Drills!
Mining in Minecraft is the backbone of progression, but let's be honest—the standard pickaxe routine can feel a bit repetitive after a few hundred hours. If you're looking for a fresh way to tear through stone and ore, the "Drills!" add-on is here to change the game. This isn't just a simple texture swap; it introduces a whole new tier of excavation tools, complex crafting chains, and even a brand-new villager profession. Whether you're a redstone engineer or a builder who hates slow strip-mining, this add-on offers a satisfying upgrade path that feels right at home in the vanilla sandbox.
For those eager to jump straight into the action, you can download Drills! from most reputable add-on repositories. The add-on is designed for the Bedrock Edition of Minecraft, specifically supporting versions 1.20 and newer. It works seamlessly with both standard loaders and resource pack managers, making it a breeze to integrate into your existing worlds without worrying about complicated setup procedures.
Seven Unique Drills to Master
The core of this add-on is its namesake: seven distinct drills, each with its own mining speed, durability, and crafting recipe. Unlike the vanilla pickaxe progression, these tools are not just linear upgrades. They each have a specific role, encouraging players to craft multiple types for different scenarios. Here is the full lineup:
- Wooden Drill: Your entry point into the drilling world. It's slower than an iron pickaxe but offers a unique "spin-up" animation that feels incredibly satisfying.
- Stone Drill: A solid step up, perfect for early-game automation and clearing out large swathes of dirt and stone.
- Iron Drill: The workhorse of the set. It mines faster than a diamond pickaxe and is the first drill that feels truly efficient for deep-slate mining.
- Golden Drill: The fastest tool in the game, but with very low durability. It's a fun novelty for clearing small areas quickly, but it won't last long.
- Emerald Drill: A balanced option that offers a good mix of speed and durability, making it a great all-rounder for general exploration.
- Diamond Drill: The endgame workhorse. It boasts incredible mining speed and can handle any block in the game, including Obsidian.
- Netherite Drill: The ultimate excavation machine. It combines the speed of the Diamond Drill with the knockback resistance of Netherite, making it perfect for the Nether's hazardous terrain.
Each drill requires a specific crafting recipe that goes beyond the standard "two sticks and three materials" formula. You will need to gather specialized components, which brings us to the add-on's deeper crafting mechanics.
Advanced Crafting: Alloys and Compressed Diamonds
To craft the higher-tier drills, you'll need to master new recipes. The add-on introduces an Alloy, an Advanced Alloy, and an Ancient Debris recipe that are essential for the Diamond and Netherite Drills. These aren't just simple furnace smelts; they require specific arrangements in the crafting grid, pushing you to experiment and plan your resource gathering.
Perhaps the most intriguing addition is the Compressed Diamond recipe. This requires nine standard diamonds to create a single block, which is then used in the Diamond Drill's recipe. This adds a significant resource sink for late-game players who have stacks of diamonds sitting in their storage system. It gives those resources a new purpose and makes the Diamond Drill feel like a true investment.
If you are wondering how to install this pack, it is straightforward. Simply download the .mcaddon file and open it with Minecraft. The game will automatically import it as a behavior pack and resource pack. Ensure that both are activated on your world before loading in. For those using a launcher, the process is even smoother. For example, the foxygame.net launcher offers a one-click install for "Drills!", automatically handling the pack activation and ensuring version compatibility with your current Minecraft build.
The Miner Villager Profession
Beyond the tools themselves, "Drills!" introduces a new villager profession: the Miner. You can identify them by their unique hard-hat and pickaxe-wielding appearance. They offer trades that revolve around the new crafting components, such as selling Alloys and Compressed Diamonds in exchange for emeralds. This creates a new economic loop where you can trade your excess resources for the rare materials needed for high-tier drills, rather than spending hours mining for them.
To unlock the Miner's full potential, you need to craft the Pickaxe Master block. This is a special block that acts as the Miner's job site block. The crafting recipe for this block is locked behind a specific progression step: you must first obtain a Smooth Stone. This gating mechanic ensures that players don't rush straight to the endgame drills and instead experience the add-on's content in a logical order. Once placed in a village, the Pickaxe Master block will convert any unemployed villager into a Miner, giving you access to their unique trade table.
Performance and Compatibility
We tested "Drills!" on Minecraft Bedrock 1.21 and found no performance issues. The custom drill models are well-rendered, and the mining animations are smooth without causing frame drops. The add-on is fully compatible with other popular behavior packs, though we recommend using it with a simple inventory manager to keep your hotbar organized, given the sheer number of new tools you will be carrying.
For players who use a launcher with a built-in add-on catalog, the foxygame.net launcher makes it easy to keep "Drills!" updated. The launcher automatically fetches the latest version of the add-on, so you never have to manually search for patches or bug fixes. This is a massive convenience, especially when Minecraft updates break existing add-ons and you need a quick fix.
Final Verdict
"Drills!" is a fantastic add-on that fills a niche Minecraft has needed for years: specialized mining tools that offer more than just a stat boost. The progression system is rewarding, the new villager profession adds depth to village trading, and the unique crafting recipes encourage thoughtful resource management. While the Golden Drill's low durability might frustrate some, it's a fun trade-off that adds variety to the toolset.
Whether you are a speedrunner looking to optimize your early game or a veteran player seeking a new challenge, this add-on is well worth your time. The balance between the different drills is solid, and the Netherite Drill feels like a true endgame reward. We highly recommend adding "Drills!" to your world. It is a polished, content-rich experience that will make you wonder how you ever mined without it.