Before you begin. This procedure is general reference information, not professional advice. Equipment varies by manufacturer, model, and year. Always follow the documentation supplied with your equipment — where it differs from this page, follow the manufacturer. Verify that you have the tools, the working conditions, and the ability to do this task safely. If anything is unclear, if the equipment is damaged, or if the task exceeds your experience, stop and use a qualified professional. You are responsible for your own safety and for the outcome. This site accepts no liability for any loss, damage, or injury arising from the use of this information.
Specifications marked unverified could not be traced to a manufacturer source. Do not rely on them — obtain the value from your equipment documentation.
Summary
Most people pick a drill bit by looking at the hole they want and pick a speed by squeezing the trigger until it sounds about right. The bit choice is usually recoverable — a wood bit in steel just goes blunt. The speed choice is the one with a safety rule attached, and Milwaukee states it plainly in its drill manuals: never operate at higher speed than the maximum speed rating of the drill bit. That means the drill has a number, the bit has a number, and one of them has to stay under the other.
This page teaches you to find both numbers on your own equipment and to compare them in the right direction. It does not print a drill speed chart. The three manufacturer manuals read for this page publish speeds and bit limits per model and not as general guidance — two Milwaukee drills that take the same bit in steel are rated for a 2 inch hole saw and a 3-1/2 inch hole saw respectively — so a single chart would be wrong for somebody. Where the number is yours rather than ours, this page says so and sends you to the document that has it.
Safety
WEAR SAFETY GLASSES BEFORE YOU START THE DRILL.
Milwaukee tells you to use eye protection that obeys ANSI Z87.1. Chips from the hole can injure your eyes.
Necessary equipment
| Item | Note |
|---|---|
| Documentation for your drill | The manufacturer gives the speed of each gear and the bit limits. |
| The drill bit and its package | The maker of the bit gives the maximum speed rating. |
| Safety glasses | Milwaukee tells you to use eye protection that obeys ANSI Z87.1. |
| Clamp | DEWALT tells you to anchor or clamp the material. |
| Work gloves | A bit becomes hot during operation. |
| Bright light or a flashlight optional | The print on a bit is small. |
| Ruler or calipers optional | Measure the thickness of the material. |
| Cutting oil material | Milwaukee tells you to use cutting oil for iron and steel. |
| Scrap wood material | Put a piece of scrap wood below the material when it is thin. |
Identify the material
Estimated 4 min to 10 min
- Examine the material that you must drill.<1mReport a problem with step 1, Identify the material
- Wood, metal, plastic and masonry each need a different bit.
- Concrete, brick and cinder block are masonry.
- Measure the thickness of the material.1mReport a problem with step 2, Identify the material
- Record the thickness on paper.
- The thickness tells you how deep the hole must be.
EXAMINE THE WORK AREA FOR HIDDEN PIPES AND WIRES BEFORE YOU DRILL.
Milwaukee warns about hidden pipes and wires. A bit that touches a live wire can cause an electric shock.
- Examine the work area for hidden pipes and wires.3mReport a problem with step 3, Identify the material
- Milwaukee tells you to do this before you drill.
- Do not drill a wall until you know what is behind it.
Read the limits of your drill
Estimated 6 min to 12 min
Source: M18 FUEL 1/2" Drill/Driver and Hammer Drill/Driver Operator's Manual (Cat. No. 2803-20, 2804-20) · tier 1 · accessed 2026-07-29
Source: M18 FUEL 1/2" Drill/Driver and Hammer Drill/Driver Operator's Manual (Cat. No. 2803-20, 2804-20) · tier 1 · accessed 2026-07-29
Source: M18 Compact Brushless Drill/Hammer Drill Operator's Manual (Cat. No. 3601-20, 3602-20) · tier 1 · accessed 2026-07-29
Source: DCD708 20V MAX 1/2" (13 mm) Brushless Drill Driver Instruction Manual (N592685) · tier 1 · accessed 2026-07-29
Source: DCD708 20V MAX 1/2" (13 mm) Brushless Drill Driver Instruction Manual (N592685) · tier 1 · accessed 2026-07-29
Source: M18 FUEL 1/2" Drill/Driver and Hammer Drill/Driver Operator's Manual (Cat. No. 2803-20, 2804-20) · tier 1 · accessed 2026-07-29
Source: M18 FUEL 1/2" Drill/Driver and Hammer Drill/Driver Operator's Manual (Cat. No. 2803-20, 2804-20) · tier 1 · accessed 2026-07-29
Source: M18 Compact Brushless Drill/Hammer Drill Operator's Manual (Cat. No. 3601-20, 3602-20) · tier 1 · accessed 2026-07-29
No tier-1 source was found for this value. Take it from the documentation supplied with your equipment.
