A Foolproof Guide About Drilling Into Concrete (Most Common Queries Answered)

Drilling into concrete is not child’s play. You have to keep many factors in your mind during the job. Plus, you must choose a suitable drill and also the right bit. If you mismatch, you will ruin the whole work and effort. 

So today, I am here to discuss every necessary information you ever need to know about drills, concrete drill bits, and a few other materials. So, stay tuned till the end!

What power drill do I need for concrete?

When we talk about drilling into concrete, you should choose the hammer drill to drill into concrete. Making holes in the concrete with a Hammer drill is much easier. This power tool fractures the concrete via instantaneous hammering. Afterward, drill to dig out the shattered concrete material.

How do you drill into concrete without cracking it? 

First of all, select the depth of the drill and mark it on the bit. Ensure to mark your target position on the concrete and level the drill with it. Make a guide hole, which is essential when you want to make a hole yet want to prevent concrete from cracking. The guild hole should be 1/8 to ¼ inch deep.

Start the drill with low speed and also low pressure. When you feel, you passed the first layer of the concrete, gradually speed up the machine. Now, use your steady hands to give pressure on the concrete while moving the bit back and forth. Keep doing it until you reach your desired depth.  

To get a practical idea of how to drill into concrete, I’d say this video will be helpful to you:

Can I drill concrete without a hammer drill?

Indeed, you can drill strong concrete without a hammer drill with just a normal rotary drill machine. In this case, you need to do the task in a tricky way! At first, use a small masonry bit to drill first. After making a small hole, use a powerful bit to deeper the hole, and that’s it.

Can a cordless drill go through concrete?

In most cases, yes. When it comes to drilling into the concrete, the cordless drill is not much effective and efficient as a cord drill machine. However, you can drill through concrete with a cordless drill.  

Can you drill into concrete with a normal drill?

Yes, you can. Instead of a hammer drill, you can use a normal Drill Machine to drill the concrete. But you have to choose the suitable bit for it. There are two methods to choose from.

You can choose a masonry bit to use with a normal drill machine for small holes. Or, pick a carbide core or diamond bits to drill large diameter holes

Why won’t my drill go through concrete? 

Drilling into the concrete is not an easy task. It’s relatively tough as the concrete is hard, highly dense, and has stones which can be an obstacle to the drill bit.

On the other side, drilling into concrete makes the bit dull quickly. So, check your bit if it is dull.

How much torque to drill concrete?

If you want to make a large hole in the concrete, then you’ll need a drill machine with much torque. Nonetheless, when you think about making an average-size hole for a screw, then 35Nm (Newton Metres) torque will be sufficient.

Do I need special drill bits for concrete? 

In short, yes. Concrete is a tough thing and to make multiple holes in it without much effort, you need a suitable bit for it. And this is the masonry drill bit. 

Can you sharpen masonry drill bits?

Fortunately, you can sharpen masonry bits by grinding. Sharpening masonry will help you maintain its efficiency and dodge creating breaks or defects in the material. 

But keep in mind that to sharpen masonry bits, having proper tools is a must.

Can you use masonry drill bits on metal?

You can use the masonry drill bit to drill metal or steel. But masonry is not ideal for drilling metal or steel. The most appropriate one is a Cobalt drill bit in terms of drilling steel or hard metal as they disperse heat very fast and are aggressively resistant to abrasions. Also Don’t forget to shop metal cutting fluids.

Can masonry drill bits be used for wood? 

In a word, yes. But let me tell you the fact briefly – If you do that, you may damage your wood. Ask why? Because the masonry bit will increase the friction and make smoking or burning of the wood. 

Can I use wood drill bit on concrete? 

When you tend to drill concrete with a wood drill bit, it will ruin the bit, even if you use it with your hammer drill. So it’s not recommended.

Can titanium drill bits go through concrete?

To be frank, Titanium bits are suitable for general purposes. If you still try to use it to drill concrete, you may drill for some inches, but it will ultimately ruin the bit in no time!

Can you drill concrete with a regular drill bit?

Unfortunately, you can’t drill concrete with a regular bit, even if you use the Hammer drill machine. Note that normal drill bits are designed for the basic day-to-day task, while concrete is a stiff and highly dense thing that is tough to drill using regular drill bits.

Can a 12v drill go through concrete?

Although you can drill concrete with a 12V DC-powered drill machine, you can’t go for a larger and deep hole in high-duty concrete.

How to Drill Into Concrete with a 12V Drill?

First off, attach a masonry drilling bit to the 12V drill machine. Then start the machine at a slow speed and steady hand. After making a small hole in the concrete, it’s time to speed up the machine and accomplish the job.

Is 12 volts enough for a drill?

For day-to-day tasks, a 12V drilling machine is just enough. But if you are a professional and need a heavy-duty drilling machine, then you should go for a drilling machine of standard AC voltage. 

Wrap Up!

We are at the end of the drilling into concrete article. Here, I’ve talked about what type of drill machine we need, what type of bit we need, and how to drill into concrete.

Further, how much we can expect from a DC-powered drill, and what if we mismatch the bits to one another. So, we hope you have found the answers you were looking for!

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