HSS Drill Bits

[ConfusedJohn]

Are HSS drill bits suitable for drilling concrete? What's the difference between them and normal drill bits?

[ugly_bob]

HSS drill bits are meant for drilling metal.
They will work on concrete, but blunt quickly.
You get different bits for different materials, eg Wood, Aluminium, Masonry etc, with different properties to keep them sharper longer and avoid damage to the drilled material.

[heathfield]

Concrete will blunt an HSS drill in seconds. HSS stands for 'High Speed Steel', and are made from hardened steel for drilling metals
But you need a masonry bit. These are designed for drilling stone and concrete, and have a tungsten-carbide tip, considerably tougher than steel alone.

[woodchopper]

As ugly-b and heathfield have said - don't use a HSS bit for drilling concrete - it is liable to shatter and bits fly off past your ears at great velocity.

[ConfusedJohn]

Thanks for your answers. Woodchopper - sounds like you're speaking from experience!

[woodchopper]

Yup !

[Disco Fever]

If your drilling concrete then use a "Hilti" type drill and bit as a pneumatic drill will get thru concrete better than a conventional hammer drill