The Mexco DCXCEL 11-piece diamond core set covers 38mm to 127mm, with laser welded castellated segments for faster, cleaner drilling in masonry. Comes in a solid carry case with SDS and hex adaptors, a pilot drill, and a drift key. Everything in one box.
The Mexco 11 piece DCXCEL diamond core set is a proper working kit put together for the trades that spend their days cutting through masonry. Plumbers chasing through blockwork, electricians running cables, builders making good on service penetrations — this is the kind of set you keep in the van and actually reach for. The laser welded castellated segments are the key here. That rooftop profile combined with high diamond grit concentration means the drill bites in quickly and tracks straight rather than wandering about.
Sizes run from 38mm up to 127mm. That covers most of the common penetration sizes you’ll encounter across a standard day: consumer unit knockouts, soil pipe penetrations, cable entries, overflow holes. You get five core drills in total: 38mm, 52mm, 65mm, 117mm, and 127mm. Notably there’s a gap in the middle of that range, but those five cover the most frequently requested sizes across plumbing and electrical work without a lot of overlap.
The adaptor selection is generous. Both 80mm and 250mm options are included for SDS and hex fitment, so you’re not limited to one type of drill chuck. The 10mm x 175mm A-Taper pilot drill keeps everything centred when you start the cut, and the drift key lets you knock out the slug cleanly when you’re done. That’s the small detail that separates a real kit from a collection of cores thrown in a box.
What Makes the DCXCEL Core Drill Set Worth Carrying
The barrels are slotted and fluted steel, which helps with dust clearance during dry drilling. These are dry cores, so there’s no water feed to manage on site — just fit the appropriate adaptor, lock in the pilot drill, and you’re cutting. Mexco recommend a minimum 850W drill with a slipping clutch. That slipping clutch point matters: without it, the torque spike when the core binds can wreck the drill or your wrist, and the core itself doesn’t thank you either.
Every item in the case can be purchased individually when something wears out or goes missing. That’s worth knowing — a kit that can be restocked piece by piece has a longer useful life on site than one where a single worn core makes the whole thing feel incomplete.
The case itself is plastic and aluminium construction, which keeps the weight reasonable while giving the cores something solid to live in between jobs.
Pro Tip: Always use a drill with a slipping clutch when running dry cores through hard masonry — if the core snags and the drill has no slip, the torque spike can crack the segment welds and the core will be scrap.
This set is used wherever circular penetrations need cutting through brick, block, or dense concrete. That covers consumer unit installations, soil pipe entries through external walls, cable routes through party walls and floors, overflow pipe penetrations, and general builder's openings for services. It covers the range a first-fix plumber or electrician will hit every day on a domestic or light commercial site. The 127mm core is large enough for most soil pipe work, while the 38mm handles smaller cable entries and condensate drain outlets.
Best For
Service penetrations through masonry
Soil pipe and cable entry holes
Consumer unit knockouts
Overflow and condensate drain entries
Domestic and light commercial first fix
Compatible With
SDS drill chucks (via included SDS adaptors)
Hex drill chucks (via included hex adaptors)
850W+ drill motors with slipping clutch
Brick, block and general masonry
Kit Contents
38mm dry core drill
52mm dry core drill
65mm dry core drill
117mm dry core drill
127mm dry core drill
80mm SDS and hex adaptors
250mm SDS and hex adaptors
10mm x 175mm A-Taper pilot drill
Drift key
Plastic and aluminium carry case
Not suitable for: These are dry core drills and are not designed for wet cutting or use with water-fed systems. Not suitable for cutting reinforced concrete or steel, and should not be used with drills below 850W or without a slipping clutch.
Fit the appropriate adaptor (SDS or hex) to match your drill chuck, then thread the core barrel onto it. Insert the pilot drill through the centre of the barrel so the tip protrudes beyond the segment. Mark your centre point on the masonry surface and press the pilot into it before you pull the trigger — this stops the core skating off across the face.
Drill at a steady, consistent pace. Let the segments do the work rather than forcing the drill through. Excessive pressure overheats the segments and shortens their life significantly. If the core binds mid-cut, ease off and allow the slipping clutch to absorb the torque before you continue. Once through, use the drift key to knock the slug clear of the barrel before your next cut.
Select the correct core size for the penetration required
Thread the core barrel onto the appropriate SDS or hex adaptor
Insert the A-Taper pilot drill through the barrel centre so it protrudes beyond the segment
Mark the centre point on the masonry and position the pilot onto the mark before starting
Drill at a steady pace, allowing the diamond segment to cut without excessive downward pressure
Ease off if the core binds and let the clutch absorb the spike before continuing
Once the cut is complete, withdraw the core and use the drift key to eject the masonry slug from the barrel
What drill do I need to run these cores?
Mexco specify a minimum 850W drill motor with a slipping clutch. The slipping clutch is not optional — without it, torque spikes when the core binds can damage both the drill and the welded segments on the core. Most SDS-plus and SDS-max rotary hammers with a clutch setting will handle this fine.
Can I buy replacement cores individually if one wears out?
Yes. All five core sizes in this kit are available individually from the DCXCEL range, so you can restock specific sizes as they wear without buying the full kit again. The adaptors and pilot drill are also available separately.
The DCXCEL cores feature laser welded castellated segments with a rooftop profile and high diamond grit concentration. The barrels are slotted and fluted steel to assist dust evacuation during dry drilling. Laser welding rather than brazing gives a stronger bond between segment and barrel, which matters when the core is running dry and heat builds up at the cutting face. Suitable for brick, block and general masonry applications.
Core sizes included
38mm, 52mm, 65mm, 117mm, 127mm
Segment type
Laser welded castellated rooftop
Drilling method
Dry core drilling
Adaptor types
SDS and hex, 80mm and 250mm lengths
Pilot drill
10mm x 175mm A-Taper
Minimum drill power
850W with slipping clutch
Number of pieces
11
Case
Plastic and aluminium carry case
Part number
A11DCDKIT5
Brand
Mexco
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