Which drill bit should I use?
The material decides the bit, and using the wrong one wrecks both the bit and the hole.
- Difficulty
- beginner
- Time
- 15 min
- Read
- 2 min
- Safety
- caution
Short answer
Masonry bits for brick and concrete, HSS for metal, brad point or flat bits for wood, and a tile bit for ceramic. A wood bit in masonry blunts within one hole and a masonry bit tears wood.
Most DIY frustration with drilling is the wrong bit. Each type is shaped for the way its material fails, and they are not interchangeable even when they look similar.
Safety
Step by step
- Identify the material first.Brick, block, concrete, plaster, plasterboard, wood, metal, tile. Knock on it and look at any exposed edge. Everything follows from this.
- Use a masonry bit for brick, block and concrete.Recognisable by the wide angled tip, usually tungsten carbide. Use with hammer action on. Never use hammer action with any other bit type.
- Use HSS bits for metal.High speed steel, plain twist shape. Slow speed, firm steady pressure and a drop of oil. Fast drilling overheats and blunts them immediately.
- Use brad point or twist bits for wood.Brad point has a sharp centre spur that stops it wandering and gives a clean hole. Flat spade bits and hole saws for larger diameters.
- Use a tile bit for ceramic and porcelain.A spear-shaped carbide or diamond tip. No hammer action, slow speed, and masking tape over the spot to stop the bit skating. Porcelain needs a diamond bit.
- Match the bit size to the wall plug.The plug packaging states the drill size. An oversized hole is the most common reason fixings pull out.
- Get the speed and pressure right.Masonry: fast with hammer. Metal: slow and steady. Wood: medium. Tile: slow with no hammer. Wrong speed blunts bits and makes poor holes.
- Mark the depth.A depth stop or a wrap of tape on the bit. It stops you going through a wall or too deep for the fixing.
Tips
- A cheap mixed set is fine to start with, but buy good masonry and HSS bits separately — the cheap ones in sets blunt fast and are the ones you use most.
- A bit that is smoking or making no progress is blunt or wrong for the material. Forcing it makes both worse.
- For tile, start with the drill in reverse at low speed to score through the glaze, then switch to forward. It stops the bit skating.
Questions people ask
Can I use a wood drill bit on brick?
No — it blunts within a single hole and will not cut masonry. Brick and concrete need a tungsten carbide masonry bit with hammer action.
What size drill bit for a wall plug?
The size stated on the plug packaging. An oversized hole is the most common reason a fixing pulls out later.