Basic information about drills

Drills and Hammer Drills:

The difference between a drill and a hammer drill lies in the additional “hammering function” on hammer drills. This causes the machine to perform a kind of hammering motion on the drill bit, enabling it to be used on masonry or light concrete. This “hammering function” is not suitable for use on wood, metal, plastic, ceramics, etc., and is therefore not necessary on a drill without this function. 

Both machines have a cylindrical tool holder – i.e. for “normal” drill bits. Currently, almost all models are equipped with a practical quick-release chuck for tool-free drill bit changes.

There are two sizes of drill chucks for hand-held drills: smaller machines with a drill diameter of up to 10 mm and larger machines with a drill diameter of up to 13 mm. These machines are ideal for universal use.

Hammer Drills

Unlike hammer drills, these have a special drill chuck – SDS-Plus. These widely available, commercially available drills are easily recognizable by the slots in the insertion area. This special chuck is necessary because a hammer drill offers a significantly higher impact power (specified in joules) and thus also a significantly higher drilling performance in concrete, stone, brickwork, and the like. Many models also have a rotation stop, which makes it possible to use these machines for small chiseling jobs in concrete, brick, or tile.

If a hammer drill is also to be used with cylindrical drill bits for wood, metal, and similar materials, a multi-hammer is recommended. These models have a quick-change drill chuck so that the correct drill chuck can be used depending on the drill shank (SDS-Plus or cylindrical). 

For tougher jobs, there are also larger drill and chisel hammers with an SDS-Max chuck. As the name suggests, this is a larger version of the SDS-Plus system. However, the two are not compatible.

Impact wrench

This is not a drill in the traditional sense. Here, a sudden rotational movement ensures that screws are either loosened or tightened. It is actually a screwdriver—not a drilling tool—which we will cover in a separate chapter.