Originally the owner of a drum shop selling a variety of lines, Tim got started making his own drums after providing advice and assistance to some customers who were making their own drum as a side project and showed him their prototype. By the end of his time as a shop owner, the Ellis Drum Company drums were the only high-end line people were buying.

These days, the Ellis Drum Company is a two-person operation: “myself and another gentleman, we do it all.”

That starts with getting a shell made to the specs he’s requested. “I get a long cylinder, and typically they’re about four feet tall by whatever diameter of drum that I’ve ordered. It takes really large molds to steam bend and put these shells together.”

After receiving the shell, Tim cuts it down to a specific size on the table saw. Then he may rub the shell down with a fine steel wool in preparation for a lacquer or hand-rubbed satin oil finish. He also cuts the bearing edges – the top and bottom edges that the drum head rides on – on the router table, using a dual 45 degree cut, with the sharp edge then hand-sanded.

When the shells come, “They’re just flat on top and bottom,” Tim said. “And the drum head wouldn’t sound very good if you just had it riding on a flat edge like that.” Although other companies do a 45-degree cut with a counter, making a more rounded edge, “it gives a boomier tone. It’s not as versatile,” Tim said. “With a dual 45 edge, and less wood up against the drum head, it increases your tuning range of the drum immensely. Which means jazz guys, which prefer to tune their drums a little higher, this edge can handle that tuning. Or low pitch, or middle, or whatever you decide to tune the drums, less wood up against the drum head allows a much wider tuning range.”

If building a snare drum, Tim will rout a snare bud on the bottom of the drum shell to accommodate the snare wires to ride on the bottom head more evenly. And, after completing the hand detail work on the shell, it’s time to drill the holes for the lugs (the metal pieces that hold the drum head onto the shell and allow tuning) and hardware, and then assemble the lugs. In addition to drum building and finishing, Ellis Drum Company manufactures all the metal parts for the drums.

As for the wood portions of the drum, unless there is a specific customer request for another type of wood, Tim said he prefers to exclusively use maple. While he’s seen drums made of birch, mahogany, walnut or exotics like bubinga or zebrawood, “All these woods are very exotic, very pretty, but they just don’t have a sound to them,” Tim said. “I would argue that we’re not hearing much of a shell as much as you are the thickness, the bearing edge and the types of heads used.

“We choose on Ellis Drum Company drums to use a very thin shell, very much like a violin body or an acoustic guitar body. Those are made very thin and meant to resonate, and that’s what our drums do.” Maple, he said, “is a pretty wood, it’s a hard wood for what we’re using the shells for, and it works real well. It’s kind of the standard of what they’ve used since Day One of good drums, and we’ve stuck with that formula.”

There are a few variations, depending on the types of drum: the snare drums are eight-ply (“just gives you a little more beef and sound out of that snare drum”), whereas the toms have six plies of 6 millimeter cross-laminated maple “because we want resonance out of our shells.”

The finish choices aren’t related to the sound as much as they are to the customer’s personal preference and use of the drums. “If it’s a real hard-core working drummer, they may not want a varnish finish or a finish that looks like a piece of furniture, because that’s literally what you’re hauling around now. They take their abuse, knocks, bumps, that type of thing, and it shows on lacquered finish drum sets.”

Vinyl wrap finishes, on the other hand, can hold up for decades. Those, Time said, might include the “sparkles and cool finishes you might have seen out there. Some of the color schemes people come up with, I couldn’t wear them, but they love that stuff, and we’ll build whatever they want.”

A few memorable sets have been one finished with a road map atlas – “It was literally a real map, so it was striking. You couldn’t really tell what it was from a distance, but the closer you got, the more you understood, and it was really neat” – and a drum set that looked like each drum was wrapped in a can of SPAM luncheon meat.

Tim also remembers one customer who wanted a great-looking drum set for his den. “Well, the wife had done the entire den in teak. Everything: the furniture, the end tables, everything was teak. So, the drums had to be teak. So we found some really good teak veneer, still stuck with our maple shell, wrapped these drums in teak and, by golly, you can’t even see these drums when they’re in the room because they match so well.”

Before delivering a drum to a customer, Tim tunes it as “kind of a final quality control thing.” While customers may adjust to their own tuning preferences, it would essentially be possible, Tim said, “ to take them out of the shop and set them up and play them at a gig.”

He himself has been a professional musician for about 50 years, currently playing and touring in Chicago tribute band Transit Authority.

