Bosch Speed Clean Dust Extraction Bits
I was very excited to be able to try these for the first time at the world of concrete 2017 in Las Vegas Nevada. I could not believe how excellent the performance was. The fact that I could drill holes in concrete faster than ever before with almost no dust around the hole or in the air was just amazing to me! I had to try several holes because I could not believe what I was seeing. Each time the dust extraction was just incredible.
There is a lot of buzz in the industry right now about silica dust and OSHA.
For good reason we need to be thinking about the issue. It’s not just about OSHA and avoiding fines. There’s a much bigger picture here. Silica is everywhere. It’s in soil, landscaping materials. It’s also in concrete and masonry as well as granite and other stones.
When we cut, drill, or grind any of these hard surfaces or materials we release Quartz particles also known as silica into the air.
You can’t see the fine quartz particles but you can breathe them in without even knowing it. It is extremely destructive to our lungs and other organs. Among other things it can cause kidney disease, silicosis, COPD and lung cancer.
OSHA has new silica rulings and will begin enforcing them On September 22 2017. The rules are very detailed and will be different for each application whether it is drilling, breaking, sawing or grinding.
Bosch has many solutions to help contractors meet the new rules. The heart of their system is their HEPA dust extractor. It has a self-cleaning mechanism to keep the HEPA filters free of clogs. The HEPA filters Capture more than 99.97% of all dust particles 0.3 µm and larger.
There are many attachments available now that work on existing power tools with existing accessories to catch dust at the source. These are various shrouds dust boots and other attachments.
One outstanding accessory that is now available is the new speed clean bit. The system works with an SDS plus Rotary hammer or for larger applications SDS Max rotary hammers. The bit looks like a normal SDS plus or SDS Max bit with a nozzle coming off the side. The bit is hollow from the carbide tip all the way up to where the nozzle resides. There are holes in the tip that allow the dust extractor to pull the fine particles from the leading edge of the bit to the extractor.
Why do we need something like this? It is because using a rotary hammer to drill concrete or other masonry material creates an incredible amount of dust in just a few seconds.
When we are young we feel invincible. It doesn’t take very long to figure out that we were wrong. Drilling with these speed clean bits can and will protect us and our co workers from inhaling respirable silica. They will contribute to longer healthier lives for us and those around us.
As I mentioned at the outset the performance of these bits is incredible. It’s really hard to imagine that much dust being extracted out of the tiny holes in the tip.
The fact is though these work very well. Because they are cleaning out as they drill they have the added benefit of a faster feed rate. This allows you to save time on two fronts. You are drilling faster and you are cleaning at the same time. Time is money so these bits can save you money.
A perfect application for these speed clean bits is setting chemical anchors. Normally we have to drill the hole then clean it out with a blowout bulb and brush. This is both time-consuming and dangerous as it releases silica dust into the air. With these hollow self extracting bits the hole is continuously being cleaned as it drills. Imagine the time saved when you can simply drill the hole and install the anchor.
Bosch has partnered with Simpson Strong-Tie. If you use the speed clean bit the hole is ready for adhesive anchors without blowing or brushing by hand or vacuuming. Looks like a great partnership to me. 
If you’re reading his chances are you need to implement dust extraction into your workflow. There are other options for dust free drilling but this seems to be one of the best for efficiency as well as effectiveness. If you use a dust boot or on board extraction vacuum you can capture dust with a regular bit. However the air will be dust free but the hole will not be clean. You may still find yourself spending more time cleaning that hole which may in itself release dust into the air.
Just a couple of words of warning to anyone who buys these bits. They can become clogged when using them in green concrete with a high moisture content. Also never ever use them without an extractor. The time it takes to clean them out is probably more labor than the price of a new bit. If any other issues come up in the future I will try to add them in this paragraph.
We are all faced with the same guidelines and rules. The fact is we need to provide compliant dust extraction methods across the board. To me these hollow extraction bits make a lot of sense. They are possibly the simplest solution because they are one piece. You do not have to wrestle with an extraction boot. The hole is cleaned all the way to the bottom as you drill. They are faster while drilling in there faster because you don’t have to clean afterwards. I feel they are a great solution for any contractor and especially one who works with chemical anchors..
