Tools

Can You Use HSS Drill Bits on Masonry? UK Guide

Q: Can you use an HSS drill bit on brick or concrete?

No. HSS twist bits are for wood, plastic and metal. They blunt within seconds on brick, block or concrete and can overheat. Use a carbide-tipped masonry bit with a hammer drill, or an SDS Plus bit with a rotary hammer for concrete.

Q: What happens if you use HSS on masonry anyway?

The HSS cutting edge loses its sharpness almost immediately, the tip overheats and turns blue, the hole stays shallow, and you risk snapping the bit or burning out the drill motor from pushing too hard.

Q: Can an HSS bit drill through plaster or soft block?

It can get through a thin skim of plaster and very soft lightweight block, but it will still cut slowly and leave a ragged hole. A masonry bit is cheaper than replacing a blunted HSS bit, so use the right bit even for soft masonry.

Q: How do I tell an HSS bit from a masonry bit?

An HSS bit has a sharp, pointed twist tip the same steel all the way through. A masonry bit has a wider, flat carbide tip brazed onto the steel shank that you can see and feel as a separate piece, plus wider flutes for dust.

Q: Do I need a hammer drill for brick?

For a few holes in soft red brick, a regular combi drill with a masonry bit can work. For engineering brick, dense block or concrete you need hammer mode, and for anything structural an SDS rotary hammer with SDS Plus bits is far faster and kinder to your wrists.

Q: What masonry bit set should I buy first in the UK?

A 5 to 10mm carbide masonry set that matches the wall plugs you use most, such as 5.5mm and 7mm for red and brown plugs. A budget YG8 tungsten set covers these sizes well for home use.

By James Walker · August 23, 2026

Key Takeaways

No - do not use HSS on masonry. HSS twist bits are for wood, plastic and metal. They blunt within seconds on brick, block or concrete.
You need a carbide tip for masonry. A masonry bit has a tungsten carbide tip brazed onto the shank and wider flutes that clear brick dust.
HSS plus hammer mode will not save it. Hammer action is designed to work with carbide - with HSS you just kill the bit faster.
Buy the cheap right bit, not the expensive wrong one. A sub-£12 masonry set covers the plug sizes UK walls actually use and saves your HSS set for the jobs it was built for.

Can you use an HSS drill bit on masonry? No. An HSS (high speed steel) twist bit is designed for wood, plastic and soft metals, and it is not suitable for drilling into masonry. On brick, block or concrete the HSS cutting edge blunts within seconds, the tip overheats, and you end up pushing harder while the hole barely deepens. For masonry you need a carbide-tipped masonry bit - and for anything beyond a couple of soft red bricks, you want that bit in a hammer drill or an SDS rotary hammer.

This is one of the most common UK DIY mistakes because the bits look similar in the box and the question comes up in trade courses and college quizzes phrased exactly as "an HSS drill bit is suitable for drilling into masonry - true or false". The answer is false, and we have written this guide so you can answer it confidently and choose the right bit for the wall in front of you. We compared manufacturer specifications, UK retailer guidance and purchaser feedback to keep it practical, and we link to the full drill bit types guide where you want more depth on coatings and shanks.

The Short Answer: What Happens If You Try

If you put a sharp HSS bit against a brick wall and pull the trigger, you will feel it bite for about a second before it stops cutting. That is the edge dulling. Keep going and the tip turns straw yellow, then blue - that is heat damage the bit will not recover from even after cooling. The hole stays shallow, dust turns to fine powder that clogs the flutes, and you have to lean your weight into the drill to make any progress. On concrete you may not make a visible start at all.

A carbide-tipped masonry bit behaves completely differently. The tip is far harder than the brick itself, so the hammer action can chip the masonry away while the flutes pull dust out of the hole. The same drill, the same wall, and the same pressure produces a clean 7mm hole for a brown wall plug in under 20 seconds. That difference is not marketing - it is hardness and geometry, and it is why we say do not use HSS on masonry even if it is the only bit you have to hand.