When not playing, he’s making between 20 and 50 kits a year, with each kit, or drum set, generally ranging between four and seven drums apiece. He also makes a specialty drumstick, “louder than a brush but quieter than a typical drumstick” out of birch dowels.

And as he completes the drum sets, Tim said, “Because I’m doing everything, I don’t have to check out anyone else’s work. I know it’s correct, I know it’s right.”

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Chris Marshall: I can understand your plight, Tim. You’ve got an older Ni-Cad tool that still works fine, but those infernal batteries are fading fast and need to be replaced. Trouble is, buying the Ni-Cad replacements, if they are even still made by the tool’s manufacturer, is expensive. (I once was in the same situation with a drill/driver, and a pair of replacement Ni-Cad batteries cost more than what I paid for the tool originally, with two batteries and charger!)

You rightly point out that lithium-ion batteries offer many advantages over Ni-Cad: they’re lighter weight, more compact and hold their charge much longer than Ni-Cad will. Replacing cordless tool batteries is inevitable eventually, so why not “trade up” to the next generation of cell chemistry? It seems like a smarter move, all around, than sticking with Ni-Cad.

I wish it were that simple. Here’s one explanation for why it sometimes isn’t: lithium-ion tool batteries and their internal electronics are designed to work together with more sophisticated electronics than your Ni-Cad model probably has. That’s especially true for cordless tools with brushless motors, because these “smarter” motors are interacting with the battery constantly during use. The battery electronics also interact with the charger, which is designed specifically for lithium-ion, so it can replenish them more efficiently cell by cell. Chargers for Ni-Cads and lithium-ion aren’t the same.

Three years ago, DeWALT came out with a battery adapter we reported about that attaches to its 20V Max* lithium-ion batteries to retrofit them to older DeWALT Ni-Cad tools with post-style battery packs. Other “big brand” tool companies haven’t followed suit with similar adapters. With all of the advantages lithium-ion offers, plus the ability to expand the range of cordless tool options that use them, most power tool brands have phased entirely out of Ni-Cad.

If replacement Ni-Cads might still work for you as an option, but you’re having trouble finding the specific batteries, Batteries Plus Bulbs offers quite a selection of replacement tool batteries for 25 different tool brands on their website. Click here to see if they have batteries for your brand and model. The site also claims that technicians in these stores can rebuild older tool batteries when a replacement doesn’t exist anymore. I’m presuming this means they can swap out the internal cells with new ones of the same chemistry and use the original battery case. I’m not sure if that means lithium-ion cells could be substituted for Ni-Cad cells in a rebuild of this sort, but that’s certainly worth exploring. Good luck!

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My solution cost me less than a dollar, using three 1″-dia. magnets purchased from a home center. Just attach the magnets to the bottom of the cup with a little 5-minute epoxy. Rough the plastic up first with sandpaper, to improve the glue bond strength. I like this idea so much that I’ve now made many of them for my shop.

– Raymond Drago
Glen Mills, Pennsylvania

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– Anthony Fisher
Sebastopol, California

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The system consists of a modified Systainer with a plastic separator inside and two hose ports that connect it to both the CT Dust Extractor and the extractor’s usual hose. A short connector hose is included. The bottom portion of the CYCLONE’s Systainer forms a 1.3-gallon “pan” for collecting the debris. Or, a clear antistatic container docks in the pan to hold approximately 5 gallons of coarse debris; transparency makes its fill level easy to monitor during use. One container and a sealable lid, plus a disposable dust liner, also come standard.

When dust-heavy air is drawn in, it’s swirled into a spiral movement, causing the dust particles to hit against the wall of the CYCLONE and, due to the gravitational force, fall into the pan or collection container. CT CYCLONE can be used with all Festool CT 26/36/48 dust extractors. It installs on the extractor without tools to form a compact, convenient and portable solution.

“For users who work with large volumes of dust and debris, the CT CYCLONE pre-separator is the simplest answer for further increasing the efficiency of our CT Dust Extractors,” says Eugen Gassmann, Festool’s vice president of marketing. “CT CYCLONE minimizes costs by decreasing the number of filters and dust bags that you’ll need to keep your CT running smoothly.”

While one collection container and lid are included, additional containers can be purchased separately for $70 apiece (item VAB-20/1) or in a three-unit kit (item VAB-20/3) for $180. A 10-pack of disposable dust liners (item ENS-VA-20/10) to fit the collection container is available for $20.

