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So let’s talk about this, Hammer Drill vs Regular Drill.
Now, surely you would agree – Drills are amazing. It’s one of the most basic Power Tool all of us would need in our Power Tool Arsenal. A good 99% of projects, whether its DIY for Home Improvement, or specialized Carpentry, Woodworking, Metal Working, Construction, or any thing else would always need drills in hand.
Drills are most often featured in the fore front section of our favorite hardware stores. Home Depot, Target, Lowes, and any other stores – the Drill Aisle is probably the one we’ve come to love at first sight. If you’ve also noticed, there are 3 main types of Drills featured in a store’s lineup – namely: Regular Drills, Hammer Drills, and Impact Drills. For this guide, we will mostly cover the first two, Regular Drills and Hammer Drills.
When it comes to Hammer Drill vs Regular Drill, you can often tell them apart by their weight, appearance, and operation method.
You, being a professional or an avid DIY and Power Tool enthusiast, knowing the difference between a Hammer Drill vs Regular Drill – and knowing which is best for your ongoing and future projects – is a must.
Don’t worry, with our Hammer Drill vs Regular Drill guide we’ve got you covered!
Short Version / TL;DR
Don’t have time to read through the article? Don’t worry, we get you – here’s a brief rundown on our Hammer Drill vs Regular Drill guide:
To get the simpler version of things – If you are working in a specialized part of the trade – or simply dealing with tough materials that needs some packing power to drill through, like concrete and other forms of masonry – the Hammer Drill is for you. It has the power you need to get the project done quickly and efficiently all thanks to its powerful motor.
If you are working on projects that involved minimal to light drilling or needs drilling on lightweight soft material like wood and metal sheets – you can accomplish all of these with a handy Regular Drill. These come in Corded and Cordless types, both of which function the same way.
Comparison Table
Here’s a comparison table for Hammer Drill vs Regular Drill to easily tell you which is which:
| Features | Hammer Drill | Regular Drill |
|---|---|---|
| Motor | Powerful W/ High Wattage | Weaker W/ Low Wattage |
| Method | Impact Hammering | Straight Drilling |
| Best On | Hard Material (Concrete, Bricks, Masonry) | Softer Material (Wood and Metal Sheets) |
| Best For | Construction Work | DIY’s, Carpenters |
| Safety | Relatively Safe – A bit Heavy and hard to control | Very Safe - Control is smooth |
Don’t have time To read? No worries!
Below are our top picks for your convenience
Dweller Power’s Best Pick
Best Corded Hammer Drill in the Market
DeWALT DWD520 Hammer Drill
- 10.0 Amp Motor
- Patented DEWALT Built Motor Design
- 2-Speed Range: High Speed Drilling or High Torque
- Ergonomic Soft Grip Handle
- Metal Gear Housing
Dweller Power’s Best Pick
Best Cordless Drill in the Market
DeWALT DCD791D2 20V MAX Cordless Drill
- Brushless Drill
- XR Li-Ion Batteries
- Two Speed Settings: 0-550 RPM | 0-2,000 RPM
- Ergonomic Comfort Grip
What Is A Hammer Drill?
To clarify confusion if there is any for our Hammer Drill vs Regular Drill Guide, Hammer Drill are by far the Power Package of Power Tools. Hammer Drills are the most powerful pieces of machinery designed for drilling. They operate on an impact mechanism that displays a hammering motion, hence the name ‘Hammer Drill’. It hammers through your target with dead precision while still producing a drilled effect. Simply speaking, it is quick and powerful.
The overall design on how this Drill operates – It’s raw power relies on its pulsing or pumping hammer motion that makes you feel the rear end of the drill is being hammered into the targeted position, only in very quick intervals.
Using this on harder material like concrete and other various products of masonry is quite ideal because it can punch through or drill through them with ease. One thing to note, however is that accuracy will often depend on experience. This is because it is a heavy piece of equipment, and would require some muscle effort to hit the same exact spot with precision.
