What Is a Hammer Drill Used For? (And Do You Need One?)
Quick answer: If you ever drill into concrete, brick, or block, yes — a regular drill will overheat and stall without progress. For wood, metal, and drywall, a regular drill is fine.
| Tool | Best For |
|---|---|
| Regular Drill | Wood, metal, drywall only |
| Hammer Drill | Occasional holes under 1/2", Tapcons, small anchors |
| SDS-Plus Rotary Hammer | Holes 1/2" and larger, frequent masonry work |
Jump to the full SDS comparison below.
What is a hammer drill used for? Drilling into masonry — concrete, brick, block and stone. It adds a rapid forward-and-back hammering action to normal rotation, which chips the material away as the bit turns. Switch the hammer action off and it works as an ordinary drill for wood and metal.
Can you drill into brick with a regular drill? Sometimes, in soft old brick, with a masonry bit and patience. In modern hard brick or in the mortar-free face of engineering brick, a regular drill will polish the hole rather than cut it and cook the bit doing so.
Can a hammer drill be used as a regular drill? Yes. Every hammer drill has a mode selector that disables the hammering, leaving a standard drill/driver. It is heavier and bulkier than a plain drill, which is the only real cost of owning one tool instead of two.
What Is a Hammer Drill?
A hammer drill looks like a regular drill but has a second mode — hammer drill mode — that adds rapid forward-back hammering action while the bit spins. This hammering chips away at concrete and masonry while the bit rotates, which is how you make progress in hard materials. Without it, the bit just skids on the surface and generates heat.
Most modern hammer drills are combination tools — they have a regular drill mode, a screwdriver mode, and a hammer drill mode in one tool. You get full functionality for wood, metal, and masonry in a single tool.
A regular drill only rotates, so it polishes masonry rather than cutting it. A hammer drill adds a forward-and-back motion along the bit axis — driven by two ridged discs behind the chuck — which fractures the material as the bit turns.
Do You Need a Hammer Drill? Quick Decision Guide
| Your Project | Do You Need a Hammer Drill? |
|---|---|
| Mounting a TV on drywall | No — regular drill is fine |
| Installing shelves on a concrete wall | Yes — concrete anchors require hammer drill |
| Building a deck (wood framing) | No — unless anchoring posts to concrete |
| Anchoring a ledger board to concrete | Yes — wedge anchors need hammer drill or SDS |
| Drilling into brick for a hose bib | Yes — brick requires hammer mode |
| Installing Tapcon screws | Yes — Tapcons require a hammer drill |
| Drilling metal, wood, drywall only | No — regular drill handles all of these |
| Mounting electrical boxes in concrete block | Yes — block requires hammer mode |
Hammer Drill vs Regular Drill: Key Differences
| Feature | Regular Drill | Hammer Drill |
|---|---|---|
| Drills wood | Yes | Yes |
| Drives screws | Yes | Yes |
| Drills metal | Yes | Yes |
| Drills concrete | No | Yes |
| Drills brick | No | Yes |
| Installs Tapcons | No | Yes |
| Price range | $40–$150 | $80–$250 |
Can a Regular Drill Drill Into Concrete?
Technically yes — if the concrete is very soft and the hole is very small. In practice, no. A regular drill spins a carbide bit without any hammering action. The bit generates heat instead of cutting, glazes over within seconds, and makes almost no progress. You will burn through bits and get nowhere. For any real concrete work, hammer mode is not optional.
What About an Impact Driver?
An impact driver is not a hammer drill. Impact drivers add rotational impacts for driving screws and fasteners — they do not add the forward-back hammering needed for concrete. Do not try to use an impact driver to drill concrete. It will not work and you will damage the tool.
Hammer Drill vs SDS Rotary Hammer: Which Do You Need?
If you only drill occasional holes under 1/2 inch for Tapcon screws and small anchors, a hammer drill is enough. If you regularly drill holes 1/2 inch and larger for wedge anchors, sleeve anchors, or structural connections, step up to an SDS-Plus rotary hammer. The SDS delivers 5-10x more impact energy and drills far faster.
- Hammer drill: Occasional homeowner use, holes under 1/2", Tapcon screws
- SDS-Plus rotary hammer: Regular contractor use, holes up to 1-1/8", wedge and sleeve anchors
See our full comparison: Hammer Drill vs Rotary Hammer
Recommended Tools by Category
For most homeowners, a combo drill/driver with hammer mode covers everything — you don't need to buy a separate hammer drill and regular drill.
Hammer Drills
A hammer drill is an ordinary drill with one addition: a pair of ridged discs behind the chuck that force it forward and back as it spins, tapping the bit into the material thousands of times a minute. That tapping is what breaks up masonry — rotation alone just polishes it. Switch the hammer action off and you have a normal drill/driver for wood and metal, which is why most people only need this one tool rather than two.
