2021 test10 productsBlades, Bits & Abrasives
Which Masonry Drill Bit Brand Wins?
A head-to-head test of 10 masonry drill bit options with the measured results for each. See how they ranked and watch the full test video. Shoppers cross-shopping masonry drill bit, concrete drill bit, carbide drill bit and carbide drill bits land here for the head to head that settles it.
Budget pick
Irwin
Price shown in test: $11.99 for five bits, about $2.40 per bit
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The measured results
Every number below is read straight from the test. Scroll sideways to see all measurements. Products are listed in the order they finished.
| Product | High strength concrete drill time | Hardened vintage concrete test | Paver drill time | Porcelain tile drill time | Paver holding strength (tapcon pull force) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Irwin$11.99 for five bits, about $2.40 per bit | 8.8 seconds, took the lead at that point | finished in 29.3 seconds with only minor wear | 13.6 seconds | 23 seconds with only minor wear, notably fast for the second least expensive brand | paver broke at 1,591 lb |
| 2Milwaukee Shockwave Impact Duty$23.31 for five bits, about $4.66 per bit (the most expensive brand tested) | 7.3 seconds, the fastest of all ten brands | 24.7 seconds, the fastest of all brands that finished | 16.9 seconds | 24 seconds (the original tile broke 14 seconds in, so the bit was retested on the same used tile) | paver broke at 1,578 lb |
| 3Diablo$18.55 for five bits, about $3.71 per bit | 7.9 seconds, nearly a full second faster than Irwin | 28.7 seconds, held up the best of all brands with very minor wear | 13.4 seconds | 20.7 seconds, the fastest of all ten brands | paver broke at 1,473 lb |
| 4Bosch$28.93 for seven bits, about $4.13 per bit (the second most expensive brand) | 10.2 seconds, not the second fastest despite being the second most expensive brand | 28.3 seconds, barely edged out Diablo for the fastest finish | 13.2 seconds, the fastest of all ten brands | 1 minute 50 seconds, struggled with the hardness of the porcelain | paver broke at 1,259 lb |
| 5Ryobi$8.99 for three bits, $3.00 per bit | 12.3 seconds, not nearly as fast as some other brands | finished in 46 seconds with only minor wear and tear | 24.4 seconds | 32.8 seconds, moved into second place behind Irwin | paver broke at 1,619 lb, the second best of all ten brands |
| 6Makita XPH07Z bit set (the Makita XPH07Z 18V LXT drill was also used to power every brand's bits)$17.99 for seven bits, about $2.57 per bit | 11 seconds | took 2 minutes 40 seconds to finish, tip pretty much used up afterward | 14.6 seconds, moved into second position | did not finish, made it about three quarters of the way through in three minutes, tip pretty much used up | paver broke at 1,401 lb |
| 7DeWalt Rock Carbide$18.69 for seven bits, about $2.67 per bit | 9.1 seconds, off to a great start | did not finish, stopped after about 30 seconds at only 1 inch deep with a lot of tip wear | 34.8 seconds, the slowest of all ten brands, really struggled | did not finish, only a quarter inch of progress in three minutes, tip dulled | paver broke at 1,672 lb, the highest (best) of all ten brands |
| 8Hercules$13.99 for five bits, about $2.80 per bit | 9.3 seconds, a great job | did not finish, stopped after about 35 seconds at just over 1 inch deep, tip pretty much wiped flat | 30.4 seconds, hurt by wear carried over from the previous test | finished in 1 minute 32 seconds with quite a bit of wear | paver broke at 1,408 lb |
| 9EZARC$16.97 for five bits, about $3.39 per bit | 9 seconds, moved into second place behind Irwin at that point | 29.6 seconds, a fraction of a second slower than Irwin, with quite a bit of wear | 20.4 seconds, moved into third position after experiencing quite a bit of wear | finished in 2 minutes 28 seconds | transcript renders the figure as 'a value near 1,044 pounds' (auto caption dropped a digit, exact number unclear); appears to be the lowest holding strength of the ten brands based on context |
| 10Werktough$3.99 for 11 bits, about 36 cents per bit, the least expensive brand tested | 13.9 seconds, the slowest in this test | did not finish, ran out of steam after about 30 seconds at only three quarters of an inch deep | 29.5 seconds | did not finish, only about one eighth of an inch through the half inch tile in three minutes, tip pretty much used up | paver broke at 1,224 lb, the lowest confirmed holding strength value among the ten brands |
How it was tested
- drilling speed through high strength cured concrete using a 3/16 inch bit drilled to 2 inch depth
- drilling speed and depth through hardened vintage concrete with a 3 minute time limit
- drilling speed through concrete pavers
- drilling speed and depth through half inch porcelain tile with a 3 minute time limit
- holding strength test driving a quarter inch tapcon screw into a bit hole in a paver and measuring the pull out force
“when you consider the price of the irwin which is the second least expensive brand and its performance arguably it is the best value”