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  • Buyer’s Guide – Rock Drill Bits

    Match the Bit to the Rock, Not the Brand on the Box

    Cross, button, all-steel, or tapered – the right bit sets your penetration rate, hole gauge, and cost per foot. This guide walks the five decisions in order, then puts every in-stock bit family one click from your cart.

    Shop all rock drill bitsTalk to a driller: 1-888-883-5144

    Category Data Plate – Rock Drill Bits

    4 systemsCross / button / steel / taper
    1-3/8-3 inStandard diameters
    H · R25-R51 · T38-T51Thread families
    5-8% CoCemented tungsten carbide

    Verified against the live catalog – 13 bit families in stock

    All four systemsCross, button, all-steel, and taper bits
    Multiple bit suppliersDeep stock across every thread family
    13 bit familiesHundreds of sizes on the shelf
    1-888-883-5144Real answers from people who run these tools
    Start with the rock

    Start With the Rock, Not the Catalog

    The bit is chosen by hole diameter, by how it attaches to your steel, and above all by the rock you are drilling. Find your ground below – each card jumps to the bit that wins it.

    Hard, abrasive rock

    Granite, quartzite, basalt. Wear is the enemy; sharp points fracture.

    Straight answer: spherical button bits – maximum carbide behind the contact point.

    Medium, competent rock

    Most limestone and dolomite formations.

    Straight answer: ballistic button bits – the fastest cost per foot.

    Broken or fissured ground

    Blocky, fractured, or caving rock that chips buttons and grabs edges.

    Straight answer: cross bits bridge voids; retrac buttons ream back out.

    Soft rock, cheap holes

    Soft limestone, sandstone, shale, frozen ground – carbide is wasted money.

    Straight answer: all-steel cross bits – cheapest per foot, lose one and shrug.

    Small dowel & anchor holes

    Shallow 5/8-1-1/2 in holes for dowels, anchors, plug-and-feather.

    Straight answer: a whirlibit – bit and steel in one piece, nothing to assemble.
    The buying logic

    The 5 Bit Decisions, In Order

    The first one is a hard constraint – nothing else matters until the bit matches how it mounts to your steel. Then work down.

    Attachment system

    Fixed by the drill and string you already own.

    H thread US contractor standard, shoulder drive
    Taper 11/12° Tool-free changes; quarry work
    R25-R51 Jackleg/stoper extension
    T38-T51 Drifter and deep extension

    Bit diameter

    Sized by what goes in the hole plus clearance – and bounded by your drill’s rated maximum.

    Smaller = faster Penetration falls roughly with the square of diameter
    Drill’s rated max Sets the top of the bit list

    Bit type

    Cross is forgiving and straight; button is 20-30% faster; steel is cheapest in soft rock.

    Cross Broken ground, straight holes
    Button Speed and cost per foot
    All-steel Soft formations

    Button shape

    Only for button bits – the profile tunes speed against life.

    Spherical Hard, abrasive rock; longest life
    Ballistic (B) Soft-to-medium; fastest

    Skirt & extras

    Retrac skirts escape bad ground; grease and adapters finish the order.

    Retrac (RT) Caving or fissured ground
    Thread grease ~30% more thread life
    Bit adapter Cross thread families
    Crowder Supply – Product Knowledge

    Reading a Bit Face

    Every detachable bit is a skirt (the threaded or tapered socket), a face carrying the carbide, a gauge row that cuts the hole diameter, and flushing ports that clear the cuttings. The carbide is either brazed blades or press-fit buttons – and that split is the whole category.

    Gauge buttons cut hole diameter; wear fastest Face buttons break the bulk of the rock Flushing ports air clears cuttings up-hole

    Button bit face: eight gauge buttons cut the diameter, three face buttons break the core, and the ports keep cuttings moving.

    Cross vs button, in one minute

    A cross bit silver-brazes four carbide blades in a 90° X. The continuous edges self-center, bridge voids in broken rock, and hold gauge – the straightest-drilling, most forgiving bit in the catalog.

    A button bit press-fits cemented-carbide buttons into the heat-treated head. Each button is a stiff column that point-loads the rock, which is worth roughly 20-30% faster penetration in most rock and longer life in hard formations. Buttons dominate production drilling; crosses win broken, sticky, or abuse-prone ground.

    The carbide itself: cemented tungsten carbide at 5-8% cobalt – hard enough to survive abrasion, tough enough to survive four thousand impacts a minute. That trade is most of what separates a premium bit from an economy one.
    The shortlist

    The Bits, With Live Prices and One-Click Ordering

    Each family below is one product with every size and thread behind it – pick the configuration and add it to the cart without leaving the guide.

    Production workhorse
    from $93
    Carbide Button Bits

    Carbide Button Bits

    H-T51Threads
    1-1/4-8 inDiameters
    B / RTOptions
    167Configurations

    Best for: hard and medium rock at the lowest cost per foot – pick thread, diameter, button shape, and skirt.

    See full details
    Forgiving all-rounder
    from $67
    Carbide Tipped Cross Bit

    Carbide Tipped Cross Bit

    H / R / TThreads
    1-3/8-3 inDiameters
    4 bladesBrazed carbide
    69Configurations

    Best for: broken ground, straight holes, and abuse – the bit that shrugs off what chips buttons.

    See full details
    One-piece, small holes
    from $127
    Whirlibit

    Whirlibit

    7/8 & 1 inShanks
    5/8-1-1/2 inBit sizes
    6-45 inDrill depths
    168Configurations

    Best for: dowels and anchors – bit and steel in one forging, nothing to assemble or loosen.