What adds to a Hammer Drill’s power is that it relies on a very powerful high wattage motor. High enough that hard materials won’t pose much of a problem and efficient enough to get the project done with ease. You can be sure that drilling into hard blocks of concrete and concrete boards like a Hardie backer, will be finished swiftly.
If you are working on projects or will be working on projects that deals with drilling through hard surfaces from mostly concrete, wood, and metal – having a Hammer Drill is a no brainer. Be assured, it will get you through the hardest and toughest types of concrete and masonry.
Hammer Drill Pros & Cons
Pros:
- Best for Hard Surface and Material
- Some models have a Drill and Hammer Function
- Has a guide handle for ease of control
Cons:
- Very Loud and Noise amplifies depending on surface
- Heavy – needs strength for efficient use
- Not a necessity for a hobbyist or DIY work
Hammer Drill Recommendation –
DeWALT DWD520 Hammer Drill
Features:
- 10.0 Amp motor delivers increased drilling performance
- Patented DEWALT built motor design generates 50 percent more power with increased overload protection for added durability
- Dual mode: hammerdrill / drill for versatility in masonry, wood, or steel drilling applications
- 2-Speed range for high speed drilling or high torque applications
- Soft grip handle and two-finger trigger for increased comfort and greater control. Metal gear housing for jobsite durability and increased reliability
Review:
This hammer drill from DeWalt provides more power and speed than any other pistol-grip drill on the market. It’s made for professional construction workers who demand the best.
Tough, compact, and incredibly powerful, the Dewalt DWD520 hammer drill can handle any task you throw at it. With a 10-amp motor, this handy tool will easily keep up with your toughest workloads. This DeWalt hammer drill provides powerful drilling action on concrete, wood, and metal.
This also features an incredible Dual Mode to switch between hammer drilling and regular drilling dominating all projects for masonry, wood, or steel.
Compact and Ergonomic, as a DeWALT Standard, you can never go wrong with the DeWALT DWD520 Hammer Drill for the toughest projects. If you don’t mind being burdened with a power cord – this baby can get the job done for all your Hammer Drilling needs.
Hammer Drill Tutorial for Beginners
What Is A Regular Drill?
A regular drill, also known as a standard drill, or simply Power Drill, as the name implies is by far the most flexible Drill for all-around regular-standard drilling. They are ideal for drilling pilot holes or larger holes. Regular drills are useful on most jobs, especially when you need to drill a lot of holes in various places. These drills come in corded and cordless types.
Regular corded or cordless drills are basically just spinning machines. They have a chuck and jaw that clamps down on a bit. Then, the motor applies a forceful torque to turn that bit. A regular drill relies on accessories called bits- for example, a Twist drill bit basically just chop or carve their way through wood.
Designed for all-around versatile and flexible drilling, these are designed to produce torque. Regular cordless drills are great for drilling wood, plastics, metal, and even cement fiberboards like a hardie-plank. But they are terrible at drilling hard surfaces like thick concrete, thick metal, and other products of masonry.
In terms of its power output – a Regular Drill’s motor is usually smaller in size. Just enough to produce power to drill through the said lighter surfaces and softer types of materials. Concrete may be drilled through but it highly depends on the thickness and type of concrete you’re working on.
Most often, Home Improvement, DIY projects, and basic Carpentry and Woodwork, finds Regular Power Drills the most efficient and advantageous Power Tool to work with when it comes to drilling. If your project load is requiring you to work on the these- where it is mostly drilling holes on soft materials like what is mentioned above, the Regular Corded and Cordless Drills are your best bet to add to your Power Tool Collection.
Types of Regular Drills:
Corded
Generally speaking, they are more powerful, leaner, and lighter than their cordless cousins. However, they are more noisy, less convenient when being used, and not to mention mobility or range of action is restricted.
Cordless
On the other hand are irreplaceably convenient. They are portable and extremely flexible as you can drill virtually almost anywhere at any angle. To note however, that they are bulky, heavy tools, with a limited lifespan, restricted by battery size and power output.
