The Best Hippie Name I Ever Heard

One of my favorite stories from my days working on a carpenter crew is the time my co-worker James and I went to a music festival. It turned out to be one of those hippie scenes where everyone has a name like “Crystal Daisy” or “Bliss Flower.” Well, James felt that he needed his own “Rainbow Child” name, so he walked up to a pretty girl, stuck out his hand, and said:

“Hi, my name is Drill Bit.”

Somehow it didn’t seem as sensitive as “Bliss Flower,” but I still think he was on to something. A cordless drill gun (with multiple bits) is one of the most important things in your tool arsenal. With recent advances in technology, it also pays to get one of the newer kits with special features.

For example, here’s my drill kit, which includes one of the models:

I carry two drill guns because for one thing, it’s nice to have two of your most important tools. Also, with two guns, you can have one gun with a drill bit and one with a screw bit. This allows you to pre-drill a hole with one gun and then drive the screw with the other.

Another reason to carry two guns is that one of these guns is a new model called a “hammer drill.” Its mechanism was especially created to drive a screw faster without as much need to push down on the drill gun. A hammer drill basically does most of the work for you. However, a hammer drill isn’t really right for drilling holes, so you still need a traditional gun.

Another reason to buy a newer drill kit is that the newer batteries have more power, and they also seem to be lighter. When you buy your kit, it should come with more than one battery. This lets you charge one battery while using the other. The kit should also include a charger.

Many of the tools that I discuss are not absolutely necessary for a homeowner, but if you’re going to be handy around the house, you really should have at least one cordless drill. There is no substitute.

There’s no substitute for a good handyman, either. If you live near Asheville, give me a call!