Festool’s new CT CYCLONE (model CT-VA-20) sells for $375. You can watch a promotional video of the CYCLONE in action by clicking here.

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“Two which can be found occasionally, which I really enjoy, are apple and rhododendron. Both turn well and you will find both grain and color not common to other woods.” – Chris Byers

“How about Osage orange (Maclura pomifera).” – Jim Morvay

“My absolute favorite is Platanus racemosa, the California sycamore or Western sycamore. White to cream, a wonder to work and fantastic graining. Turns well and can be turned green to thin wall with the usual care of not letting it dry too fast.” – Riley Grotts

“Try mesquite! It, too, has a dark center with lighter sapwood. Very hard, accepts finishing well and is very colorful when turned and finished with friction polish. Readily available here in Arizona.” – Wayne J. Germain

“Recently, I turned some sassafras. It’s not ideal for anything. It’s very open grained, and I charred it and featured the grain with liming wax, producing a rather nice hollow form. Point is, almost anything can be turned to produce an attractive piece.” – Barry Saltsberg

“Although I have not turned any dogwood, it is a beautiful hardwood that I have used for drawer fronts in some small casework. It has light pink and maple coloring, and the grain looks very much like hard maple.” – Dave Smith

“Bradford pear is one that I find pleasing.” – Mark Nelon

“In India, we turn the wood which gives good effect and also is easy to turn and give good finish: ash, beech, teak, Valsadi teak. These four woods make wonders. Valsadi teak is produced in Valsad city, Gujarat state, in the country of India. It is a premium and costly wood.” – Dhwani Shah

We also heard from someone who had tips for Rob on the elm he was working with. – Editor

“[Elm], when wet, smells like wet dog and shavings can stain clothes. When dry, can be turned, but need very sharp tools. Wavy grain can look good in some cuts and completely different in others. My elm pieces were salvaged years ago from the local village next to a free woodchip pile. Sanding may be uneven between early and late wood bands. Not sure if a scraper might be a better alternative.” – Edward Keating

And this reader seems to have a lot of experience with turning a wide variety of woods. – Editor

“I’ve turned most of the species native and invasive to Pennsylvania. Among those that I have turned that would not show up in flat work:
“Black gum (Nyssa sylvatica): Difficult to split (although I tend to saw out blanks). When turned, the wood often moves some and is prone to drying cracks. Having said that, it can have interesting colors from browns and tans to nearly black (might be rot-related).

“Hophornbeam (Ostrya virginiana): Often a relatively small understory tree; however, I have found it approaching 12 inches in diameter. Because it grows slowly and tends to retain branches for a relatively long time, there are often lumps and bumps along the stem. These often contain interesting flame grain patterns as well as, occasionally, black flecking. Ostrya is in in the Betulaceae (birch) family.

“Black birch (Betula lenta), also called sweet birch: This is the second most common tree in Pennsylvania. It can attain relatively large sizes and is quite dense. It often has an interesting red heartwood, which finishes nicely. I’ve often found interesting wood patterns in crotches and in the lower part of the stump. Smells wonderful when turning green.

“Hackberry (Celtis occidentalis): This tree is in the same family as Elm (Ulmaceae) and therefore has the ring porous grain pattern. The wood, at least initially, is creamy white, but picks up interesting stains (blues and greens). It is also stringy and is known to bend well.

“Mazzard cherry (Prunus avium): This is a sweet cherry from Europe. It is particularly common in southeast Pennsylvania, but shows up in woodlands across the ridge and valley parts of the state. The heartwood color, when it ages, is a deeper red/purple than is found in black cherry (P. serotine). The wood, when turned, is very sweet smelling (a favorite of some turners in our club). It often has very wide growth rings, but holds together well. This cherry is often found in Lancaster County cherry furniture from the mid-1800s and later. It is not as dense as our native cherry.

“Flowering dogwood (Cornus florida): Not generally a large tree (8 to 12 inches in diameter is big). It is a diffuse, porous wood with very even grain. It turns very well. Great for small pieces. The wood can vary from white to dark purple-brown.

“Sycamore (Platanus occidentalis): I suppose this is a relatively common tree in many places, and it shows up in drawer sides and whatnot. In flatwood, I’ve found it likes to twist until dry; hence, its role in interior stock. With careful selection, it displays amazing ray flecks that can seem to jump out of the wood. I’ve turned bowls from it, and not been particularly impressed; however, I did have some that spalted and made interesting pieces. When it spalts, the grain nearly disappears. I recently turned some rolling pins from it and loved the end product. It was commonly used in butcherblocks because it does not split easily when dry and does not transfer any ‘tastes.’

