The Drill and Its Bits

A combi drill's controls do three different jobs, and most drilling trouble comes from mixing them up.

The mode collar decides what the bit does: turn (drill), turn and hammer, or drive a screw with the clutch working. The gear switch and the trigger decide how fast it turns. The clutch, the numbered ring behind the chuck, decides when it stops pushing a screw: at its set point it slips with a clicking sound instead of driving harder.

Layouts and symbols vary between models, so find each control on your own drill in its manual.