A Beginner's Guide to Using a Cordless Drill

Why a Cordless Drill Is the Best First Power Tool

If you only ever buy one power tool, make it a cordless drill. It hangs shelves, assembles flat-pack, drives screws into fence posts, drills brick for a curtain rail and, with a wire brush or a mixing paddle chucked in, tackles half a dozen other jobs you haven't thought of yet. Modern 18V models are light enough to use one-handed overhead and cheap enough that a decent brand-name kit with two batteries costs less than a decent pair of boots.

The trick is that a drill is really two tools in one: a drill, which spins a bit fast to cut a hole, and a screwdriver, which turns slowly with controlled force. Confusing the two is where most beginners come unstuck. Get the basics right and you will stop stripping screw heads, splitting timber and burning out bits within an afternoon.

Know Your Machine Before You Switch It On

Every cordless drill shares the same handful of controls, and ten minutes spent learning them saves hours of frustration.

• The chuck — the jawed collar at the front. Most are keyless: grip the rear collar, twist the front one anticlockwise, slot the bit in, then tighten firmly. On a 13mm chuck you can fit bits up to 13mm shank.
• The torque clutch — the numbered ring just behind the chuck, usually 1 to 21. It slips the drive when the screw reaches the right tightness, which stops you burying a screw head in MDF or shearing it off.
• Mode selector — a drill bit symbol for drilling, a screw symbol for driving, and on hammer drills a hammer symbol for masonry.
• Two-speed gearbox — usually a slider on top. Gear 1 is slow and powerful: use it for screws and for holes over 8mm. Gear 2 is fast and light: use it for small holes in wood and for drilling metal.
• Battery — keep one on charge at all times. Lithium-ion cells don't mind being topped up, unlike the old NiCad packs.

Bit Selection: Wood, Metal, Masonry and Plasterboard

Using the wrong bit is the single biggest cause of poor results. Match the bit to the material every time.

• Wood — use brad-point or lip-and-spur bits for clean entry holes; twist bits work fine but wander more. For holes over 20mm in softwood, use a flat wood bit or an auger bit at low speed.
• Masonry, brick and block — masonry bits have a tungsten carbide tip and a wider flute to clear dust. Never use one in wood; the tip scrapes rather than cuts and leaves a ragged hole.
• Metal — high-speed steel (HSS) bits, used with a drop of oil as lubricant and gentle, steady pressure. Start with a small pilot and step up.
• Plasterboard — ordinary twist bits cut plasterboard fine. For anything heavier than a picture, you need a proper fixing rather than a better bit.
• Driving screws — Pozi-drive (PZ) bits are the UK standard for most screws; Phillips (PH) bits look similar but cam out easily. Use a bit that seats fully in the screw head and replace it when the corners round off.

Add a countersink bit and a set of hex-shank driver bits to your kit. You will use them constantly.

Clutch Settings and Speed: The Two Dials That Matter

Set the clutch low — around 5 to 8 — for small screws in softwood or MDF, and higher, 12 to 18, for long screws into hardwood or when driving without a pilot hole. If the clutch clicks and the screw stops turning before it is flush, increase the setting by two and try again. If it buries the head, drop it sharply.

Speed matters just as much. Drill wood at full speed in gear 2, but slow right down when a bit breaks through the far side, otherwise you will blow out the back face. Drill metal slowly with firm pressure. Drill masonry at moderate speed in gear 2 with the hammer action on and let the bit do the work — pressing hard overheats the tip and blunts it.

Pilot Holes, Countersinks and Avoiding Split Timber

A pilot hole is a small hole drilled before the screw goes in. It stops the timber splitting, reduces the effort needed and keeps the screw on line. As a rule of thumb, use a pilot bit roughly the same diameter as the screw's shank, not its threads: about 2mm for a 3.5mm screw in softwood, and 2.5mm to 3mm in hardwood or near an end grain edge.

Then countersink the top of the hole so the screw head sits flush or just below the surface. If you want a tidy finish, screw in, then hide the head with a wooden plug or a dab of filler sanded smooth.

When driving a screw, run the drill slowly, keep the driver bit square to the screw head and stop as soon as it bites down. Let the clutch do the work rather than your wrist.

Drilling into Brick, Plasterboard and Walls Safely

Walls hold hidden surprises. Before you drill anywhere, check for cables and pipes with a detector, and stay clear of sockets, switches and radiators by at least 150mm. If in doubt, drill elsewhere.

• Brick — mark the hole, start with a small masonry bit, then open out to the size you need. Drill slightly longer than the wall plug, blow out the dust, tap the plug in flush and screw into it.
• Plasterboard — light loads need a plasterboard plug with a wide collar or a self-drilling fixing. Anything heavier, such as a shelf or a wall cabinet, needs a spring toggle or a cavity fixing that spreads the load behind the board.
• Overhead work — wear safety glasses and a dust mask, and hold the drill firmly with both hands. Let the drill come to a complete stop before lowering it.

Good Habits That Keep You Safe

Wear eye protection whenever you drill, and a mask for masonry or MDF dust. Keep the workpiece clamped or braced so it cannot spin. Never wear loose sleeves or gloves near a spinning chuck, and unplug or remove the battery before changing bits. Let the drill stop completely before putting it down, and store bits in a case so the edges stay sharp. Finally, go steady: a slow, controlled cut with the right bit beats brute force every single time.