The Hand Drill is a rare crafting material in ARC Raiders that becomes important when you start upgrading your Outpost. Finding one can be difficult if you search the wrong areas, but knowing which map locations to prioritize can save you several raids. The best strategy is to explore Pendola Pass, search industrial buildings and abandoned train cars, and collect the drills before leaving the map.
Where to Find Hand Drills in ARC Raiders
Hand Drills are classified as Rare Topside Materials and are associated with Mechanical and Industrial loot. Pendola Pass is the main map to target when farming this item. Instead of checking every building, focus on locations with shelves, lockers, tables, and industrial equipment.
The best places to search include:
- Almatera Station: Check the shelves inside the station and inspect abandoned passenger trains.
- Railyard: Search parked train cars, industrial buildings, and nearby storage areas.
- Cielo Sereno Observatory: Explore the lower areas, industrial containers, and searchable storage.
- Storm Huts: Check shelves and containers inside the shelters, especially when searching for other Outpost materials.
Hand Drills do not have guaranteed spawns at these locations. You may find other crafting materials instead, so be prepared to search multiple areas or complete several raids.
The Best Hand Drill Farming Route
Almatera Station is a good starting point because it offers many places to check in a relatively small area. Follow this route to improve your chances of finding the item.
- Deploy into Pendola Pass and check your starting location on the map.
- Travel to Almatera Station if it is reasonably close.
- Enter the station building and search the upper-floor room containing metal shelves.
- Inspect each shelf carefully instead of looking only inside containers.
- Search the passenger train cars nearby, checking seats and tables.
- Continue toward the Railyard or nearby shelters if you still need more drills.
A Hand Drill may appear as loose loot rather than inside a container. Move slowly through searchable rooms and look at surfaces as you pass them. If your first location has already been looted, move on rather than wasting time waiting for new items to appear.
A Quick Alternative: Search the Railyard Lockers
If you want a more focused route, try the small locker room just south of the Railyard. Some players have reported finding two Hand Drills in the lockers during a single raid, although the results are not guaranteed.
To search this location:
- Head to the Railyard and locate the small room to its south.
- Check for a security camera outside and destroy it if necessary.
- Enter the room and inspect every locker.
- Watch for nearby ARC enemies, including Ticks, while searching.
- Collect the Hand Drills and extract safely.
This route is worth trying when you spawn nearby. However, loot can vary between raids, so do not expect every locker to contain the item.
What Are Hand Drills Used For?
The main reason to collect Hand Drills is to upgrade your Outpost. The upgrade from Level 2 to Level 3 requires three Hand Drills, three Epoxy Buckets, and 35 Planks.
You can also use three Hand Drills to craft an Anvil I weapon, provided you have the required Gunsmith level and other materials. This makes the item useful for both base progression and weapon crafting.
Before selling or recycling any Hand Drills, check your active upgrade requirements. You do not want to spend time farming another set because you recycled materials needed for your next improvement.
Hand Drill Stats and Recycling
Here are the important details to remember when collecting this item:
- Rarity: Rare
- Category: Topside Material
- Weight: 0.5
- Stack size: 3
- Sell value: 640 Raider Coins
If you no longer need a Hand Drill, recycling it produces one Mechanical Component. Salvaging it during a raid instead provides two Metal Parts. Keeping it is usually the better choice while you are working toward the Outpost upgrade or Anvil I crafting.