While the main job of a cordless drill is to create holes or screws, this garage staple has a lot more to offer. A power drill is essentially just a high-torque motor that spins things. With the right additions, it becomes one of them the most versatile tools in your arsenal.
Just don’t drill holes in drywall or assemble IKEA furniture. Instead, take full advantage of the powerful motor inside. You just need a few simple accessories to turn this basic drill into a tool for cleaning, sanding, mixing, polishing or even yard work.
Use a drill to mix paint, mortar or grout
Stop mixing by hand
There is nothing worse than wasting time, muscle and energy slowly mixing paint, epoxy, mortar or other materials. It’s quite a chore depending on the task at hand, but it’s all you need mixing paddleand then let your drill do the hard work.
Yes, several brands sell special mixing paddles for different sized drills. From here, throw it into your rig and quickly mix paint, grout, or even epoxy and cement for a room renovation. This will allow you to focus on the task at hand, saving precious minutes and energy.
Deep clean with brush attachments
Scrub tile, tubs, and outdoor furniture
Walk into any Home Depot, Walmart, or even an auto parts store and you’ll find a variety of brush attachments that work great with any drill. I have many different brush attachments for cleaning truck tires, patio furniture, and even the walls of my shower. Work smarter, not harder. This Combo brush set at Amazon it has a little bit of everything.
Sand or polish small projects
If it’s a small job, save your money and sand with a drill
While it’s a pretty cool idea to own an orbital sander, especially if you have a lot of DIY projects or if you’re a hobbyist, you can save money and skip the special tool if you only have a small job or two.
Several brands produce different additives for mixing paint or cleaning tires polishing heads or sanding tips works great with a drill. Just like how you use a Dremel to sand something small, you can do the same with your trusty drill. A common use scenario is polishing old, faded headlights.
Use your drill in the yard or garden
Turn any drill into a mini auger
Drills are usually used for pilot holes or driving screws, not for this outdoor lawn care. However, you can easily use any cordless drill in the yard, garden, etc. you can turn it into a mini auger that will help with the work.
Buy yourself a small auger bitattach it to your drill and drill holes for lamps, plants, fence posts or umbrella stands. I actually used my auger and a regular bit to aerate the grass that I park on and constantly step on, which compacts the soil and prevents the grass from growing properly. Use an auger or a regular drill bit and see for yourself.
Sharpen mower blades, etc
Yes, you can use your drill bit as a sharpener
Do you have an old lawnmower that just doesn’t cut like it used to? If so, you may need a new blade that can cost upwards of $50. If you’re the DIY type, buy yourself some knife sharpening bits for your digging and then use them to revive lawnmowers, knives and other outdoor tools.
You can use sharpening bits on virtually any material. Just be careful, take your time and you’ll be good to go.
Do more with drilling
As you can see, the drill is actually a versatile tool full of useful features. You can even use a drill clear clogged pipesspin the flywheel on small engines, etc. The next time you need a new power tool or hire a professional, consider whether you can do the same job with a drill and proper connection.
