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How to use a cordless drill

Updated: 22 October 2026

You have the drill out for a hinge or a shelf, the collar is a ring of numbers, and the charger is easy to leave on overnight. This is how to use a cordless drill: set the mode before the trigger, and charge the pack where you can see it. The steps are the same whether the motor is brushless. The [Brushless cordless drill comparison](/hub/drilling-and-accessories/brushless-cordless-drill) is for choosing a different tool. This page does not rank the ten listings. Listings from 19 October 2026 were used, plus Electrical Safety First, the National Fire Chiefs Council and the London Fire Brigade. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

You have the drill out for a hinge or a shelf, the collar is a ring of numbers, and the charger is easy to leave on overnight.

Our top picks

WORX WORX WX355.1 20V brushless combi, 55 Nm

Best overall

WORX WORX WX355.1 20V brushless combi, 55 Nm
9.1/10about £89.00
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LEEIKOO LEEIKOO 21V brushless hammer drill, two 2.0 Ah batteries

Best value

LEEIKOO LEEIKOO 21V brushless hammer drill, two 2.0 Ah batteries
9.2/10about £32.20
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Ginour Ginour 21V brushless combi drill, two 2.0 Ah batteries

Rank 3

Ginour Ginour 21V brushless combi drill, two 2.0 Ah batteries
9.6/10about £55.99
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.Clutch, gears and the trigger
  2. 2.Bits and the workpiece
  3. 3.Charging the battery
  4. 4.When you stop

Clutch, gears and the trigger

The numbered collar limits torque while you drive screws, so the clutch clicks before the head chews the timber. The drill symbol locks the clutch out for a hole. A hammer setting, where the drill has one, also bypasses the clutch. The 1/2 switch is the gear. Gear 1 is slower, for screws and larger bits. Gear 2 is faster, for small bits. The trigger is only a speed pedal inside that gear. A 4 on one drill is not a 4 on the next: these listings use 18+1, 20+1, 20+1+1, 23 settings, and 25+3. If the screw stalls, step up. If it sinks too far, step down. Change gear only when the chuck has stopped. The CEEIGOO warm tip says that drill has no hammer mode. Whether you needed one is on the buying guide.

Bits and the workpiece

A brad-point or wood bit is for timber. A high-speed-steel twist bit is for metal: keep the speed down and ease off as the point breaks through. A carbide masonry bit is for brick, and it only cuts if hammer mode is on. A masonry bit in a drill-driver bag does not add that mode. Match the diameter to the plug packet. Electrical Safety First says use light, steady pressure. If you have to lean, the bit is blunt, the wrong type, or the material is harder than the tool is for. Wear goggles and clear the dust. Included screwdriver bits on these kits often wear out quickly. If a bit is soft after one screw, swap it. When the wall is brick, stopping is on the masonry page. KickBack Control is a named Bosch feature, not a safety result.
WORX WORX WX355.1 20V brushless combi, 55 Nm

Testsieger

WORX WORX WX355.1 20V brushless combi, 55 Nm
9.1/10about £89.00
View offer

Charging the battery

Use the charger that came with the pack, on a UK 3-pin plug, on a hard flat surface. The National Fire Chiefs Council says do not charge a lithium-ion pack while you are asleep, and unplug it when it is full. The London Fire Brigade says the same, and says stop if the pack is swollen or damaged. Electrical Safety First says do not leave a drill on charge overnight. A GOV.UK report rejected charger LV-2120 because the plug did not meet BS 1363. It is not one of these listings. Refuse a charger that is not a UK 13 A plug. KELNOW’s bullets claim about one hour, and a LEEIKOO bullet claims about 90 minutes. Those are listing lines. One UK review says the Bosch GAL 18V-40 took about two hours and charges one pack at a time. If the pack is hot, hissing, swelling, or smelling sweet, unplug if you can do that safely, get out, and call 999 if it is smoking. Brushless versus brushed does not change these steps.

When you stop

Stop when the screw is home or the plug is flush. Stop earlier if you cannot trace cables or pipes. A cable finder is not a guarantee. Stop when the bit has stalled in concrete, a lintel, or engineering brick. A structural fixing, or all-day work use, is outside this how-to. None of these listings prints a vibration magnitude. Brushless does not change the collar, the gear switch, or the charge rules. A drill sold as brushless that turns out to be brushed is a description problem under the Consumer Rights Act 2015.

Common questions

What do the numbers behind the chuck do?
Clutch settings for screws. A low number slips sooner. The drill symbol, and a hammer symbol where there is one, lock that slip out. An 18+1 collar and a 25+3 collar do not share the same number.
When do you use gear 1, and when gear 2?
Gear 1 for screws and larger bits. Gear 2 for small bits. The 1/2 switch is separate from the numbered collar. Start screws in gear 1 and step the clutch up only if the screw stalls.
Can you change gear while the chuck is spinning?
No. Wait until the chuck has stopped. Changing gear under load can damage the gearbox. The same pause applies when you move from screw mode to the drill symbol.
Which bit is for wood, metal and brick?
A wood bit or brad point in timber, a high-speed-steel twist bit in metal, and a carbide masonry bit in brick. Brick still needs hammer mode. If you are pressing hard and the hole is not deepening, stop and change the bit.
How do you charge the pack without leaving it overnight?
Use the supplied charger on a hard surface, stay awake, and unplug it when full. Do not treat a one-hour or 90-minute bullet as a timed test. Reject a spare charger that is not a BS 1363 UK 13 A plug. LV-2120 is a separate rejected product.
What do you do if the pack is swollen, hot or smelling?
Stop charging. Unplug without handling a damaged cell if that is safe, then get out. If the pack is smoking, leave and call 999. Do not put it in water and do not carry it through the house.
When should you stop and call a professional?
When you cannot trace cables or pipes, when the bit has stopped in concrete, a lintel or engineering brick, when the fixing is structural, or when the drill is used all day at work. No listing here gives a vibration figure.

Related pages

Best brushless cordless drill

Brushless cordless drill

Brushless cordless drill buying guide: kit and torque

Brushless cordless drill for brick and when to stop

Brushless vs brushed cordless drill for light DIY jobs

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 display file.

  1. Which?: how to buy the best cordless drill (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  2. BSI: BS EN 62841-2-1 hand-held drills and impact drills (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  3. GOV.UK: Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations 2016 (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  4. HSE: hand-arm vibration responsibilities (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  5. Control of Vibration at Work Regulations 2005 (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  6. HSE: PUWER overview (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  7. NFCC: lithium-ion batteries (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  8. London Fire Brigade: batteries and chargers (retrieved 19 October 2026)