“Sycamore maple (Acer psuedoplantanus); Known by Europeans as ‘sycamore.’ It is a maple. Again, I’ve only had one opportunity to have this wood. I was particularly happy to have it as it had interesting response to internal decay with spectacular colors and grain patters. It cut much as red maple (Acer rubrum).

“Box elder (Acer negundo): Not sure I’ve ever seen it sawn, although it can be very large. The wood is relatively light in weight. I believe it often sold as ambrosia maple because it tends to be prone to rot and insect infestation (Ambrosia beetles), which tend to introduce brownish strains. The red colosr often found in box elder are not a result of ambrosia beetles; rather, there is some agreement that it is other rotting fungi. The red color is ephemeral and, to retain it in turnings, it is best to keep them out of light. It might be useful to use a UV-reducing finish.

“Honey locust (Gleditsia triacanthos): Ring porous with a color of yellow to brownish. I turned only a bit of it and found it moved quite a bit. Was not interested in turning much more.

“American holly (Ilex opaca): shows up in furniture (stringing); I have turned some small bowls. It is diffuse porous and very even grained, allowing that you can turn it thin. One of my favorite turnings is a small flared rim bowl, which is kind of vase-shaped.

“Apple (Malus sp.): Apple is dense and, until dry, it moves and cracks some to a lot. Turning it green, it is really wet. I like the final outcome and color, but will in the future hold it for finials and small pieces.

“Bradford or Callery pear (Pyrus sp): Commonly planted street and yard trees from Japan and China. Increasingly, this is being recognized as a hardy, nasty, invasive tree species. The wood can be quite white. In my experience, it can have interesting grain flame as it tends to have many branches. The one I turned was stored in the fencerow for a year or so. It developed an interesting rich brown color. We should find good uses to take this out of the landscape!

“Norway maple (Acer plantanoides): Another invasive tree species often planted as yard and street trees. It develops a deep crown and casts heavy shade, which allows it to dominate in a forest. I go out of my way to find Norway maple. The wood tends to be very white and will have amazing feather grain. It turns very well.

“Red mulberry (Morus rubra): Fun wood with a great yellow color when first turned. Turns a deep brown.

“Osage orange (Maclura pomifera): Another great yellow color, which again turns brown. I’ve seen splits, but never sawn.” – Jim Finley

The post Not Your Typical Woods for Turning appeared first on Woodworking | Blog | Videos | Plans | How To.

But “drilling” is just part of its versatility. It also drives screws, cuts countersinks or counterbores, makes wood plugs and even saws holes. Then, with the right attachment, it can drum-sand, grind, rasp, abrade and buff. Heck, it can even stir paint or mix drywall mud! That’s asking a lot from a tool that basically holds a bit and spins. But, drill/drivers are up to it all and can deliver on their value over and over again.

Regardless of brand, cordless drill/drivers share a number of common features. A tool-free chuck grips the drill bit or attachment inside of three jaws, and you use one or sometimes two hands to tighten it. Squeezing the trigger spins the chuck through a range of speeds — every drill/driver worth its salt these days is variable speed. Better models offer high- and low-speed transmissions that you control with a selector switch. Low speed provides maximum torque for drilling large holes or driving fasteners. Flipping to the high-speed range steps things up when drilling with smaller diameter bits or when higher speeds benefit the task — like sanding or cleaning rust off of metal with a wire wheel.

Once holes are drilled, the next step is often driving screws into them. For that job, drill/drivers have an adjustable clutch to help prevent the tool’s torque from either overdriving the screw too deeply or breaking it. A collar behind the chuck enables you to adjust this clutch through numbered settings; the higher the number, the greater torque the tool will apply to the fastener before the clutch engages and stops the chuck from spinning. Most clutch collars also offer a “drilling” setting so the drill/driver can operate at full torque, unimpeded by the clutch.

Lithium-ion Revolution

To power these activities, a battery either plugs into the grip or slides onto the tool’s base. Almost without exception these days, that battery’s chemistry is Lithium-ion. It offers dense energy capacity, long life, quick recharges and smaller, lighter pack sizes. Lithium-ion cells are a “smarter” power source, too: sophisticated electronics can help to maximize their efficiency during use as well as their charging cycles. While NiCad ruled the roost for many years prior to Li-ion coming on the scene, Li-ion has become the industry standard for cordless tools of all sorts. And, for the foreseeable future, it’s here to stay.

