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Concrete Drill Bit Vs Wood | What Are The Differences?

Are concrete and wood drill bits the same? Concrete and wood are two different surfaces. Therefore, when you are drilling into these surfaces, the bits should be different. In this article, I am going to compare the concrete drill bit vs wood drill bit. I will try to differentiate the features and attributes of these two different types of bits so that you find enough reasons for using different drill bits for these two different surfaces.

Concrete and wood drill bits are different from each other in many ways. The materials used are different. The design and durability are also not the same for these two drill bits. I will guide you to the differences in a while. But before going into deep, do you know what a drill is?

Drill bits are metal small accessories of a power tool that we use for making the whole into different kinds of objects such as wool, concrete, stone, metal, and so on. These are usually of different shapes and sizes for different kinds of projects. We need to carefully choose the right one for a specific project. Otherwise, the object may get damaged.

Features that are common in drill bits for wood and concrete

Although drill bits are different in terms of application, there are some common attributes for all. In this section, I am going to discuss these features to give you a basic idea.

  1. All drill bits look spiral. The selection of drill bits with a higher or lower twist depends on the rotational speed. If you apply higher speed, then drill bits with a lower twist are better.
  2. The point angle is a common attribute of all kinds of drill bits. The angle is higher for harder surfaces. For example, drill bits for concrete may have a point angle of around 150 degrees where drill bits for wood may have a point angle of 100 degrees.
  3. Drill bits are cylindrical. The length is dependent on the object that you are going to deal with. Therefore, two identical drill bits can have all the common attributes other than the length.
  4. Lip angle is another important feature of a drill bit. It determines how aggressively the bit will work on the surface. A higher bit angle is recommended for harder surfaces.

Attributes of concrete drill bits

Concrete drill bits are made for dealing with hard objects. They are sturdy and durable. Due to the special feature of a concrete drill bit, it can penetrate hard objects that a wood drill bit cannot. When we drill a surface, we should carefully carry out the operation. Otherwise, the object may get damaged. Hard surfaces like concrete are more prone to damage if you do not handle it casually.  

You can drill into the concrete by different kinds of drill bits. The core drill bit is the most common type for this purpose. A core drill bit is usually guided by an additional guide drill bit inside it. The job of the guide is to mark the point where you want to drill and guide the core bit up to half an inch through the concrete. When you reach about 0.5 inches, then you should remove the inner guide drill bit. If you carry out drilling with it, broken concrete may create serious jam and you may not continue drilling. 

The spot drill bit is another good option for concrete. This kind of drill bit is used to spot a hole on hard surfaces where other kinds of drill bits may get dislodged. Spot drill bits have a pointy sharp head that helps the bit work with hard surfaces.

Indexable drill bits are also very useful for dealing with hard surfaces like concrete. They have removable cutting tips. When the cutting edges get dull, then they are replaced with new ones. This kind of drill bits have inserts with cutting edges.

Wood drill bits

These drill bits are manufactured in a way that they do not damage the wooden object during operation. Wood is more sensitive than concrete. Therefore, when making a hole into a wood, the drill bit has some extra responsibility to protect the wood from damage. It also needs to protect the wood from splitting.

Lip and spur drill bits are well known for working with woods. These drill bits have cutting tips that cut the wood perfectly. The twist of this bit is steeper than usual. Because of the deep twist, the hole you make with the lip and spur drill bit is spiral.

Spade drill bits are another type of drill bit that is usually used on wood. It is also used by the plumbers to make large holes for pipes. This drill bit has two flat cutters that produce large and rough holes on the object. You will find this drill bit with different specifications for use in different applications.

Spoon bit is a special drill bit for wood. It is used for making a specific type of shape on the wood. As the name suggests, it looks like a spoon. If you want to make a rough hole polished, then you may use this. The shape of the hole that you get with a spoon drill bit is conical.

The type of drill bit that the woodworkers use depends on the type of job they are doing. There are many other different options that we use for drilling in woods. Augur bits and center bits are also very common that the woodmen frequently use.

Difference between concrete and wood drill bit

From the discussion above, it is clear that a concrete drill bit will be different from a wood drill bit. In this section, I will point out the differences in an organized way.

  1. Concreate drill bits are designed to work on hard surfaces. These are sometimes used to work on stone or even on metals. On the other hand, drill bits for woods are not made for hard objects.
  2. The torque needed to work with concrete drill bits is high. On the other hand, you do not need so much power to work with a drill bit for wood.
  3. As the drill bits for woods are not made for hard objects, you can not use these on concrete. But you can apply the concrete drill bits on wooden objects. Although you need to be careful about clutch settings.
  4. As the concrete bits are sturdier, they will cost more than the wood drill bits. The special property to withstand heavy-duty operations makes the concrete drills expensive.

Bottom line

Do you now have enough knowledge about the differences between a concrete drill bit and a wood drill bit? In short, you can use concrete bits wood if you can set the torque perfectly. But the drill bit for wood is not that strong. Therefore, you can not use these for concreate. There are so many different types of concrete and wood drills out there. You should choose the right one as per the application.