- G'day guys, it's Shane here
from D.I.Y. For Knuckleheads,
and I'm very happy to be teaming up
with the Australian Handyman Magazine,
(birds calling)
kookaburras in the background,
for the very first video
in this series of basic D.I.Y. skills.
Kicking off with how to use
the cordless drill.
(drill whirs)
The cordless drill would have to be the go-to tool
in any handyman's tool kit.
Long gone are the days
when we used to lug around big behemoths like this.
What a beast.
And it's heavy.
The great thing about the cordless drill
is that they're very simple to use
and they come packed full of features.
So here's a quick rundown
of what to expect from your cordless.
Most drills these days are powered
with a lithium-ion battery.
This one here is a three amp-hour rated battery.
Now as a general rule of thumb,
the higher the amp-hour rating,
the longer that battery should run for.
Both of these drills are 18 volt drills.
This has a three amp-hour rated battery,
and this one has a four amp-hour rated battery.
So in theory, between charges,
this one should outlast that one.
Now to remove the battery so you can recharge it,
it's dead easy.
All drills will come with some form of clip
like this one here that you press down
and then slide the battery off
the body like that.
And to put it back on, just reverse the process.
Slide it onto the body like that,
then just give it a little click
(drill clicks into place)
and you are done.
Too easy.
Now one of the best features of a modern-day cordless drill
is that most of them come
with a keyless chuck, which is fantastic.
You no longer need to find or to have
a chuck key to insert or remove your drill bits.
Sorry old mate.
We've had some good times together,
but it's time to go.
See ya.
To insert a drill or driver bit into a keyless chuck
is dead easy.
All you need to do is to rotate the chuck sleeve
in an anti-clockwise direction,
and you'll notice
how the jaws of that chuck are opening up.
And when that hole gets big enough
to insert your drill or driver bit,
place it inside until it hits up hard
against the back of that chuck.
And to tighten, just simply rotate that chuck sleeve
clockwise until you hear this clicking sound.
(drill clicks)
When you hear that, the drill's tight
and you're good to go.
(drill whirs)
The next feature you'll find on most cordless drills
is this speed range selector switch,
which is generally found on top of the drill itself.
Now it has two settings, one and two.
In setting one, or on setting one,
the drill rotates slower, but it has more torque.
So it's great for doing jobs like inserting
roofing or digging screws.
(drill whirs)
On setting two, the drill spins faster
but it's great for doing jobs like
drilling holes in timber.
(drill whirs)
Now the next feature to be discussed
is the clutch.
Yes, the clutch.
Now the clutch feature is a great addition
to any cordless drill.
And you can find it directly behind the chuck,
and it's this adjustable ring.
Now mine's numbered from one
right through to
16.
With one being the least resistance,
and 16 being the most resistance.
And the clutch is only useful
when the drill itself is in driving mode,
or screwing mode.
Not drilling mode,
and not hammer mode,
but when the driving icon
is lined up with the arrow on top of the drill.
Without being too technical,
the purpose of the clutch
is to disengage the drive shaft of the drill.
When a pre-set resistance is selected,
say I want to select resistance five,
I just turn the ring until the five lines up to the arrow.
Now when I'm driving my screw
into the bit of timber,
a clicking sound will occur
when a resistance is met.
Now the motor's still running,
but the screwdriver bit, or the driver bit,
that isn't.
Now what that does, is that it stops the cordless drill
from stripping your screw
or over-driving it once it's firmly snug.
So here's an example of what I'm talking about.
I want this center screw to finish up
flush with the top of this piece of timber.
I don't want to drive it down any deeper.
So what I'll do
is I'll get my clutch
and I'll set it
to say,
four,
and just see how far down I can screw this screw.
So it's on four.
(drill whirs)
The clutch has disengaged the drive shaft,
and the screw's just proud of the surface.
Now I'll set the drill, or the clutch,
to say, 10,
we'll just see how this screw goes now.
(drill whirs)
Down it goes.
(drill whirs)
And the clutch is starting to disengage right now.
(drill whirs)
And it's finished up nice and flush
with the surface.
If I set the clutch to say 16,
which is the maximum number for this drill type,
let's just see what happens.
(drill whirs)
It drills right through the timber.
So now you can see why I love
this clutch feature.
And finally, let's take a look
at the action mode ring,
which is this one right here.
And you will notice that there's three settings,
hammer, driving, and drilling.
Now all you need to do is line those icons
up with the arrow,
and that is the action that your drill will undertake.
Now, if you want the clutch to work,
it will only work in that driving location.
The clutch doesn't work with hammer,
and it doesn't work with drilling.
Now on the topic of hammer,
if you're using the hammer mode, you'll need
a masonry drill bit
to drill into masonry.
See how it's got that funny end on it?
A normal drill bit,
like this one here which we all have,
won't do it.
So in summary, I would have to say
that the cordless drill
is one tool that I can't do without.
Great functionality,
looks pretty cool,
and they're reasonably priced.
So if you haven't got one, do yourself a favor
and get one.
(drill whirs)
So there you have it.
I hope you enjoyed and found that video useful,
and as per usual, a big thumbs up is greatly appreciated
and if you haven't already,
please hit both of those subscribe buttons
for more handy tips.
All righty, my work's done.
Must be time for a cup of tea.
So 'til the next one, I'm out of here.
Cheers.