Whether you are someone who enjoys fixing things on your own or you like making new things from scratch, owning a drilling machine is a must. This versatile power tool is available in many shapes and forms for different uses. Easy to use and accessible to everyone, drilling machines are a must-have in the modern household.
Drilling machines have been around for a long time. They find their origins in prehistoric times when humans first started using tools. A sharpened rock rotated against a surface by hand is how the drill mechanism was first used. Flash forward several years to 1889, when the first mechanical drill was invented. It was a large stable machine that was fixed in place and objects to be drilled were brought close to it. While this was an important invention, it was inaccessible to the general population. Portable drills were finally invented in 1916, changing the household toolbox forever. Today, these drills are essential additions to every home’s toolkit.
As mentioned above, drills are available in various shapes and sizes for varying use. Depending on your need and frequency of use, you can choose a suitable drill for your kit. Below is a brief list of different types of drills and their uses to get you started:
- Hand Drill: The most commonly used drill in households, these are the easiest drills to master. The simplest drill to drill holes, it generally comes with an easy-grip measure to ensure the user is able to utilize these with ease. They are also utilized for securing two objects together.
- Standard Electric Drill: When working with heavier objects at home, you will need a drilling machine that can handle heavy-duty work. Standard electric drills are available in two types – battery-powered and cable-connected. In general, battery-powered drills are a lot easier to move around as they are not constricted by a wire. However, wired drills are more powerful when it comes to drilling.
- Hammer Drills: Best utilized for hard, brittle surfaces such as cemented walls, these drills are excellent for anyone looking to start a home renovation project. Additionally, you can use them for making holes in stone or brick walls. Other drills would wear out or even break, but hammer drills are made for this purpose specifically. This is achieved by a hammer-like feature that works alongside the usual drilling rod. Some hammer drills also have a feature for people to switch entirely to the hammer instead of the rotating drill bit.
- Benchtop Drill Press: Unlike the rest of the drills on this list, this drill is stationed to one surface. This drill is specific to woodwork and is used to make accurate holes in wooden surfaces. A drill press is essential for those who work often with wood and metal.
- Reversible Drill: These drills are rather handy. Apart from the usual drilling and screwing applications, this drill specializes in the removal of nails and screws. Unscrewing can be rather tedious, especially when you are working with multiple nails and screws on a single surface. What’s more, they do so without causing any damage to the hole itself, hence you can easily re-screw your nail/stud/screw back in!
- Brace Drill: A more old-school drill, these devices are mechanical and require the user to manually rotate the mechanism. It consists of two sides, one which is rotated by the user and the other having the ‘drill’ part with ridges. Utilized mainly for wooden surfaces, these drills help make accurate holes in wood and are an excellent addition to the toolkit of anyone who works with wood often.
- Pneumatic Drill: Pneumatic drills work on a compressed air mechanism, making them a lot lighter than electric drills. They are utilized to drill through surfaces such as rock and cement. These are generally low maintenance and pocket-friendly. Pneumatic drills also utilize less power for operation than most drills.
Apart from the drilling machine itself, the attachments for drills are varied. These are known as ‘drill bits’ and have diverse uses:
- Flat Drill Bit: Utilized mostly to bore holes in easier to penetrate surfaces such as wood and soft metals, this drill bit is great if you’re into woodwork.
- Centre Drill Bit: These drill bits are utilized to make holes in metallic surfaces. In general, the holes made are preemptive to bigger holes that will be drilled later.
- Countersinking Bit: Used for making holes from varying angles, and depending on the make, can be utilized for woodwork or for metalwork.
- Step Drill Bit: Thanks to their conical shape, these drill bits are excellent when the user is looking to bore big holes in a surface. They are utilized on sheet metal.
- Auger Bit: An excellent choice for those who regularly work with wood, these bits are utilized with a carpenter’s brace. These drill bits are essential if you require pinpoint precision in your woodwork.
- Forstner Bit: Looking to make clean-edged holes in wood? Forstner bits are for you. These bits offer the least tear-out when they’re being pulled out of the surface.
Considering the wide variety of drilling machines for home use available, it is essential to do thorough research when buying a drilling machine. Depending on what you require a drill for, whether it is to begin a home renovation project, for woodwork, or for general repair work around the house, there is a drill available for every purpose. Take your use, operation cost, and frequency of use into consideration when investing in a drill for home use. Happy shopping!

