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Drill bit set for wood, metal and masonry

Updated: 2026-10-23

You are hanging a shelf, the plug pack is in one hand, and the case says it drills wood, metal and masonry. A mixed set can cover that afternoon when the masonry bit and the HSS bit are both in the box at the millimetre you need. It does not cover sustained concrete, stainless, or thin sheet that grabs a twist bit. The amazon.co.uk prices are in the [drill bit set comparison](/hub/drilling-and-accessories/drill-bit-set). Products Compared used those listings, plus HSE and UK drilling guides, and did not run a lab test, on 21 October 2026. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

You are hanging a shelf, the plug pack is in one hand, and the case says it drills wood, metal and masonry.

Our top picks

Bosch Bosch 34-piece X-Line

Best overall

Bosch Bosch 34-piece X-Line
9.6/10about £10.63
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Bosch Bosch 50-piece X-Line

Best value

Bosch Bosch 50-piece X-Line
9.3/10about £14.49
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Bosch Bosch 91-piece V-Line

Alternative

Bosch Bosch 91-piece V-Line
8.0/10about £31.52
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On this page
  1. 1.What a mixed set is actually for
  2. 2.Check the masonry sizes before you trust the word mixed
  3. 3.Light steel is a short HSS bit, not the masonry bit
  4. 4.Where the mixed set stops

What a mixed set is actually for

A mixed home set puts a wood bit, a carbide masonry bit and an HSS bit in one case, plus screwdriver bits. Prefer a set that names Pozidriv. The Bosch X-Line and V-Line cases, and the BLACK+DECKER A7188, are this kind of box. PointTeQ and the Hurricane 230-piece have no masonry bits. Drill the plug with the masonry bit and hammer mode, the timber with the wood bit, and the bracket with the HSS bit, hammer off. Argos lists diameters for the BLACK+DECKER 50-piece at £15, and the EAN matches the amazon.co.uk GTIN: masonry 4–10 mm, brad point 3–8 mm, HSS-TiN 1.5–6 mm. The Amazon bullets do not list those diameters. The shank field says SDS-Plus and the bullets do not. Ignore that cell.

Check the masonry sizes before you trust the word mixed

Masonry included is useless if the plug pack asks for a size the case skips. The 34-piece lists masonry from 5 mm to 8 mm, including 5.5 mm and 7 mm. The 50-piece and the 70-piece run from 4 mm to 10 mm, so 10 mm is there and 5.5 mm is not named. The 91-piece V-Line runs from 3 mm to 10 mm, at £31.52. The 103-piece lists 4, 5, 6, 8 and 10 mm, so 7 mm is missing, and it adds hole saws at 32–54 mm. If the packet says 7 mm, the 34-piece has it and the 103-piece does not. If it says 10 mm, the 50-piece has it and the 34-piece does not. If it says 5.5 mm, the 34-piece names it. ISO 5468:2017 is not a hammer-drill standard. The sequence, including the services check, is the how to drill without snapping a bit page.
Bosch Bosch 34-piece X-Line

Testsieger

Bosch Bosch 34-piece X-Line
9.6/10about £10.63
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Light steel is a short HSS bit, not the masonry bit

The 34-piece stops HSS at 5 mm. The 50-piece and the 70-piece stop at 6.5 mm. The 91-piece runs from 2 mm to 8 mm. An 8 mm hole in a steel bracket is outside the first three and inside the 91-piece, and inside PointTeQ, which has no masonry bits. Where the listing says HSS TiN, the coat is not cobalt. No mixed set here says HSSE or M35. The 70-piece lists spades at 16, 22 and 32 mm. Thin sheet that grabs a twist bit is a different job.

Where the mixed set stops

UK Drills puts brick and block on a masonry bit in a combi drill, and concrete on an SDS bit. A spec line that says SDS-Plus does not convert these straight-shank sets. HSE CN3 covers silica: capture dust where practicable, RPE at UK APF 20 when RPE is required, and check for electricity, gas and water. The set does not control that dust. Stainless without a cobalt bit, and thin sheet with a twist bit, are the other exits. The drill bit set buying guide is the order: material, then millimetres, then steel, and piece count last.

Common questions

Will one set drill wood, brick and metal?
Yes, if it contains a wood bit, a carbide masonry bit and an HSS bit, and you use each one on its own material. The Bosch X-Line and V-Line listings, and the BLACK+DECKER bullets, are that kind of case. Hammer mode stays on the masonry bit. The HSS bit is for mild steel, slowly and with fluid. PointTeQ and Hurricane have no masonry bits.
Are the masonry bits in a mixed set good enough for shelves?
For a plug in brick or block, at a size the case lists, yes. The 34-piece covers 5–8 mm, including 5.5 mm and 7 mm. The 50-piece and 70-piece cover 4–10 mm and do not name 5.5 mm. The 91-piece covers 3–10 mm. Match the packet, clear the dust, and do not straighten a bent bit. One 70-piece review reported an 8 mm masonry bit that arrived bent. A structural anchor is not this job.
Can I use the same set on concrete?
Not for sustained concrete. Brick and block in a combi drill are what these carbide bits are sold for. Concrete, in UK Drills’ split, wants an SDS bit, and HSE CN3 still applies to the dust and to hidden services. ISO 5468 does not turn a household set into a hammer-drill kit. If the hole is a rated fixing in concrete, stop.
What plug sizes are actually in these sets?
Read the masonry line, not the piece count. The 34-piece has 5, 5.5, 6, 7 and 8 mm. The 50-piece and 70-piece run 4–10 mm without a named 5.5 mm. The 91-piece runs 3–10 mm. The 103-piece has 4, 5, 6, 8 and 10 mm and skips 7 mm. BLACK+DECKER’s Amazon bullets say stone and do not list diameters. Argos prints 4–10 mm masonry for the same EAN. If your packet says a size that row skips, buy a different set.
Why did the masonry bit snap or arrive bent?
Small bits snap when they are leaned on, and an 8 mm masonry bit can arrive bent, which is what one 70-piece reviewer sent the set back for. Do not straighten a bent bit and carry on. Check the packet size so you are not forcing a 5 mm bit into a hole that wanted 7 mm. Start the masonry bit in rotary, then switch to hammer once it has seated.

Related pages

HSS drill bit or step drill

Best drill bit set

Drill bit set

The drill bit set buying guide for material and steel

How to drill wood, brick and steel without snapping

Sources

Public UK sources from the research digest, plus the ISO 5468 catalogue entry cited there. Shelf prices and star lines are the amazon.co.uk figures in the display file.

  1. HSE CN3, drilling with hand-held rotary tools (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  2. HSE, cutting and sanding wood (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  3. Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 9 (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  4. GOV.UK, General Product Safety Regulations 2005 (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  5. Bosch Professional GB, metal drill bits (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  6. Bosch Professional GB, TiN HSS twist bit (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  7. Cromwell, HSS step drills (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  8. ISO 5468:2017, carbide masonry bits (retrieved 22 October 2026)