Three Main Voltages

During the “NiCad” period of the 1990s and early 2000s, drill/drivers came in a dizzying number of voltage options: 9.6, 12, 14.4, 15.6, 18, 19.2, 24 and 36. NiCad cell sizes dictated those thresholds, and the tool model options verged on being overwhelming. Now, however, Li-ion batteries have made our drill/driver choices considerably easier. There are three primary voltage categories these days: 10.8-/12- volt, 18-/20-volt or 28-volt. A few departures from these standards are still out there, including 14.4 and 19.2. And, there are some 36-volt giants in the market, too.

You might wonder why “10.8” seems to equal 12 volts or why 18- and 20-volt tools are essentially the same thing. Well, it all comes down to how manufacturers choose to label their tools. At peak voltage, fresh off the charger, the higher of the two voltages is accurate. A 12-volt battery charges to 12 volts. But, as soon as you begin to discharge the battery, it will operate at its working, or nominal voltage, which is the lower of the two numbers — 10.8 volts. Eighteen- and 20-volt batteries, same deal: 20 optimal, 18 nominal.

What is true about the three voltage sizes, regardless of the “numbers” game, is that the larger the voltage, the bigger and more powerful the motor will be inside the drill/driver — but that’s not to say that bigger is always better. While a plumber might need the gorilla torque of a 36-volt drill to cut 4″ holes for waste pipe all day, does a woodworker need a heavy-duty drill/driver for setting tiny hinge screws or drilling #8 pilot holes? Nope. In fact, I’ve found 10.8-/12- volt drill/drivers to be compact, powerful and pleasantly lightweight for many project tasks. The more delicate the drilling or driving situation is, the more inclined I am to reach for the smallest drill/driver I can find.

Mid-sized Sweetheart

Scroll the drill/driver web pages of any major power tool brand, and you’ll quickly see a trend: 18-/20-volt models outnumber the other sizes, and this voltage category continues to grow every year. Truth be told, professional tool manufacturers like Bosch, DeWALT, Hitachi, Makita and Milwaukee are designing tools to suit their biggest market: contractors. Jobsite users love the power, runtime and moderate size of 18-/20-volt drill/drivers. It’s also a voltage that’s able to support a broad platform of other tool types, like saws, grinders, nailers, impact wrenches and numerous specialty tools. The day is nearly upon us where every power tool a contractor could possibly need will have a cordless 18-/20-volt solution. The manufacturers are determined to see it happen.

Still, we hobbyists and DIYers also appreciate the performance and price points of this voltage size. You can buy a quality drill/driver with a charger, two battery packs and a carry case for around $125. My most used and abused drill/driver in the shop is a 20V MAX* PORTER- CABLE that I bought for about that price, and many comparable models are out there from other brands, too. I rarely need more capacity or features than it offers for general woodworking and home improvement. The pro users have helped us all land on a winning voltage here.

Amp/hour Considerations

So, what’s important to know about that other number on your drill/driver battery — namely, its amp/hour (Ah) rating? Well, to borrow from an overused analogy, amp/ hours are a measure of how much “gas” the battery “tank” will hold. While amp/hours actually are part of the equation for determining watt/hours (the total power capacity a battery can deliver: voltage x amp/hours = watt/hours), what’s most practical to know is this: the higher the amp/hour rating, the longer your battery will run before it needs to be recharged. So, an 18-volt, 2.0 Ah battery will deplete faster than an 18-volt 4.0 Ah battery. In fact, doubling the amp/hours can more than double the runtime, depending on the battery. The downside to more amp/hours — in years past, anyway — is that more “gas” has required a proportionally larger, heavier “tank.” That bigger battery drawback is withering as the energy density of battery cells continues to improve.

Drill/drivers Are Gateway Tools

Purchasing a cordless drill/driver often opens the door to a vast number of other tools that will run off of the same batteries, and those options continue to expand. This trend is especially true for 18-/20- volt tools.

So, before you plunk down your hard-earned cash on a drill/driver, take a careful look at the other “bare” tools the manufacture offers within the same voltage category. Then buy a drill/driver from a brand that best suits your broader cordless tool interests. It’s a way to save money over having to buy dedicated chargers and batteries from multiple manufacturers or voltage platforms.

Features to Watch For

Drill/drivers are a fiercely competitive market — after all, almost all of us need one! So, if you’re willing to spend a bit more on a “pro” quality tool, you’ll get most or all of the following features. If you’re shopping for your first cordless drill/driver, here are some of the better features to keep in mind.

