The electric drill may seem like a modern invention that would be no more than a few decades old, but it is actually quite old. The first electric drill was invented in 1889. Credit is given to two Australian inventors, Arthur Arnot and William Brian, for coming up with the design that allowed an electric motor to be paired with the traditional drill design. This first electric drill prototype was too large to move from place to place. It was only used for stationary work or at job sites that had ample power to work with.

The electric drill quickly gained attention from the work community and had people wondering how much farther the boundaries of machinery and tools could be pushed. As a result, only 5 short years later, Wilhelm Fein and Carl Fein were able to convert the electric drill into a portable device. This idea revolutionized the industry and made it possible for contractors to do more extensive work in their industries.