Discover Everything There is to Know About Concrete and Masonry Drill Bits
Ask any tradie or general contractor about boring holes in masonry, brick, or other aggregate-based substrates, and they’ll tell you that it takes more than just an ordinary drill bit. The bonding attributes of these building materials are measured in tens of centuries, and that means you need drill bits that can work even harder.
That’s why it’s no surprise that the development of increasingly more capable drills also coincides with a new era of drill bit design and innovation. The long-lasting drill bits that are being used on modern worksites to anchor, bore, and core through cement, concrete block, and a host of hard-setting substrates are also more capable than they’ve ever been. In fact, you only have to observe how “unlike” traditional bits they are to understand just how much they’ve evolved.
An Intro Into Today’s Concrete and Masonry Bits
Make no mistake: the heavy-duty bits used for drilling into aggregate substrates have always had their own special characteristics. Today’s robust concrete and masonry bits have more to offer than classic straight-shank aggregate bits, though. New bit drive styles and harder points allow builders, contractors, and even DIYers to bore through denser and thicker substrates than ever. And considering the ease at which these bits are capable of performing, they even come in fixed-depth variations that prevent holes from being drilled any deeper than they need to be
Classic Masonry Bit Attributes With All New Drive Sets
No matter which type of concrete or masonry bit you look at, it’s important to remember that, unlike standard steel and wood boring drill bits, masonry bits aren’t actually designed to cut through substrates. Instead, they use their spade-, or core-like tips at a consistent speed to scrape away material. It’s a surprisingly simple process that, when combined with a hammer-type rotary drill, is also incredibly effective.
Regardless of the type of concrete or masonry drill bit you buy, they all share the same core of physical attributes that need to be considered on a per-job basis, including:
- Body length. This is the distance from the bit’s shank to its point. Masonry bits can typically have body lengths of up to 520mm long, with overall lengths of up to 570mm.
- Rake angle. This is the angle that the leading edge of the flute spirals away from the axis of the bit. This is determined by the point angle, and can vary from 113° to 135°, with 135° being the most common for masonry.
- Materials. Modern masonry drill bits are overwhelmingly made from high-speed steel (HSS). Their hardened tips, however, can be made from either tungsten carbide or even embedded industrial diamonds.
Traditional, along with modern concrete and masonry drill for sale, both share the same crucial dimensional and operational characteristics. It’s the innovations in drive sets, however, that have had the most significant impact on the efficiency of modern bits. The advantages that modern bits have over traditional straight-, and even hex-style drive bits have effectively reshaped the way concrete and masonry drills, bits, and boring devices in general are used. They’re not just more productive than ever, though. They’re doing more work with less energy expenditure.
Reshaped the Masonry Bit Landscape With SDS Drives
With the adoption of slotted SDS drives, modern concrete and masonry bits are able to make better use than ever of the high torque capabilities of hammer-type rotary drills. In comparison to traditional chuck-style drive sets, standardized SDS drive collets are designed to lock onto any length or diameter of masonry drill bit, but without the need for manual tightening. An SDS drive bit can’t slide once it’s fastened into the drill’s collet, making it possible for today’s high-output, hard-punching rotary hammers to maintain a stronger and surer connection with the bit than ever.
Excluding the original hexagonal-shaped SDS drives, there are 3 main types of SDS drive systems commonly in use today:
- SDS Plus (TE-C). With its maximum 10mm shank diameter, this is the most common SDS drive style. It’s typically used with 4mm – 30mm diameter bits, and will also accept hex-style drive bits with an adaptor.
- SDS Max (TE-Y). These extra heavy-duty SDS drives have an 18mm maximum shank diameter. They’re built for 13mm – 44mm diameter bits, and with extended collets can also accept SDS Plus bits.
- SDS Top (TE-T). These drives have a 14mm shank diameter. These drills are used more for chiselling bits than one for boring, and aren’t employed as widely as SDS Plus or Max.
Make no mistake: the inherent stability of SDS drives has reshaped how contractors and other building professionals buy masonry drill bits, as well as other boring tools. That includes coring tools too, where the combined advantages of SDS drives, more powerful drills, and harder cutting materials are also taking their job performance to new levels.
Getting a Cut Above the Rest With SDS Drives and Coring Bits
There are going to be times when even a 30mm – 40mm hole through a concrete substrate isn’t going to be large enough. Not even the best-engineered masonry drills are capable of wobbling out holes large enough to install drains or inspection tubes. And while boring multiple holes in order to chisel out a larger afterwards works well with wood and steel, it’s a sloppy, haphazard undertaking with concrete that can have unexpected consequences.
One-piece, clean-cutting coring bits are the ideal choice for this kind of work. These multi-toothed cutting tools are designed especially for punching large holes in concrete, reinforced concrete, and precast substrates; and rigid SDS drives are their key to being able to:
- Maintain higher-than-normal concrete penetration speeds;
- Core to any depth with minimal destructive tool vibration; and,
- Organically encourage maximal dust and debris evacuation while coring.
Suffice it to say, when you’re contemplating what are the best concrete and masonry drill bits for sale you can buy, only modern SDS drive bits will allow you to leverage the full capability of newer, more versatile tools.
The Final Word
At the end of the day, SDS drives have been just as instrumental as cordless power tools in revising the way jobsite productivity is evaluated. Simply having more powerful tools isn’t enough, though. Critical consumables like drill bits need to be up to the task as well, and SDS drives have made an irreplaceable contribution to that end.
If you’re a tradie or general contractor who works with hard-setting substrates and are looking to see an increase in job site productive, robust concrete and masonry bits can help you. What they can save you in time and tool longevity makes them an investment that you can’t afford to ignore.