If you are mid-job and short on bits, buy the right set instead of burning through an HSS set you will want for wood and metal later. The 10 piece YG8 tungsten masonry bit set costs less than replacing two decent HSS bits and you will use the 5.5mm and 7mm sizes on almost every shelf and curtain pole.

What HSS Means and What It Is Built For

HSS stands for high speed steel, which is steel alloyed with tungsten, molybdenum or vanadium so it keeps its hardness when the tip gets hot from friction. That matters when you drill metal, because the cutting edge can reach several hundred degrees and plain carbon steel would soften and rub instead of cut. The name does not mean the bit spins fast - it means the steel tolerates the heat of cutting at sensible speeds without losing its edge.

In practice an HSS twist bit is the default for three materials: timber, plastics and non-hardened metals up to mild steel and aluminium. For those jobs it is excellent. The two spiral flutes pull swarf away, the 118 or 135 degree point bites cleanly, and a decent set like the Bosch 25 piece HSS-R metal drill bit set will drill hundreds of holes in those materials if you keep the speed right and use a little oil on steel. Our drill bit types guide explains the rolled versus ground (HSS-R versus HSS-G) distinction, but for your masonry question the headline is simpler: HSS hardness is measured against steel, not against brick, and brick wins every time.

Even titanium-coated and cobalt HSS bits do not change this. Titanium nitride (TiN) is a golden coating that reduces friction and helps the edge stay sharp longer on metal - it does not make the tip hard enough for stone. Cobalt (M35) grades keep their edge in hardened steel and stainless, but they are still HSS at heart and will blunt on masonry just as plain HSS does. If the packet says HSS, titanium or cobalt, treat it as "not for masonry" regardless of how premium it looks.

What Makes a Masonry Bit Different

Hold an HSS bit and a masonry bit side by side and the differences are obvious once you know what to look for. A masonry bit has a wider, flatter tip with a distinct carbide insert brazed onto the steel shank. You can see the joint line and feel the tip is wider than the shaft. An HSS bit has a single piece of steel ground to a sharp point, with no inserted tip at all. That tip difference explains almost the entire performance gap on brick.

The carbide insert, usually tungsten carbide (Y G8 is a common grade on UK budget sets), is far harder than the quartz and sand that masonry is made from. Where HSS rubs and slides, carbide chips the surface away. The hammer action of the drill helps by delivering thousands of light impacts per minute, shattering the masonry ahead of the tip so the carbide can scoop it out. Without hammer action the same bit will still work in soft brick, just slower - turn it on for dense block or concrete and the speed doubles.

The rest of the bit is shaped to suit that job too. Masonry flutes are wider and more open so powdered brick and dust clear the hole instead of packing inside it. HSS flutes are tighter because metal swarf curls off in spirals that need narrower channels. That is why an HSS bit clogs so fast in masonry - the flutes were never meant to carry that kind of debris. If you want a deeper dive into the whole family, our drill bit types explained covers HSS, masonry, SDS and wood bits in one place.

What Each UK Masonry Type Does to an HSS Bit

Not all masonry is equal, but none of it is kind to HSS. This is what happens in the walls you will actually meet in UK homes.

Wall type	HSS result	Right bit
Skim plaster on plasterboard	Will cut, but snags and leaves a ragged hole	HSS or masonry - masonry cleaner
Soft red brick (Victorian and older)	Bites briefly, then blunts and overheats	Carbide masonry bit
Engineering brick, dense block	Barely marks the surface	Carbide masonry - hammer drill
Concrete lintel, floor, padstone	No useful cut - risk of snapping	SDS Plus masonry - rotary hammer
Lightweight aerated block (Thermalite)	May get through, but crushes block	Carbide masonry on low hammer

The pattern is clear. As the material gets harder and more abrasive, HSS fails faster. Even the softest real brick still contains fired clay and sand that wear steel away. Aerated block feels soft enough to dent with a finger, but it is full of abrasive aggregate and the HSS edge still dulls - it just takes a hole or two instead of seconds. The only "success" you get with HSS on masonry is a damaged bit you will not want to use on metal afterwards.