Regular Drill Pros & Cons
Pros:
- Great for Wood and softer materials
- Best for All-around drilling
- A Must-Have for Everyone
Cons:
- Not reliable when drilling through harder materials
- Noisy
Regular Drill Recommendation –
DeWALT DCD791D2 20V
Features:
- DEWALT drill with brushless motor delivers up to 57% more run time over brushed.
- XR Li-Ion batteries with fuel gauge provide this power drill 33% more capacity over standard packs
- DEWALT 20V MAX drill is compact (6.9 inch front to back), lightweight (3.4 lbs) design fits into tight areas.
- High-speed transmission with two speed settings (0-550/0-2,000 RPM) delivers up to 30% faster application speeds
- Ergonomic comfort grip handle provides ideal balance and tool control
- Metal 1/2-inch ratcheting chuck for superior bit gripping strength
- 3-Mode LED provides lighting in dark or confined spaces up to 20 times brighter than previous model.
- LED Spotlight Mode features 20-minute shutoff function allowing for extended work time in dark or confined spaces
Review:
Coming from the staple brand of most Power Tool enthusiasts – there’s a reason you see so many DeWalt tools on websites and stores- Mainly because they’ve become a benchmark, that comes with reliable and cleverly designed technology. Which is also found in this XR Brushless Compact Drill.
The 20 volt rotation allows for the drill to be lightweight and provide high-speed drilling of up to 450 revolutions per minute. It also provides two speed settings with high delivering immense rpm and low at controlled rpm.
Designed for use in harsh working conditions, this tough DeWalt 20V brushless drill has just what it needs to get the job done. From a steel belt hook and magnetic bit storage, to a two-stage aluminium transmission, there’s not a nail too big nor a surface too flat for this cordless drill to handle with ease.
There’s just one battery pack in this version, a 4.0Ah XR Li-ion battery, but what you lose in batteries compared to other DeWalt deals, you gain in functionality.
Regular Drill Tutorial for Beginners
Hammer Drill vs Regular Drill
Final Thoughts
To end this Hammer Drill vs Regular Drill topic – let’s summarize the key points
Hammer Drill can function as a regular drill, but overall – it is designed for special uses. Tough, hard, thick materials like concrete boards, walls, and other various kinds of masonry products can be punched through and drilled through with only a Hammer Drill.
Hammer Drills is not a necessity for most people, but if you find yourself as a professional or simply just working on projects that required it’s raw power and forceful drilling – the Hammer Drill would be the Power Tool that can finish the job for you.
Regular drills can only drill through a pre-determined amount of material in a single direction, making it restrictive and limiting. Regular drills can only drill straight and have no versatility. They rely on high RPM levels and the torque and force of your arm with bits to drill through one material.
Regular Drills, whether corded or cordless, is mostly recommended for everyone as the use of it is very consumer friendly. From Home Renovation to simple Home Decoration, DIY Projects, and even basic carpentry and woodworking – a Regular Power Drill is a must have.
To note, both Hammer Drills vs Regular Drills require practice to get used too. You need to be comfortable with applying a good amount of strength to have an accurate hole – otherwise you might miss or slip. So please – carefully follow the manual for the best method of operation.
This ends our Hammer Drill vs Regular Drill Discussion.
With that, please always remember that you need a good set. And by ‘good’, a properly organized set of power tools, including power drills will see you through the best projects. Nothing is impossible with dedication, practice, and patience, and better yet – choosing the right power drills.
We want you to be sure of what you plan to get, please don’t hesitate to ask for advice.
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Henry is a long time Trade Instructor at Dunwoody College of Technology. Henry has been teaching the trade of carpentry for over 15 years and is excited to share his knowledge with the next generation of builders. With his posts you will explore some general terms, tools, and techniques that are helpful for the beginning DIY Enthusiast!. He’ll also provide a list of all the best tips needed to start your building journey right away!
