The selection of electric tools for drilling and screwing is almost overwhelming. The decision is therefore often difficult. We reveal when a drill or a hammer drill is the better choice.
Price
Drilling machines are available in numerous designs and are available for relatively low prices. You often have to pay more for impact drills. However, the latter also have to provide more performance in order to meet the intended purpose.
Application options
Due to their performance, drilling machines are designed for drilling in relatively unproblematic and softer materials, such as wood and plasterboard. Theoretically, they can also be used for screwing, but the screw heads can be destroyed very easily and quickly because the rotation speed can only be controlled with great sensitivity.
Impact drills can also be used for screwdriving thanks to the appropriate attachments or bits. However, the same problem is often found here as with the drill. An exception are impact drills, where the power can be regulated. For example, by switching to another gear and thus to a low rotation speed. You should also be able to deactivate the punch.
Material
While drills are suitable for light materials, impact drills can also handle harder surfaces. Hardwood, metal or concrete are no problem for the impact drill. However, care should be taken to ensure that the correct attachments are used for the respective material. Otherwise, walls, building materials and the hammer drill itself can be damaged.
In addition, the impact drill can be used universally. Screwing with control and at intervals, drilling into softer and lighter materials with the impact deactivated and making holes in harder materials with the impact activated is very quick and easy with this device.
Handling
Using a drill or hammer drill is actually easy. However, with a drill, a lot of continuous pressure must be applied when working on harder materials. In addition, the engine can overheat comparatively quickly. The advantage of the impact drill is that the mechanics are designed to be able to process even harder materials. Thanks to the integrated impact mechanism, the devices can withstand greater loads and are more powerful. Since the power can often be regulated and there is also the option of switching off the impact mechanism, these tools are much more versatile in use than a simple drill.
Selection
There are now countless drilling machines and impact drills available in stores. However, hammer drills are available in a wider range. The same applies to the accessories. Large sets but also individual bits and attachments can often be purchased without any problems. There is also a comprehensive range for drilling machines. However, accessories are usually more limited. However, the accessories also depend on the manufacturer of the equipment offered.
Recommendation
Whether you choose a drill or an impact drill should depend on the intended use. If you want to drill into very hard materials more often, you should choose the all-rounder - the hammer drill with a deactivatable impact and adjustable gears. Depending on the attachment and setting, a wide range of materials can be processed. However, if you only drill into plasterboard or soft wood, a drill is sufficient.