- Hollow drill bit – connects to a vacuum system to deliver up to 50%-time savings versus the conventional drill-blow-brush-blow anchor-installation method
- Faster drilling – provides up to 25% greater drilling speed thanks to less dust and reduced friction
- Part of a dust-reduction engineered solution – included rubber adapter and bit works with a vacuum system to manage airborne silica dust
- Optimized for adhesive anchoring – works with Simpson strong-tie set-XP high-strength anchoring adhesive
- A proprietary Bosch design allows dust and debris to be removed through the milled center of the bit
- Bit life is comparable to the life of Bosch bulldog SDS-plus bits
- System reduces airborne silica dust, a known contributor to respiratory illnesses
- Bosch Speed Clean Bits – Buy at The Home Depot
For more information:
Check out this link to theSpeed Clean landing page.
Wow, I’m excited by your collection of tools! Yes, the BOSCH power tools are awesome. Great quality working and versatile. I am a BOSCH brand lover. Still, now I love this brand.
Good review @tjgenz27
Ahhh the good old days… busting out the 14″ concrete saw, and scoring some poured solid block walls, then beating them down with the sledge hammer, stepping out for a sip of water to wash down the sludge and turn your hair back from white to brown…. Silica? That somethin’ you use to seal a bath tub?
I’m glad that not only are people educated and rightly concerned about this stuff now, but also that companies are offering viable solutions to grave issues.
This is an amazing product. I wish I had this when I was hanging curtain wall
I’ve never used these bits before…now I want to. Thanks for the great review! (Sorry if this is a duplicate comment…my phone glitched when I pressed post, so I’m trying again)
@bulldawg_plumbing
I’ve never used these bits before…now I want to. Thanks for the great review!
@bulldawg_plumbing
That would look good in my shop.
Well written review. Very interesting and informative.
@backyard_beehive
I haven’t gotten to use these drillbits yet but it they look pretty legit
Awesome review. Few realize the risk of silica dust. I always try to wear at least a N95 mask when drilling now. But thee virtually dustless solutions are amazing. Respecting everyone’s safety and health. Great review!
@sparky_tools
Wish there are more advanced like these. Next step, integrate dust collection into drills!
This looks like an excellent tool, I would love to test these out and loan it to a friend who uses hiltis, I’m really curious how they perform side by side!
Great review and giveaway Paul! Can’t wait to give these bits a go. Any bit that drills through concrete faster is a huge bonus, not to mention the reduction of nasty silica dust. Thanks!
@maurzy01
Solid review
A someone else mentioned, how well do they capture on overhead drilling? And what is the smallest size bit with this tech? I love the innovation, I’ve invested enough silica for 2 lifetimes @metalwoodandmore
Nice review. It definitely seems like this is a good solution to a major health and safety concern. I am also thinking that it will speed up work as a whole since you won’t need to blow out every hole before putting anchors in and then sweeping up all the dust once you are done.
This is awesome! I’m exited to try it and possibly own one as that’s exactly what I need in my tool rig. ?
Great review but like others I have questions about interior work with these bits. I’m curious to see also how they function with the hammer setting off.
Great review. It seems to be a great way of cleaning up the dust. I don’t mind speeding up work time, meeting OSHA requirements and staying healthy! Thank you for keeping us updated on the latest tools and accessories.
All thumbs up! Anything that helps eliminate dust is welcome on my job sites.
Actually makes me want to upgrade our existing hammer drills simply for the convenience!! @badplumbing
Nice review. I’ve used Bosch SDS drills in the past but never with a dust extractor. My company switched over to Hilti with the TE-DRS system and I would love to see how they compare.
Great review I appreciate all the tips, and reviews of the different tools out there especially as I venture out on my own. With all the new information coming out from osha regarding dangers of silica Bosch looks like they are doing a great job trying to control the dust on site
What a wonderful review! Always love to learn new ways of doing things and cleaner is always better!
Great review as always, really interesting and helpful! Thanks a lot??
Man that’s pretty slick. Great detailed as usual. This will be amazing especially when doing Intwrior work that kicks up just enough dust to show up later on everything. Happy customers they will be!
Great review as usual sir! Good point not using it without an extractor. That could make for a bad day.
Good info. These new bits and extractor look really nice. Anything that keeps dust out of our lungs is always a good thing.
