[RocketGal]

All I need to do is drill a few holes in brick, concrete, limestone and hardwood flooring. Do I need a drill with a hammer drill setting? Or can I do these holes with a regular drill with say, 500 in-lbs of torque?

 

[Bondo]

Or can I do these holes with a regular drill with say, 500 in-lbs of torque?

Nope, the bit will be burnt up before ya do the 1st hole,.....
Hardwood floorin' is no problem, no hammer needed,...

I bought myself a hammer/ regular drill, 'n gave my ole lady the regular drill I had,...

 

[LanterDan]

I'm not so sure. I've drilled a few masonry holes before I acquired a hammer drill around a decade ago. Brick can usually be drilled with just a rotary action. I've never drilled limestone, but I would guess it is soft enough to can be drilled similarly. Concrete can vary a lot in hardness. Before I had a hammer drill, I've encountered concrete which was relatively easy to drill, and concrete which was a royal pain to drill without a hammer drill. Hammer action sure is nice if you have it though.

If you currently have a non-hammer drill, and only have a few small holes, there is no harm is giving it a try. Hammer drills have become much more popular, if you only have a few holes you might see if you can borrow one as well. (Even though I have two hammer drills now, I borrow a Hilti rotary hammer if I have drill any real holes in concrete.)

 

[Mort]

If you already have a regular drill, it may only cost a bit to find out. If you're going to buy one, just get a hammer drill. They aren't that much more than a regular one.

 

[ZZZZZ]

Regular or hammer drill, either way you need a good masonry drill bit. A regular wood or metal drilling bit will not cut it - literally.