Shopping for drills at the local hardware store can be quite confusing for any DIY enthusiast. There are so many different types of drills that vary in power, size and capability which makes it very difficult to make the right choice. Two of the most common drills found in any hardware store are the combi drill or the combination drill and the drill driver. The combi drill is however the most common type of all-purpose drill and can be used for many different applications.

The drill driver performs fewer functions than the combi drill. The drill driver performs two functions: driving which is used to fasten or drive screws and drilling which is used to bore holes through soft materials such as plastic or wood. The drill driver is not to be used for drilling hole through harder materials such as concrete.

The combi drill obtained its name from the fact that it combines the capabilities of the drill driver with a hammering feature that makes it the perfect drill to drill through masonry surfaces such as concrete, brick and stone.

A drill driver is normally smaller and lighter than a combi drill. The combi drill on the other hand is more powerful and better at drilling large holes in hard materials. A user will need to use two hands to grip the combination drill while he will only need one hand to use the drill driver. Both the drill driver and the combination drills are available as cordless models but because the drill driver is smaller and uses less energy, more cordless varieties are available. The combination drill is available in fewer cordless models and more corded models.

Due to the fact that the combi drills have more capabilities than the driver drills, they are more expensive. When purchasing drills, you should also take note of the brand. Sometimes a popular brand drill driver will cost double the price of an unknown combination drill. This however means that you can expect better quality from the drill driver. If you will need to frequently drill though masonry, you might want to consider a combination drill over a drill driver.