4 Must-Know Facts about Concrete Drills for Residential Use
When you start a home improvement project, you will definitely need a concrete drill to make holes through concrete. A regular manual drill can be useful, but you will have to do a lot of drilling, meaning that you may end up wasting time on this aspect of the project alone. Manufacturers have come up with different power concrete drills with varying performance. Here are some key facts you should know about these tools.
Materials Used to Make Drill Bits -- Bits are fixtures that are attached to the drill to enable it to penetrate concrete without damaging the drill. The tips are often made from a tough material such as steel. For concrete drilling, it is recommended that you use bits that dissipate heat faster if you want to avoid weakening the drill. Therefore, buy bits that are made from titanium, cobalt or carbide. The durability of these materials also ensures that they dig through concrete without losing their sharpness.
Type of Drill Bits -- Depending on the type of home improvement or masonry project, you will have various types of bits at your disposal. For general masonry work, go for a masonry bit, which you can attach to any type of drill. This bit is suitable for drilling holes in concrete walls because you can either hammer it or attach it to a rotary hammer. You can also attach an installer bit to install wiring through concrete walls. Choose the best drill bit for your project to prevent injuries and to enable you to perform the work optimally.
Make a Choice Between a Rotary Hammer and a Hammer Drill -- A first-time DIY-savvy individual would probably be confused by these two tools. The former does not rotate the drill bit but only offers hammering action. The latter, on the other hand, provides the much-needed rotation to remove debris from concrete when drilling. Use a hammer drill when you want that blasting force to drill large holes through walls. However, some models of rotary hammers have a switch that can produce the rotation action alone. Use hammer drills to perform light tasks such as drilling newly-poured concrete.
Cordless and Corded Drills – If you plan on moving around the construction site, you are better off using the cordless drill. Cordless drills use batteries; hence, they may be cheaper but note that they will not provide the high torque needed to drive drill bits through tough concrete surfaces. A corded drill, on the other hand, is powered by the mains, and thus, it can drill faster. However, the downside is that you will spend more money, especially on high-performance models. The type of drill you buy will depend on the scale, frequency, and type of concrete drilling project you will be doing.
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