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How to use a cordless drill

Updated: 22 October 2026

The drill is on the kitchen table, the battery is still in the carton, and the first job is a shelf where you cannot see behind the plaster. This is how to use a cordless drill: charge it on the right plug, lock a bit that fits, set the clutch before the screw, and look for cables before you touch a wall. The steps assume a 12V drill you already own. They are not a buying table. Products Compared drew this from maker-style setup guides, Electrical Safety First, the National Fire Chiefs Council and the review notes in our [12V cordless drill comparison](/hub/drilling-and-accessories/12v-cordless-drill), not from a lab, on 19 October 2026. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

The drill is on the kitchen table, the battery is still in the carton, and the first job is a shelf where you cannot see behind the plaster.

Our top picks

FADAKWALT FADAKWALT 12V cordless drill, green

Best overall

FADAKWALT FADAKWALT 12V cordless drill, green
8.6/10about £24.99
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VOERJIA VOERJIA 12V cordless drill, two batteries

Best value

VOERJIA VOERJIA 12V cordless drill, two batteries
7.5/10about £29.99
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DEKOPRO DEKOPRO 12V cordless drill

Alternative

DEKOPRO DEKOPRO 12V cordless drill
7.8/10about £23.99
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On this page
  1. 1.Charge it before the first hole
  2. 2.Fit the bit and set the direction
  3. 3.Clutch for screws, drill symbol for holes
  4. 4.Walls, dust and when to stop

Charge it before the first hole

Put the pack on charge before you fit a bit. Use the charger that came with the tool, on a BS 1363 plug, on a hard flat surface, and unplug it when the pack is full. Electrical Safety First and the National Fire Chiefs Council both say not to charge a lithium-ion pack while you sleep. A two-pin lead, or a charger that never arrived, is a stop, not a travel adapter. One FAHEFANA reviewer received no charger and found no socket on the tool. That missing charger is a purchase problem in the 12V cordless drill buying guide. If the pack is swollen, hot or smells sharp, stop, tape the terminals and take it to a battery recycling point.

Fit the bit and set the direction

Open the keyless chuck, seat the bit until the flats or the hex are inside the jaws, and tighten until it does not rock. Reviewers of the green FADAKWALT describe the bit slipping once the hole is deeper than about 2 cm. If the chuck will not release, use the return route while you still have the packaging. The direction slider is forward, a centre lock and reverse. Reverse is for backing a screw out, not for freeing a bit stuck in the hole. The VOERJIA and the Durofix state two speeds. The DEKOPRO states one. Do not change gear while the chuck is spinning.
FADAKWALT FADAKWALT 12V cordless drill, green

Testsieger

FADAKWALT FADAKWALT 12V cordless drill, green
8.6/10about £24.99
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Clutch for screws, drill symbol for holes

The numbered collar is the clutch. Start on a low number, drive one screw, and move up a step if the clutch clicks before the screw is home. The click is the clutch doing its job, not a broken gearbox. Use the drill symbol for a hole, because it bypasses the clutch. Leave it there on a chipboard screw and you will strip the cam or snap a cheap bit. A 21+1 or 18+1 title is that collar plus the drill position, not 21 gears. On the FADAKWALT the table's 22 speeds is the same count. Hammer mode is only for a masonry bit in brick or block, never on wood. For furniture, the flat-pack page is the next stop: the last turn on a cam should be by hand.

Walls, dust and when to stop

Before a hole in a wall, look for cables. Electrical Safety First says a detector is a help, not a guarantee, and that you should switch the power off if you are working near electrics. A picture hook in plasterboard is a different risk from a hole beside a socket or above a consumer unit. If you are not sure where the cable runs, stop and ask a competent person. Clamp small work, or it will spin with the bit. Stop if you nick a cable, if the work is beside the consumer unit, or if a masonry bit is not progressing. Forcing a stalled 12V combi into engineering brick does not make the hole.

Common questions

Which clutch number do I start on?
Start on a low number, drive one screw, and step up if the clutch clicks before the head is seated. There is no single setting that matches every collar, so 5 on one drill is not 5 on another. The click means the clutch has reached its limit. The drill symbol switches that limit off. Use the number for screws and the drill symbol for holes.
Can I change gear while it is spinning?
No. Stop the chuck, then move the speed collar. Do not change gear while the drill is running. The collar exists only if the drill has two speeds. The DEKOPRO in our comparison has one speed, so there is nothing to switch. The VOERJIA and the Durofix state two. Lower gear for screws, higher gear for a small hole, if those gears are actually there.
Why does the chuck click?
A click under load is often the clutch, which is normal on a numbered setting, or a chuck that is not tight enough. On the green FADAKWALT, reviewers report the bit slipping once the hole is deeper than about 2 cm. Retighten with the direction lock in the middle. If it still slips, the jaws are worn.
How do I avoid cables in a wall?
Look before you drill, and treat a detector as a help rather than a guarantee. Electrical Safety First says to switch the power off if you are near electrics, and to use battery tools. A picture hook in clear plasterboard is not the same decision as a hole by a socket or above the consumer unit. If you cannot tell where the cable is, stop and ask a competent person.
What if the bit stays in the wood?
Stop the drill, set reverse only if the bit is still held in the chuck, and back it out slowly. If the bit has left the chuck and stayed in the timber, do not grab it while the drill is live. DEKOPRO reviewers describe bits that worked loose and remained stuck. The next step is a better bit and a tighter chuck, not hammer mode.

Related pages

12V cordless drill vs 18V

12V cordless drill

Best 12V cordless drill for light home screwdriving

12V cordless drill buying guide: chuck, battery, plug

Cordless drill for flat pack furniture: clutch first

Sources

Public UK sources from the research digest, last checked on 19 October 2026. Shelf prices and star lines are the amazon.co.uk figures in the product display for this comparison.

  1. Bosch Professional: changeover from 10.8V to 12V (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  2. BSI: BS EN 62841-2-1, hand-held drills and impact drills (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  3. HSE: PUWER overview (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  4. Electrical Safety First: drills (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  5. Electrical Safety First: DIY and cables (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  6. GOV.UK: Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations 2016 (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  7. GOV.UK: recycling batteries and electrical waste (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  8. Screwfix: best drills guide (retrieved 19 October 2026)