4 Unexpected Uses For A Cordless Drill

If you're invested in a power tool battery system, chances are you have a cordless drill. More than likely you use your drill for its typical uses like placing screws in walls and drilling holes into wood and other materials. You may even have some useful drill extensions for buffering cars and mixing paint. However, a cordless drill can have other unexpected uses that have nothing to do with construction or other types of heavy-duty projects.

It's important to keep in mind that these out-of-the-box applications for a cordless drill listed in this article are not recommended uses by power tool companies. In fact, if you happen to break your tool by using it beyond what the manual suggests, there is a chance you may void your warranty. That said, we highly advise you to have a full understanding of your power drill and use extreme caution when using the tool in any form.

It can be exhausting work using a shovel or hand trowel to prep your garden bed for flowers or your yard for fence posts. It is especially difficult if your yard is filled with rocks or hard clay. The power behind a drill can help lift the dirt up and make the perfect sized hole every time. It's important to create the proper size hole for whatever it is you're planting, so the plant has the correct amount of space to root.

Of course, to do this you'll want an auger attachment made for the job. Luckily, Amazon sells some that aren't too expensive with positive reviews, so you can trust that the bit won't break at the first sign of a rock. With a high rating and the most reviews for hole digging drill attachments, the TCBWFY 5 Set Auger Drill Bit gives you five different sizes to choose from for $40. If you're only looking for one size to make perfect holes for your bulbs, the Sorangeun Auger Drill Bit is only $10. 

Whatever purchase you decide to make, not only will using a drill keep you from getting too tired from digging, it can help keep you from getting a backache later.

Many, if not all, drill instruction manuals state to keep power tools out of children's reach and not let anyone unfamiliar with the power tool use it. That being said, a drill can help make for some cool arts and crafts projects under proper supervision. Some people like to use items they find like rocks, beads, and seashells for jewelry making and other crafts. Sometimes, you may need to create a hole for it, though. As seen in Char's Nest YouTube video, you can use a Diamond Drill Bit from Amazon to gently create a hole without breaking the item.

You can also try attaching a paintbrush to the drill to try drill painting. After dipping the brush in paint and using the drill to paint on a canvas or thick paper — thin paper may rip from the drill's force — you'll notice some creative designs forming under the brush. Additionally, you can attach a drill to the back and center of a canvas, drop some paint blobs and lines on the front, and spin the canvas. The spin will force the paint into an outward design.

However, if painting and beading aren't your thing and you're looking for a practical use for a drill while crafting, you can use a drill to easily and quickly wind a ball of yarn, which can be a huge timesaver.

A power drill may not seem like it belongs in the kitchen unless you're fixing the sink or cabinets, but it can help in certain areas of cooking. Of course, you want to make sure your drill is completely clean of any garage and outdoor debris, so dirt or dust doesn't end up in your food. 

Due to the spin of a power drill, the more obvious use for the tool in the kitchen is to use it to whisk or stir food such as whipped cream and milkshakes. If you have a smaller whisk sitting in a drawer with a thin handle, you can try fitting it into the drill's chuck — if you don't have one, Amazon sells many different styles for cheap. However, if you want a whisk attachment that was purposely made for a drill, Homicozy sells a three-piece set with three different styles of whisks built on a hex bit.

Another creative kitchen use with a drill is peeling an apple. Simply find a long enough apple holder that will fit into the drill and hold a peeler up against the apple while the drill spins. However, you won't want to pull the trigger all the way for max speed because the apple could fly off or you may end up cutting the apple down too deep or yourself.

There are all kinds of drill attachments for cleaning and polishing vehicles, but what about cleaning chores in and around the house? There are drill attachments made specifically for cleaning the grime out of your sink and even all the nooks and crannies of the toilet. 

A popular option is the Holikme 30 Pack Drill Brush Attachments package on Amazon. There's a cleaning brush and sponge for every type of use. The only problem with this set is that there are no replacements for the sponges — once a sponge goes bad, you'll have to purchase a whole new attachment. However, if you want to buy a kit whose company thought ahead for replacements, the RotoScrub 7 Pack Multi-Purpose Drill Brush Kit will allow you to keep the base of the attachment and only have to purchase replacements for cheaper.

However, if you have a scrubber brush or sponge-type cleaner with a hard piece at the end, you could always save your money and make your own attachment. YouTuber LifeOfRyan has a quick DIY Electric Cleaning Brush tutorial showing step by step how he made his cleaning tool along with a demonstration showing how well it worked in his shower.