Update: I used to drill every single door contact hole by hand

For years, I did it the hard way. Cordless drill, step bit, go slow, hope you don't split the trim. Took forever on a 12-door apartment job. Then a guy on a site in Phoenix showed me his cordless rotary hammer with a small masonry bit. Game changer. It punches through wood and the steel strike plate in like two seconds. Clean hole every time. I bought a cheap one for $150 six months ago and won't go back. The time saved on just one big house pays for the tool. Anyone else make a switch like that on a basic task?

3 comments

3 Comments

wesleyb2010d ago

Maybe it's just me but a rotary hammer seems like overkill for trim. I'd be worried about tearing up the wood.

jasonallen10d ago

Yeah, wesleyb20 has a point about the right tool for the job. It's like using a sledgehammer to crack a walnut. You see it everywhere, like people using a massive truck just to get groceries, or firing up a full desktop computer just to check email. The power is cool, but it often makes the simple task harder and risks messing things up. That compact impact driver hall.joel mentioned is the perfect example of the sweet spot, enough power without being too much.

hall.joel10d ago

Man, I feel this so hard. I fought with a regular drill and spade bits for way too long. My big change was getting a compact impact driver for driving screws. That thing sinks a three inch screw into a stud in like a second without stripping the head. It sounds small, but when you're hanging a hundred sheets of drywall, your wrist thanks you. Total game changer for basic stuff.