If you need a technique walkthrough alongside the bit choice, our how to drill into brick guide covers pressure, speed and dust management, while how to drill into concrete without a hammer drill explains the workarounds when you do not own the right machine yet.

The One Exception People Get Wrong

You will see forum posts saying "I used HSS on plaster and it worked fine", and they are not lying - they just are not drilling masonry. A thin skim of finishing plaster over plasterboard is soft gypsum, and an HSS bit will pass through it. The mistake is assuming that success means the same bit will handle the brick or block behind the plaster, which it will not. As soon as the tip hits the hard course behind the skim, the same failure happens.

Lightweight thermal blocks (often yellow or off-white inside) tempt the same error. They feel chalky and hollow, and an HSS bit can indeed make a hole in them - but it crushes rather than cuts, leaves a ragged cavity, and gives wall plugs nothing solid to grip. A carbide masonry bit on low hammer or even without hammer cuts a round hole that a plug can grip properly. Given a masonry set costs under £12, there is no saving in using the wrong HSS bit.

The UK exam phrasing "an HSS drill bit is suitable for drilling into masonry" is deliberately testing this exact confusion. Assessors want you to say false and name the carbide masonry bit as the correct alternative, with SDS Plus for concrete. That answer is true whether the wall is 1930s brick, 1970s block or a modern concrete lintel.

How to Tell Which Bit You Are Holding

If your bits live in a mixed box, identify them before you drill. You do not need to read the packaging - the tip tells you.

HSS twist bit: Sharp, pointed tip with two spiral flutes. Tip and shaft are one piece of steel. Shank is plain round (often with three flats on larger sizes). Usually silver, gold (TiN) or dull grey.
Masonry bit: Flat, arrow-shaped carbide tip that is visibly wider than the shaft and brazed on as a separate piece. Wider, more open flutes. Often has a silver tip on a darker shaft.
SDS Plus masonry bit: Same carbide tip as a masonry bit, but the shank has grooves and notches that slide into an SDS chuck, and the shaft is allowed to move slightly on each hammer blow.

Markings help too. HSS bits often show HSS, HSS-R (rolled) or HSS-G (ground) plus a diameter and sometimes 118 or 135 degrees for the point angle. Masonry bits often show the carbide grade, or simply no HSS marking at all - if it does not say HSS and the tip is wider and flatter, it is masonry. When in doubt, check our best drill bit sets guide which shows each type side by side.

One practical tip: keep your masonry bits in their own small case or a labelled zip bag. Once they share a drawer with HSS bits, they get mixed up, and grabbing the wrong one under time pressure is how bits get ruined. A quick dab of coloured tape on the masonry shanks also helps you spot the right bit at a glance.

The Right Bit for Every Wall in a UK Home

Match the bit to the wall, not to the drill. We have linked each to the UK product that covers that need without overbuying.

Timber stud, floorboard, plywood or MDF: HSS twist or brad point bit, or a spade bit for large holes. Keep speed moderate so you do not scorch the wood. See our basic woodworking tools list for the hand tools that pair well here.
Plasterboard only: HSS works, but a sharp brad point or even a drywall jab leaves a cleaner edge. No hammer needed.
Soft red brick, lightweight block, thermal block: Carbide masonry bit, hammer off for the first setting hole or hammer on low if your drill allows it. The YG8 tungsten 10 piece masonry set (5mm to 10mm) matches the 5.5mm red and 7mm brown plugs most UK shelves use.
Engineering brick, dense concrete block, pebbledash: Carbide masonry bit with hammer mode on. Let the weight of the drill do the work - pushing harder just overheats the bit.
Concrete lintel, floor slab, precast beam, dense concrete: SDS Plus carbide bit in a rotary hammer. The Bosch 6 piece SDS Plus set covers 5mm to 10mm for plug sizes and the grooves lock into the SDS chuck so the bit can slide and hammer properly. Read SDS drill versus combi drill if you are deciding whether to hire or buy.

