novice with drills, especially hammer drilling, I think it’s a decent job I did. The sails have not fallen off the plates or even sagged as far as I can see and are still holding well with the turnbuckles.

Just come across your videos. Really helpful. Thank you.

Actually didn't know you could crank down a bit more by hand and further tighten around the shank. Looking forward to trying that lol. With hex shanks it's not really an issue for me but round shanks slip at times. I bet that little extra hand ratcheting would help. Cheers!

Very useful, thanks for sharing!

Many keyless chucks also have a "locking" feature. Ratchet the chuck tight, then back off one click. You will feel and hear a different click than when tightening. This locks the pawls to prevent loosening the chuck when starting and stopping any drilling action.

First time drill buyer here, didn't know about the clutch. Will look out for it when I buy one. Thanks!

General rules:
Hammer mode for drilling concrte. Used with high speed 2.
Drill mode for drilling wood, plastic, tiles, metal. Either using low/high speed , but better to use high speed.
Drive mode , for driving screws, clutch feature is enabled here.

Great quick & easy to understand…loved this recap!

If you are worried about kickback then is safer to use the clutch as well rather than trying to use the extra handle and strength alone

You’re the man dude I got a Milwaukee set of fuel model drills for Christmas and now I know how to use them better.

Old dog here, learned some new tricks though👍

I just got a Parkside cordless one, never really know these features, but by looking at it, it was pretty clear. This video helped me to be sure, Thanks:)

The common old drill has come a l o n g way since hand operated tools I knew as a young fella . So have battery powered drill (tools) but I would like to hear your thoughts for and against mains powered and battery powered drills while I reminisce about boring fence posts with a brace and bit for seven plain wires plus a barb wire stock fence (Australia) . Posts about 3 meter/10 feet apart so that's a lot of holes per miles/kilometer of stock fence ; but that's how it was done .
I still remember watching my grandparents house being totally built on site with hand tools only !! Yep; hand saws, brace and bits, hammer and nails ; and a lot of sweat; and blood .

Thank you, much. Excellent information right there!!!

I'm assuming your other video is about locking the chuck after tightening if not then definitely an important tip to tell newbs

Just ran across a couple of your videos and all I have to say about them are....Nils.... U R Da Man! Keep up the excellent research and knowledge sharing. On behalf of All of us, Thank you.

I note you mention the forward reverse button.
If you set it in the centre it locks the trigger.
Tip No 6 - leaving the forward-reverse button in forward or reverse position leaves you drill on standby you might say which drains the battery.
So if you don’t want the battery going flat while the drill is being stored in you bag put the drill into lock button mode which not only stops your drill accidentally turning on in your bag but turns the drill off which stops the standby mode draining your battery charge.
So when you pull your drill out of the bag it will be as charged as it was when you put it in.
Is it just me that does this or does everybody know about this.

Thanks so much for this helpful video. I just bought my first cordless drill, and your great video has been a good place to start for learning how to use it.

Keyless chucks have a Lock feature on them.
After tightening the chuck, reverse the outer ring slightly until it Clicks.
That locks the barrel from loosening when you stop the drill that is spinning very fast from inertia.

Im lucky YT suggested this video because I just got a Makita Hammer Drill today and you've explained a LOT. Ive never owned my own drill so Im pretty pumped to lean new stuff about it thanks.

In the past I've owned a hammer drill (don't recall the brand) that let you lock the rotating drill function and allowed a chisel to be put in the chuck to chip away at masonry like a small jack hammer. BTW a hammer drill like the ones you show are only useful for drilling brick and cinder block. They don't deliver enough impact to drill in concrete with a stone aggregate. As soon as the drill hits a rock , it will fail to drill further or it will deflect to the side in an attempt to go around the rock. Many people buy these to set anchors in their garage or basement floor and they just aren't meant for that use. They are more correctly called masonry drills and a rotary hammer is the tool required for drilling through rocks.

I am really glad I discovered your tutorial. I flinched when I remember the first time I used my drill in a block wall and realized my wrist was NOT stronger than the torque trying to snap it. Thanks for all your tips and teaching.
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I expected to learn something, but proud to say I did not. Thank you to my Grandfather and Father who have apparently taught me well.

Great video. You covered all of the basics in an easy to understand video without a lot of excess material. Thanks again ❤

82% Don't use tools😂😂😂

Thanks for these videos! Honestly, I've been using mine wrong for the last 20yrs. I'm a homeowner and buy tools without knowing how to use them or when to use to what feature properly. I subscribed and will be looking at more of your videos. Thank you sir.

Oh blimey. No wonder I've never been able to use one. Great video. Will have to watch it a few times.

Thank you for a simple and clear explanation. I've been trying to figure out how to use a drill and this was the best video I've watched so far. Thank you. Now all I have to learn is what drill bit to use for wood, metal, etc.

Thanks for the explanation. It wasn't in the manual provided with the drill, but now it's clear!

A much needed refresher. Read it before but did not remember everything.

Thanks brother. I was waiting for years wishing to learn about these features.

These are some of the clearest most helpful videos on Drill/Impact Driver features. Loved it! I just used my new Makita Drill & Impact Driver. 🤓 Oh yeh!

So many people were enlightened with this single video lol. Awesome thank you!

Thank you for a simple and easy to understand guide. I didn't realise that a drill has so many functions

Really interesting. Never knew exactly how the hammer worked, didn’t really understand how to use the torque settings and I didn’t know they were inactive when in drill mode. Thank you

Thanks for the break down, I always wondered what the numbers meant but never looked into it, mainly because I prefer my impact driver. But now I know!

Thanks for the clutch story on the screwdriver vs drill mode. Getting big screws into 4 inch posts is tough and I often don't want to predrill. Great video. Thank you.

Fast and simple, thank you!

I've only been using drills for 40 years plus at work and for home diy and never paid much attention to the clutch numbers😂 although had a vague idea what it did, or the side handle for that matter, just knew that it felt more stable and secure when holding the handle,now I just bought a new Dewalt drill I felt I needed to know more. Thanks for the info..