Design
Design describes the overall layout of the tool.
Nowadays, among drills and screwdrivers, you can find models with
a pistol,
angle,
straight, combined
pistol-angle, as well as an
adjustable design. Here is a more detailed description of each option:
— Pistol. In models with this layout, the handle is perpendicular or almost perpendicular to the body, so that the tool is held in the hands similar to a pistol — hence the name. In general, the pistol design combines convenience, safety, practicality and low cost. Due to this, this option is the most common nowadays, it is widely used in all types of drills and similar tools (see "Device"). In fact, this is a traditional design for such units; other types of layout are used mainly in models designed for special conditions and/or with specific characteristics (see below for more details).
— Corner. The general shape of such tools resembles the letter G: a straight body of relatively large length, which also acts as a handle, and a cartridge bent 90 ° relative to the body. This design option is especially convenient when working in cramped conditions: with the help of an angled tool, you can get into narrow gaps that are inaccessible to traditional pistol-mounted units. On the other hand, the angular layout degrades accuracy somewhat;
...it is also poorly suited for jobs that require strong pressure along the axis of rotation of the chuck.
— Direct. Tools of this design have an oblong body, part of which plays the role of a handle; and the axis of rotation of the cartridge in them coincides with the longitudinal axis of the body. This option can be found in two types of tools. The first is small low-power tools (mainly screwdrivers, screwdrivers and wrenches, as well as single models of drills, also characterized by low power). In such cases, a straight body is provided primarily for compactness — a pistol grip would increase the dimensions beyond reasonable limits. The second type of direct units is, on the contrary, separate professional drills with a diamond drilling function (see "Purpose"). Such drills are not designed to be held in hands and are used only with a stand (see "Complete set"); for this format of use, the direct layout is also optimal.
— Pistol / angle. In fact, they are tools of the pistol layout described above, which are supplied with an angular cartridge that allows you to turn the working nozzle 90 ° relative to the standard position. Thus, such models combine the capabilities of both layouts, while retaining the main advantages of a pistol design — convenience and reliability in holding. On the other hand, additional equipment affects the cost, and such versatility is not often required. So this option is not very popular.
— Adjustable. This category includes all models in which you can change the location of the cartridge and/or handle relative to the body. The most popular version of this design is the rotary handle, which allows you to switch the tool from a pistol format to a straight one and vice versa. See above for more on these types of construction, but here we note that the pistol layout is more reliable in holding and versatile, and the straight one is better suited for some delicate work and hard-to-reach places. It is also worth mentioning that the possibilities for adjusting the handle can be different: in some models it has only two extreme positions, in others you can choose the angle of inclination relative to the body. The second, somewhat less common variety of adjustable tools is devices with a rotary chuck. Here we are already talking about switching between a straight and an angular layout — the latter, we recall, is very appropriate when working in cramped conditions. However, the cartridge in such units, usually, can be installed not only at 90 ° relative to the body, but also in several intermediate positions. This further expands the customization options for the specifics of the situation.
Anyway, all adjustable tools are more versatile than non-adjustable ones, but they are more complex in design and less reliable. Therefore, this type of arrangement is found exclusively in low-power units, mainly battery ones (see "Power supply").Weight
The total weight of the tool is usually the device itself, without attachments. For battery models (see "Power Source"), usually, the weight is indicated with a standard battery installed; for battery-powered models, the weight can be given both with and without batteries, but in this case this point is not particularly important.
Other things being equal, less weight simplifies work, increases accuracy of movement and allows you to use the tool for longer without tiring. However, note that high power and productivity inevitably increase the mass of the tool; and various tricks to reduce weight increase the price and can reduce reliability. In addition, in some cases, a massive design is more preferable. First of all, this applies to work with a large load — for example, drilling holes of large diameter, or making recesses with impact: a heavy tool is more stable, it is less prone to jerks and shifts due to uneven material, vibration of mechanisms, etc.
