Electric impact drill refers to a power tool that mainly uses rotary cutting and also has an impact mechanism that relies on the operator's thrust to produce impact force. It is used for drilling holes in materials such as bricks, blocks and lightweight walls.

Impact drills can be used on natural stone or concrete. They are universal, and since they can be used in both "single drill" and "impact drill" modes, they are a worthy choice of basic power tools for professionals and do-it-yourselfers. Electric hammers work by spinning and beating. The individual thumping force is very high, and with a thumping frequency of 1000 to 3000 per minute, it can generate significant force. Compared to impact drills, electric hammers require minimal pressure to drill into hard materials such as stone and concrete; especially relatively hard concrete. Electric drills only have a rotary mode, and are especially suitable for drilling holes in materials that require very little force, such as cork, metal, brick, ceramic tile, etc. Impact drills rely on rotation and impact to work. A single shock is very slight, but a frequency of more than 40,000 shocks per minute produces a continuous force.

The impact mechanism of the impact drill has two types: dog tooth type and ball type. The ball impact drill is composed of a moving plate, a fixed plate, and a steel ball. The moving plate is connected with the main shaft through threads, and has 12 steel balls; the fixed plate is fixed on the casing with pins and has 4 steel balls. Under the action of thrust, the 12 steel balls roll along the 4 steel balls. The cemented carbide drill bit produces rotary impact motion, which can drill holes on brittle materials such as bricks, blocks, and concrete. Take off the pin so that the fixed plate rotates with the moving plate without impact, which can be used as a common electric drill.