Best value drills: What to consider before you buy

Electric screwdrivers

While electric screwdrivers don’t have the power of a drill, they are smaller and lighter, which makes them good for tight spaces where a drill can‘t fit. Electric drivers are used to screw and unscrew screws in a surface, so can’t be used for as many things as a drill. However, they are usually cordless, so you can make quick fixes and work wherever you need around the site.
Electric screwdrivers don’t create as much torque as a drill, so you can drive screws into soft wood without sinking deep enough to split it. They make screwing and unscrewing easy and quick, so are great to have in your toolbox.
 

Drill drivers

Battery-operated drill drivers are the most common type of drill. They have two modes — drilling and loosening or tightening screws.

They usually have a two-speed gearbox. Use the high speed to drill holes in materials, including metal and wood. The low-speed setting is for driving screws , except when driving small screws into softwood. This should be at a higher speed but with lower torque.
They don’t have a built-in hammer feature so aren’t good for masonry drilling. However, they have prolonged battery life, effortless control, and are lightweight, making them easier to use.

Impact drivers

Impact drills drive in screws and tighten nuts at speed into tough surfaces. They use bursts of torque to reduce the stress on your wrist and arm, and are good for big screwdriving projects like raised decks and stud walls.

They are also good for dense or knotty wood and bricks (if prepared with holes). While it reduces your work time, don’t use an impact drill for screwing or tightening jobs that require pinpoint accuracy.

Hammer drills

Hammer drills make it easy to drill holes and drive fasteners in bricks, concrete blocks, and mortar. They look like ordinary drills but work by using two different motions to create a hammering movement to punch through hard materials such as brick and concrete. They are good for fitting skirting boards, gutters, and hanging TV wall mounts.

The hammer setting can usually be switched off, so it can be used as a standard drill. On the other hand, hammer drills are noisier than SDS rotary hammer drills and don’t always have a reverse screwdriving function.

Combi drills

This is the best drill for multifunctionality. It is good for many basic drilling and screwdriving tasks, but has a hammer action feature to break through tough materials.

Combi drills do the same things as a drill driver, but also have better torque and the hammer action for drilling into hard surfaces such as brick, concrete, and metal.

As they work like a drill driver or a hammer drill, combi drills are great for many daily DIY and bigger projects. Just be aware they aren’t as powerful as a high-end hammer or SDS rotary hammer.

SDS drills

The best drill for heavy-duty applications like building and construction work where power is important.

SDS drills (also called SDS rotary hammers) work like standard hammer drills, but also have an SDS (Slotted Drive System) for better hammer action. They can easily drill through the hardest materials, like block, brickwork, concrete, and steel, and are good for chiselling and chipping tiles.

Use the 3-mode model for more difficult jobs, as it has the addition of a chiselling function for light chiselling applications or chipping into concrete or masonry.

HSS drill bits

High-Speed Steel (HSS) drill bits are made from carbon steel and designed to safely drill through soft steels, wood, and plastic.

Screwdriver bits

Screwdriver bits turn your drill into a powerful screwdriver, so you can quickly and easily drive or remove screws.

SDS bits

Used with SDS drills, their design gives a high power level for heavy-duty drilling into materials like block and stone.

TCT drill bits

Tungsten Carbide Tipped (TCT) drill bits are designed to penetrate extremely hard materials such as paving slabs or metal. The drill bit is tipped with tungsten carbide, which is approximately twice as strong as steel.