It is also worth noting that specific weight values are directly related to the type of tool (see "Device"). Screwdrivers are the lightest — in most of them this figure
does not exceed 500 g. Screwdrivers and drill drivers are more "heavy": their average weight is
1.1 – 1.5 kg, although there are many lighter (
0.6 – 1 kg) and heavier (
1.6 – 2 kg or more ) models. And clas
...sic drills and wrenches have the greatest weight: such a tool must be quite powerful, so for them 1.6 – 2 kg is an average, 2.1 – 2.5 kg is above average, and many units weigh more than 2, 5 kg.Chuck type
Two points depend on the type of cartridge: the types of working tools (drills, screwdrivers, etc.) with which this or that model is compatible, and the method of installing / removing them.
—
Key. As the name implies, you will need a special key to work with such a cartridge. The mount itself is usually designed for tools with round shanks (mostly drills) and includes three cams that, when clamped, converge towards the centre, clamping the tool installed in the chuck on the axis of rotation. The main disadvantage of this type of cartridge is the need to use a key: it can be lost and the mount becomes useless. In addition, installing and removing a working tool can be quite a long process. However, the keyed chuck is considered somewhat more reliable than the keyless chuck and more suitable for heavy work.
—
Quick release. Similar to the keyed chuck described above, this type of chuck is designed primarily for drills with round shanks. Its main difference is the absence of a key — you can fix or remove the drill with the help of a hand, without any additional tools. Such chucks are slightly less suitable for work with high loads (for example, in hard materials and/or with large diameter drills), but otherwise they do not lose in any way with the key, and in terms of ease of use they are significantly superior.
—
Under the beat. Bits are working tool
...s used in screwdrivers and screwdrivers (see "Device"). The working side of the bit can have a flat, cruciform or other shape (star, trihedron, etc.), but the shank with which it is fixed in the cartridge is standardly made hexagonal. Accordingly, the bit chuck has a recess for such a shank. Fixation can be carried out mechanically, in the form of a simple latch, or with a magnet; in both cases, the mount is secure enough for safe operation, and the tool can be removed without much effort.
— Morse taper. A cartridge for one of the varieties of the tool cone — the so-called Morse cone. As the name implies, this mount involves a conical shank and a corresponding hole for it (often with an additional groove for the protrusion on the shank — for secure fixation and prevention of rotation). This option is found mainly in drills (see "Device"). Note that the Morse cone is available in several sizes that are incompatible with each other.
— Square. The type of chuck used in impact wrenches. Unlike all other varieties, the working tool for the “square” is not installed inside the cartridge, but is put on it from the outside. Squares can have several standard sizes, but these sizes are the same for both electric and hand tools. In fact, this means that nozzles from manual wrenches can also be used in electric models if the landing size is the same (and if not the same, you can use an adapter, although this is less convenient).
— None (threaded spindle). The absence of a cartridge as such: a thread located directly on the spindle is used to fasten the working nozzles. Almost all models with this feature are powerful professional tools designed for diamond drilling (see "Intended use") — for a number of reasons, it is the threaded spindle that is considered the best way to attach nozzles for such drilling. Note that the thread on the nozzle can be both external and internal; most spindles are compatible with both varieties, but there are exceptions. So this nuance needs to be specified separately.
Note that in some models two types of cartridges can be combined — for example, for a bit and quick-clamping. Usually, for this, the kit provides two different cartridges that can be changed as needed, but there are other options — for example, a spindle into which you can insert both a bit and a drill chuck (key or keyless). Anyway, this makes the tool more versatile and allows you to work with numerous working attachments.Quick chuck change
The ability to quickly remove the cartridge and replace it with another, and, usually, by hand, without the use of additional tools.
A quick change of cartridge is found mainly in drill drivers (see "Device"): in different modes, such devices require different types of cartridges (one for a drill, the other for a bit), and the ability to quickly change one type to another in some situations is extremely useful .
