Percussion drilling is a manual drilling technique in which a heavy cutting or hammering bit attached to a rope or cable is lowered in the open hole or inside a temporary casing. The technique is often also referred to as ‘Cable tool’. Usually, a tripod is used to support the tools. By moving the rope or cable up and down, the cutting or hammering bit loosens the soil or consolidated rock in the borehole, which is then extracted later by using a bailer. Just as with hand augering, a temporary casing of steel or plastic may be used to prevent the hole from collapsing. When the permanent well screen and casing are installed, this temporary casing has to be removed. 

Percussion drilling is a drilling technique in which a drill bit attached to rope or cable is repeatedly raised and lowered, impacting soil and rock, and making a hole deeper. Frequently used to drill wells or during mineral prospecting activities, this type of drilling has been used for thousands of years and is adaptable to whatever technology is available. Drills can be simple apparatuses consisting of a heavy bit and a rope and operated by hand. Modern versions may also be called cable drilling and use an engine and cable to drill holes that may be hundreds of feet (meters) deep.

One use of percussion drilling is in third-world countries as a cheap and reliable way to drill water wells. Equipment is easy to build, transport, and simple to use. These drills introduce less contamination than conventional hand drilling methods, and this technique can drill a narrower and deeper hole than hand drilling through many different types of soil and rock.

If the substance being drilled through is sturdy enough, drilling can continue until water is reached. If it occurs in loose soil or sand, a pipe may need to be inserted to keep walls from collapsing. After the well is deep enough, the permanent casing is installed, too.