Can I use a standard drill with a masonary drill bit for drilling into concrete for hanging pictures?

Posted on July 1st, 2010 by admin in drill | 12 Comments »

Need to use plastic anchors (Tox) to mount pictures etc on concrete walls and dont have a hammer drill.

Don’t worry about it. A standard drill with a masonry bit will do just fine. Your best bet is to use relatively light drill pressure with the bit at high speed (as opposed to pushing so hard it slows down the drill). It’s going to take a while, much longer than drilling into wood or sheet metal. And, the bit is also going to get very hot. So, be careful where you set down the drill and don’t touch the bit for a while.

12 Responses

  1. Derail Says:

    You need the masonry bit for that. A conventional bit will just spin and get hot. And that’s about all it will do. Masonry bits and anchors are cheap.
    References :

  2. DIY Doc Says:

    Certainly a standard drill is acceptable. Best a corded one for consistency, and perhaps an extra bit or two.

    A hammer drill is often an uneccesary investment.

    Steven Wolf
    References :
    45 plus years as a contractor

  3. Paul in San Diego Says:

    Don’t worry about it. A standard drill with a masonry bit will do just fine. Your best bet is to use relatively light drill pressure with the bit at high speed (as opposed to pushing so hard it slows down the drill). It’s going to take a while, much longer than drilling into wood or sheet metal. And, the bit is also going to get very hot. So, be careful where you set down the drill and don’t touch the bit for a while.
    References :

  4. private15ft Says:

    YES!
    References :

  5. fastjeepchick Says:

    Hi…in my masonary drilling experience i had to use a hammerdrill…my cordless just was not cutting it so to ease my aggravation i went to Home Depot rented a Hammerdrill for $10.00 for 4 hours and was done with my project in 20 minutes…had i listened to the person i worked with i would have been done 2 days earlier but i went through 3 masonary drill bits and getting nowhere with my cordless i wasdrilling to into brick to to put steps off of my porch….i learned from that lesson….good luck
    References :
    Sales Specialist @ Lowes 7 yrs\
    Southfield, MI

  6. awake Says:

    You can but you might burn up the bit. Go slowly an if you have an awl, a few shots with a hammer and an awl, then drill a little. Then hammer with awl then drill and so on. If it is soft concrete you wont need the awl, but if it is architectural concrete, then you got your work cut out for you.

    And the guy who said hammer drills are not needed obviously only does light construction. I’d like to see him drill into the concrete ceilings and walls of Stony Brook University Hospital with a regular drill regardless of what kind of bit he uses.
    References :

  7. rvblatz Says:

    the best &easy way use masonary drill bit ,use tapcon screws
    no need to use plastic anchors, home depot or any hwde. store easy&fast&strong
    References :
    http://www.tapcon.com/

  8. Buddy I Says:

    if i understand the question correctly you are asking about the drill and not the bit . if so then YES but do use the masonry bits.
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  9. Griff Says:

    Right tool for the job is a hammer drill. If you are talking about 4-5 holes, a corded drill will do fine. If the housing gets really hot stop and let it cool down. Go slow and you should be ok. If you just can’t seem to get the job done, rent a hammer drill at Home Depot.
    References :

  10. petethen2 Says:

    Any drill can be used with masonry bits a hammer drill makes it easier but either will work. Done it for years never had a problem.
    References :

  11. len b Says:

    Yes you can but be careful not to over heat the drill bit or the drill itself. You can burn out the drill or melt the brazing on the bit. Go slow and stop occasionally to let things cool down. You an use water to cool the bit. If the drill is variable speed,, use a lower speed with steady firm pressure.
    References :

  12. russell m Says:

    yes you can use your drill with masonry drill bits. an alternative to plastic anchors and screws is the simple concrete nail.

    use a drill bit relatively smaller than the nail’s diameter. after drilling, hammer the nail into the hole. your wall wont crack or something.

    tip, keep your drill angle steady or else you’ll have a bigger hole than what you really wanted.
    References :
    construction sup.
    we do this to save time and materials.

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