Hand Drills for Kids

An “eggbeater” style hand drill is a relatively safe tool for kids to use.  They can often be found at garage sales or even on ebay.  Some are collectible and have more value, but most sell for under $15.  Older eggbeater drills made by Millers Falls or Stanley can still perform very well.  If you want to go the new route, there are a couple of good options:

Fiskars 8511 is a modern version with the gear enclosed so you don’t have to worry about fingers getting pinched on exposed gears (they rarely do).  The Fiskars 8516 is a colored version.

If you prefer the exposed  gear “old school” variety but want to buy new, this Schroeder hand drill is styled off some of the old Stanley models.

Neither these new hand drills or their older counterparts can hold or manage a drill bit larger than 1/4″ in diameter so stock up on a set of bits with 1/4″ and smaller drill bits.