How to Adjust a Cordless Drill

Do you know how to optimize the effectiveness of a drill? Drills are commonly used for DIY and home improvement projects. It takes more than fitting the bit to the drill and pulling the trigger. This DeWalt Drill has all the drill/driver settings. These settings are universal and can be used on any brand.

Table of Contents

Reverse/forward control

Each drill comes with a forward/reverse control. The sliding switch indicates the drill’s direction and changes it depending on how you press it. The switch should have arrows on both sides to indicate the direction. The tool will be locked if you set the switch to the middle position. If your drill doesn’t work after you charge the battery, make sure that it is set to either forward or backward and not off.

Set the Speed

This drill/driver has three speeds for a finer adjustment. This adjustable gearing gives you versatility depending on what task you are performing. Setting 1 has a low speed/high torque, which is ideal for driving screws. The second setting is medium speed/torque, and it can be used to drill or drive. Setting 3 is for the fastest speed, and can be used to drill or drive fasteners. You should not adjust the speed without the tool completely stopped. Otherwise, you could damage the gearing.

Clutch Adjustment

You should dial in the clutch setting. The list will have numbers ranging from 1 to 10, or 20. The clutch is set to a specific torque range by these numbers. The collar number will indicate the maximum torque. This allows you to drive larger fasteners. Align the arrow on a lower setting, and then start driving a bolt. The clutch will disconnect the motor if there is excessive resistance. Find the perfect clutch setting to drive the screw to desired depths without overdriving or disengaging motor.

Setup for Hammer Drills and Drills

The icon of a drilling bit will appear after the highest number in the clutch setting. When you’re ready to drill, place the arrow over the drill icon. You’ll see a Hammer icon if your cordless tool has a Hammer drill setting. This setting will activate the hammer inside the drill, which will deliver concussive strikes behind the drill bit in order to help drill into brick or masonry.

Attention: Never use these settings to drive screws or fasteners. The drill does not clutch. This means that the motor won’t disengage, but will stall when overloaded. This can result in a serious injury to the wrist or hand.

Keyless Chuck Adjustment

You’ll have to widen the teeth of the chuck to allow you to insert the driver or drill bit. The sleeve on the chuck should be rotated counter-clockwise, as viewed from the back. This will allow the bit to fit. Rotate the sleeve counter-clockwise until the click is heard or the bit stops. The keyless chuck can only be tightened by hand. When using a hex-bit, ensure that the teeth are tightly clamped to the side of the bit.

Look for any wobble when you pull the trigger. You’ll notice the amount of wobble if the bit is not seated properly.

To install a bit quickly and without twisting, place the drill into reverse, grab the end of the chuck and pull the trigger slowly to open the bit. Drop the bit in the chuck and switch the drill to forward. Slowly pull the trigger, while holding the chuck. To ensure the bit is properly seated, you’ll have to release the trigger while hand-tightening.

Drill Handle

The handle on hammer drills can be removed and attached to give you more control when pushing the drill into brick or cement. For the handle to be attached, turn it in a counter-clockwise direction to loosen the grip enough to allow it to slip over the front of drill. Then, rotate it clockwise until it is snug around the collar.

Charge Indicator

Many cordless power tools have an indicator pack which will show how much charge is left in your battery. To turn on the light, simply push the battery icon. These lights are also built into some tools if they’re not on the batteries. When a battery fails, many tools stop working without any warning or slowdown. These indicators ensure that there are no unpleasant surprises.