Contractor John Kirton points out a little-known feature: chuck lockout.

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Heat kills drill bits, agrees Barquist.

Drilling pilot holes

The Spruce / Jacob Fox

“Heating the drill bit enough can cause it to lose its temper and soften.”

Using the Wrong Bit for Tiles

Drilling into tilesis necessary wheninstalling towel barsor soap dishes in bathrooms.

But it’s a big mistake to drill tile the same way you drill wood.

Instead, as a professional deck-builder, he recommends using an impact driver.

Impact drivers can drive more screws on a charge than a drill, too.

Still, when it comes to drilling holes, a cordless drill is the right tool to use.

“Gradually increase the drill bit size until you reach your required hole diameter.”

This helps you establish the drilling point and prolongs the life of your drill bits.

It’s called torque.

The torque feature is typically a numbered ring near the chuck.

Rotating the torque ring increases or decreases the drill’s torque.

“They won’t dull as fast as a standard high-speed steel drill bit.”

Barquist also recommends using cutting oil, as it will preserve the bits and speed up the drilling process.

But it’s easy to forget that you might use the reverse function for other things.

Reverse function is also useful for loosening the chuck or releasing a stuck drill bit, Kirton says.

To loosen the chuck, flip the drill to REVERSE.

Grasp the chuck with one hand and the drill’s handle with the other hand.

Press the trigger, and the chuck will open.

Many cordless drill users may not know that their tool already has a hammer function.

Look for the hammer-shaped icon next to a switch on the drill.