Why won't my drill bit go into concrete?

Last updated: July 17, 2026

Most of the time it's the drill, not you. Concrete has to be hammered, and a regular drill only spins — so the bit polishes the surface and goes nowhere, however hard you lean on it. The other usual suspects are the wrong bit, a worn one, or a hole packed with dust. Here's how to tell which is stopping you, and the fix for each.

Which one is it? If the bit spins on the surface with no rattle and throws fine dust or none, the drill isn’t hammering — the most common cause by far. If it was cutting and then slowed to a crawl, the bit is worn or the hole is packed with dust. If it stops dead at depth and the bit squeals or spins, you’ve hit rebar or a stone. Different problems, different fixes — find yours below.

Cause 1: the drill isn't hammering (the usual one)

Concrete doesn’t get sliced, it gets chipped, and that takes percussive impact rather than plain rotation. A hammer drill (or a rotary hammer) drives the bit forward in rapid blows while it spins; a regular drill only spins. Set against concrete with no hammering, the bit rubs the surface smooth and makes no real progress no matter how hard you lean on it.

The tell: no rattling or chattering sound, fine dust or none, and the bit spins freely on the surface. The fix: switch the drill to hammer mode (the hammer icon, not the plain drill). If your drill has no hammer mode, it’s the wrong tool — a plain drill/driver won’t drill concrete, and that’s not a technique you can fix by pressing harder.

Which drill do you need — regular, hammer, or rotary hammer?

• Regular drill / driver: only for the occasional small hole in soft material (soft brick or block), and even then it’s slow and hard on the bit. No hammer action.
• Hammer drill: the DIY baseline for brick, block and typical anchor sizes. If you buy one masonry tool, buy this.
• Rotary hammer (SDS-Plus / Max): for hard concrete, bigger holes and frequent drilling. Far faster and easier on your hands. An SDS bit won’t fit a standard chuck, so match the bit to the tool.

This is a tool question, not a hole-drilling one, so it stays short here — the full breakdown of bit families, shanks and which drill to own is the concrete drill bit guide.

Cause 2: it's the wrong bit

A wood or metal bit will never cut concrete, however sharp it is. Masonry needs a carbide-tipped bit (one meeting ANSI B212.15): a blunt tungsten-carbide wedge brazed onto the nose, built to pulverize rather than slice. A twist bit’s cutting edges just glaze over against masonry.

The tell: the bit has a sharp point with spurs (a wood brad point) or a plain conical point (a metal twist bit), not a blunt carbide wedge that sits slightly wider than the bit body. The fix: get a carbide masonry bit. Which one to buy — straight-shank vs SDS, and the sizes — is the concrete drill bit guide.

Cause 3: the bit is worn out

Carbide dulls, and a worn bit stops cutting and starts rubbing. Rubbing makes heat, heat dulls it further, and the bit drills slower and slower until it’s just polishing the hole. A worn bit also drills an undersized hole, which wrecks the fit of any anchor you set in it later.

The tell: it was cutting fine and then slowed down; the bit is hot; progress stalls partway. The fix: replace it. Carbide bits are a consumable — a worn one is a real cause, not something you did wrong.

Cause 4: too much pressure, or a dust-packed hole

Leaning hard on the drill feels like it should help. It doesn’t — it binds the bit, adds heat, and dulls the carbide. The hammer does the work; your job is steady, moderate pressure and letting it chip. And as the hole gets deeper, dust packs into the bottom, so the bit ends up hammering against a cushion of its own powder instead of fresh concrete.

The tell: you’re pushing hard and it’s getting hot and slow, or a hole that started well has stalled deep. The fix: ease off to steady pressure, and withdraw the bit every so often to pull the dust out. Blow the hole clean before you set an anchor.

Cause 5: you hit rebar or a stone

If progress stops abruptly at depth and the bit spins, squeals or skips, you’ve likely hit rebar (steel reinforcement) or a hard chunk of aggregate. A masonry bit is made to chip concrete, not to cut steel, so it can’t hammer through reinforcement.

The tell: smooth progress, then a sudden hard stop at depth, often with a metallic ring or the bit spinning without biting. The fix: the simplest answer is usually to move the hole over an inch or two to clear the obstruction. Hitting rebar is a stop-and-think moment, not a push-harder one: if you’re at the edge of a slab or into structural reinforcement, don’t try to cut through it — reposition, or get advice before you go further. Full method (and how to tell rebar from a stone): what to do when you hit rebar.

Cause 6: the concrete's too hard for the drill

High-strength or old, fully cured concrete resists a small hammer drill. If the drill is clearly at its limit — bogging down, barely progressing on concrete a masonry bit should handle — the answer is a more capable tool, not more force. An SDS rotary hammer hits far harder than a hammer drill and gets through concrete that stops a smaller tool cold.

The tell: the right carbide bit, hammer mode on, and it still crawls in dense or old concrete. The fix: step up to an SDS rotary hammer — hire or borrow one for a one-off job rather than flogging a hammer drill past its limit.

Drilled the hole too big?

The opposite problem: the hole’s cut, but the anchor won’t grip because the hole is oversized — the bit wandered, wobbled, or was a size too big. An oversized hole lets the anchor spin instead of biting. Two fixes: go up an anchor size so the larger anchor fills the hole, or switch to a masonry fastener sized for the hole you’ve got. Which anchor suits your wall and load is the concrete anchor finder.

Technique and safety

• Let the hammer do the work. Steady, moderate pressure drills faster than leaning on it — and keeps the carbide alive.
• Clear the dust. Withdraw the bit periodically and blow the hole clean; a packed hole stops cutting.
• Silica dust is a real hazard. Drilling concrete releases respirable silica. Use dust extraction and a rated respirator (not a paper mask), and wear eye protection.
• Rebar and post-tension are a boundary. If you’ve hit steel reinforcement, don’t hammer through it — reposition. Cutting structural bar or a post-tension cable is a stop-and-get-advice job, not one to force.

Two neighbours worth a look: which bit to buy in the first place is the concrete drill bit guide (this page is about a bit you already own that won’t cut); which anchor to set, and its exact bit size, starts at the concrete anchors hub.