RFDrills: Power Up Your Mining and Logging with RF Energy
If you have ever wished your trusty pickaxe could tear through stone and dirt without switching tools, or dreamed of a chainsaw that also shears sheep, RFDrills is the mod you need. This compact addon bridges the gap between Thermal Expansion and EnderIO, introducing a line of rechargeable, upgradeable tools that run on Redstone Flux. Instead of juggling multiple items, you get drills that adapt to any material and chainsaws that double as axes and shears, all while fitting neatly into your existing tech progression.
What Exactly Does RFDrills Add?
At its core, RFDrills delivers two tool families: drills and chainsaws. Both are powered by RF and can be charged in any compatible energy cell or capacitor. The standout feature is their dual functionality. Drills are not just faster pickaxes; they can mine soft blocks like dirt, gravel, and sand with the same efficiency as hard stone. Chainsaws act as axes for wood and also function as shears for wool, leaves, and cobwebs. This eliminates inventory clutter and makes resource gathering feel smooth and modern.
Every tool is upgradeable, following a tiered system similar to Simply Jetpacks. You start with a basic version and work your way up through reinforced materials, eventually unlocking high-capacity, rapid-fire tools that chew through entire chunks. The mod also integrates deeply with other popular tech mods, using their components as crafting ingredients when they are present. For instance, if you have Simply Jetpacks, Redstone Armory, or Extra Utilities installed, RFDrills will automatically pull in their items to create more immersive recipes.
Tool Tiers and Progression
Depending on which core mod you use, the number of tiers varies, but the upgrade path always feels rewarding. Here is a breakdown of what to expect:
- Thermal Expansion line: Four distinct tiers of drills and chainsaws, each with increased energy capacity, mining speed, and special modifiers. The ultimate omni-tool arrives when you also have Redstone Arsenal or Simply Jetpacks, combining the best of both worlds into a single devastating implement.
- EnderIO line: Two main tiers plus the ultimate omni-tool. The progression aligns with EnderIO’s alloys and capacitors, giving a different crafting flavor while maintaining the same dual-mode functionality.
- Omni-tool: This endgame tool works as a supercharged drill, chainsaw, and more. It inherits the highest stats and often includes area-of-effect mining or silk touch capabilities, depending on your installed mods.
Upgrades are handled through an augmentation system. You can slot in modifiers that increase speed, add fortune, or change mining modes. The mod’s compatibility with WAILA means you can see exactly how much RF is needed to break a block and which mining mode is active, taking the guesswork out of energy management.
Compatibility and Smart Integration
RFDrills shines because it respects your existing modpack. It requires CoFHCore and either Thermal Expansion or EnderIO to function, but it actively looks for other mods to enhance the experience. Here is how it ties everything together:
- Redstone Arsenal / Simply Jetpacks: Unlocks the ultimate omni-tool for Thermal Expansion progression, using their high-tier materials.
- Simply Jetpacks, Redstone Armory, Extra Utilities: When any of these are present, their unique items become part of the crafting recipes, making the tools feel native to your modpack.
- WAILA (What Am I Looking At): Displays real-time RF cost per block and the current mining mode, so you always know what your tool is doing.
- VersionChecker: Lets you update the mod directly in-game and view changelogs, keeping you current without manual file hunting.
This modular design means you are never forced into a single tech tree. Whether your world runs on Thermal Expansion’s dynamos or EnderIO’s capacitor banks, RFDrills fits right in.
Getting Started Without the Headache
Setting up RFDrills is straightforward, but managing dependencies can sometimes trip up new players. You need CoFHCore and at least one of the two main tech mods, plus any optional extras you want for the full tier list. If you prefer a streamlined installation process, the foxygame.net launcher makes it effortless — you can browse and install RFDrills along with its required libraries directly from the built-in mod menu, saving you the trouble of hunting down compatible versions. Once everything is in place, simply craft your first drill or chainsaw using the standard recipes (which adapt to your installed mods) and charge it up.
Early-game tools are affordable, often requiring basic machine frames and a few ingots. As you progress, you will need more advanced alloys and possibly nether stars or resonant components for the top-tier versions. The investment is worth it: a fully upgraded drill can mine a 3x3 area or silk touch ores, while an augmented chainsaw clears entire forests and shears sheep in one swing.
Why RFDrills Deserves a Spot in Your Modpack
Beyond the obvious convenience, RFDrills encourages a more fluid playstyle. You no longer need to swap between a pickaxe, shovel, axe, and shears — just one tool handles it all. The RF power system ties into the energy networks you are already building, so you are not juggling durability or separate fuel sources. The upgrade path gives long-term goals, and the cross-mod integration keeps recipes feeling fresh even in heavily customized packs.
The mod’s developer actively welcomes feedback on the FTB forum thread, where you can share suggestions and see what the community is cooking up. Combined with in-game version checking, RFDrills stays up to date and responsive to player needs.
Final Thoughts
RFDrills takes the familiar idea of powered tools and executes it with polish and deep mod integration. It respects your time by merging tool functions, respects your modpack by adapting recipes, and respects your tech progression by scaling beautifully from early to endgame. Whether you are tunneling through a mountain with a resonant drill or trimming your sheep farm with a flux-infused chainsaw, this addon makes every task feel more connected and less tedious. Install it, charge it, and never look back at vanilla tools again.