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🛠️ How to Use a Drill (Bohrmaschine) — The Complete Beginner-Friendly Guide for 2025

Whether you’re renovating your home, assembling furniture, or finally mounting that shelf that’s been sitting on the floor for months — learning how to use a drill is one of the most empowering (and useful!) DIY skills.

This guide explains step-by-step, with pictures, what every button does, how to choose the right settings, and which German words you need when buying or using a drill in Germany.

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📸 Visuals to guide you

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🔧 1. What a Drill Is (and Why You Need One)

A Drill (Bohrmaschine / Akkubohrer) is an electric tool used for:

• Drilling holes

• Driving screws

• Mounting shelves, lamps, curtain rods

• Working with wood, metal, drywall, brick, and concrete

For home renovation in Germany, a drill is a basic must-have because German walls are usually very hard (Beton, Backstein).

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⚙️ 2. Parts of a Drill — With Very Clear Explanations

Here is what every button does:

🔩 The Chuck (Bohrfutter)

This is the front part of the drill where you insert the drill bit (Bohrer).

• Twist to open

• Insert the bit

• Twist to tighten

German vocabulary:

• Bohrfutter öffnen — open the chuck

• Bohrer einsetzen — insert the drill bit

⏩ Direction Switch (Richtungsschalter)

This is usually a left/right toggle above the trigger.

• ► Right (clockwise) = screws go IN (rein)

• ◄ Left (counterclockwise) = screws come OUT (raus)

German vocabulary:

• Rechtslauf — forward rotation

• Linkslauf — reverse rotation

🔫 The Trigger (Abzug)

The big button you press to start drilling.

• Soft press = slow

• Hard press = fast

German vocabulary:

• Abzug drücken — pull the trigger

• Geschwindigkeit regulieren — regulate speed

💪 Torque Setting Ring (Drehmoment-Einstellung)

A rotating ring with numbers (1–20+).

• Low numbers = soft materials, small screws

• High numbers = stronger force for big screws

German vocabulary:

• Drehmoment — torque

• Einstellung — setting

⛓️ Drill Mode & Hammer Mode (Bohrfunktion / Schlagbohrfunktion)

You often have a small switch with icons:

🔩 Screw mode (Schraubmodus)

• For driving screws

🌀 Drill mode (Bohren)

• For wood, metal, plastic

🔨 Hammer mode (Schlagbohren)

• For brick, concrete, stone

• Makes a tapping motion inside the drill

• You need this mode for MOST walls in Germany

German vocabulary:

• Schlagbohrer — hammer drill

• Schlagfunktion aktivieren — activate hammer mode

🔋 Battery (Akku)

If you’re using a cordless model:

• Slide the battery on/off

• Charge until the light turns green

German vocabulary:

• Akku laden — charge the battery

• Ladegerät — charger

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🧱 3. Choosing the Right Drill Bit (Bohrer-Arten)

Material	Drill Bit (Deutsch)	What It Looks Like
Wood	Holzbohrer	Pointy tip
Metal	Metallbohrer	Smooth tip
Concrete/Brick	Steinbohrer	Wide, thick tip
Drywall	Universaldübel-Bohrer	Very sharp

Tip: In Germany, concrete walls require Steinbohrer + hammer mode.

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🪛 4. How to Use a Drill Step-by-Step

Step 1: Mark the spot

Use a pencil (Bleistift) and a level (Wasserwaage).

Step 2: Insert the correct drill bit

Match bit → wall type.

Step 3: Choose proper mode

• Screws? → Schraubmodus

• Simple hole? → Bohren

• Concrete? → Schlagbohren

Step 4: Hold the drill straight

Keep the drill 90° to the wall.

Step 5: Start slowly

Press the trigger gently → build up speed gradually.

Step 6: Insert the Dübel

German walls REQUIRE wall plugs.

Step 7: Screw in the screw

Switch mode → screwdriver mode → lower torque.

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⛑️ 5. Safety Tips

• Wear Schutzbrille (safety goggles)

• Tie back hair

• Keep the battery removed when changing bits

• Use both hands for stability

• Don’t drill during Ruhezeiten (quiet hours!)

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📘 Useful German Vocabulary for Buying & Using a Drill

German	English
Bohrmaschine	drill
Akkubohrer	cordless drill
Schlagbohrer	hammer drill
Drehmoment	torque
Bohrer	drill bit
Steinbohrer	concrete bit
Metallbohrer	metal bit
Holzbohrer	wood bit
Bohrfutter	chuck
Abzug	trigger
Richtungsschalter	direction switch
Dübel	wall plug
Schraube	screw
Wasserwaage	spirit level
Akkuladung	battery charge
Sicherheitsbrille	safety goggles

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🎉 Final Thoughts

A drill seems scary at first — too many buttons, too loud, too powerful.
But once you learn what each part does, it becomes one of the easiest and most fun tools to use.

By understanding the basics, choosing the right settings, and using the correct bits, you’ll:
✔️ drill straight
✔️ mount everything safely
✔️ avoid breaking your wall (or burning your drill)

And soon you’ll wonder how you ever lived without it.

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🌐 Want more helpful German vocabulary for everyday life?

👉 https://konnektoren.help/