9/10
A hammer drill combines the circular spin of a standard drill with a strong forward strike. These drills are great for drilling into concrete or brick, and can shave massive amounts of time off a project.
Some hammer drills cost several hundred dollars. But if you only need break it out once or twice a year, save your money and pick up a Ryobi D620H.
This 5/8-in. chuck, variable-speed hammer drill comes with a six-foot cord, depth gauge, side handle, and chuck key. Weighing in at five pounds, it can move between hammer or drill operation with the flip of a switch, and the trigger’s lock feature reduces hand fatigue.
Backed by Ryobi’s three-year warranty, the D620H ships with an auxiliary handle, depth stop rod, chuck key and lanyard. If you’re going to tackle a project with more than a dozen holes to drill in masonry, look for a model with higher amperage and power. But for most home projects, this should be fine.
Note: Yes, this drill features a larger chuck than the 1/2-in. models we mentioned earlier. Hammer drills frequently have larger chucks than standard drill/drivers because it’s common to need larger bits when drilling into masonry. They’re also less likely to have keyless chucks because the impact from the hammer strikes can be rough on the chuck.
10/10
While a hammer drill pushes the drill bit forward like a hammer on a nail, an impact driver adds additional bursts of torque to the rotation of the driver head. A hammer drill is the right choice for drilling through difficult material. But an impact driver like the Ridgid 18V R86039B is better for faster, easier setting of screws or bolts.
This impact driver delivers a great deal of force with each rotation, making large projects a breeze. It ships with a single lithium-ion battery and charger, along with a storage bag. The service agreement provides free parts and service for life.
