How To Set The Torque Setting On A Drill

Tip

Drill pilot holes for screws to reduce the amount of torque necessary and also help to further prevent splitting of the wood when attaching screws.

Most drills on the market today have adjustable torque settings and high and low speed settings. These settings help when driving screws into wood. The torque setting depends on the type of wood you are securing screws to as well as the length of the screw. The higher the torque setting, the more power to drive the screw. Setting the torque setting on a drill sometimes requires adjusting the high and low speed setting as well.

Step 1

Find the arrow on the top of the drill and the numbers on the torque adjustment ring. The torque adjustment ring is directly behind the chuck collar. The torque number you select must align with the arrow on the top of the drill/driver body.

Step 2

Rotate the torque ring between numbers 1 through 4 if you are driving in small screws. If your drill has variable speeds or a two-speed setting on the top, set the speed to the highest setting.

Step 3

Turn the torque ring between numbers 5 through 8 settings, if you are driving screws through soft woods.

Step 4

Position the torque ring between numbers 9 through 12 torque setting if you are driving screws through semi-soft or semi-hard woods. Adjust your two-speed setting to the low setting once you begin driving screws into harder woods. This helps to prevent splitting from driving the screws in too quickly.

Step 5

Rotate the torque ring between numbers 13 through 16 when driving into hardwood. If you are driving in long screws over 3 inches or do heavy drilling, rotate the torque ring between numbers 17 through 24 depending on how many clutch settings your drill uses.

Recommended