Why is my drill so slow in brickwork?

[SRJDIY]

I'm a complete newbie here, so I'm not sure if the tool is the problem or I am.

I want to put up some shelves on an internal kitchen wall. I'm trying to drill 8mm holes about an inch deep. The wall is brick with plaster over it, and I've used a stud finder to confirm there's no metal in the way. The house was built at some point in the 1930s, if that helps determine what type of bricks they are.

I can drill to a depth of about half an inch reasonably quickly, but then progress slows to an absolute crawl. As in, about half an hour to get the rest of the way in. That's including breaks to clear any debris and dip the bit in water to cool it, but still.

The drill is a Bosch Cordless Combi Drill PSB 1800 LI-2. I've got it rotating in the right direction, in hammer mode, with the speed low and torque high. I'm applying some force when I'm drilling, but I'm not ramming it in as hard as I can. I also tried drilling a pilot hole with a bit a couple of sizes down, with the same results. The drill bits are hammerhead-shaped masonry bits from a Bosch drill bit set; they were was completely new before this job.

Does anyone know what the problem is here please? At the current rate it'll take me several hours to put up a couple of shelves, which definitely seems like something's wrong!

 

[pete01]

My house is also 1930s I presume they built them properly back then, I have to use an sds drill.

 

[Koolpc]

Try plugging it in!

 

[Notch7]

I'm a complete newbie here, so I'm not sure if the tool is the problem or I am.

I want to put up some shelves on an internal kitchen wall. I'm trying to drill 8mm holes about an inch deep. The wall is brick with plaster over it, and I've used a stud finder to confirm there's no metal in the way. The house was built at some point in the 1930s, if that helps determine what type of bricks they are.

I can drill to a depth of about half an inch reasonably quickly, but then progress slows to an absolute crawl. As in, about half an hour to get the rest of the way in. That's including breaks to clear any debris and dip the bit in water to cool it, but still.

The drill is a Bosch Cordless Combi Drill PSB 1800 LI-2. I've got it rotating in the right direction, in hammer mode, with the speed low and torque high. I'm applying some force when I'm drilling, but I'm not ramming it in as hard as I can. I also tried drilling a pilot hole with a bit a couple of sizes down, with the same results. The drill bits are hammerhead-shaped masonry bits from a Bosch drill bit set; they were was completely new before this job.

Does anyone know what the problem is here please? At the current rate it'll take me several hours to put up a couple of shelves, which definitely seems like something's wrong!

I find DeWalt extreme masonry very good in cordless drills

But you just have a very hard internal course, so buy yourself an SDS hammer drill

Ive found Titan tools pretty good at the budget end, for £50 you can get this drill which has SDSplus an dit has roto stop function for ise as a small Kango ideal for knocking off tiles and breaking up small bits of concrete and screed

https://www.screwfix.com/p/titan-ttb872sds-3-27kg-electric-hammer-drill-240v/310VV?tc=AT9&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=21540160695&gbraid=0AAAAAD8IdPyON46wuFIiSOn4iaHaLw_rJ&gclid=CjwKCAjwruXBBhArEiwACBRtHTjE-7wkGcMbbpkOAXvwULKwfk5vl_bUSJHlBF-2L2v1S_oE-hdNxBoC1u0QAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

 

[Jurassicspark]

Use a corded sds drill. That drill will get you nowhere for this job.

 

[JohnD]

Older houses were often built with "reject" bricks where they would be plastered over on internal walks or not seen. You might have been unlucky and hit an overburnt or very hard one. Even pink Flettons are very hard.

On a hammer setting, a heavy mains drill will be more effective than a cordless combi, and need not be expensive.

I got a Titan SDS+ , the really big one, for heavy work and concrete, it does the job but is really heavy. You can get one with a starter kit of poor quality tools adequate for rough work. I used the chisel to break up concrete lumps round fence posts, and to split up my neighbour's brick wall that went over in a storm. It was so cheap that when it still worked after doing the initial job, I considered it a bonus. If it hadn't, I would gave taken it back to Screwfix. Their guarantee is very good.

A tip: if you do that, don't accept an exchange. Get a refund and buy a new one. That starts a new guarantee period.

 

[CountryFan]

Have you tried the drill on the higher speed?

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

The drill is a Bosch Cordless Combi Drill PSB 1800 LI-2. I've got it rotating in the right direction, in hammer mode, with the speed low and torque high.

A hammer drill, for masonry, is old hat. A hammer drill, will struggle against any hard masonry, especially drilling 8mm holes, plus a battery drill. What you need, is an sds drill, with an sds bit installed.

I want to put up some shelves on an internal kitchen wall. I'm trying to drill 8mm holes about an inch deep.

The 1" deep, with half of that plaster - just doesn't sound even near to being adequate to hold anything. Your fixing, needs to be entirely through the soft plaster, and into the solid brick - always. Likely, you will at least need to drill 1.5 to 2" into the brick, to get a sound fixing, plus the depth of plaster.

 

[ajrtd]

The drill is a Bosch Cordless Combi Drill PSB 1800 LI-2.

My eldest daughter has the same drill. It's s hit.

 

[GhostIntMachine]

My eldest daughter has the same drill. It's s hit.

It all depends on what you are drilling: those drills should be OK in new builds with light to medium blockwork they might even work on softer stone, but they won't cut it on decent quality brick, let alone engineering blues or dense concrete. Despite all the corner cutting in the era, 1930s brick is often a lot better than Victorian stuff. Horses for courses.

 

[JP_]

Yep, 1930s bungalow, SDS was required. They used to make bricks of harder stuff!

 

[Munroast]

The drill is a Bosch Cordless Combi Drill PSB 1800 LI-2. I've got it rotating in the right direction, in hammer mode, with the speed low and torque high. I'm applying some force when I'm drilling, but I'm not ramming it in as hard as I can. I also tried drilling a pilot hole with a bit a couple of sizes down, with the same results. The drill bits are hammerhead-shaped masonry bits from a Bosch drill bit set; they were was completely new before this job.

Does anyone know what the problem is here please? At the current rate it'll take me several hours to put up a couple of shelves, which definitely seems like something's wrong!

Hammer drills - speed should be high

is the drill bit knackered ? picture please


are your bricks engineering bricks? try drilling into a bit of concrete somewhere else - does the drill go in OK ?

 

[Odds]

My eldest daughter has the same drill. It's s hit.

Aye, their the dog's plums.

 

[simplesteve]

Another vote here for a 'Titan' SDS corded drill.
I've been in your shoes; bought one of those, problem solved.

 

[big-all]

as an aside
iff you go in a vertical or horizontal direction in a strait line is there any electrical items like sockets switches blanking plates light fittings along those lines?? these are areas you should not touch[leave a 75mm corridor iff possible to be safe but 30mm minimum] but still well in the danger zone so be aware ??you dont actually need 2 in a line to suggest a path by default its a star pattern around any fitting
also iff you check the drill bit is there any metal[shiny silver coper or brass sparkles] suggesting you have found protective shielding or actual services like gas water or other
also can be reinforcement holding building together from splaying
but most off all dont blindly trust detectors just assume a 100% detection may be correct or 100% wrong until you have a benchmark through lots off use to give a good level to place your reliance on the likly level off guidance it can give you but will never be 100%