What Is a Hammer Drill for?

Industrial sized hammer drill

A hammer drill, like its smaller cousin the power drill, can be used to drill screws, lags and holes. However, as its name suggests it can also hammer as it drills allowing it to drive and drill into hard materials like brick and cement.

Function

Hammer drills not only spin to drill but also have a mechanism inside that causes the chuck to bounce in and out which adds extra driving force; this is measured in blows per minute.

Benefits

Most power drills lack the power to drill deeply into brick or concrete even with a masonry drill bit. The hammering of the chuck on a hammer drill chips at the concrete as it rotates.

Types

Two main types of hammer drills are regular hammer drills and rotary hammer drills. While both drills rotate and hammer, the difference is the mechanism of how they hammer.

Features

There are several features common to most hammer drills; the side grip for extra support, a switch to turn the hammer on and off, and variable speed.

Sizes

Sizes range from 1/2 inch on up, depending on manufacturer. Size refers to the diameter of the hole the hammer drill is capable of drilling.

References

• Electrical Contractor: Hammer Drills