What is a Corded Drill?

By John W.
Last Updated: February 5, 2018

Introduction

Since before the oldest recorded civilizations, there have been drills – which had evolved in primitive capacity throughout many centuries until the arrival of electric drills in the late 19th century. In 1917, Black&Decker were the first to patent the famous pistol shaped, electric drill, controlled by a trigger. This was the grandfather of today’s more modern designs, with many different varieties set in two categories: Cordless (battery-powered) and corded. The drill is a versatile power too and using the corded drill offers greater torque than a cordless model, if you are looking for power!

These two types of drills share the same essential features, such as a torque-driven turning mechanism, the ability to interchange drill bits of various sizes, and basic functionality, but there are also some key differences between a cordless and a corded drill, each with its own set of pros and cons, and choosing which one to buy is entirely subjective to an individual’s personal or professional needs. In this article, we focus on the corded drill in terms of what it can offer, and hopefully be able to help the buyer make an informed decision when it comes time to buy a drill.

There are Several Different Types of Corded Drills for Different Needs

A Standard Drill

Is shaped like a large pistol with a drill bit on the end and a power trigger on the drill handle. This is the most basic type of drill and is generally used in the widest variety of projects. Standard drills are good for boring holes and driving screws.

The Hammer Drill

looks a lot like a standard drill with its pistol-shape, but offers an added function of driving the drill bit, hammer-style. Also, there is a clutch that rapidly draws the drill bit back and forward to create fast, powerful hammering action. The hammer drill is used for masonry work that drives the drill bit more effectively into the stone than a regular torque-driven drill would. Hammer drills would be unnecessary for wood projects.

A Rotary Hammer Drill

offers the same action as the hammer drill, but uses a piston instead of a clutch for driving the drill bit, and rotates it as it does, allowing for a more powerful, quicker hole drilling into stone.

The Impact Drill

Is a bit stubbier than the other types of drills with a shorter body and it has vice grips instead of the chuck that is used for turning the drill bit, resulting greater torque and less effort to drill with less-stripped screws, and greater drilling command, suitable for finer carpentry work.