Drilling into a window recess

[bullethead123]

Hi all,
Just moved into a new flat, want to put some blinds up and find that my masonry drill makes no impression once through the plaster. I assume that there is a concrete lintel above the window which is causing the problem. I'm using the same (admittedly old) drill bit that I used to drill into brickwork recently, attached to my hammer action cordless drill.
I can borrow an old corded drill, but I fear that it's the drill bit that is the problem. Is there a special drill bit which I need for this job?

 

[Deleted member 174758]

Assuming that it's a re-inforced concrete lintel then you'll probably need a SDS drill. If, on the other hand, it's a steel lintel then an HSS twist drill will be the way to go

 

[bullethead123]

Ok. I'll hire one tomorrow

 

[EddieM]

Ok. I'll hire one tomorrow

Hire what? You need to know what you're drilling into first, an SDS with a masonry bit in it, isn't gonna be much use on a steel lintel either.

 

[mikeey84]

Just to say, my sds drill struggled with a concrete lintel until I invested in some DeWalt bits. Then it went through it like it wasn't there.

 

[Deleted member 174758]

Personally, I don't find DW bits any better or worse than any of the other major drill manufacturers (e.g. Heller, Bosch, Milwaukee, Rawl, etc). Still better than stuff like Silverline or ToolPak, however. 3- and 4-flute designs generally drill faster than conventional 2-flute ones

 

[mikeey84]

To be fair, I didn't do a full test, but my old bits were the ones that came with the drill, so poor quality and blunt.

The Bosch ones I have are very good quality. Cheap bits in an SDS are a false economy