What To Use When: Hammer Drill VS. Regular Drill

If you are new to power tools, even if you have some experience with them, confusing a hammer drill and a regular drill can happen to anyone. There are some things that you can look at that will tell you the type. Apart from having a totally different purpose, you can tell them apart by the weight, price, appearance, and the operation method.

Basically, a hammer drill can do pretty much everything like a standard drill, but it can also help you make holes in super-hard surfaces like concrete, bricks, and so on. It all comes down to what you need doing and how much money are you willing to spend on a power tool. Let’s take a closer look at what these two tools offer.

The Motor

The motor that drives the tip through the surface is the first difference you should lookout for. Normally, regular drills have smaller motors which produce less power. These devices work well on wood, soft walls, plaster, and any other type of softer material.

Hammer drill motor produces more watts giving it significantly more power. That power surge is needed to break the toughest of materials and make holes in them too. These kind of drills are made to last because they need to be able to cope with all of the pressure that comes from materials. Many models have built-in overheat safety modes that protect the motor from overheating.

The Use

When talking about use, each type of drill has their area of application. For example, if you want to make a couple of holes in some plywood, you should go with the standard drill. Of course, both of these devices are able to make a hole in plywood, but the hammer drill is too heavy, it often can’t accommodate smaller drill tips, and it’s hard to control.

On the other hand, the standard drill is lighter, which allows you more control and lets you make small precise holes. You won’t be able to bore through brick walls, but you should be able to finish up small drilling projects in no time at all.

But if you need a strong sturdy device that can help you with heavy-duty jobs, you need a hammer drill. Not only will it be able to make a hole in almost any material, you can also use its settings on those super-resistant materials. Standard drills would block and overheat if used against on tough materials, which is not the case with the other type. The hammer setting will turn your drill in a hammer drill that beats the material while rotating. Nothing can withstand that kind of power.

Type of Project

The first thing you have to think about before purchasing one of these devices is the job you want to do. If the project requires some heavy duty drilling or hammering, a hammer drill is just what you need. But, if you only want to make a couple of holes, you should go with a regular drill. Both of these tools are very useful, but you have to know which one to use and where.

The Price

As far as the prices go, today’s market has a lot to offer. You can find dozens and dozens of different drill manufacturers that have hundreds of different types and models to offer. That is just overwhelming for most people, so you need to know what to buy. Of course, when you figure that out, the price is one of the main factors to consider.

Source: ToolNerds.com