How to Control Electric Hand Drill Direction

Electric hand drills, whether used to drill out necessary holes or in place of a traditional hand screwdriver, can help make any job move much smoother and ultimately get completed even quicker. Plus, your hands and wrists are saved from the constant abuse of turning a screwdriver. Say goodbye to carpal tunnel syndrome! But, if you have never used an electric hand drill before, then the first thing you may get confused about is how to control the drill's direction. Here are the ways to do it.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

1. You can follow the same rule with an electric hand drill as you do with unscrewing a cap or a nut and bolt: righty, tighty and lefty, loosey. Meaning, if the drill is rotating clockwise, or to the right, then the drill is moving forward. If it is turning counter-clockwise, or to the left, then the drill is moving backwards.

2. If you are using your electric hand drill to drive wood screws into wood or to tighten down screws on a different application, then there may come a time when you drive the screw in a little too far and you will have to back it out a bit. To do this, you will have to change direction on the electric hand drill.

3. Most electric hand drills have a switch located directly in front of the trigger. When the switch is toggled to the right, the electric hand drill is set for forward motion, for tightening screws or drilling holes. When the switch is toggled to the left, the electric hand drill is set for reverse so you can loosen a screw or back out of a drilled hole. Leaving the switch in the center will lock the trigger so that the drill will not function at all.