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Masonry drill bit

Updated: 2026-10-23

You are about to fix a shelf or a curtain batt into brick, and the mixed set has three colours of bit. The masonry drill bit is the one with the carbide tip. Hammer mode is for that bit, the plug pack sets the millimetre, and the dust is a silica job even at 6 mm. This page stays on brick and block with a straight-shank bit. Which listings include masonry is in the [drill bit comparison](/hub/drilling-and-accessories/drill-bit). Products Compared used those listings, Rawlplug, CMT and HSE guidance on 22 October 2026, and did not run a lab test. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

You are about to fix a shelf or a curtain batt into brick, and the mixed set has three colours of bit. The masonry drill bit is the one with the carbide tip.

Our top picks

Bosch Bosch 34-piece X-Line

Best overall

Bosch Bosch 34-piece X-Line
9.4/10about £10.63
View offer
Bosch Bosch 50-piece X-Line

Alternative

Bosch Bosch 50-piece X-Line
9.1/10about £14.49
View offer
Bosch Bosch Mini X-Line 15-piece

Best value

Bosch Bosch Mini X-Line 15-piece
9.4/10about £7.99
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.Use the masonry bit, with hammer mode on
  2. 2.Read the plug pack, not the colour
  3. 3.Which set has the masonry size
  4. 4.Dust and services before you drill

Use the masonry bit, with hammer mode on

A masonry bit here is a straight shank with a carbide tip, sometimes labelled CYL-1, in a three-jaw chuck. Start it rotary so the tip seats, then switch hammer mode on. None of these ten listings is SDS. A brad-point bit polishes brick. Hammer mode on HSS makes a poor hole worse. Amazon Basics excludes masonry. STROTON at £37.89 is for stainless, which belongs on the HSS or cobalt drill bits page. The Mini X-Line names an impact-resistant carbide tip. The 34-piece and 50-piece say CYL-1. The 50-piece listing does not add a separate carbide sentence. Its glass line is not permission to drill glass.

Read the plug pack, not the colour

Bosch DIY UK says the bit and the wall anchor share a diameter. Prefer the pack. Rawlplug's UNO plug, in solid substrate, uses the same number for plug and hole: 5 mm to a minimum depth of 34 mm, then 6 mm and 38 mm, 7 mm and 40 mm, 8 mm and 42 mm, 10 mm and 46 mm. That is UNO, not every UK plug. CMT's red plug is 5.5 mm, drilled at 5.5 mm, with a minimum hole depth of 40 mm. Their yellow is 5 mm and their brown is 7 mm. CMT says colour is how they mark size. UK Drills' red means 6 mm is the shortcut this page does not use. Where Bosch's anchor length plus 10 mm and Rawlplug's minimum depth differ, follow the pack. Clean the hole before the plug goes in.
Bosch Bosch 34-piece X-Line

Testsieger

Bosch Bosch 34-piece X-Line
9.4/10about £10.63
View offer

Which set has the masonry size

The Mini at £7.99 has masonry bits at 3, 4, 5, 6 and 8 mm, and misses 5.5, 7 and 10 mm. The 34-piece at £10.63 lists CYL-1 at 5, 5.5, 6, 7 and 8 mm, and does not list 10 mm. The 50-piece at £14.49 lists CYL-1 at 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 10 mm, with no 5.5 mm, and prints a weight of 18.1 g. The 70-piece says six masonry bits from 4 to 10 mm and does not list each diameter. If the pack says 6 mm, the Mini is enough. If it says 5.5 or 7 mm, open the 34-piece. If it says 10 mm, open the 50-piece. A set for a hole that is not masonry is the drill bit buying guide.

Dust and services before you drill

Concrete and mortar dust can contain respirable crystalline silica. HSE CN3 treats about 15–30 minutes in a day as a short session: capture the dust if you can. Drilling as the main activity wants on-tool extraction in M or H class. When you are not extracting, respiratory protection with an assigned protection factor of 20 applies. Look on both sides of the wall for cables and for suspected asbestos. If the route is unknown, HSE CIS65 says turn the power off. The longer sequence is on the how to use a drill bit page. A rated concrete anchor leaves this page. These sets do not become SDS bits because the drill has a hammer setting.

Common questions

Can I use a wood bit or an HSS bit in a wall?
You will make dust and a poor hole. Brad-point and spade bits are for wood. HSS is for ordinary metal, in rotation only. A gold coat does not turn HSS into a masonry bit. Use the carbide or CYL-1 bit, and keep hammer mode for that bit alone.
Do I switch the drill to hammer mode?
Yes, for the masonry bit in brick or block, after a short rotary start so the tip does not walk. No, for every HSS, wood and step bit in the same case. These bits are for a combi drill with a three-jaw chuck, not for an SDS machine.
Is a red plug always 6 mm?
No. CMT's red plug is 5.5 mm and wants a 5.5 mm drill. Their yellow is 5 mm and their brown is 7 mm, with 8 mm only for a No.14 screw on that range. CMT says colour is their convention. Another brand's red plug can differ. Read the pack.
Which of these sets includes a 5.5 mm or a 7 mm masonry bit?
The Bosch 34-piece X-Line lists CYL-1 masonry at 5, 5.5, 6, 7 and 8 mm, at £10.63. The Mini has 3, 4, 5, 6 and 8 mm and misses both 5.5 and 7. The 50-piece lists 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 10 mm and misses 5.5. The 70-piece does not list each size, so you do not assume 5.5 mm is in the tray.
Are these bits SDS, and can they drill a rated concrete anchor?
They are straight-shank bits. None of the ten listings is SDS, so they do not fit an SDS-only chuck and they are not the specification for a rated concrete anchor. Heavy, overhead or safety-critical fixings are outside CMT's own advice on these plastic plugs.

Related pages

Best drill bits

Drill bit

Drill bit buying guide for material, size and steel

How to use a drill bit: speed, oil, dust and cables

HSS or cobalt drill bits for mild steel or stainless

Sources

Public UK sources from the research digest. Shelf prices and star lines are the amazon.co.uk figures in the display file.

  1. HSE CN3: silica dust and APF 20 (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  2. HSE CIS36: drilling and respirable crystalline silica (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  3. HSE: electricity, drilling near cables (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  4. HSE CIS65: power off if cable routes are unknown (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  5. Bosch DIY UK: guide to drills (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  6. Screwfix: guide to types of drill bits (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  7. Rawlplug UNO universal plug (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  8. CMT: standard plastic wall plugs (retrieved 22 October 2026)