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How to drill into brick with a combi drill

Updated: 23 October 2026

You are fitting a shelf to an internal brick wall and you want one clean hole, not a crater, a spinning plug, or a cloud of red dust. How to drill into brick with a combi drill, for that hole, is a masonry bit the same size as the plug, a square start, hammer only after the tip has bitten, and a stop if the hole stalls. The tool needs a real hammer mode. If the listing is only a drill-driver, check that before you mark the wall. The kit table is the [combi drill comparison](/hub/drilling-and-accessories/combi-drill). The screw afterwards is not this page. A qualifying purchase can earn us a commission at no extra cost to you.

You are fitting a shelf to an internal brick wall and you want one clean hole, not a crater, a spinning plug, or a cloud of red dust.

Our top picks

Ryobi Ryobi R18PD3 ONE+ starter kit

Best overall

Ryobi Ryobi R18PD3 ONE+ starter kit
8.6/10about £97.80
View offer
Bosch Bosch EasyImpact 18V-40 (2 x 2.0 Ah)

Alternative

Bosch Bosch EasyImpact 18V-40 (2 x 2.0 Ah)
7.6/10about £75.23
View offer
Einhell Einhell TE-CD 18/44 Li-I

Best value

Einhell Einhell TE-CD 18/44 Li-I
7.9/10about £44
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.Match the plug, the bit and the chuck
  2. 2.Start square, then add the hammer
  3. 3.Dust, and what is behind the plaster
  4. 4.When this hole is the wrong tool

Match the plug, the bit and the chuck

Read the plug packet before a colour chart. The hole diameter should match the plug, and the packet's minimum depth wins. Toolstation's yellow, red and brown shorthand is often 5, 6 and 7 mm, and its blue is not one size. Mark the bit with tape a little deeper than the plug so it can sit flush. A 13 mm chuck covers the usual plug bits, including a 10 mm shank. A 10 mm chuck is at its limit on a 10 mm bit. The DeWalt DCD778 chuck field says 6.35 mm and the bullets do not state a size, so check the chuck you own. If the bit is bigger than the chuck, the kit is the limit. Use a carbide-tipped masonry bit. A blunt bit glazes. Drill the face of the brick and keep off the edge. A plug in a soft mortar joint pulls out.

Start square, then add the hammer

Find the services first. A cable or a pipe is a reason to move the mark. With the detector clear, set the collar to the drill symbol and cut a small seat so the tip does not skate. Starting in hammer mode on smooth brick is how the bit walks. That rotary start is the B&Q suggestion. When the tip has bitten, stop the chuck, select the hammer symbol, and stay square. High gear is the usual gear in the hole. Pull the bit out once or twice so dust does not pack the flutes. The plug should push in by hand. If it spins, the hole is too big. If it will not enter, the hole is tight or short. Drive the screw on a clutch number, in gear 1, from how to use a combi drill. Leave hammer mode before you do.
Ryobi Ryobi R18PD3 ONE+ starter kit

Testsieger

Ryobi Ryobi R18PD3 ONE+ starter kit
8.6/10about £97.80
View offer

Dust, and what is behind the plaster

Hold a vacuum beside the bit or use a collector, and do not blow the dust into the room. HSE CN3 treats a single plug as the short, one-off case: capture dust if you reasonably can. If masonry drilling is the work, CN3 expects capture and, where extraction is not used, respiratory protection at APF 20. These listings state no decibel level and no vibration magnitude. If you cannot get a clear scan, or you do not know whether a heavy fixing is on a pier, a flue or a party wall, stop. More pressure once the bit is through the plaster is the wrong fix.

When this hole is the wrong tool

Stop if the bit glazes, if the wall is concrete or engineering brick, or if you need to chase or core. Forcing a stalled bit overheats the tip and the motor. The combi drill vs SDS drill page is that change of class. A larger torque claim on a second combi will not open a stalled hole. A concrete lintel drills like a different material. Ordinary brick that is still cutting is the hole you finish. One plug in common brick is what this page is for.

Common questions

What size masonry bit do I need for a wall plug?
Use the diameter on the plug packet. For Rawlplug UNO plugs that sheet uses 5, 6, 7, 8 and 10 mm holes, equal to the plug size. Other plugs differ. A blunt bit drills a tight, wandering hole that the plug will not enter. Match the bit, then check it still fits your chuck.
How deep should the hole be?
Deep enough for the plug to sit flush, a little past the plug so dust at the bottom does not hold it proud. Rawlplug's UNO sheet gives minimum depths of 34 mm for 5 mm up to 46 mm for 10 mm, and that is only for UNO. If your packet prints another depth, follow the packet.
Should I drill the brick or the mortar joint?
Screwfix prefers the face of the brick when the fixing has to hold. If the only clear spot is a joint, use a fixing the packet allows there, or move the shelf. Do not assume every internal wall is brick under the plaster. Scan, then drill only where you mean the hole to stay.
What do I do about the dust?
Catch it at the bit. Do not blow it into the room, and do not treat sweeping the skirting as the method. These listings do not state a dust, noise or vibration figure you can quote. This page does not recommend a brand of mask.
My bit has stopped moving. Do I push harder?
No. Release the trigger, clear the dust, and look again. If a sharp masonry bit still will not deepen the hole, the material is past this combi. Pushing harder glazes the tip and heats the motor. A higher printed torque on another combi is not the repair.
Will a 10 mm chuck take a plug bit?
It will take a plug bit up to 10 mm, including the common 5, 6 and 7 mm plugs, and a 10 mm bit at the stated limit. It will not take a larger shank. The EasyImpact 18V-38, the LEEIKOO kits and the Ginour are the 10 mm chucks in this set. The three kits in the table above are 13 mm.

Related pages

Combi drill buying guide

Combi drill

Best cordless combi drill for home shelves and plugs

How to use a combi drill: clutch, gear and hammer

Combi drill vs SDS drill: chuck percussion or piston

Sources

Public UK sources from the research digest for this comparison, retrieved 22 October 2026. Shelf prices, stars and review counts are the amazon.co.uk figures in the stored listings.

  1. HSE, vibration duties (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  2. HSE INDG175, hand-arm vibration (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  3. HSE CN3, silica from drilling masonry (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  4. Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005, regulation 4 (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  5. GOV.UK, Supply of Machinery (Safety) Regulations 2008: Great Britain (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  6. BSI, BS EN 62841-2-1, hand-held drills and impact drills (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  7. GOV.UK, accepting returns and giving refunds (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  8. ToolStore UK, combi drill torque bands (retailer guide) (retrieved 22 October 2026)