Drilling masonry puts specific challenges on even the most robust drill bits.
Materials like concrete, brick and stone require unique technologies, design and manufacturing processes to produce bits that last and perform.
Diablo’s Red Granite Drill Bits, Multi-Material Drill Bits and Tile & Glass Drill Bits are at the leading edge globally for masonry drilling.
All offer both impressive lifespans and performance on materials like concrete, hard tiles, stone and glass.
Despite offering specific bits for specific materials, the ranges each have some key crossover features, like the use of Diablo-made carbide, multi-ground grip point tips, an optimised U-flute design, and all are optimised for both corded and cordless drills.
All bits in the three ranges are suitable for use in both rotary hammer drills and impact drivers and offer exceptional durability.
OTHER TOUGH TESTS:
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Bahco ERGO 1000V insulated pliers
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Bosch 16GA Brad Nail Gun
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Snap-D range of D shackles and bow shackles
The Multi-Material Drill Bits and Red Granite Drill Bits offer up 3x the life of other bits, and the Tile & Glass Drill Bits up to 10x.
The key features are even more important for high heat and impact applications where the Diablo made Multi-ground carbide tip delivers stability, strength, longevity and the accuracy required for fast starts and precise holes.
We put all three of the ranges to work into concrete, brick and stone with some excellent results. The bits all performed exceptionally well.
But it was the Multi-Material Drill Bits and the Tile & Glass Drill Bits we focussed on.
Specs:
- More holes per charge
- Optimised for cordless and corded drills
- Optimised brazing and hardening process
- Diablo-made carbide
- Optimised U-flute design
- Multi-ground grip point tip
TEST #1: MULTI-MATERIAL DRILL BITS
The Mutli-Material Drill Bit range is an impressive product designed for drilling materials from thin metal, pine sleeper, Australian hardwood decking and ceramic tile, through to things like 30mm travertine.
We grabbed a 6.5mm Multi-Material bit and used it on each of these products individually multiple times.
The bit performed exceptionally well across all drilling.
So well, in fact, we decided to create a ‘multi-material sandwich’. We stacked each of these products into a single block and drilled through the entire stack.
The 6.5mm bit didn’t skip a beat, slicing its way through the entire stack in an epic test that really highlighted its true multi-material capabilities.
The process obviously slowed a little when going through the tile compared to the pine sleeper, but even the Aussie hardwood didn’t pose a problem.
After repeating this multi-material sandwich-test 5 times, using the same 6.5mm bit, we couldn’t see any reduction in performance.
TEST #2: TILE & GLASS DRILL BITS
There’s a tendency to crack or break glass or tile when using inferior drill bits. Many an experienced tradie has had a few fails in this area.
The Diablo Tile & Glass bits have been through an optimised brazing and hardening process to extend the life of the multi-ground carbide tip.
The result delivers precise and accurate holes.
We successfully drilled various tiles, both porcelain and ceramic, and the bits didn’t wander at all.
They stayed precisely where they were placed.
We did lubricate the bits with water when drilling and kept below 2000rpm as Diablo recommended, and the Tile & Glass Drill Bits were a standout, producing extremely clean, high-quality results in tricky materials.
The results were top shelf in terms of finish and ease of use.
There was no chipping on the edges of our tiles and, other than adding water, it was an extremely easy process.
THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY
The three bit ranges from Diablo, although similar in their intended use, are unique enough to each earn a place in the tool kit. For dedicated concrete drilling I would lean towards the Red Granite Range.
For a general-purpose masonry bit I would use the Multi-Material bits, and for tiles and glass the Diablo Tile & Glass Drill Bits produced such good results I couldn’t go past them for this specific use.
Visit: diablotools.com.au