Wall plugs tell you the diameter you need: a brown 7mm plug takes a 7mm bit, a red 5.5mm plug takes a 5.5mm bit. Get that match right and fixings hold first time instead of spinning in an oversized hole. Fischer DuoPower wall plugs remain the most consistently recommended in purchaser feedback for mixed UK walls because they grip in brick, block and board with the same fixing.

Do You Need a Hammer Drill or an SDS Machine?

The bit matters more than the machine, but the machine decides whether the bit can do its job without fighting you.

A combi drill with hammer mode moves the whole chuck back and forth by a few millimetres thousands of times per minute. It works well in brick and light block with a masonry bit, and it is the drill most UK homes already own. If you are hanging shelves or curtain poles on brick walls, this is enough - you just need the right masonry bit in it. Our 18V cordless drill buying guide and 12V versus 18V guide explain whether your drill has useful hammer power or whether you are better borrowing a dedicated machine.

A rotary hammer with SDS chuck is a different tool. The motor drives a pneumatic piston that hammers the bit directly, while the SDS shank lets the bit slide slightly on each blow so the energy goes into the masonry instead of your wrists. For concrete and engineering brick it is dramatically faster, quieter in effort terms, and far less tiring over a run of holes. You do not need one for two holes in soft brick, but if you are fitting a medium density wall with a dozen fixings, an SDS machine turns an hour of leaning into ten minutes of steady work. The best SDS rotary hammer drills roundup covers hire versus buy if you only need it once.

Whichever you use, the rule stays: masonry bit for masonry, HSS for wood and metal. Hammer mode does not rescue an HSS bit - it just destroys the edge faster because the bit is not designed to absorb impacts.

Three Sensible Sets to Cover UK Homes

You do not need a drawer of specialist bits. Most homes can handle every wall with two sets and a box of plugs.

1. The everyday HSS set for wood and metal - Start with the Bosch 25 piece HSS-R metal drill bit set. It covers 1.5mm to 10mm in a proper case and handles timber, plastic and metal for general DIY. This is the set to protect - keep it sharp, use oil on steel, and never let it near masonry. If you want a single box that adds driver bits too, the Bosch MS4041 41 piece drilling and driving set is the all-rounder we keep recommending for first toolboxes and is worth checking alongside our drill bit set roundup.

2. The masonry set for brick and block - The 10 piece YG8 tungsten masonry bit set covers 5mm to 10mm carbide bits at a price that makes it the obvious second set. It pairs directly with red and brown plugs and works in a combi drill with hammer mode. For most shelf, TV bracket and curtain pole jobs this is the only masonry set you will reach for.

3. SDS Plus for concrete - If you own or can borrow a rotary hammer, the Bosch 6 piece SDS Plus set is the matching add-on. Same plug sizes, SDS grooved shanks, and the proper way to tackle lintels and precast concrete without standing on the drill. Add Fischer DuoPower plugs and an Eclipse automatic centre punch to mark your start point, and you have a complete masonry fixings kit for well under the price of a single callout.

Keep the sets separate, replace individual bits when the edge dulls instead of forcing them, and the same drill you already own will feel noticeably better on every wall.

How to Drill Into Masonry Properly

This is a quick checklist rather than a full technique course - see how to drill into brick for the step by step with photos.

Mark and punch: Pencil the centre, then tap an automatic centre punch to seat the tip so the bit does not walk. On tiles, mask first with tape.
Fit the right bit and plug match: 5.5mm bit for red plugs, 7mm for brown. Depth: bit length plus 5mm for dust.
Speed and pressure: Low speed to start, then steady medium speed with light, constant pressure. Let hammer action do the work - do not lean your bodyweight onto the drill.
Clear dust as you go: Pull the bit partway out every 10mm to clear dust, especially in deep or overhead holes.
Protect yourself: A JSP FFP3 valved dust mask, safety glasses and ear protection are not optional - brick dust is silica dust.
Set the fixing: Brush or blow dust from the hole, tap the Fischer DuoPower plug flush, then drive the screw until snug. If the plug spins, the hole is oversized - step up one plug size and re-drill nearby.

