Guide to Drilling Tools

Find drills and accessories for your every application

By Jamie McIntosh

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Choose the right drill bit for your job

You must choose the correct drill bit to make a clean hole without damaging your drill bit or the surface you're drilling. Choosing the quality drill bits also enables you to complete your job quickly. For all purpose lightweight drilling on wood, metal or plastic look for twist bits. Masonry bits contain a tungsten carbide drilling tip for making holes in brick or stone. A tile bit is essential for drilling ceramic or glass. A wood auger bit is a specialty piece used for drilling deep, large diameter holes.

I recommend: You can shop for a drill bit set or drill bit accessories including sharpeners and adapters at ToolKing.com. Stanley guarantees that all drill bits they sell are free from material and workmanship defects.

Obtain a drill press to ensure precision in your drill spacing

If you have a small business, a bench-top drill press should meet your needs. If you need to use your drill press daily, you should shop for a floor model drill press. Consider a drill press with one horsepower to handle tougher materials, at least 10 speed settings, a tilting table and a precise depth-stop feature.

I recommend: Compare more than 50 drill press models by top manufacturers like Palmgren and Craftsman Professional at Sears Brand, LLC. If your shop operates within a strict budget, you can save money with reconditioned drill presses at CPO Commerce, Inc.

Select a cordless drill that can stand up to your job requirements

A quality cordless drill is helpful when your job requires you to be mobile, and a power source isn't always handy. If you need a powerful cordless model, choose a model with a voltage of 14.4 or greater, but prepare to wield a heavier tool as the voltage increases. Choose a cordless drill that has 24 clutch settings or more to give you the most control over the power delivery. Finally, buy a cordless drill with nickel-metal-hydride batteries for the longest running performance.

I recommend: W.E. Aubuchon Co, Inc. has met the needs of its hardware customers for a century, and they can help you choose from over four dozen cordless drill models in their comprehensive online store. Black and Decker specializes in a complete line of cordless tools for drilling, ranging from light duty six volt models to high performance 18 volt models.

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  As you consider the power ratings of corded and cordless drills, don't rely on torque to accurately describe the rotational power of the drill. Torque isn't a standard measurement between brands, so you must compare voltage when considering a drill's power.