Can anyone recommend which drill bits i should be using for general DIY i.e brick and metal and how much to pay. There is a variety of types out from tungsten to cobalt and some do both metal and brick. Thanks
If you're serious about DIY, not only will you not try to use the same bit for metal and brick - you won't even use the same *drill*!
Drilling metal requires decent quality HSS bits, and a 2-speed (gearbox type) electric drill so that you can choose the speed to suit the bit diameter. [Slow for larger bits]
By far the best way to drill brick is to use an SDS drill (with built-in pneumatic action) with special SDS bits. Failing that, a hammer drill with masonry bits - but it ain't half as good as SDS!
Sources like the on-line Screwfix catalogue will tell you most of what you need to know. To a first approximation: 'masonry' drills for brick, plaster and plasterboard; 'HSS' bits for plastic, wood, and metal. For simplicity you can use 'universal' bits for mixtures of plaster and wood (e.g. studwork walls), but they're no good for neater work in wood.
There's plenty more sub-types and specialist bits, but that'll get you started. In particular, *never* let your HSS bits anywhere near masonry; they'll blunt ever so quickly.
HTH - Stefek
The screwfix universal/cordless bits (about £8 a set of 5) are good all-rounders for drilling masonry, metal and wood especially if you've got to drill both at the same time e.g. drill through wood or steel into masonry which would ruin HSS or wood bits and for which proper masonry bits are useless.
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