No tier-1 source was found for this value. Take it from the documentation supplied with your equipment.
- Find the specifications table in the documentation for your drill.3mReport a problem with step 1, Read the limits of your drill
- The manufacturer supplies this table with the tool.
- The manufacturer also supplies it on the support website.
- Read the no-load speed of each gear from the table.1mReport a problem with step 2, Read the limits of your drill
- Milwaukee gives Low 0 - 550 and High 0 - 2000 RPM for the 2803-20.
- Milwaukee gives Low 0 - 550 and High 0 - 1700 RPM for the 3601-20.
- DEWALT gives Speed 1 at 0 - 450 RPM and Speed 2 at 0 - 1650 RPM for the DCD708.
- Three drills that accept the same bit do not turn at the same speed.
- Read the largest bit diameter for each material from the same table.2mReport a problem with step 3, Read the limits of your drill
- Milwaukee gives 1/2 in for steel on the 2803-20.
- Milwaukee gives 3-1/2 in for a hole saw on the 2803-20.
- Milwaukee gives 2 in for a hole saw on the 3601-20.
- The two Milwaukee drills agree about steel and disagree about a hole saw.
- Do not select a bit larger than the diameter in the table.<1mReport a problem with step 4, Read the limits of your drill
- Write the numbers on a label inside the case of the drill.
Select the bit for the material
Estimated 9 min to 18 min
No tier-1 source was found for this value. Take it from the documentation supplied with your equipment.
No tier-1 source was found for this value. Take it from the documentation supplied with your equipment.
- Select the bit type that the maker of your drill names for your material.3mReport a problem with step 1, Select the bit for the material
- Milwaukee names an auger or a twist drill bit for wood.
- Milwaukee names a twist drill of high speed steel for metal.
- Milwaukee also names a hole saw for metal.
- Milwaukee names a carbide-tipped bit for masonry.
- DEWALT names a carbide-tipped masonry bit for brick, cement and cinder block.
- Examine the tip of the bit.1mReport a problem with step 2, Select the bit for the material
- Milwaukee tells you to use sharp bits only.
- Discard a bit with a broken tip.
- Read the maximum speed rating from the bit or from its package.2mReport a problem with step 3, Select the bit for the material
- Milwaukee refers to a maximum speed rating on the drill bit.
- Use a bright light if the print is small.
- If the bit gives no speed rating, consult the documentation from the maker of the bit.3mReport a problem with step 4, Select the bit for the material
- Do not estimate the rating.
- This page gives no general speed chart.
Set the speed
Estimated 4 min
Source: M18 FUEL 1/2" Drill/Driver and Hammer Drill/Driver Operator's Manual (Cat. No. 2803-20, 2804-20) · tier 1 · accessed 2026-07-29
No tier-1 source was found for this value. Take it from the documentation supplied with your equipment.
DO NOT OPERATE THE DRILL ABOVE THE MAXIMUM SPEED RATING OF THE BIT.
Milwaukee warns that the bit can bend at a higher speed. A bent bit can injure you.
- Compare the maximum speed rating of the bit with the no-load speed of the gear.2mReport a problem with step 1, Set the speed
- Milwaukee gives a rule for the speed of a drill bit.
- Milwaukee tells you to stay below the maximum speed rating of the drill bit.
- Select a gear with a no-load speed below the maximum speed rating of the bit.1mReport a problem with step 2, Set the speed
- The number on the bit must be the larger number.
- The trigger controls the speed below the limit of the gear.
LET THE DRILL STOP BEFORE YOU MOVE THE GEAR SELECTOR.
