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Combi drill into brick

Updated: 2026-10-23

You need a hole for a wall plug, the wall looks like brick, and the Makita in the box says hammer. A combi drill into brick can do a small plug hole in ordinary brick or block when hammer mode is on and the bit is a sharp masonry bit. It will not behave like an SDS rotary hammer, and 13 mm on the sheet is not a lintel. We used Makita UK masonry lines for the DHP482 and the HP457D, HSE sheet CN3, and the scope of BS EN 62841-2-1, as read on 22 October 2026. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Which listing you are holding is on the [Makita cordless combi drill comparison](/hub/drilling-and-accessories/makita-cordless-combi-drill).

You need a hole for a wall plug, the wall looks like brick, and the Makita in the box says hammer.

Our top picks

Makita DK18015X2 hammer drill and driver

Best overall

Makita DK18015X2 hammer drill and driver
9.6/10about £182.50
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Makita DHP482 with 100-piece bit set

Best value

Makita DHP482 with 100-piece bit set
9.0/10about £97.00
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Makita HP457 and TD127D twin pack

Alternative

Makita HP457 and TD127D twin pack
8.8/10about £180.00
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On this page
  1. 1.13 mm is a maximum, not a promise
  2. 2.Soft brick, then stop
  3. 3.Dust and noise
  4. 4.What the listings actually say

13 mm is a maximum, not a promise

Makita UK rates both the DHP482 and the HP457D at 13 mm in masonry. UK guides treat a 6–8 mm plug in soft brick or block as the ordinary job. Treat that diameter as a rule of thumb. The DHP482's high rate is 28,500 blows per minute and the HP457D's is up to 21,000. That is a ratchet in a keyless chuck, not joules, and not an SDS piston. BS EN 62841-2-1 covers impact drills and leaves rotary hammers outside that standard. The £97 DHP482 listing does not put hammer mode on its specification table. The two twin packs do.

Soft brick, then stop

Fit a carbide-tipped masonry bit, not an HSS twist bit. Select the hammer symbol, not a high clutch number. Let the blows chip. A 6–8 mm plug hole in soft brick or block is the job these sheets support. Stop when the hole stops advancing. Engineering brick, a concrete lintel, and a stalled bit are the usual reasons. If the bit sparks after it has entered the lintel, you are likely on steel. Switch to an SDS-Plus tool, or stop and ask a professional if the fixing is structural. Collar positions are on the how to use a combi drill page.
Makita DK18015X2 hammer drill and driver

Testsieger

Makita DK18015X2 hammer drill and driver
9.6/10about £182.50
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Dust and noise

At work, drilling concrete can release respirable crystalline silica. HSE sheet CN3 separates a one-off hole from drilling as the main job, and it expects the employer's controls when masonry drilling is the work. At home, keep brick dust out of your face. On the DHP482 sheet, sound pressure is 85 dB(A) and impact drilling into concrete is 6.0 m/s². Those are declared emissions, not a daily dose. If the bit is not moving, more minutes will not finish a lintel.

What the listings actually say

Two of the three kept listings state a hammer drill in words you can quote. B00NOURNGW is titled as a cordless hammer drill, and the bullets name the HP457D. B00NBYH3YS calls the HP457 a combi hammer drill in the bullets. Its torque cell says 20 Nm, so use the bullets for the hammer claim and the maker sheet for the rate. B07Q22BXP4 leaves hammer off the specification table. Those two hammer listings are G-series twins with 1.3 Ah packs. The buying guide holds the battery family. Use hammer mode and a sharp masonry bit for a small plug in ordinary brick. Stop when the hole stops moving.

Common questions

Can this combi drill brick?
Yes, for a small plug hole in ordinary brick or block, with hammer mode and a masonry bit. Makita UK states 13 mm in masonry for the DHP482 and the HP457D. UK guides treat about 6–8 mm as the everyday plug, and that size is a rule of thumb. Engineering brick and concrete lintels are where these tools stall. A stalled hole is the moment to move to an SDS rotary hammer rather than to lean on the combi.
What diameter is realistic for a wall plug?
A 6–8 mm hole, deep enough for the plug the fixing needs, is the realistic domestic job. That range comes from UK combi-versus-SDS guides, not from a timed Makita test, so treat it as a rule of thumb. The 13 mm line is the sheet maximum. A 13 mm bit in hard brick is slow, and it is the wrong ambition if the plug you bought is a standard 6 or 7 mm plug. Match the bit to the plug, not to the largest number on the sheet.
Why will the bit not go into a lintel?
A lintel is dense concrete, and many UK lintels contain reinforcing bar. A combi's hammer is a ratchet in the chuck, not an SDS piston, so progress drops as soon as the material gets hard. If the bit sparks and will not advance, you are likely on steel. Stop. A masonry bit should not be used to drill the bar. An SDS-Plus tool is the usual next step, and a structural fixing is a job for someone who can specify the anchor.
Is 28,500 blows per minute an SDS drill?
No. That figure is the DHP482's high impact rate on Makita UK. The HP457D's high rate is up to 21,000. Both are blow counts for a mechanical hammer in a keyless chuck. SDS tools are compared on impact energy in joules, and Makita does not publish a joule rating for these two combis. BS EN 62841-2-1 covers impact drills and excludes rotary hammers. The blow count does not move a tool across that line.
Should I hammer through plaster first?
No. Hammer mode is for the masonry, not for plaster or plasterboard. If you have a skim or a plaster coat over brick, go through that coat on the drill symbol with light pressure, then select hammer once the tip is in the brick. Starting on hammer in plaster blows out the face around the hole. Tile wants a tile bit and no hammer until you are through the glaze.

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Sources

Makita UK sheets, the 2025 consumer warranty terms, and UK vibration, noise, and dust sources used for this comparison. Last reviewed on 22 October 2026.

  1. Makita UK, DHP482 (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  2. Makita UK, HP457D (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  3. Makita UK, DHP484 (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  4. Makita UK 2025 warranty terms (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  5. Control of Vibration at Work Regulations 2005, regulation 4 (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  6. HSE, hand-arm vibration responsibilities (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  7. Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005, regulation 4 (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  8. HSE CN3, silica dust when drilling masonry (retrieved 22 October 2026)