What Size Masonry Drill Bit Do You Need? Diameter and Length by Shank System

Champion Chisel Works manufactures professional-grade SDS Plus, SDS Max, and spline drive masonry drill bits for contractors drilling concrete, masonry, block, and stone. Picking the right masonry drill bit size is two decisions, not one. You are choosing a diameter, and you are choosing a length, and the shank system on your rotary hammer decides which combinations are actually available to you. Get either one wrong and you are back at the truck mid-pour instead of finishing the hole.

What Masonry Drill Bit Diameters Does Champion Chisel Offer?

The full diameter range across the Champion Chisel masonry bit catalog is 5/32 inch to 2 inches, but no single shank system covers that whole span.

SDS Plus single tip bits cover the small and mid range: 5/32 inch, 3/16 inch, 7/32 inch, 1/4 inch, 3/8 inch, 1/2 inch, 5/8 inch, 3/4 inch, 7/8 inch, and 1 inch. That is the anchor-setting and fastener range, the sizes you burn through on a fit-out.

SDS Max single tip bits start at 3/8 inch and run through 1/2 inch, 5/8 inch, 3/4 inch, 7/8 inch, 1 inch, 1-1/8 inch, and 1-1/2 inch. Spline or rotary drive single tip bits cover a near-identical span, from 3/8 inch through 1-1/2 inch.

Quad tip bits are where the large diameters live. On both SDS Max and spline shanks, quad tip sizes run 5/8 inch, 3/4 inch, 1 inch, 1-1/8 inch, 1-1/4 inch, 1-3/8 inch, 1-1/2 inch, 1-3/4 inch, and 2 inch. If the hole you need is larger than 1-1/2 inch, you are ordering a quad tip bit, and you are running it in an SDS Max or spline hammer.

Which Shank System Covers the Diameter You Need?

Start from the hammer, not the hole. The shank on the tool is fixed, and it filters the diameter list before you get to pick.

If you are running an SDS Plus rotary hammer, your ceiling is 1 inch. Anything above that is not an SDS Plus bit, and no adapter makes an SDS Max shank fit an SDS Plus chuck. If your work regularly calls for holes above an inch, that is an argument for a heavier hammer, not for forcing a bit.

If you are running an SDS Max or a spline drive hammer, your floor is effectively 3/8 inch and your ceiling is 2 inches. Below 3/8 inch you are better served by an SDS Plus tool anyway, because a small-diameter bit in a heavy hammer takes more impact energy than the carbide wants.

The practical consequence for a crew carrying both hammers is that the overlap band, 3/8 inch through 1 inch, exists in every system. Those are the sizes worth stocking in duplicate. The 5/32 inch through 1/4 inch sizes and the 1-3/4 inch and 2 inch sizes each live in exactly one place.

SDS Max single tip bits run from 3/8 inch through 1-1/2 inch in diameter.

What Size Bit Do You Need for an Anchor?

The hole diameter for a mechanical or adhesive anchor is set by the anchor manufacturer, and it is not always the same number as the anchor's nominal size. Pull the specific anchor's installation data and drill to the hole diameter it states. Drilling a hole to the anchor's nominal diameter because the number matches is the most common way a correctly specified anchor ends up failing a pull test.

The same applies to embedment depth. The anchor data sheet gives a minimum hole depth, and that depth plus the thickness of what you are fastening through is what determines the bit length you need, not the thickness of the wall.

How Long Should the Masonry Drill Bit Be?

Overall length is not drilling depth. A masonry drill bit's usable working length is shorter than its overall length, because part of the tool is shank and flute transition sitting inside the chuck. Order length by the deepest hole on the job plus margin, not by the exact depth you measured.

Champion Chisel SDS Plus bits come in overall lengths from 8-5/8 inch through 13-1/8 inch. SDS Max bits come in 13 inch, 15 inch, and 18 inch, with quad tip bits extending to 23-1/2 inch in the 1-3/4 inch and 2 inch diameters. Spline drive bits come in 12 inch, 18 inch, and 23-1/2 inch.

Where a diameter is offered in two lengths, as 3/4 inch, 5/8 inch, 7/8 inch, and 1 inch are on SDS Max, the shorter bit is the better everyday choice. A shorter bit is stiffer, wanders less on start, and holds a truer hole. Reach for the 18 inch version when the depth actually requires it, not by default.

When Should You Choose a Quad Tip Bit Over a Single Tip?

A single tip masonry drill bit has one carbide cutting tip. A quad tip bit has four carbide cutting edges, which delivers faster drilling, better hole quality, and longer wear life. The trade is cost per bit against time per hole and holes per bit.

For occasional holes in clean concrete, a single tip bit does the work. For production drilling, for reinforced concrete where the bit is going to meet aggregate and rebar edges repeatedly, and for every diameter above 1-1/2 inch, the quad tip is the tool. On a crew drilling all day, the wear life difference is what shows up on the invoice at the end of the month, not the sticker price of the individual bit.

Frequently Asked Questions

What sizes do masonry drill bits come in?

Champion Chisel masonry drill bits run from 5/32 inch to 2 inches in diameter. SDS Plus single tip bits cover 5/32 inch through 1 inch, SDS Max and spline single tip bits cover 3/8 inch through 1-1/2 inch, and quad tip bits on SDS Max and spline shanks cover 5/8 inch through 2 inches.

What is the largest masonry drill bit size available?

The largest masonry drill bit Champion Chisel offers is a 2 inch quad tip drill bit, available on both SDS Max and spline shanks in a 23-1/2 inch overall length. Diameters above 1-1/2 inch are only produced as quad tip bits, so a 2 inch hole requires an SDS Max or spline drive rotary hammer.

Can an SDS Plus rotary hammer drill a 1-1/2 inch hole in concrete?

No. Champion Chisel SDS Plus single tip masonry drill bits top out at 1 inch in diameter. A 1-1/2 inch masonry bit is made on an SDS Max or spline shank, and those shanks do not fit an SDS Plus chuck. Drilling above 1 inch requires a heavier rotary hammer.

What is the difference between a single tip and a quad tip masonry drill bit?

A Champion Chisel single tip masonry drill bit has one carbide cutting tip, while a quad tip bit has four carbide cutting edges that produce faster drilling, better hole quality, and longer wear life. Quad tip bits are the only option in diameters above 1-1/2 inch and are the better choice for production drilling in reinforced concrete.

How do I choose the right length masonry drill bit?

Choose the length by the deepest hole on the job plus margin, because a masonry drill bit's usable working length is shorter than its overall length. Champion Chisel offers SDS Plus bits from 8-5/8 inch to 13-1/8 inch overall, SDS Max bits at 13 inch, 15 inch, 18 inch, and 23-1/2 inch, and spline bits at 12 inch, 18 inch, and 23-1/2 inch.

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