A gear change during operation can cause damage to the tool.
- Move the gear selector after the drill stops.<1mReport a problem with step 3, Set the speed
- Milwaukee tells you to let the tool stop before you change speeds.
- DEWALT gives the same instruction.
- If the plastic melts at a low temperature, select the low speed.<1mReport a problem with step 4, Set the speed
- Milwaukee gives this instruction for plastics.
- If you must drive a screw, select the low speed.<1mReport a problem with step 5, Set the speed
- Milwaukee tells you to set the speed to low for screws.
- A screw is not a hole. The bit rule does not apply to a screwdriver bit.
Do a test before you make the hole
Estimated 8 min to 16 min
Source: M18 FUEL 1/2" Drill/Driver and Hammer Drill/Driver Operator's Manual (Cat. No. 2803-20, 2804-20) · tier 1 · accessed 2026-07-29
No tier-1 source was found for this value. Take it from the documentation supplied with your equipment.
CLAMP THE MATERIAL TO A STABLE BENCH BEFORE YOU DRILL.
DEWALT tells you to anchor or clamp the material. Loss of control can injure you.
- Clamp the material to a stable bench.2mReport a problem with step 1, Do a test before you make the hole
- DEWALT tells you to anchor or clamp the material.
- Do not hold the material in your hand.
- Put a piece of scrap wood below the material when it is thin.
USE DUST EXTRACTION OR RESPIRATORY PROTECTION BEFORE YOU DRILL MASONRY.
Silica dust from masonry causes silicosis. OSHA states that silicosis can cause death.
- If the material is masonry, use a dust extraction solution.2mReport a problem with step 2, Do a test before you make the hole
- Milwaukee tells you to use a dust extraction solution that obeys OSHA.
- Use the correct respiratory protection if you have no dust extraction solution.
- Milwaukee tells you not to use water on a carbide bit.
HOLD THE DRILL WITH TWO HANDS.
DEWALT warns that a drill can stall and twist suddenly. The twist can injure you.
- Hold the drill with two hands.<1mReport a problem with step 3, Do a test before you make the hole
- DEWALT tells you to keep one hand on the main handle.
- Put the other hand on the battery or on the side handle.
PUT THE TIP OF THE BIT AGAINST THE MATERIAL BEFORE YOU START THE DRILL.
Milwaukee warns that a free bit can bend. A bent bit can injure you.
- Put the tip of the bit against the material before you start the drill.<1mReport a problem with step 4, Do a test before you make the hole
- Milwaukee tells you to start at low speed with the tip against the material.
- Milwaukee tells you to start the drill slowly.
- Increase the speed with more pressure on the trigger.<1mReport a problem with step 5, Do a test before you make the hole
- Milwaukee tells you to increase the speed gradually.
- Do not go above the gear that you selected.
- Examine the chips or the dust from the hole.1mReport a problem with step 6, Do a test before you make the hole
- Milwaukee states that the bit becomes slow with too much pressure.
- Milwaukee states that the tip becomes dull with too little pressure.
- Milwaukee states that a smooth and even flow of dust shows the correct rate in masonry.
- If the drill stops in the hole, release the trigger immediately.<1mReport a problem with step 7, Do a test before you make the hole
- DEWALT tells you to remove the bit from the material.
- DEWALT tells you to find the cause of the stall.
- Do not press the trigger again to start a stalled drill.
- If you drill iron or steel, apply cutting oil to the bit.1mReport a problem with step 8, Do a test before you make the hole
- Milwaukee tells you to use a coolant for copper, brass and aluminum.
- Milwaukee tells you to make a centre mark with a punch first.
- Keep the motor in operation when you remove the bit from the hole.<1mReport a problem with step 9, Do a test before you make the hole
- DEWALT gives this instruction to prevent a jam.
WEAR GLOVES BEFORE YOU TOUCH THE BIT AFTER USE.
DEWALT warns that a bit becomes hot during operation. A hot bit can burn your hand.
- Wear gloves before you touch the bit after use.<1mReport a problem with step 10, Do a test before you make the hole
- DEWALT warns that a bit becomes hot during operation.
