When it comes to drills, brushed drills work a bit differently than brushless drills. Many people realize this, but understanding it is an entirely different matter. However, when it comes down to it, learning about the functions of both drill types isn’t too difficult. It’s actually very straightforward. Brushed drills – the original drills – are composed of four more parts than the newer brushless drills. Their motor is composed of four main parts – the carbon brushes, magnets, an armature, and a commutator.

These parts all work together to create the drilling motion that makes the device function. When the trigger of a brushed drill is squeezed, it sends an electrical current from the battery to the brushes. The brushes are spring loaded into the commutator and are able to deliver the charge from the battery to the commutator. Once the charge has been delivered, the commutator can then deliver the device to the armature.

The armature is a device that is composed of copper windings. This charge that is delivered to the armature magnetizes the part. The armature is located next to the magnets which have an opposite charge than the copper. These two charges colliding make the motor turn and keep the drill functioning until the power current disappears.

Brushless motors work differently – instead of the traditional parts, it only uses magnets and an armature. Instead of using carbon brushes and a commutator, when you squeeze the trigger on a brushless drill, the charge is sent from the battery to the armature through a circuit board. This makes for a smoother and faster connection than the carbon brushes are able to produce.