Tool School: Drill and Screwdriver for Irreplaceable Purposes
No matter what kind of project you are doing, you will probably need to drill holes and screw in a few screws from time to time. A light drill / driver should be the first power tool anyone has. That’s why.
The need for a drill / screwdriver is obvious – from hanging photographs to assembling flat furniture from IKEA. These dual-use power tools work with hole drills and screwdriver bits for driving slotted, angle and square head screws much faster (and more powerful) than using a conventional screwdriver.
Corded drills like this DeWALT are only designed to hold drills and other equipment , but they lack a sleeve that gives you more control over the amount of torque applied by the tool. This sleeve is what differentiates a standard drill from a cordless drill / driver. This allows the tool motor to disengage from the drill at a predetermined value, which prevents the screw from being driven too deep or removed.
Clutch settings range from 1 to 10, or 1 to 20, with 1 off with least resistance and 10 or 20 off with most resistance. There is also a detail setting, which is indicated by a detail icon. Use this setting when using a drill / driver as a drill for maximum torque and rpm. If your drill / driver has a high and low speed option, select low for driving screws and high for drilling.
Remember to adjust the grip when tightening the screws, as too much torque can twist the tool in the wrist if it quickly encounters a lot of resistance. Start with less resistance and gradually increase as needed.
Directly in front of the sleeve is a chuck holding the drills. Chuck size refers to the maximum drill diameter that the drill can hold and ranges from 1/4 “, 3/8” to 1/2 “. You need a keyless chuck that can be turned by hand. Turn it clockwise. to compress and tighten the bit and turn it counterclockwise to release the bit.
In addition to the chuck size, cordless drills / screwdrivers are available in various capacities. 12V to 18V and from lithium-ion to nickel-cadmium batteries. Lithium-ion powered instruments are powerful and lightweight, but more expensive than nickel-cadmium instruments. The 12V drill / driver will be the most compact tool, but with the least runtime and power. These are all trade-offs that come down to personal preference.
Choose a drill / driver that fits comfortably in your hand. Pay attention to the weight of the tool, the size of the handle, and the gripping surface. The best drills / screwdrivers for DIYers include models from Bosch , DeWALT , Black & Decker and RYOBI .