How to choose the right breakthrough drill bit

When selecting a breakthrough drill bit, it is important to consider mainly the required hole diameter and depth, the type of material being drilled, and the power of the hammer drill you will be using. Different tools are suitable for standard wall penetrations, very deep breakthroughs, or demanding drilling in hard concrete and reinforced concrete.

If you need a ready-made solution for a specific diameter and length, a complete SDS-max breakthrough drill bit is usually the simplest choice. If you want to combine multiple drilling diameters with different adapter lengths, modular breakthrough drill bits with interchangeable milling heads may be a better option.

For the most demanding breakthrough drilling applications with larger diameters and deeper penetrations, the VARIANT system is designed to allow adjustable working lengths using augers and extensions, while also offering more clamping options than SDS-max alone.

When selecting a subcategory, focus mainly on:

• required hole diameter,
• required drilling depth,
• type of material,
• power and clamping system of the hammer drill used,
• and whether you need a fixed drill bit or a variable modular system.

How and where breakthrough drill bits are used in practice

Breakthrough drill bits are mainly intended for demanding drilling into concrete, reinforced concrete, masonry, stone, and mixed construction structures. They are primarily used for:

• creating penetrations through walls and ceilings,
• water, heating, and waste pipe installations,
• electrical installations,
• ventilation system installations,
• renovation of older buildings,
• and other construction work requiring deep or larger holes.

They are typically used when a standard SDS-max drill bit is not sufficient in terms of length or required hole diameter. For larger diameters and deeper penetrations, not only the correct drill bit type is important, but also sufficient machine power and stable guidance during drilling.

How to work with breakthrough drill bits

Breakthrough drill bits are designed for powerful electro-pneumatic hammer drills, most commonly with an SDS-max system. Drilling creates high stress on both the machine and the tool itself, so it is important to use a sufficiently powerful hammer drill and avoid overloading the drill bit with excessive pressure.

For deeper penetrations, it is necessary to:

• continuously remove drilled material,
• monitor drill bit guidance,
• take into account the higher weight of long assemblies,
• and adapt the drill bit type to the specific material and drilling depth.

When drilling reinforced concrete or very hard materials, higher drilling difficulty must be expected. For precise and clean circular holes, diamond core drilling may in some cases be a more suitable solution.

Which types can you continue with?

In this category, you can continue in three different directions depending on the type of solution you are looking for:

• Complete SDS-max breakthrough drill bits
  ready-made drill bits with fixed working lengths designed for immediate use.
• Configurable breakthrough drill bits
  a system of milling heads and long SDS-max adapters that allow different drilling diameters to be combined with two adapter lengths.
• VARIANT breakthrough system with driling Star
  a professional modular system for deep and demanding breakthrough drilling with the option of assembling different working lengths and selecting multiple clamping types.

If you are looking for a simple ready-made solution, complete SDS-max breakthrough drill bits will probably be the better choice for you. However, if you need greater flexibility in lengths, diameters, or the ability to gradually expand the system, it is worth focusing on modular systems.