I feel like the bits are a bit too expensive (pun intended) for me to use right now, but the concept is amazing and I hope this becomes more mainstream. I’m definitely a Bosch guy and it’s great to see innovation like this in the tool industry!
I think these are great, the dust is so bad when drilling for anchors if you blow it out, we will all appreicate these in 20 years when our lungs still work good.
These look pretty cool! I can’t help but wonder about durability. It seems that having a hollow bit powered by Joe Random, just might not last that long.
I think this is the next wave in innovation for the tool world. Lithium ion batteries was a game changer, but now controlling the dust while we use our ubiquitous 18V tools is what the tool companies need to focus on.
I like what Bosch is doing by being so creative by incorporating the dust extraction into the bits. It’s a slap in the forehead “duh!” moment. This type of new thinking is what’s going to make the other companies come up with other awesome ideas.
I love the fact that tools and accessories like these are going to keep our jobsites cleaner in the future. This is akin to how bars are pretty much all smoke-free zones now. I didn’t think it could happen, but it has. And that’s the way we gotta start thinking about work too.
You hit the nail on the head in your post. The older we get, and we all are, the more we get concerned with health. It’s not something that you can go back in time and change the way you did things unsafely. It’s never too late and we can always start trying to make it safer for ourselves every way we can.
@makitacharles
I agree 100%! I love clean air!!
What a fantastic idea. You addressed my concerns about the bits being clogged up without a dust extractor connected – so that is one limitation. But the ability to drill a hole and install the anchor right away without the need to stop and clean out the hole is great! Bringing this right into your home, drill the hole and no worries about contaminating the entire building…
I’ll be curious to see how they stand up long term; especially considering their cost.
@Yukon.Living
This seems like a great product other than clogged bit chambers. Also curious how it would handle hitting rebar.
Thanks
Great tools sweet combo
This set up would be much like the old rock drill setups i use to use.
No need for cleaning the hole prior to bolt
But with the added saftey of the vacuum eliminating the dust danger.
this set up isway overdue for the construction industry.
^pat
@thecrippledcarpenter
Great review and we could use these on my Construciton site. How does the vaccume stand up to prolonged use in the field and is the bit able to be used with other vaccumes?
Great question! The Vac is outstanding! it is made for abuse! The bit works with any extractor.
Such a awesome bit. I wish I could have thought of that. So clean and it will make installing fasteners faster and easier! Love it!
I remember seeing posts on Instagram of everyone using these at World of Concrete. My first thought when seeing them was how useful they would be for putting anchors in compared to the normal way. I need to pick one of these up as well as the new Milwaukee ones when they come out to see how they do.
Very nice review, I love the fact that you get 25% faster drilling, that alone is exciting to me!
AWESOME! The advances they are making in dust reduction are amazing. I’ve been on a lot of jobs lately where they are extremely strict about this especially in hospitals and for good reason! It’s not good for the workers to be breathing in the silica dust and these things are game changers. You can tell by the videos that they didn’t compromise performance in order to reduce the dust either which is awesome! It also makes cleanup much easier when working indoors. I can’t even count how many times I’ve been hammer drilling into the ceiling and gotten dust all over my face and in my mouth and nose it’s disgusting!
With dust extraction becoming so popular and mandatory by osha, do you think we will be seeing dust collection on almost every tool on every jobsite now?
Great Idea the industry should incorporate more of these ideas to tools and equipment that effect us every day on the job site.
Looks like a big improvement from the old bits and less dust is always good.
Awesome ! Really appreciate the review . The stuff they are coming out with is really cool . Fun to get to see you explore the new options . Keep up the good work !
Very interesting! I like that you have the intro to why it’s helpful for us amateurs out there.
As always thanks for the detailed review!
-TheUndergroundShop
Hey! Think your review of the Bosch bits is amazing! It definetly changed my viewpoint on buying something that speeds up the process and also keeps mine and my coworkers lungs clean! Especially here in Quebec where the mentality is build fast while never thinking about the worker, this seems like the perfect tool and bit to add. Thank you for your review and I will definitely look out for these bits when they become available here! Also, hope I win? hahaha
Seems like a amazing solution to the silica issue. How does it work drilling overhead or even on a wall?