Which drill bit is best for metal, timber, masonry or tile
Almost every drilling job that goes badly goes badly for the same reason, which is that the bit in the chuck was never meant for the thing being drilled, and because a blunt bit and a wrong bit feel much the same in your hand it usually gets blamed on the drill. Once you know which bit belongs in which material it stops being a guess, so here's how I'd sort it out, material by material.
Metal wants high speed steel and a slow drill
For steel, aluminium and general metal work you want a high speed steel bit, usually called an HSS bit, and the useful thing to understand is that heat is what kills them. Run the drill slowly, lean on it steadily rather than jabbing at it, and let the bit cut instead of trying to hurry it, and you'll get years out of a bit that would otherwise be blue and useless in a minute. Punch a dimple with a centre punch first so the bit doesn't wander across the surface, because that skate mark is the other thing that wrecks a job.
We carry Sutton HSS jobber bits individually on cards, the longer D110 series for when you need reach, and boxed sets if you'd rather have the whole range sitting in the shed than keep coming back for one size.
Timber is forgiving until the hole gets big
Small holes in timber will happily go in with an ordinary HSS bit, and for a lot of household jobs that's the end of the story. Once you're past about 10mm you want a spade bit instead, because it clears the waste out of the hole rather than packing it in, and it'll drive through a stud or a bearer in seconds. Back the timber with an offcut where the bit will break through, and the back of the hole comes out clean instead of blown out.
The Sutton SupaBore spade bits run in a good range of sizes and they're the ones I'd point you at for running cable, plumbing or anything that needs a proper hole through framing.
Masonry needs a carbide tip and a hammer action
Brick, concrete and stone will not give way to an ordinary bit, and trying it just polishes the tip off and leaves you nowhere. What you want is a masonry bit with a tungsten carbide tip, paired with a drill set to hammer, so the bit is tapping its way in as well as turning. Sutton D600 masonry bits cover the common anchor and plug sizes, and if you're going through double brick there's a longer version that saves you drilling half a hole and then finding out.
Tile and glass are their own thing
This is the one people get wrong most often, usually by reaching for the masonry bit because tile feels like masonry, and then the glaze cracks. Tile and glass want a spear point bit with a carbide tip, run slowly, with no hammer action at all, and a bit of water to keep the tip cool. Stick a piece of masking tape over the spot before you start so the tip has something to bite into, go gently until it's through the glaze, and it'll come out neat.
Buying bits, and keeping them
Cheap bits are not a saving. They go blunt on the first hard thing they touch, and a blunt bit burns the timber, work hardens the steel and makes you push harder, which is how people end up snapping them. Sutton is the brand we back on this, and it's worth buying one good bit in the size you actually use rather than a big bargain box of sizes you never will. Keep them dry, keep them in a case so the tips aren't rattling against each other, and sharpen the HSS ones when they start to struggle rather than binning them.
Shop related products
- Sutton D220 Jobber HSS Bright Bit, carded. The everyday metal bit, bought one size at a time.
- Sutton D110 Long Series Drill 6.0mm. For when a standard bit will not reach.
- Sutton SupaBore Spade Bit 12mm. Fast clean holes through framing timber.
- Sutton D600 Masonry Drill 6.0mm x 100mm. Carbide tipped, for brick and concrete.
- Sutton Glass and Tile Drill Bit 6.0mm, TCT spear point. The one that will not crack the glaze.
Did you know we also keep the 13 piece, 19 piece and 21 piece HSS jobber sets in store, along with P&N step drills for thin sheet metal and the longer D602 masonry drills for double brick. Those aren't all on the website, so give us a ring on (08) 8536 4333 to check what is on the shelf.
More from us
- Hand tools and power tools on the website.
- How to sharpen a drill bit and when to just replace it
- A beginner's guide to power drills, what to know before you buy
- How to choose the right anchors and screws for mounting heavy items
Bring the thing you're drilling into, or a photo of it, and we'll work out the bit together, which is quicker than guessing and a lot cheaper than buying three of them.
Cheers,
Candeece
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