Hard brick drilling

[AnthonyL]

I've just moved house and there are the obvious jobs of curtain rails, coat hooks, shelves etc and so I got my old faithful standard Black & Decker drill and the 1/4" masonry bit. Got through the plaster as usual and then may just as well have it steel.

It was then that I remembered that my Dad encountered similar problems some 30-40yrs ago with his house, about 1 mile away. There used to be a brickworks nearby and maybe the bricks came from there.

Anyway - so SWIMBO wants lots of things doing, not big building projects, just holes for fixings.

Mr Google says I need something called SDS. There seems to be some arguments and I'm sure I'll get expert concensus here.

So for my purposes and given that I'm likely to be doing this on and off for some while - what do I get?

[polygonum]

An SDS drill. No question - other than "Which one?", "Does it have rotostop?", "Makita or Bosch? Or is Lidl's good enough?".

[Old Codger]

Get the SDS drill and appropriate bit(s). They are heavy duty with a hammer action which, when combined with an appropriate bit, makes them capable of drilling and chiselling through brick and concrete. They do tend to be heavier than your average drill though.

[Huge]

Amazing how many people live in houses with no shelves, coat hooks, towel rails & so on, isn't it?

[AnthonyL]

I have no idea - which is why I'm asking.

Screwfix seem to offer a range, Bosch, Makita, De Walt. Some at ?80, some a lot more. I'm drilling occasional 1/4" holes - I've got to do about 30 by tomorrow night so I'm told. I'm an OAP - I don't need 50 years solid performance - but I don't have the time for hassle either.

Opinions?

[AnthonyL]

They didn't put them where we wanted them - very inconsiderate. Next time I'll get the survey report to make adverse comment and we'll get the vendors to sort it all out.

The lounge was the wrong colour too - which is why the curtain rod supports had to come down. But they were wonky so need holes put in the right place.

Now, do you have a suggestion?

[spuorgelgoog]

I've been satisfied with a Screwfix Titan 5kg 1500 watt drill. OK for 20 mm holes through brick (for cables and conduits) and for chopping out electrical boxes.

Get a 3-function one (hammer, drill, hammer+drill) so you can use it on hammer-only for chiselling off plaster, or drill-only with a chuck adapter for ordinary drills.

Owain

[Mr Pounder Esquire]

Accrington brick? The burnt ones are resistant to a phaser blast from a Starship. HTH

[tony sayer]

Makita HR 25 or similar goes thru brick and concrete as if it doesn't exist:)

[ss]

I got a cheapo SDS plus which has the chisel function, demolished all sorts with that, wish I had got one years ago. I have had it about 2 years now and if it packed in tomorrow I have had my moneys worth.

[Tim Watts]

For this type of work, a 2kg machine (about the size of a normal drill) would be a good fit.

I have a Hitachi - been very well behaved.

And yes, OP *must* get a rotostop version - the uses it has for light duty chiselling work will come to prove handy eventually.

[Tim Watts]

Apart from Hitachi, you're unlikely to go wrong with a Makita if you don't mind the extra expense. And yes, it will make mincemeat of 30 1/4" holes.

[Roger Mills]

Any decent SDS drill will go through concrete like it's cheese. You don't have to spend a fortune on it unless you're using it all day every day. If you're looking at Screwfix, this one should do nicely:

I don't think Lidl or Aldi have got any SDS drills among their current offers - otherwise, one of theirs would have done and would have been cheaper than the deWalt.

[AnthonyL]

Yes but it's not concrete that's giving me issues.

[AnthonyL]

Seems to me that the HR 25 doesn't exist either. Is that number right?

[Fredxxx]

Not having had one before I confess to buying the cheapest I could find which at the time was a McAllister, B&Q's own make.

I recall reading up about them, and it seemed that the lighter the weight, the better they were, although that sounded perverse!

The one I got was 3.5kg and it's done sterling service.

If the bricks are really that hard you might start loosening the mortar! :-)

[Dave Liquorice]

Think that might be a bit overkill for the OP. B-) I've Bosch green PBH2200RE(*) 2kg 600 W. It's bashed it's way through our 18" *stone* walls with a 20 mm bit. Once it seemed to make rather slower progress than normal on such a hole, it wasn't until the hole was finsished that I noticed it was rotating counter clockwise, whoops.

(*) Discontinued now but they must have a replacement. The PBH2100RE looks like it (2.2kg 550W) and the only mains SDS in green that they appear to do now everything else is cordless and only up to a tiddly

10 mm.

Bosch have green or blue coloured tools. Green are DIY, blue profesional.

[Dave Liquorice]

No pre-cast concrete, steel reinforced lintel above the window opening is there?

[John Rumm]

He was probably referring to :

An older model, but outstandingly good. Light and easy to handle, loads of power but fine control from a good speed controller. Use it to drill or chisel (light concrete breaking, wall chasing, plaster / tile removal etc). Had mine for 10+ years now.

[John Rumm]

If you buy the "pro" style 2kg machines they are not much heavier than a normal "hammer" drill. A bit longer though usually.