Time to upgrade my drill (drilling into brick etc)

[UTH]

I've somehow managed to get by for the last 15 years on a pretty pathetic electric drill which probably cost £40 15 years ago!

I don't know how I've put up with trying to drill into brick/concrete etc for so long with this thing, but I think it's time I get something actually up to the job.

I don't do a huge amount of drilling, so not sure I need to spend £500 on a drill that is exclusively for drilling into brick walls, so is there something for a couple of hundred ££ that does it all very well? Having said that, my current crappy drill is fine for putting holes in wood etc, but trying to drill into brick walls is a mega pain in the arse, so maybe I do need something specialist?

Any ideas welcome, not an area I know much about.

[MattyD803]

The drill is one thing (Nice 18V Dewalt, Milwaukee, Bosch Pro, Makita etc)...but good quality drill bits make a huge difference. If your going to be doing alot of drilling into brick, an SDS might be a better shout. Knife through butter.

[Aprisa]

Pretty much any SDS and a range of good bits.

The cost will depend on Corded/Cordless and how big and heavy it is, sliding scale of cost versus number of uses.

[UTH]

MattyD803 said:

The drill is one thing (Nice 18V Dewalt, Milwaukee, Bosch Pro, Makita etc)...but good quality drill bits make a huge difference. If your going to be doing alot of drilling into brick, an SDS might be a better shout. Knife through butter.

Good point, happy to invest in some good bits as well, just keen for recommendations really, as usual there are so many options out there I'll end up giving up trying to decide!

[agent006]

Before shelling out on a drill, what bits are you using now?

The Man Rules say you need a huge SDS drill for brick but with a decent quality new drill bit in it I can put holes in brick with my wife's 10v Bosch non hammer drill.

[UTH]

agent006 said:

Before shelling out on a drill, what bits are you using now?

The Man Rules say you need a huge SDS drill for brick but with a decent quality new drill bit in it I can put holes in brick with my wife's 10v Bosch non hammer drill.

I'm using bits from a set that I got when I got the drill......no idea what they cost but I can pretty much guarantee the whole box was probably less than the price of the drill, and there are quite a lot of bits in it, so I'm assuming they're pretty st!

[fiatpower]

UTH said:

I'm using bits from a set that I got when I got the drill......no idea what they cost but I can pretty much guarantee the whole box was probably less than the price of the drill, and there are quite a lot of bits in it, so I'm assuming they're pretty st!

They're probably blunt after 15 years of use. Buy a new set of bits and you should see an immediate improvement.

[agent006]

UTH said:

just keen for recommendations really

First recommendation is don't buy anything from B&Q, it's all utter st. Sadly Screwfix aren't far behind them now.

I've had decent mileage out of DeWalt masonry drill bits. They seem to stay reasonably sharp and then they blunt gradually.

[UTH]

This pops up on a '8 best drills' type list I just came across: https://www.machinemart.co.uk/p/clarke-con1500rdv-...

Any good? No idea if that's too cheap to be good, or would be spot on?

[SunsetZed]

fiatpower said:

UTH said:

I'm using bits from a set that I got when I got the drill......no idea what they cost but I can pretty much guarantee the whole box was probably less than the price of the drill, and there are quite a lot of bits in it, so I'm assuming they're pretty st!

They're probably blunt after 15 years of use. Buy a new set of bits and you should see an immediate improvement.

This in spades. I've got a basic set of bits which is generally fine but bought good quality 6 and 8mm drill bits for drilling into the dense bricks of our house and the difference was night and day

I can't remember exactly what I got but this sort of thing:
https://www.screwfix.com/p/bosch-sds-plus-shank-3-...

[RizzoTheRat]

I have concrete ceilings, took me about a minute to drill a single 6mm hole with my mains powered Wickes hammer drill. Borrowed an SDS drill off a friend and it went in about as well as my drill goes in to softwood! Honestly couldn't believe how much better an SDS is!

[davek_964]

I bought an SDS last year (went for corded, since cordless ones seemed excessively expensive). It's something I wish I'd bought years ago - drilling into brick is pretty much instant.

Having said that - a mate has "Piranha" drill bits and reckons that they are just as good when using a normal drill.

[Vtekkers]

Any brick or concrete i use SDS wouldn't use anything else now

if you have any batteries already or started to invest in a certain brand look for the body only sds drill

[Sir Bagalot]

I had a £30 drill and always use decent bits. That packed in so I bought another £30 jobbie. Years and years later that packed in during a DIY job so borrowed neighbours Makita SDS jobbie that cost him £150.

fking hell. Chalk and cheese.

So I went out and spent £150 on a similar one (corded), should have done it years previously. So so so much easier to use.

[UTH]

Thanks guys, so an SDS and some good bits, will get shopping!

[Simpo Two]

For drilling small holes in brick, eg for rawlpugs, I use a normal hammer drill. Fordrilling proper holes right through, like for a water pipe or extractor duct, I use something like this:

https://www.screwfix.com/p/titan-6-3kg-electric-sd...

It goes through brick like a normal drill goes through wood, and is relatively cheap.

[UTH]

Simpo Two said:

For drilling small holes in brick, eg for rawlpugs, I use a normal hammer drill. Fordrilling proper holes right through, like for a water pipe or extractor duct, I use something like this:

https://www.screwfix.com/p/titan-6-3kg-electric-sd...

It goes through brick like a normal drill goes through wood, and is relatively cheap.

I imagine 90% of what I'll need it for is rawlplugs, don't imagine I'll ever be making big holes

That one you linked certainly seems like a bargain, might be the winner!

[Simpo Two]

UTH said:

I imagine 90% of what I'll need it for is rawlplugs, don't imagine I'll ever be making big holes

That one you linked certainly seems like a bargain, might be the winner!

Unless your bricks are stupendously hard, a normal hammer drill and new masonry bits is the best answer I think. The one I linked to is a bit of a brute and doesn't do 'finesse' very well.

I suppose you are using masonry bits...?

[MattyD803]

agent006 said:

First recommendation is don't buy anything from B&Q, it's all utter st. Sadly Screwfix aren't far behind them now.

I've had decent mileage out of DeWalt masonry drill bits. They seem to stay reasonably sharp and then they blunt gradually.

I think I know what your saying, avoid own brands? B&Q & Screwfix (Same company) both stock the likes of Dewalt, Milwaukee, Makita etc, so don't rule those out assuming you get a sensible deal....FFX tool outlet on ebay also a good shout.

[UTH]

Simpo Two said:

UTH said:

I imagine 90% of what I'll need it for is rawlplugs, don't imagine I'll ever be making big holes

That one you linked certainly seems like a bargain, might be the winner!

Unless your bricks are stupendously hard, a normal hammer drill and new masonry bits is the best answer I think. The one I linked to is a bit of a brute and doesn't do 'finesse' very well.

I suppose you are using masonry bits...?

Ahhh ok, yeah probably no need for me to get something that's overkill when all I'm really doing is putting things up on walls most of the time.

Yeah, I am, just not very good ones I imagine.