by the Professional Power Tool Guide Crew
Of all the power tools on the market, the drill is probably the most widely recognized and used. Most households across the United States own at least one small cordless drill that is used mostly as a power screwdriver. More intrepid handymen may even use their drills to do kooky things like, you know, drill holes, but even they typically wind up switching the bit after the hole is drilled, so that they can screw or bolt whatever they drilled the hole into together. What most people don’t know is that there are other types of drills, such as hammer drills. So what is a hammer drill, and how is it different from a typical drill?
A normal drill works based upon the high number of RPMs (or revolutions per minute) that it can achieve, coupled with the amount of torque (or pressure) that it can apply. You place the bit against whatever object you are using it against and pull the trigger. The drill motor then spins the bit at extremely high velocity, which in turn drives the bit through whatever material it is penetrating. Depending upon the material that you are trying to drill through, there may be the need for something more powerful than a regular drill, such as a hammer drill. So what is a hammer drill?
A hammer drill combines the normal rotary action of a drill with the pounding action of a hammer. So what is a hammer drill used for? This is especially helpful and useful in applications where you are attempting to drill through masonry or stonework. Simply having your drill spin a metal bit in place while in stonework may not be enough to actually drive the bit through the material. A hammer drill couples that motion with a back and forth hammering, like a small jackhammer, which allows the bit to move more easily through the stone.
A hammer drill is not something that every handyman will necessarily need. If you are just handy enough to put together furniture that comes out of a box, chances are you won’t need a tool as powerful as a hammer drill. If however, you plan to run plumbing or wiring through concrete block, then you may need a hammer drill. If you work with masonry bits a lot with your current drill and only have limited success, then it may benefit you to learn what is a hammer drill and how it can help you.
