Bosch BlueGranite Turbo Carbide Hammer Drill Bit Set

A recent weekend of anchors and bathroom accessories gave me the perfect excuse to put the Bosch carbide masonry set through the wringer. I used the five-piece kit as a general-purpose solution for brick, block, poured concrete, and a handful of ceramic/porcelain tiles. After two days of work across different materials and tools, I came away with a good sense of where this set excels, where it compromises, and who it’s best for.

What’s in the set

My kit covered the essentials: small pilot sizes up through 3/8 inch, with a mix of short bits (roughly 3-inch overall) and longer reach options (about 6 inches). The hex shanks meant I could use the same bits in a hammer drill or pop them into an impact driver without swapping chucks. That versatility turned out to be handy when I was up on a ladder and wanted to travel lighter.

The business end is a multi-grind carbide tip—Bosch calls it a four-grind head—with a centering geometry that’s meant to resist skating. It’s a two-flute body, so chip evacuation is predictable, and the brazing lines on my sample were even.

Design and build quality

Fit and finish on my set were solid. The hex flats were crisp, and the shanks sat securely in both a 3-jaw hammer drill chuck and a 1/4-inch hex quick-change collet. One of the 3/16-inch bits showed a touch of runout at high RPM, but it wasn’t enough to matter in concrete and disappeared once hammer action engaged.

The centering tip is the quiet star. On slick surfaces—glazed ceramic, painted block, and even a polished slab—it noticeably reduced the initial “skate,” especially if I started the hole with the hammer mode off for a second or two. It’s not a diamond-tipped tile bit, but for a carbide masonry profile it’s confidence-inspiring.

Setup and compatibility

These bits worked in both my 18V hammer drill and an impact driver. Performance is best in a true hammer drill; the impact driver’s torsional blows aren’t ideal for masonry. That said, the hex shank made quick work of light-duty anchors in block when I didn’t want to haul two tools. If you own a rotary hammer, you already know SDS-plus bits are the better choice for heavy-duty concrete—this set is aimed at standard drills and impact drivers.

Pro tip: If you’re drilling tile, start with the drill in regular (non-hammer) mode at low speed to establish the hole, use light pressure, and add a little water to manage heat. Once you’re through the glaze, you can bump up speed or engage hammer very lightly, depending on the tile.

Performance in concrete, block, and brick

• 3/16-inch in concrete block: Fast. I was routinely through 1.5–2 inches in under 15 seconds with a mid-torque hammer drill.
• 3/16-inch in poured concrete (3,500–4,000 PSI): Respectable. Expect 25–40 seconds to 1.75-inch depth depending on aggregate.
• 3/8-inch in poured concrete: Slower, as you’d expect, but steady. Around a minute to get to typical anchor depth.

In general, the multi-grind tip chewed through aggregate cleanly and didn’t hang up on small stones. Dust clearing was helped by short pecks; pull the bit out briefly every half inch and you’ll avoid glazing the carbide. The longer 6-inch bits do require a steadier hand—any side load becomes more noticeable—so let the hammer action do the bulk of the work.

Brick and mortar were straightforward. The bits tracked well in mortar joints without wandering, and blowout on the exit side was modest. If you care about the exit hole in hollow block, back it up with a sacrificial board or go slow as you break through.

Performance in tile

I tested on ceramic wall tile and a couple of porcelain pieces. With a piece of tape for a visual target and the drill in regular mode, the centering tip took a clean bite with minimal skating. A drizzle of water and low RPM kept temperatures in check. Holes were clean and round; the edges were better than I typically expect from a standard masonry bit. On heavier porcelain, patience is required, but I still didn’t feel the need to switch to a dedicated diamond tile bit for the small hardware I was mounting.

If you’re drilling glass tile or very hard porcelain repeatedly, you’ll still want specialty tile bits. But for a bathroom hardware project that mixes tile and concrete anchors, this set makes a strong case as a one-kit solution.

Accuracy and hole quality

The bits tracked straight, and hole diameters were appropriate for common anchor sizes. The multi-grind point helps with accuracy at the start; for critical anchors in hard concrete, I had the best results stepping from 5/32 or 3/16 up to 1/4 or 5/16 rather than trying to go full-size from the start. That’s not a knock on these bits—just good practice that pays off in speed and straighter holes.

Edges in block and brick were tidy. In concrete, the exit breaks were typical; easing off the trigger just before breakthrough helps.

Durability and wear

Over the course of roughly 40 holes across materials, the carbide edges held up well. The smaller bits (1/8, 5/32) showed the expected polishing on the cutting edges but kept cutting cleanly. The 3/8-inch bit still looked sharp and was drilling at near-new pace at the end.

Heat is the enemy with masonry drilling, and technique matters more than brand. A few simple habits extended tool life: avoid excessive pressure, keep RPM moderate, clear dust often, and don’t deadhead the bit inside a blind hole. One warning: I clipped a piece of rebar on a slab—no masonry bit in this class loves that. The bit survived, but cutting speed dropped noticeably afterward. If you frequently hit steel, you need rebar-cutting or SDS-plus four-cutter bits.

Value and who it’s for

As a compact kit that covers the sizes most DIYers and many trades hit daily, this set is easy to recommend. The hex shank convenience is real—swapping between hammer drill and impact driver without a chuck change saved me time on a ladder. For maintenance techs, facility teams, or homeowners doing anchors, fixtures, conduit clamps, and Tapcon-style screws, it checks a lot of boxes.

If your work leans heavily into structural concrete or you’re drilling dozens of 1/2-inch holes a day, step up to an SDS-plus rotary hammer and dedicated bits. Different tools, different expectations.

Limitations

• Not a substitute for SDS-plus in heavy concrete. These shine in standard hammer drills and light-duty jobs.
• The long bits are more sensitive to runout and side load. Keep speed moderate and your hand steady.
• Hitting rebar will dull the edge quickly. Know what’s in the slab.
• The hex shank can show slight wobble in some 3-jaw chucks. It wasn’t problematic in use, but it’s there if you stare at it at high RPM.

Tips for best results

• Use hammer mode for masonry, regular drilling for tile starts.
• Moderate RPM (think middle of your drill’s range), light pressure, and frequent dust clearing.
• For hard concrete or precise holes, pilot first, then size up.
• In tile, use tape to mark, a dab of water for cooling, and let the tip establish the hole before increasing speed.
• Vacuum or blow out holes for better anchor performance and to reduce heat cycling.

Recommendation

I recommend the Bosch carbide masonry set for anyone who needs a reliable, grab-and-go kit for concrete, brick, block, and occasional tile. It drills quickly for its class, starts cleanly thanks to the centering tip, and the hex shank makes it unusually versatile between tools. Durability over a reasonable number of holes was solid, with wear tracking more to technique and material than any design flaw. If you’re outfitting a hammer drill for everyday anchors and fixtures, this set earns a spot in the bag. If your work is heavy structural concrete or rebar-rich environments, pair it with an SDS-plus setup and keep this as your lighter, faster, general-purpose option.