Do we want to reinvent the wheel?

When I ask you to picture a drill, what do you see?

So why does the ToolKid drill look so different? Have we been wise to go for another shape? Does ToolKid want to reinvent the wheel?
No, we don’t. Our goal is to make sure that the tools can be used in a way that simulates the ‘grown-up’ tools as much as possible so that children will find it easy to make the transition when they get older.

The reason is that the traditional model doesn’t work for children. Let me explain why. It is all about the eye-hand coordination. The motor development of children from gross to fine motor skills goes in parallel with the eye-hand coordination. This process happens during the childhood years and is completed around the age of twelve. In practice, it became clear that children are unable to properly aim the traditional drill model, resulting in a hole that isn’t straight. Apart from that, the weight of the drill head amplified this effect, regularly causing the drill to break. And when that happens, drilling is not that fun anymore.

This means that it is not just a simple matter of reducing the weight and size to make a drill that children can use.
ToolKid focuses on the child. We consider their physical capabilities, so the size of the children’s hands combined with the motor skill. That is why the ToolKid drill has its typical straight T-model, enabling children to actually aim and drill straight. When the TU Delft carried out a user test with the ToolKid prototypes, children quickly showed a preference for the T-model, which they found easier to use than the small models of the traditional drills. Children are very well capable of finding out what works for them and that’s what they choose. Isn’t that what it is all about, that they enjoy learning how to drill? And when something goes well, you like doing it again…

The ToolKid drill is still very popular. And not just with children. Even adults have discovered the practicality of the device, especially for precision woodwork and model making.

Naturally, as we are making the drill for children, we also focused strongly on safety and sustainability. Would you like to know more about how the drill works? Then check out our video on YouTube.

Technological developments never stop and we collaborate closely with our suppliers to use the latest techniques. Some years ago, we introduced the Li-ion technology to power the drill, making it less energy consuming, less harmful to the environment, and the battery more powerful. Together with the battery supplier, we recently converted the electronics again to make the capacity of the energy supply even more efficient.

Additionally, the inner part of the drill now has different gears and materials to better distribute its power. And last but not least, we abandoned the conventional charger that can be seen in the video and we now use a USB cable instead. Nearly everyone has a USB charger at home, so why would we supply a separate charger? It only adds to the stack of unused appliances.

Just like the drill for grownups, everything can be neatly put away in a sturdy case. How cool is that?

So let me give a quick overview of all the features of the ToolKid drill:

Would you like to surprise your child with this cool drill?

Kind regards,

Lise