10 Best Drills for Woodworking in 2020 [Reviews] | The Edge Cutter

Cordless: This type of drill is handy and is basically used for domestic purposes. Cordless drills are powered by a rechargeable Lithium-ion battery (generally), which is fitted at the base of the drill handle. This keeps the drill well-balanced in your grip while in use. The best thing about the wireless drill is you can take it to any corner, anytime; free from the hassle and worry of finding a power outlet.

Corded: This type of drill was more prevalent in the past decades. However, it is still available in the market. If you have a personal workshop you can buy the corded drill. However, make sure that the power outlet to plug the drill cord is closer to your work table. Moreover, the corded drills have an unmatched power level compared to the cordless drills. Though the recent editions of the cordless tools have become successful in bridging this power gap, it is yet to match the corded ones. Again, a corded drill will eliminate your worry of running out of battery power as in case of the cordless ones. If this is what your requirement is, then go for a percussion or rotary drill as both fall into the corded drill category.
 

See if your selected drill has a torque adjusting dial with wider scale setting. The torque is the driving force to withstand the resistance, thereby screwing the nail to an accurate depth. You simply have to set the torque limit through the dial and it will drive the screw to the desired depth. However, excess torque can lead to loss of accuracy and control, thereby damaging the work surface.

The chuck holds the drill or screw bit at the front of the tool. Keyless chuck makes the bit fitting task easier and quicker, without requiring to fix the bit to the chuck with any added tool. 

Most drills come with forward function only. However, some drill drivers feature both forward and reverse functions that let you drive the screw and unscrew the nail, as required, at a single swap of the switch. It is comparatively better to buy a drill with reverse mode available in it. 

Make sure your chosen drill allows a comfortable grip during its applications. This will reduce fatigue feeling and let you hold the drill longer to conduct multiple tasks at a go. Also, check the tool weight; maximum weight from the battery fitted to the drill base (if it is a cordless one). However, this maximum range is below the level of fatigue and so it is considerable.

Sometimes you are required to work in a dark corner or dull work spots. In such cases, a trigger-based LED plays a vital role in lighting up as the speed trigger is hauled. The LED light will turn off automatically after some seconds of releasing the speed trigger. Overall, it is a handy feature to check on. 

Chargers, batteries, and cords are the three important accessories based on the type of drill you prefer; corded or cordless. In case of the cordless drill, either a Li-ion or Ni-Cd battery is used. However, the former is much preferable for its longevity. Also, it is always better to depend on a battery and charger type, and cord (for a corded tool) that has the least chances of getting obsolete soon.

Now comes the price factor of how much you should spend on a drill. Remember, the higher you pay, the better you get. With an increasing budget, the functionalities will increase and vice versa. There is no denying that for a professional woodcrafter/DIY hobbyist, the budget range will greatly differ.

Make sure to exercise caution while using any type of drill model; be it a corded or cordless one. Check out the product manual to learn the safety application of the tool while drilling. Use the drill accessories only when it is required and using safety glass, ear-plugs, face mask and other health equipment is a must.

We thought of adding this point under the buyer's guide as it will be helpful for the beginners. However, we recommend the professionals to follow the same.

Heavy-duty hammer is preferred at first place because of its high reliability to carry out almost every drilling requirement. However, like any other power drill, it too has its own drawback; being a heavy weight tool, it becomes a little difficult to continue using it for longer. Plus, this drill is a little clumsy when it comes to drilling small holes, and the chuck may be too wide to hold smaller bits (most can hold bits up to the size of 1.5 mm).

There is a common perception among people that any electronic product from Japan or German manufacturer is the best. However, there is another group of people who expect the same quality but a lower price and so, they go for China, Malaysia, Mexico, and others-made products. In such cases, it is important to focus on the fact that whether the manufacturer owns the production house or not. If they do, then you are going to get the best quality product as they have better control over the production techniques and quality of materials used. On the contrary, the manufacturers sometimes apply the same production procedure in their factories located in different areas, but tend to produce the highest quality goods only in the most luxurious location.

To prevent overloading of the drill, it is a must to decrease the cutting load on the drill. This is how you can do that: 

• Use 1 or more pilot drills followed by using lubricants for cutting and cooling
• It is preferable to use high quality, honed accessories
• Reduce the drilling speed or switch it to low gear
• Then let the drill do its tasks at a natural force without applying an added external force manually
• Finally, clean the wood swarf from drill chuck after every use 

If your drill is still running within its warranty period and any issue occurs, take it straight to the dedicated retailer and get it either replaced or repaired for free. However, if your product is now running out of warranty, then repair it through local paid servicing. Considering the latter case, most users find it better to buy a newer drill instead of repairing it at a higher cost.