Drills

Not to be confused with Drill Containment Unit.

Drills are a type of Hardmode tools and an alternative to pickaxes. On  PC,  Console,  Mobile, and  tModLoader, they have shorter range than pickaxes, however they mine out blocks much faster. Note that these only account for their base use speed, and do not account for other speed modifiers.

It should be noted that drills damage enemies with a projectile based on an NPC immune timer and NOT with a weapon collision using the item's usetime (animation time). This makes drills considerably more effective at damaging enemies. The immune timer is flat for all drills and is equivalent to a 10 usetime.^Verify

Tools (hammers, axes, pickaxes, drills, chainsaws, jackhammers, etc.) use the item's actual usetime (as apposed to the animation time) to perform their jobs. In the case of the Mythril Drill, the usetime is 10 and the animation time is 25 minus 1 or 24. This is most noticeable when using high level pickaxes and hammers as they will hit tiles/walls several times per swing (swing is based on animation time).

The Drax is available pre-Hardmode, found in Shadow Chests.

Types

There are currently 13 different drills available in Terraria, all of which are Hardmode-exclusive.

Name		Max Block	Pickaxe power	Axe power	Damage	Bonus	Use time	Mining speed	Knockback	HM	Rarity	Sell
	Cobalt Drill Internal Item ID: 385		110%	-	10	-1 range	15 (Very fast)	7	0.5 (Extremely weak)	✔️	04*	18
	Palladium Drill Internal Item ID: 1189		130%	-	12	-1 range	15 (Very fast)	7	0.5 (Extremely weak)	✔️	04*	144
	Mythril Drill Internal Item ID: 386		150%	-	15	-1 range	15 (Very fast)	6	0.5 (Extremely weak)	✔️	04*	162
	Orichalcum Drill Internal Item ID: 1196		165%	-	17	-1 range	15 (Very fast)	5	0.5 (Extremely weak)	✔️	04*	198
	Adamantite Drill Internal Item ID: 388		180%	-	20	-1 range	15 (Very fast)	4	0.5 (Extremely weak)	✔️	04*	216
	Titanium Drill Internal Item ID: 1203		190%	-	27	-1 range	15 (Very fast)	4	0.5 (Extremely weak)	✔️	04*	252
	Chlorophyte Drill Internal Item ID: 1231		200%	-	35	-	15 (Very fast)	4	1 (Extremely weak)	✔️	07*	432
	Drax Internal Item ID: 579		200%	110%	35	-1 range	15 (Very fast)	4	4.75 (Average)	✔️	04*	440
	Vortex Drill Internal Item ID: 2774		225%	-	50	+2 range	15 (Very fast)	2	0.5 (Extremely weak)	✔️	10*	7
	Nebula Drill Internal Item ID: 2779		225%	-	50	+2 range	15 (Very fast)	2	0.5 (Extremely weak)	✔️	10*	7
	Solar Flare Drill Internal Item ID: 2784		225%	-	50	+2 range	15 (Very fast)	2	0.5 (Extremely weak)	✔️	10*	7
	Stardust Drill Internal Item ID: 3464		225%	-	50	+2 range	15 (Very fast)	2	0.5 (Extremely weak)	✔️	10*	7
	Laser Drill Internal Item ID: 2798		230%	150%	35	+11 range	25 (Fast)	6	4.75 (Average)	✔️	08*	10