– Brushless motors are all the rage these days. Without carbon brushes that contribute friction and heat, brushless motors are more compact, run cooler and communicate better with their batteries than typical DC drill/driver motors, thanks to monitoring electronics inside the tool. End users will notice that “brushless” drill/drivers will have a shorter motor housing, which can be a big help in tight quarters. Will you realize a tremendous difference in power or a dramatically longer tool life? For a hobbyist, probably not. But brushless is the next big step forward in efficiency, and it doesn’t cost an arm and a leg more than models with conventional brushed motors.

– Single-sleeve chucks: The ability to tighten or loosen the chuck with one hand is a convenience you’ll appreciate the first time you’re forced to grab a split-sleeve chuck with two hands, instead. A single-sleeve chuck is faster and easier to tighten, and the ratcheting advantage ensures a slip-free grip on smooth-shank drill bits. The best single-sleeve chucks even have carbide jaws.

– All-metal transmissions are a feature pro users look for. Budget priced drill/drivers may have plastic gears or a mix of both plastic and metal. Common sense will tell you that an all-metal transmission will win out for durability in the long run — whether your drill/driver is a constant companion or only used occasionally.

– Fuel gauges: Here’s a detail I thought was a cute extra when it first came to market, but now I wouldn’t want to be without it! It’s darn handy to be able to check the amount of charge that remains in a battery before you climb the ladder, head out to the yard or get set up in your unwired attic for a DIY repair. Some manufacturers locate the fuel gauge on the tool body, but most provide it on the battery. Either way, I’ll bet you’ll be surprised by how quickly you get used to checking that little glowing array of LEDs that give you confidence your battery is ready to go.

– LED task lights: And speaking of LEDs, one or several white task lights on your drill/driver can really brighten up a dark corner of a cabinet interior when you need the illumination most. They also make it easier to sight your pencil crosshairs when positioning a pilot hole or snaking a small screw down inside a piece of hardware when installing it. And if your overhead shop lighting leaves something to be desired, is it really ever possible to have too much light? I don’t think so. For all of these situations, thankfully, most quality drill/drivers now have task lights that are powered by the tool battery to help make jobs easier to see. Just be sure the beam of light actually targets the area immediately in front of the chuck. Some tools are designed more effectively in this regard than others. You can’t adjust where the light beam projects, so be sure to check the LED feature on the drill/driver you have in mind before you buy it.

– Interchangeable chucks: Festool and Bosch offer drill/drivers that can help save the day when a project requires drilling or driving in an awkward location. These models come with right-angle and offset chucks, plus a conventional three-jawed chuck and a hex-bit quick connect chuck. They all pop on and off the drill/driver body in a snap and without tools. Are multiple chucks essential? No. But, boy oh boy, will you be happy you have them when that rogue need comes up — and eventually, it will!

Alternately, most manufacturers make right-angle drill/drivers that can be bought as “bare” tools to run off of your drill/driver batteries.

– Hammering function: Hammer drills are designed with a percussive feature that spins the chuck while also driving it forward, multiple times a second. It’s a must have function when drilling into masonry and concrete. Aside from these materials, you won’t use the hammer setting for anything else. Wood, sheet goods, metal and other drilling surfaces can all be tackled with a conventional drill. Hammer drills can be switched between hammering mode and “normal” mode, too, so hammer feature is no hindrance for all-around use, but you will pay a bit more for the added convenience. If you don’t plan to bore holes into concrete or install masonry screws anytime soon, a hammer drill probably isn’t worth it. I can count on one hand the number of times I’ve really needed it in the past 30 years.

– Hard cases or a soft-sided duffel bag for your drill/driver, charger and spare batteries are helpful to have, and stepping up to a mid-priced or pro quality model will surely get you one of these options. Hard plastic cases are easy to stack or stand on end, and they’ll help keep your investment dry if you carry it in the open bed of a pickup truck. A duffel bag is handy, too: I often use it to tote all the other tools I need to a project site when I’m not storing the drill/driver and its accessories in it.

– Drill/driver-impact driver kits: Here’s one last consideration that will boost your drilling and driving efficiency. A drill/driver will drive screws, of course, but an impact driver does it even better because it’s designed exclusively for that job. The larger the fastener, the better it works — it won’t twist your wrist like a drill/driver will. If you can splurge, buy a kit that comes with both tools. Then you can drill and drive with two tools instead of one.

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