How to use a right angle drill
Updated: 2026-10-23
The hinge screw is inside a cupboard, the straight drill hits the carcass, and your face is beside the chuck. How to use a right angle drill starts with that offset, not with a generic combi routine. The chuck, the direction and the speed sit on a short head, so a loose bit is closer to your hand than on a long drill. The four dedicated tools are on our [right angle drill comparison](/hub/drilling-and-accessories/right-angle-drill). We did not run a lab test. A qualifying purchase can earn us a commission at no extra cost to you.
The hinge screw is inside a cupboard, the straight drill hits the carcass, and your face is beside the chuck. How to use a right angle drill starts with that offset, not with a generic combi routine.
The hinge screw is inside a cupboard, the straight drill hits the carcass, and your face is beside the chuck. How to use a right angle drill starts with that offset, not with a generic combi routine. The chuck, the direction and the speed sit on a short head, so a loose bit is closer to your hand than on a long drill. The four dedicated tools are on our right angle drill comparison. We did not run a lab test. A qualifying purchase can earn us a commission at no extra cost to you.
Our top picks
| Badge | Product | Speeds | Clutch | Stated torque | Note | Price | Offer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall |  Milwaukee Milwaukee 2415-20 M12 right angle drill | 1 speed, 800 rpm | 11 plus drill mode | 11.3 Nm | 9.4 | about £85.50 | View offer |
| Best value |  Einhell Einhell TE-AD 18 Li cordless right-angle drill | 1 speed, 1,100 rpm | Not stated | 45 Nm | 9.2 | about £49.99 | View offer |
| Alternative |  XIIW XIIW 12V cordless right angle drill | 2 speeds, 880 rpm | Not stated | 18 Nm | 7.6 | about £47.99 | View offer |
On this page
Set the tool up before you enter the gap
Take the battery off, or keep your finger off the trigger, before you change anything on the head. DIY Doctor's order for a cramped space is to learn the tool in the open, fit the battery only when you mean to drill, choose the bit, set the speed, and confirm direction before the head goes into the cupboard. On an offset drill the switch is easy to read backwards. Spin the chuck in free air, clear of your other hand. Forward for a normal twist bit is clockwise as you look along the bit towards the work.
Fit a short bit. A long driver bit brings the chuck forward until it hits the stile. None of these listings prints a hammer mode, so a masonry bit is the wrong steel. If you have no battery at all, stop and use the right angle drill buying guide.
Tighten the chuck without the trigger
A keyless chuck on a short head is tightened by hand, often one-handed, because the other hand is bracing the tool. Pro Tool Reviews describes turning the sleeve until the ratchet clicks. Do not hold the chuck and power the drill to close it. That can grab a glove or a finger. XIIW reviews say that chuck has no separate lock, so a sleeve that feels snug can still relax once the bit loads. Seat the bit fully, turn until the clicking stops, then tug the bit.
If the bit still slips, take the battery out before you look in the jaws. Core Service UK treats dirt in the jaws as the first check, and a worn chuck as a replacement rather than a harder squeeze. On the 2415-20, one review warns of a pinch at the guard if you pull the trigger while changing bits. Keep the finger off the trigger until the bit is seated and your other hand is on the handle.
Speed, clutch and the first millimetre
DIY Doctor's rule is the one to keep: screws slow, holes faster, and a large wood bit can snatch. Start a screw on the slowest speed you have, with light pressure, so the tip finds the pilot. On the XIIW that is the low of two speeds, under 880 rpm. On the Einhell the trigger is the only slow-down, up to 1,100 rpm. On the 2415-20 the maximum is 800 rpm, and the clutch is the extra control. Set a low number, drive one screw into scrap of the same timber, and raise it only if the clutch trips before the head is home.
Drill mode, where you have it, is for the hole, not for the first brass hinge screw. Eye protection matters because chips leave the work beside your face, and gloves do not subtract vibration.
When to put the tool down
Stop when you cannot see the cable, the pipe or the back of the unit. A tight gap is not a reason to drill blind. A consumer unit, a hole near a pipe, or a structural joist you have not checked is work for someone who can open the job properly. At work the drill is equipment under PUWER 1998.
Stop when the direction switch is stiff, wrong, or dead. One C12 review describes opening the tool to restore reverse. That was a reviewer's repair, not a step. If the seller still covers the tool, a failed switch goes back. Do not open the housing on the kitchen table. A chuck that will not grip after the jaws are clean is the same stop.
Common questions
Where is forward on an offset head?
Look along the bit towards the timber and confirm clockwise rotation for a standard twist bit, with the chuck in free air and your other hand clear. The offset head makes the switch easy to read as if you were holding a straight drill. Reviews on the Milwaukee bodies say the direction control is awkward.
How hard should I tighten a keyless chuck?
Turn the sleeve by hand until the ratchet clicks and the bit will not pull out. On a short head you often do that one-handed, so tug the bit afterwards. The XIIW chuck has no separate lock in the reviews. If it slips again with the battery out and the jaws clean, the chuck is worn.
Should I use the trigger to spin the chuck closed?
No. Keyless-chuck guidance says the trigger often fails to lock the jaws, and holding the chuck while the drill runs can catch a finger. On the 2415-20 there is a pinch warning at the guard if the trigger is used while you change bits. Battery out, or finger off the trigger, until the bit is seated and both hands are where you mean to hold the tool.
What speed for a screw, and what speed for a hole?
Drive screws slowly, and drill holes faster once the bit is seated. The XIIW gives you two speeds under 880 rpm. The Einhell gives you one speed and a trigger up to 1,100 rpm. The 2415-20 tops out at 800 rpm and adds a clutch you can test on scrap. None of these tools is an impact driver for long coach screws.
When do I stop and call someone?
Call someone for a consumer unit, for a hole near pipes, and for a structural joist you have not checked. Return the tool if the direction switch fails or the chuck will not grip after the jaws are clean. Do not open a Milwaukee switch yourself. Pushing harder does not add a hammer. These listings do not claim one.
Related pages
Sources
Public UK sources and manufacturer pages, last checked on 21 October 2026. Shelf prices and star lines are the amazon.co.uk figures used on this page. The Milwaukee torque page is not a UK price.
- Screwfix, angle drills (retrieved 21 October 2026)
- Toolstation, drill buying guide (retrieved 21 October 2026)
- Einhell UK, TE-AD 18 Li-Solo (retrieved 21 October 2026)
- Milwaukee, M12 3/8 in right angle drill 2415-20 (retrieved 21 October 2026)
- HSE, vibration duties for employers (retrieved 21 October 2026)
- HSE, noise duties for employers (retrieved 21 October 2026)
- Supply of Machinery (Safety) Regulations 2008 (retrieved 21 October 2026)
- HSE, INDG175 hand-arm vibration (retrieved 21 October 2026)