Drill Buying Guide | Argos

Drill Buying Guide

Choose the right drill for the job with our drill buying guide.

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What is the best drill for me?

It's important to find the best drill for the task at hand. Different drills are suitable
for different jobs and surfaces.

Job Screwdriver Drill driver Hammer drill Corded impact drill SDS drill
Hanging a picture/mirror X
Shelves X X
TV wall brackets X
Curtain rail X
Chiselling off tiles
Drilling through brick X X X
Flat pack furniture X X X
Job Screwdriver Drill driver Hammer drill Corded impact drill SDS drill
Screwdriving X X X
Drilling metal X X X
Drilling wood X X X
Drilling plastic X X X
Drilling brick/masonry X X X
Drilling concrete X
Drilling glass X X X
Drilling tile X X X X

Types of Drill

What is a screwdriver?

Shop screwdrivers

Image of a woman using a screwdriver to build a wardrobe.
  • A screwdriver is the perfect tool for basic jobs such as putting together flatpack furniture.
  • They are generally cordless, allowing you to work wherever you need to around the house.
  • Forward and reverse settings make it easy to both assemble and disassemble what you are working on.

What is a drill driver?

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Image of a man using a drill driver to drill through wood.
  • Drill drivers have two main functions: loosening and tightening screws and drilling holes.
  • They are the go-to drill for everyday jobs around the home and garden, such as putting together furniture and putting up shelving.
  • Add the correct drill and screwdriver bits to make your drill driver compatible for working on materials such as wood, metal and masonry.

What is a hammer drill?

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Image of a man demonstrating how to use a hammer drill.
  • Hammer drills are a more powerful option than drill drivers, as they are capable of drilling through brick.
  • They use a powerful hammering action to make light work of drilling holes and driving fasteners.
  • You can get them corded as well as cordless, due to the extra power.

What is a corded impact driver?

Shop corded impact drills

Image of someone using a corded impact drill to remove tiles.
  • Corded impact drills are a powerful option for working on dense materials around your home.
  • They can handle a range of surfaces, as well as standard DIY jobs such as putting up shelving or drilling into brick.
  • Although they offer extra power, you are limited on where you can work due to the cable.

What is a combi drill?

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Image of someone using a combi drill to drill into brick.
  • A combi drill is a versatile choice, as it can function as a drill driver and a hammer drill.
  • They are suitable for a wide range of everyday DIY tasks and essentially give you two tools in one.
  • You can add more functions with various drill bits and the hammer action can tackle tougher materials like masonry.
  • Generally cordless.

What is an SDS drill?

Shop SDS drills

Image of someone holding an SDS drill.
  • SDS (self direct system) drills, or rotary hammer drills, are a powerful option, geared towards drilling through masonry.
  • The powerful rotation motion makes them suited to dense drilling, chiselling and chipping tiles.
  • They are generally corded and can be heavier than standard drills, due to their increased power.

Drills - key features

Drill bits

Shop drill bits

Image of a closed box of drill bits.

Drill bits are attachments that fit into the keyless chuck of your drill. Sets of drill bits include various attachments that can make your drill suitable for a range of different functions.

Corded or cordless?

We offer three types of drill; corded, cordless with a battery and cordless without a battery.

  • Corded drills plug in at the mains and can often provide more power and torque than cordless options. This makes them better for longer or more heavy duty tasks.
  • The main benefit of a cordless drill is that you can take them anywhere. Ideal for everyday DIY, they have a rechargeable battery. If you have two rechargeable batteries, you can simply swap them over when one runs out.
  • Cordless drills without a battery are a great option if you already own a battery and just need a new drill.
  • Power for cordless drills is measured in volts and power for corded drills is measured in watts. The higher the number of volts or watts, the more power a drill has.

Drills - key features explained


Torque is the force that causes rotation and more torque means faster rotation. For tough materials, like brick work, a high torque setting is best, while for more delicate materials like wood a lower torque setting reduces the amount of damage.


Speed is measured in RPM (revolutions per minute). Less speed is needed for driving screws or drilling into softer material and high speed is needed for drilling into harder materials.

Keyless chuck

The chuck is the part of the drill that holds the drill bits in. In general, a keyless chuck will take bits with diameters between 0.5mm and 10mm or 13mm for drills with larger chucks.

Drilling capacity

Drilling capacity is not the depth of the hole that can be drilled, but the maximum diameter of drill bit that can be used. It's always worth checking that drill bits are compatible with the drill you are using.

Reverse function

Drills with a reverse function can change the direction of drill and bits. This is for loosening bolts and screws.


Drills with more than one gear let you select different speed ranges. You can control the speed of single gear drills with the speed control trigger.

Why buy at Argos?

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