The electric drill was made as a result of the next significant leap in drilling technology, the electric motor. The electric drill was invented in 1889 by Arthur James Arnot and William Blanch Brain of Melbourne, Australia.

Wilhem and Carl Fein of Stuttgart, Germany, invented the first portable handheld drill in 1895. Black & Decker invented the first trigger-switch, pistol-grip portable drill in 1917. This marked the beginning of the modern drilling era. Electric drills have been developed in a range of sorts and sizes throughout the last century for a number of applications.

Who Invented the First Cordless Drill?

Almost all modern cordless drills are descended from S. Duncan Black and Alonzo Decker’s 1917 patent for a portable hand-held drill, which sparked the modern power tool industry’s expansion. The firm they co-founded, Black & Decker, became a world leader as the partners continued to innovate, including the first line of power tools designed for home consumers.

As 23-year-old workers of the Rowland Telegraph Co., Black, a draftsman, and Decker, a tool and die manufacturer, met in 1906. Four years later, Black sold his automobile for $600 and founded a small machine shop in Baltimore with an equivalent amount from Decker. The new company’s initial focus was on enhancing and producing other people’s innovations. They intended to manufacture and produce their own products after becoming successful, and their first was a portable air compressor for car owners to fill their tires.

While considering the purchase of a Colt.45 automatic handgun, Black and Decker realized that several of its capabilities could benefit the cordless drills. In 1914, they invented a pistol grip and trigger switch that allowed single-handed power control, and in 1916, they began mass-producing their drill.