    See full details
    Soft-rock economy
    from $9
    All Steel Cross Bit

    All Steel Cross Bit

    H threadSystem
    1-3/8-2-5/8Diameters (in)
    No carbideForged steel
    23Configurations

    Best for: soft limestone, sandstone, shale – the cheapest consumable in the category.

    See full details
    Reaming to size
    from $601
    Threaded Reaming Button Bit

    Threaded Reaming Button Bit

    R & TThreads
    ButtonFace type
    Pilot-followMethod
    22Configurations

    Best for: opening a pilot hole to full diameter on rope- and T-thread strings.

    See full details
    Budget cross bits
    from $26.20
    Imported Carbide Tipped Cross Bit

    Imported Carbide Tipped Cross Bit

    H threadSystem
    CarbideTipped
    ImportEconomy line
    7Configurations

    Best for: lighter duty where an imported cross bit keeps the entry price down.

    See full details

    More bit families in stock

    Shallow Insert Carbide Tipped Cross Bitfrom $59Full Face Cross Carbide bitfrom $93Tapered Reaming Button Bitfrom $157Tapered Reaming Bit (to be used with Bit Shell)from $157Bit Shell (to be used with 6 degree taper drill steel)from $46.75Pilot Adapter for Reaming Button Bitfrom $180Bit Retaining SpacersCall for price
    Browse the full rock drill bit category
    Match rock to face

    Which Bit for Which Ground

    The single highest-leverage choice on this page. When two options fit, cross tolerates abuse; button wins cost per foot in the right rock.

    Ground conditionFirst choiceWhy
    Hard, abrasive – granite, quartzite, basaltButton bit, sphericalLongest life; ballistic tips would fracture
    Medium, competent – most limestone, dolomiteButton bit, ballisticFastest cost per foot in medium, non-abrasive rock
    Fissured, broken, or blocky rockCross bit, or retrac buttonBlades bridge voids; retrac skirts escape collapsing ground
    Soft – soft limestone, sandstone, shaleAll-steel cross bitCheapest per foot; carbide is wasted money here
    Sticky clay seams, wet finesCross bit or steel bitButton faces smear and flushing ports plug
    Overbreak / caving hole wallsRetrac button bitRear-facing edges ream backwards on retraction
    Get the full life, then stop

    When a Bit Is Done

    A dull bit is not saving money – it spends drill time, air, and steel life to avoid a bit purchase. Retire on any of these signals.

    Wear flat past ~1/3 of the button

    Penetration has already fallen; by two-thirds the bit drills 30%+ slower and worn buttons start breaking instead of wearing.

    Snake-skin carbide

    Polished buttons with fine surface cracks, from soft-rock or wet drilling. The cracks propagate and buttons shatter without warning.

    Gauge ~30% under nominal

    Measure across the gauge buttons with calipers. Undergauge means the next new bit jams in the hole this one cut.

    Anti-taper or a broken button

    Skirt steel flush behind the gauge row drags and jams; one chipped button sheds debris that destroys its neighbors.

    Why Crowder Supply

    Expertise, Stock, and a Driller on the Phone

    13Bit families on the shelf today
    4Bit systems: cross, button, steel, taper
    H·R·TEvery thread, plus adapters to cross them
    1 call1-888-883-5144 – straight to a driller
    Drill Steel & Adapters Buyer’s GuidePick the steel this bit threads onto, and the couplings and adapters that cross thread families.Read the steel guide Rock Drill Buyer’s GuideChoosing the sinker, jackleg, or stoper that swings the whole string.Read the drill guide

    Rock Drill Bit Questions, Answered Straight

    Cross bit or button bit – which should I run?
    Run a button bit for speed and cost per foot in most rock, and a cross bit when the ground is broken, sticky, or abusive. Buttons penetrate roughly 20-30% faster and last longer in hard formations; cross bits drill the straightest holes and shrug off ground that chips buttons. When in doubt, cross is the forgiving choice and button is the fast one.
    What is the difference between ballistic and spherical buttons?
    Spherical (full-dome) buttons are the durable default for hard, abrasive rock like granite and quartzite – maximum carbide sits behind the contact point. Ballistic (projectile-shaped, marked B in the SKU) buttons concentrate the blow on a sharper point for measurably faster penetration in soft-to-medium, non-abrasive rock, but the slimmer tip wears faster and can fracture above roughly 22,000-26,000 psi rock strength. Ballistic for soft and fast; spherical for hard and long.
    When should I replace a rock drill bit?
    Retire the bit when a wear flat spreads past about a third of the button diameter, when the gauge is worn roughly 30% under nominal, or the moment you see snake-skin (polished, cracked carbide), a broken or missing button, or skirt steel flush behind the gauge row. A dull bit drills slower while stressing the drill and steel – it costs more than a new bit, not less.
    Can I run an H-thread bit on a rope- or T-thread rod?
    Yes – a bit adapter bridges different thread families, so you can run, say, an H-thread bit on an R25 rod. Crowder stocks the full crossover matrix across H, R25-R51, T38-T51, GT60, and more. The bit adapters and couplings all live on the companion Drill Steel & Adapters guide.
    Do you carry Timken or older H-thread bits?
    The H thread is the long-standing US contractor standard, and Crowder stocks full-carbide cross and button bits, all-steel bits, and shallow-insert crosses in H thread from 1-3/8 to 3 in. Legacy Timken-branded H-thread bits interchange with current H-thread stock by diameter – call 888-883-5144 with the size and we will match it.

    Get the Right Bit Down the Hole

    Every bit family in stock, and a driller on the phone who has run the ground you are drilling.

    Configure a bitCall 1-888-883-5144