One last safety note: if you suspect asbestos in old textured coatings or partition boards, stop and get advice before drilling. That is rare in straightforward brick, but it is worth knowing before you disturb an unfamiliar surface.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you use an HSS drill bit on brick or concrete?

No. HSS twist bits are for wood, plastic and metal. For brick, block or concrete use a carbide-tipped masonry bit. For concrete lintels and floor slabs, use an SDS Plus bit in a rotary hammer. Read our drill bit types guide for the full comparison.

What happens if you use HSS on masonry anyway?

The edge dulls within seconds, the tip overheats and discolours, the bit clogs with fine powder, and the hole stalls. You risk snapping the bit and overheating the drill. A £10 masonry set is cheaper than replacing a dulled HSS set afterwards.

Can an HSS bit drill through plaster or soft block?

It can pass through a skim of plaster and very soft aerated block, but it cuts by crushing and leaves a ragged hole that grips wall plugs poorly. A masonry bit is still the right choice and costs less than the HSS bits you would wear out.

How do I tell an HSS bit from a masonry bit?

An HSS bit has a sharp, single-steel point and two tight spiral flutes. A masonry bit has a flat, arrow-shaped carbide tip brazed on and visibly wider than the shaft, plus wider flutes. Check best drill bit sets for photos of each type.

Do I need a hammer drill for brick?

For a few holes in soft red brick, a combi drill with a masonry bit may manage with hammer off. For engineering brick, dense block or concrete you need hammer mode. For anything structural or repeated, an SDS rotary hammer with SDS Plus bits is far faster - see SDS drill versus combi drill.

What masonry bit set should I buy first in the UK?

A carbide set covering 5mm to 10mm, which matches the wall plugs UK DIY uses most. The YG8 10 piece masonry set is the budget favourite, and the Bosch 6 piece SDS Plus set is the add-on if you own a rotary hammer. Pair with Fischer DuoPower plugs.

Final Verdict

An HSS drill bit is not suitable for drilling into masonry, full stop. It is the wrong hardness, the wrong tip shape and the wrong flute design for brick, block or concrete, and using it on masonry ruins the bit you will want for wood and metal. The right choice is simple and cheap: a carbide-tipped masonry bit for brick and block, and an SDS Plus bit in a rotary hammer for concrete. That is the answer your quiz wants, and it is the answer your wall wants too.

If you take one shopping step from this guide, make it a YG8 masonry set alongside whatever HSS set you already own. Keep the two sets apart, match bit diameter to plug size, and follow the steps in how to drill into brick. Your next fixing will hold first time, your HSS bits will stay sharp for the timber jobs they were made for, and you will not have to explain to anyone why the "universal" bit set you bought for £15 lasted one wall.

Products mentioned in this guide

Bosch 25 Piece HSS-R Metal Drill Bit Set - keep for wood, plastic and metal only
10 Piece YG8 Tungsten Masonry Bit Set - the first masonry set for UK walls
Bosch 6 Piece SDS Plus Drill Bit Set - for rotary hammers and concrete
Bosch MS4041 41 Piece Drilling and Driving Set - the all-rounder first-toolbox set
Fischer DuoPower Wall Plugs - match the bit to the plug
Eclipse Automatic Centre Punch - stops bits walking on hard surfaces
JSP FFP3 Valved Dust Mask - for silica dust from brick and concrete

James Walker

James Walker writes about power tools, hand tools and workshop setup for MakerUK, helping makers buy the right thing the first time.

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Last reviewed: August 23, 2026 · Evidence-based content · Contains affiliate links