Best Drill Bit for Concrete Walls in Singapore: A Buyer's Guide
Most people blame the drill when a hole into concrete goes badly. Nine times out of ten it is the bit. The drill supplies force; the bit does the cutting — and a wood or metal bit put against HDB concrete will glaze over and stop cutting in under a minute.
Here is how to choose correctly, in the order the decisions actually matter.
1. Check what shank your drill takes — before anything else
This is the mistake that sends people back to the shop. A bit only fits one type of chuck, and the fitting at the back of the bit tells you which.
| Shank | Goes in | Looks like |
|---|---|---|
| Straight (round) shank | Ordinary drills and hammer drill drivers with a keyless chuck | A plain smooth cylinder |
| SDS-plus | Rotary hammers | Two open grooves and two closed slots; it clicks in, no tightening |
| SDS-max / 17mm hex | Large demolition and combination hammers | Noticeably fatter — site tools, not home tools |
If you own a normal cordless drill, you need straight-shank bits. SDS bits will not fit, no matter how hard you tighten the chuck. If you are unsure, bring the drill to either of our showrooms and we will match it.
2. TCT is what you want for concrete
Look at the cutting end. A masonry bit has a tungsten carbide tip — a separate, wider, distinctly grey block brazed onto the steel body. That carbide is what survives concrete. A twist bit ground to a plain point, however sharp, will not.
You will also see bits sold for "multi-material" or with names like Omnibohrer — these have a carbide tip shaped to cut tile, brick and concrete as well as wood, which is genuinely useful in a flat where you might be going through a tiled wall into concrete behind.
Diamond is a different category. Diamond core bits and hole saws grind rather than chip, and you need them for large-diameter holes and for hard tile or stone. For a 6mm hole in a wall, TCT is correct and much cheaper.
3. Size the bit to the plug, not the screw
The single most common sizing error. Your wall plug carries the load; the screw just expands it. So:
- A 6mm plug needs a 6mm hole, even though the screw inside it is around 4mm.
- Drill 5–10mm deeper than the plug is long, so dust in the bottom does not stop it seating flush.
- If the plug pushes in with no resistance at all, the hole is oversized — move across and redrill rather than hoping.
For most HDB jobs — curtain rails, floating shelves, picture rails, TV brackets — you will use 6mm and 8mm more than everything else combined. Buy those two in singles and a small set for the rest.
4. What to buy
All in stock, prices correct at the time of writing.
If your drill has a normal chuck
- Makita TCT straight-shank bit, from $2.10. Buy singles in the sizes you actually need. The cheapest way to get the job done properly.
- Makita 5-piece TCT concrete set, $6.10. Covers the common household sizes in one go. If you are starting from nothing, start here.
If you have a rotary hammer (SDS-plus)
- Makita SDS-plus TCT bit, 3.5–10.5mm, from $2.70. The everyday range for fixings.
- Makita 5-piece SDS-plus set, $8.00.
- Makita SDS-plus TCT bit, 11–28mm, from $3.00. For larger anchors and through-holes.
For big holes — pipes, aircon, cabling
- Makita tungsten carbide grit hole saw for masonry, from $11.60.
- Makita vacuum-brazed diamond hole saw, from $26.10. For tile and hard stone, where a grit saw struggles.
Browse the full masonry drilling range — over 70 sizes and fittings in stock.
5. Make the bit last
Carbide is hard but brittle, and heat is what kills it. Three habits double the life of a bit:
- Withdraw regularly while the drill is still running to clear dust. Packed dust generates heat and stops the tip cutting.
- Do not lean on it. Steady pressure only. Force does not cut concrete faster, it just overheats the carbide.
- Keep hammer action off in tile. Go through the glazed surface on rotary alone, slowly, then switch hammer on once you are into the wall behind. Hammering a tile from cold cracks it.
A bit that has gone blue or grey at the tip has been overheated and will not recover. At $2.10, replace it rather than fight it.
When the bit is not the problem
If the right bit still will not bite, it is usually one of these: you are using a drill driver with no hammer action, you have hit rebar (move 50mm across and try again), or the drill has nowhere near enough power for the diameter you are attempting. Our guide to drilling into an HDB wall covers which drill suits which wall.
Bring your drill to our Geylang or Sembawang store and we will fit the right bit to it and let you try it on a concrete block first.