Terminology
This page uses one term for each item and holds it throughout, as ASD-STE100 requires. Equipment sellers and other guides use the names below for the same parts.
- drill bit
- Also called: bit, drillbit, drill piece, boring bit, drill head, the pointy bit
- twist drill bit
- Also called: HSS bit, high speed steel bit, metal bit, jobber bit, normal drill bit, silver drill bit
- masonry bit
- Also called: concrete bit, brick bit, carbide bit, hammer bit, SDS bit, wall bit
- spade bit
- Also called: flat bit, paddle bit, flat wood bit, big wood bit
- no-load speed
- Also called: no load speed, rpm, drill rpm, free speed, drill speed, how fast the drill spins
- maximum speed rating
- Also called: max rpm, bit rpm, speed rating, rpm rating on the bit, max speed of a drill bit
- gear selector
- Also called: speed selector, the 1 and 2 switch, high low switch, two speed switch, the slider on top
- chuck
- Also called: keyless chuck, the jaws, the bit holder, the twisty bit at the front, chuck size
When to use a professional
Stop if you cannot find the maximum speed rating of the bit. Speak to the maker of the bit. Do not estimate the number.
Stop if you cannot find the specifications table for your drill. Speak to the manufacturer of the drill. A speed chart from another source is not a specification for your tool.
Stop if you cannot identify what is behind a wall. Speak to a builder or to an electrician first. A bit that touches a live wire can cause an electric shock.
Speak to an occupational health specialist before you drill masonry frequently. OSHA has rules for silica dust at work. A domestic vacuum cleaner is not an equivalent control.
Do not make a hole in a wall that carries weight. Speak to a builder first.
Common questions
Is there a drill speed chart I can just use?
Not on this page, and the reason matters more than the inconvenience. The speed a bit can take is a property of that bit — its material, its diameter and its maker's own testing — while the speed your drill can deliver is a property of your drill. None of the three manufacturer manuals read for this page prints a general chart, and the charts that circulate online mostly trace back to one another rather than to a maker. Milwaukee's instruction is the one that is not negotiable: never operate at higher speed than the maximum speed rating of the drill bit. Read that number off your bit or its packaging, read your drill's gear speeds off its specifications table, and choose the gear that stays under. If the maker of your bit publishes a chart for that bit, that chart is the one to use.
What drill bit do I use for metal?
Milwaukee's own applications section names high speed steel twist drills or hole saws for metal, and tells you to start the hole with a centre punch. It also says to lubricate the bit with cutting oil for iron and steel, and to use a coolant for non-ferrous metals such as copper, brass and aluminium. Back the material with something solid so the bit does not grab as it breaks through. DEWALT adds a useful detail for larger holes: drilling a smaller pilot hole first makes a large hole in steel easier. Neither manual tells you what RPM to use, which is why this page does not either.
What about concrete, brick or cinder block?
Both manufacturers say the same thing about the bit: use a carbide-tipped masonry bit. Milwaukee adds that soft masonry such as cinder block needs little pressure while hard material such as concrete needs more, and that a smooth even flow of dust means you have the rate about right. Two of its instructions are easy to get wrong — do not let the bit spin in the hole without cutting, and do not use water to settle the dust or cool the bit, because both damage the carbide. If your drill has no hammer setting, a masonry bit in drill-only mode will be slow and may not get there at all. The dust is the real hazard here: OSHA lists drilling into concrete walls as a source of respirable crystalline silica, which causes silicosis, lung cancer and kidney disease.
My drill has a 1 and a 2 on top. Which one do I use?
That is the gear selector, and on the tools quoted here 1 is the low, high-torque gear and 2 is the high, lower-torque gear. Milwaukee gives Low 0–550 and High 0–2000 RPM on its 2803-20; DEWALT gives 0–450 and 0–1650 on the DCD708. Pick the gear whose top speed is still below the maximum speed rating of the bit you have fitted, then use the trigger to work below that. Both manufacturers say the same thing about changing it: let the tool come to a complete stop first. Milwaukee also tells you to use the low speed for driving screws and for plastics with a low melting point.
Is the chuck size the same as the biggest bit I can use?