All four below are 1/2 in chuck, 18–20V, and close enough on paper that the honest answer is to stay on whatever battery platform you already own. If you own none of them, the spec differences below start to matter.
820 UWO
Manufacturer published figures. * Makita’s 4.2 lb is with battery; the other three are bare-tool weights. DeWalt does not publish torque for its drills, rating them in Unit Watts Out instead, which is not convertible to in-lb.
Need a corded option that never runs out of power? DeWalt DWD520 is a reliable 10-amp pick that handles all residential masonry drilling.
Need an Impact Driver Instead?
This is the distinction people get wrong most often. An impact driver also hammers — but rotationally, twisting harder in bursts when it meets resistance. A hammer drill hammers forward, along the axis of the bit. Those are different motions solving different problems: rotational impacts drive long screws without stripping the head; forward impacts break up concrete.
So an impact driver will not drill masonry, no matter how much torque it has. It also takes 1/4 in hex bits rather than a round chuck, so it cannot hold most drill bits at all. Buy one alongside a hammer drill, not instead of one.
Manufacturer published figures. Unlike its drills, DeWalt does publish in-lb torque for impact drivers.
Stepping Up to an SDS-Plus Rotary Hammer
An SDS-Plus rotary hammer looks like a bigger hammer drill and works nothing like one. Instead of two discs clicking past each other, a piston drives a hammer that strikes the back of the bit — the same principle as a jackhammer, scaled down. The bit slides in a slotted holder rather than being clamped, so the blow reaches the tip instead of being absorbed by the chuck.
That is why the numbers do not compare directly. A hammer drill is rated in blows per minute and a rotary hammer in joules per blow, so 38,000 BPM looks enormous next to 2.1 J — but each of those joules does far more work than a tap. In practice a rotary hammer drills a 1/2 in hole in cured concrete several times faster, and will keep doing it all day without cooking itself. Worth the step up if you drill masonry weekly rather than twice a year.
Manufacturer published figures, normalised to joules. Bosch publishes impact energy in foot-pounds per the EPTA standard; 1.9 ft-lb converts to 2.6 J. Comparing a ft-lb figure directly against a joule figure understates the Bosch by roughly a third.
Prices and availability change — links go to current Amazon listings. As an Amazon Associate, BuildToolHQ earns from qualifying purchases.
Common Mistakes
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Download Free PDF ↓Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a hammer drill for concrete?
Yes. A regular drill cannot drill into concrete effectively. Without hammer mode the bit generates heat instead of cutting and makes no meaningful progress. For any concrete, brick, or block work you need a hammer drill at minimum, or an SDS rotary hammer for larger holes and frequent use.
Can I use a regular drill instead of a hammer drill?
Not for concrete, brick, or block. A regular drill will overheat the bit, stall the motor, and make almost no progress in masonry. For wood, metal, and drywall a regular drill works fine. If you need to drill both masonry and other materials, buy a combination hammer drill that handles all modes in one tool.
What is the difference between a hammer drill and an impact driver?
A hammer drill adds forward-back hammering for drilling into concrete and masonry. An impact driver adds rotational impacts for driving screws and fasteners into wood. They solve completely different problems. An impact driver cannot drill concrete — do not attempt it.
Do I need a hammer drill or an SDS rotary hammer?
A hammer drill is enough for occasional holes under 1/2 inch for Tapcon screws and small anchors. An SDS-Plus rotary hammer is the right tool if you regularly drill holes 1/2 inch and larger for wedge anchors, sleeve anchors, or structural connections. SDS delivers 5–10x more impact energy and drills far faster.
Can I drill Tapcon screws with a regular drill?
No. Tapcon concrete screws require a hammer drill to first drill the pilot hole into concrete. The pilot hole must be drilled with a carbide masonry bit in hammer mode. Once the hole is drilled you can drive the Tapcon screw with a regular drill or impact driver, but the hole itself requires hammer action.
Related Guides
- Hammer Drill vs Rotary Hammer — When to upgrade to an SDS
- Hammer Drill vs Regular Drill — Full comparison
- How to Drill Into Concrete Safely — Step-by-step technique
- Drill Bit Size for Concrete Anchors — Right bit for every anchor
- Best Drills for Concrete Walls (2026) — Top picks reviewed
- Drill Bit Selector — Instant bit recommendation
- Best Hammer Drills for Home Use (2025) — Top picks reviewed
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Thomas Leroy
Contractor and founder of BuildToolHQ. 15+ years working with concrete, masonry, and structural fastening on residential and commercial job sites across North America. I built this site to give tradespeople and serious DIYers the same technical knowledge professionals use every day.
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