There are several reasons why you may use a hand drill or brace instead of a powered or cordless drill.
Hand drills and braces can be used anywhere, including remote locations without a power supply.
In comparison, even a cordless drill needs a power supply to charge the battery once it goes flat.
Secondly, hand drills and braces make far less noise than powered drills. This can be important if you are working in an environment such as a hospital where creating noise can disturb patients or where noise regulations may be in place.
Hand drills and braces are much lighter than powered drills, so are easier to carry with you and will be easier to hold.
Hand drills and braces give you more control than a powered drill due to the direct connection between the user’s input and the drill bit turning.
This can be an important factor if you are working with rare or fragile material.
Are there any disadvantages to using a hand drill or brace?
By far the biggest disadvantage of using a hand drill as opposed to an electric or cordless drill is the physical effort that is required, as they are both manual tools.
As hand drills and braces turn slower than powered drills, completing a job with a hand drill or brace is also likely to take more time. Using a hand drill or brace for long periods of time can be very tiring.
Hand drills and braces lack many of the added features or abilities of powered drills. These could include; hammer functions, impact driving, and inbuilt lights to illuminate a workpiece.
ADVANTAGES
DISADVANTAGES
Quieter
Lighter
More control
No power supply needed
Physical effort required to operate them
Jobs can take longer due to slower turning speed
Can cause fatigue if used for long periods of time
Lack many of the features available on powered drills