No, and this is the assumption that catches people. A 1/2 inch chuck describes the widest shank the jaws will grip, not the widest hole the tool is rated to cut. Milwaukee's specification table for the 2803-20 lists 1/2 inch in steel but 1-1/2 inch for an auger and 3-1/2 inch for a hole saw — all on the same 1/2 inch chuck, because a hole saw only cuts a rim and a twist drill cuts the whole circle. The limits are also per model: the compact 3601-20 tops out at a 2 inch hole saw where the 2803-20 reaches 3-1/2 inch. Read your own table rather than assuming that two drills with the same chuck have the same limits.
Why did my drill bit turn blue?
That colour is what steel does when it gets very warm, and it usually means the bit was cutting too fast, under too little pressure, or dry when it should have been lubricated. Milwaukee's guidance points at all three: too much pressure slows the bit, too little pressure lets it slide and dulls the point, and iron and steel want cutting oil. Neither manual read for this page prints a temperature limit for a bit, so this page will not print one either. Treat a blued bit as suspect — its edge has almost certainly softened — and remember DEWALT's warning that bits get hot during use and want gloves.
Can I use a wood bit in metal, or a metal bit in wood?
A twist drill bit will make a hole in wood and it is what Milwaukee names for wood alongside wood augers, so that direction is fine. The other direction is not: a spade bit, an auger or a Forstner bit is ground for wood fibre and will not survive steel. The genuinely risky swap is using anything other than a carbide-tipped bit in masonry, because a steel bit against concrete will not cut, will overheat, and will tempt you into leaning on a tool that is already stalling. If the manufacturers' documents do not name a bit for the material in front of you, treat that as a question for the maker of the bit rather than a gap you can fill by guessing.
How do I know if I am pressing too hard?
Milwaukee describes both errors rather than giving you a force: too much pressure slows the bit and reduces cutting efficiency, and too little lets the bit slide over the surface and blunts its point. In masonry a steady even flow of dust is the sign that the rate is right. If the drill stalls outright, DEWALT is emphatic — release the trigger immediately, take the bit out of the work and find out why, and do not pump the trigger to try to restart a stalled drill, because that damages the tool. Expect the sudden twist when a bit grabs, and hold the drill with both hands so it does not take your wrist with it.
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Sources
Every specification on this page is traced to one of these sources. Tier 1 is a manufacturer document, a published standard, or a government safety authority. See Standards for the full tiering rule.
- Tier 1M18 FUEL 1/2" Drill/Driver and Hammer Drill/Driver Operator's Manual (Cat. No. 2803-20, 2804-20)
- Tier 1M18 Compact Brushless Drill/Hammer Drill Operator's Manual (Cat. No. 3601-20, 3602-20)
- Tier 1DCD708 20V MAX 1/2" (13 mm) Brushless Drill Driver Instruction Manual (N592685)
- Tier 1Respirable Crystalline Silica — Safety and Health Topics
- Tier 11910.242 - Hand and portable powered tools and equipment, general
Revision history
Current version 1 · updated 2026-07-29 · next review due 2027-07-29
- v1 · 2026-07-29First draft. The speed rule is quoted from the Milwaukee 2803-20 and 2804-20 operator's manual read on 2026-07-29. Per-model figures from three named drills — Milwaukee 2803-20, Milwaukee 3601-20 and DEWALT DCD708 — are published as one model's numbers each, and are the evidence for the page's central point that a general speed chart cannot be right for everybody. No general RPM figure is published: the reader's own bit rating, gear speeds and bit-diameter limits all publish as consult-the-documentation instructions. The masonry dust hazard rests on OSHA's respirable crystalline silica page and on Milwaukee's own dust-extraction instruction.
Corrections to this page are listed in the public corrections log. Reports that are credible and not yet verified are listed in the public errata register, and an open one renders above the step it concerns.
Comments and corrections
Found an error? A correction with a manufacturer source is applied and logged publicly. You can also write to corrections@fixchecklist.com.
Every step above carries its own report control, which tags the report with that step so a correction reaches the right place. For anything about the procedure as a whole — the order of the sections, a step that is missing, something that did not match your equipment — use this: report something about this whole procedure.