Effectiveness

Pickaxe hits required to destroy blocks

Block
Dirt Block Sand Block Clay Block Mud Block Silt Block Ash Block	1	1	1	1	1	1
Stone Block Candy Cane Block Green Candy Cane Block Snow Block Pearlsand Block Ebonsand Block	1	1	1	1	1	1
Copper Ore Iron Ore Silver Ore Gold Ore	1	1	1	1	1	1
Demonite Ore	1	1	1	1	1	1
Meteorite	2	2	2	2	1	1
Obsidian	1	1	1	1	1	1
Ebonstone Block Pearlstone Block Hellstone Dungeon Brick	2	2	2	2	1	1
Cobalt Ore	2	2	2	2	1	1
Mythril Ore		3	2	2	2	2
Adamantite Ore			3	3	2	2
Chlorophyte Ore					3	3
Lihzahrd Brick						2
Gray Brick Red Brick Obsidian Brick Mudstone Brick Iridescent Brick Pearlstone Brick Snow Brick Copper Brick Silver Brick Gold Brick Demonite Brick Hellstone Brick Cobalt Brick Mythril Brick	1	1	1	1	1	1

Notes

• Unlike a pickaxe, whose animation (swinging around the player) will be the same no matter where the player "aims" it, a drill will follow the cursor. Although more realistic, this detail may cause digging to become slightly harder because the cursor is nearly always obscured by the drill head (unless the smart cursor is used).
• If a drill is used for a minute without stopping, it will stop working and need to be restarted by pressing the ⚒ Use / Attack button again. This is because drills are actually long-lasting channel projectiles when used, similar to the Magic Missile.
  • Clicking "resets" the digging process, so clicking rapidly on a stronger block (such as Adamantite) can mine far quicker, albeit with a little more effort.
  • This might also mean that drills could be more desirable for endgame or expert mode characters who do not wish to lose armor or accessories for mining speed.

History

 PC version

• Desktop 1.4.0.1:
  • All drills and chainsaws now dig faster than their non-mechanical counterparts, but have shorter range.
  • Additionally, optimized digging loadouts still perform better on pickaxes/axes, but drills and chainsaws will be faster on non-optimized loadouts.
  • The Luminite Drills are now obtainable.

• Desktop 1.3.3: Fixed Drills shooting confetti at supersonic speeds when under the effects of the Flask of Party.

• Desktop 1.3.0.1:
  • Added Laser Drill, a drill with an especially long (+11) range that drops from the new Martian Saucer.
  • Added the unobtainable Luminite Drills.

• Desktop 1.2:
  • Added Palladium, Orichalcum, Titanium, and Chlorophyte Drills.
  • Drills are no longer materials.
  • Each drill now has a pickaxe equivalent, for those who don't like drills.
  • Hamdrax renamed to the Drax.

• Desktop 1.1: Introduced with Cobalt, Mythril, and Adamantite Drills and the Hamdrax.

 Console version

• Console 1.0.933.1:
  • Added Laser Drill, a drill with an especially long (+11) range that drops from the new Martian Saucer.
  • Added the unobtainable Luminite Drills. ()

• Console 1.0.750.0:
  • Added Laser Drill, a drill with an especially long (+11) range that drops from the new Martian Saucer.
  • Added the unobtainable Luminite Drills. ()

• Console 1.02:
  • Added Palladium, Orichalcum, Titanium, and Chlorophyte Drills.
  • Drills are no longer materials.
  • Each drill now has a pickaxe equivalent, for those who don't like drills.
  • Hamdrax renamed to the Drax.

• Console-Release: Introduced with Cobalt, Mythril, and Adamantite Drills and the Hamdrax.

 Nintendo Switch version

• Switch 1.0.711.6: Introduced with all corresponding drills up to Desktop 1.3.0.1.

 Mobile version

• Mobile 1.3.0.7:
  • Added Laser Drill, a drill with an especially long (+11) range that drops from the new Martian Saucer.
  • Added the unobtainable Luminite Drills.

• Mobile 1.2.6508:
  • Added Palladium, Orichalcum, Titanium, and Chlorophyte Drills.
  • Drills are no longer materials.
  • Each drill now has a pickaxe equivalent, for those who don't like drills.
  • Hamdrax renamed to the Drax.

• Mobile-Release: Introduced with Cobalt, Mythril, and Adamantite Drills and the Hamdrax.

Nintendo 3DS version

• 3DS-Release: Introduced with all corresponding drills up to Desktop 1.2.