Can a Cordless Drill Go Through Brick?
The short answer to this question? Technically, yes. But you do have to take into consideration a few other factors like:
- What material the brick is made from
- How hard the brick is
- The quality of the battery
- The type of drill bit your cordless drill uses
- Drill torque settings
You would be surprised to learn that a standard cordless drill could drill through a material as solid as a brick, but it’s true! This will definitely save you a trip to the hardware store if you planned on doing an at-home renovation. Or even better, preventing you from relying on a contractor for a simple gig.
Corded Drills Are Recommended
Now, understand that a corded drill would definitely be preferred for this kind of job. This is something to remember that, if you want absolutely perfect results, a corded drill would be your best bet.
Related: How Long Does a Masonry Drill Bit Last?
Cordless Drill Can Get The Job Done
Basically, a standard cordless drill can go through brick and concrete; it might not be pretty, but it can definitely get the job done in a pinch. How effective this process will end up depending on the list of factors previously mentioned.
Of course, not everyone has every variety of tools on hand at all times. You can’t be expected to run out and get the newest gadgets at a moment’s notice. Better yet, nowadays with the way technology has advanced, a lot of cordless drills rev up the same amount of power as one you would have to plugin.
Related: Can You Use a Metal Drill Bit with Concrete?
Types of Cordless Drills Available
There are typically four types of cordless drills most popularly sold:
- A drill or a driver, which is mainly used when you are driving in a screw or drilling a hole into more malleable materials like plastic or wood.
- A hammer drill or a “combination” drill, which is basically the same thing as a driver, except it includes a “hammer” feature that is similar to a jackhammer’s motion. This makes it easier to drill through more hard materials like stone and concrete.
- A rotary hammer is a professional-grade hammer drill. Not every DIY specialist needs this in their rotation, but it is a great quality drill.
- An impact driver, which is only used to loosen bolts or drive in screws.
Other Factors To Think About
If you plan on drilling through a material like brick or concrete with your cordless drill, you have to plan it out before you go and accidentally break your cordless drill. The first thing you should think about is how powerful your battery is. This is important in a lot of cases with tools.
It sounds like common sense, doesn’t it? The more juice you have in your battery, the more powerful your tool will work.
Drilling Through Brick Is a Big Task For Your Tools
Drilling through something as tough as a brick is considered a heavy drilling job. Something this dense would drain your battery easily and you would have to wait for it to charge in between. No one likes to stop a project five minutes in. This is a hassle you can avoid if you consider your battery level.
Battery Voltage Matters
You want to make sure you have a large battery, which would be considered anywhere from 18 volts to 20 volts. Yeah, of course, you can work with the standard 12 volts or 14 volts, but again – this will mean you have to stop more often to change the batter.
It would work out better for you if you just buy an interchangeable battery or even a fast-charging option.
Now, as many of you probably already know, the quality of your drill bit is absolutely crucial to the success of your project.
Ideally, you want to use a masonry drill bit to get through these kinds of materials. These drill bits have been designed for this type of heavy drilling job. The best quality masonry drill bits are fortified with tungsten carbide to cut right through these kinds of materials.
Related: Can You Use a Metal Drill Bit with Concrete?
The shape of this tip is what makes it so unique. It has a blade-like portion at the end, and the pointed end will have a broad-style tip. The most common size range from 8 millimeters to 12 millimeters.
The kicker is that they are on the more expensive side, but you get what you pay for in terms of durability and lifespan. You wouldn’t use a plastic spork to carve a piece of wood, would you? Of course not! So think about the type of drill bit you use for a heavy drilling project the same way.
Once you have taken the battery and the drill bit type into consideration, next you want to think about the torque setting on your cordless drill. Typically, you can expect to kick your drill up to the highest torque setting if you are trying to get through a material like a brick.
Toque is less about speed and more about the power of your drill. You want to check out your user manual because different drills have different settings. If your drill doesn’t have this torque setting just assume it is always running on the highest setting.
Finally, think about the type of cordless drill that you have. A regular, lightweight drill isn’t going to cut it. You’re more likely to break your machine than you are to put a dent in that wall, to be honest.
When you are working with hard stone materials, a combination drill would be your best bet. The jackhammering motion of the drill breaks up the aggregate while the regular drilling motion removes debris. For holes larger than half an inch, use a rotary combination drill.
A combination drill is a pretty functional device. It could be in your best interest to opt for this tool in the first place since you can use it in a variety of situations. Plus, it makes difficult jobs like this a breeze.
Again, you can definitely drill through brick or stone without a specialized tool like this, but you would have to spend a lot more time doing it.
