Has anybody used/own a unibit ...

[ImportTuner]

I was reading a magazine article today on the Irwin Unibit. Does anybody have any experience good or bad with the Unibit? Pretty neat that one bit can cover so many sizes.

 

[79rallysport]

I have 3. They're meant for sheet metal and they work great for that purpose. Don't expect to drill through thicker than 1/8". Use a standard twist bit for that.

 

[dxdexter]

I don't have the Unibit, but I have two Greenlee step drills and if memory serves me right, one goes up to 3/4 and the other up to 1 1/4 and I don't know how I ever survived without them. They are way better than a hole saw for drilling large holes in sheet metal and I have even used them for enlarging holes 1/8 plate.

Absolutly take the plunge and buy them , you wouldn't regret it.

 

[gotmud13613]

I have no expierence with the "Unibit" brand but I have and still use the cheaper HF ones, tuff bits for the money plus they seem to stay sharp after numerous holes in steel plate and sheetmetal, I also bought one from sears years ago and I can't tell any difference between the two of them.

They are great for hole enlargement without having to constantly keep changing bits. I always keep them well oiled when using . The only thing is after using alot the the numbering wears off.

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=91616

 

[jimvannoy]

I have them. They work great for me.

 

[ImportTuner]

Thanks everybody ... going to order some tonight ...

 

[Stuey]

They're decent for thin plastic sheets as well!

Just make sure that you choose a size to suit your needs. There's generally a trade-off between gradual transition steps and maximum hole size.

 

[eschoendorff]

I have no expierence with the "Unibit" brand but I have and still use the cheaper HF ones, tuff bits for the money plus they seem to stay sharp after numerous holes in steel plate and sheetmetal, I also bought one from sears years ago and I can't tell any difference between the two of them.

They are great for hole enlargement without having to constantly keep changing bits. I always keep them well oiled when using . The only thing is after using alot the the numbering wears off.

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=91616

I have those as well. They work well, but are brittle!

 

[rickairmedic]

I love my unibits they are fantastic and I can carry 2 of them in my tool bag and cover almost any size hole I would wantt without having to carry a huge bit box full of regular drill bits.

Rick

 

[russlaferrera]

I have 2. Lenox and Greenlee. Great on sheet metal You will be better off buying on the internet. FYI a 1-1/4 Greenlee is $56.00 at home depot.

 

[Uncle Buck]

I have several but have never had an occasion to use them. I have never heard anything bad about them.

 

[W-Cummins]

I have the set you posted and it's great! The one thing that others have not mentioned is that on sheet metal they make larger ROUND holes unlike drill bits that make 3 lobed holes! The only thing that works better is a punch and die.

William...

 

[Chris Adams]

I have an original unibit, given to me by the manufacturer (my stores carried them when they first hit the market) and three cheap knock-offs from HF.
They all work great.
A unibit can put a perfectly round hole in an aluminum soda can. Try that with a regular bit.


They also work really well in wood. I can punch a 1/2 inch hole in a two by four faster with a unibit than with anything else.


Also great for plastic, sheet metal, aluminum, wood of every hardness and even steel.

A down side, using one in my drill press I accidentally punched a decent size divot in the thick steel backing plate. Didn't notice the hole wasn't centered and the unibit went right into the steel.

I’ve had the original one since the mid 80’s and never hurt or dulled it. You can still drill paper or tin foil with it with no distortion.

 

[wilbilt]

I have used them and like them. The "electrical" brands (Greenlee, Klein, Gardner-Bender, etc.) are sized for conduit fittings. This can be very handy.

 

[toolfreak]

I have a set but haven't used them that much, they work really well on sheetmetal. I prefer to use them on anything less than 1/16".

 

[RichardNorman]

I have a 1/2 inch max one and a 3/4 inch max bit. A little expensive but well worth it if you do any fab work on cars. As others pointed out, they make perfect holes and with the more expensive bits with less of a pronounced step between the sizes on the bit, you can make any size hole you need.

 

[LeadDoggy]

Order up, you will wish you ordered them years ago.

 

[Cebby]

Order up, you will wish you ordered them years ago.

X 2 - I was introduced to them when I used to install car stereos and alarms as a youngster... They are invaluable in certain conditions.

 

[Crasen]

I use a Klein stepbit almost everyday. They work pretty good drilling through aluminum or sheetmetal and will drill through wood as long as the hole you want is the largest size the bit is capable of drilling. As long as you have the room behind the material you are drilling through so you are not drilling anything you did not want to they work great.

 

[l_bilyk]

Any time I ever used them was for electrical stuff to run conduit. Really useful if you need to drill metal studs

 

[nissan_crawler]

I have the HF set, and they've gone through many a frame rail and still work. They've paid for themselves 10x over.

 

[mike944]

I guess i'll have to order a set. I've never used them before, and they've always looked kind of like one of those late-night-tv-infomercial tools to me. I never thought of them as a serious tool before.

Hearing everybody's positive reviews here, i think i'll have to get a set!

 

[IanF]

I bought a set when I needed to make a new hole in a dash board for an indicator light and needed it to be perfectly round. I bought the Irwin 3-piece set and it wasn't cheap, but did the job perfectly.

 

[Major Ramifications]

We used to use these things daily at a place I worked at years ago. I don't remember any of them ever getting dull. We did a lot of drilling of different sized holes in aluminum, steel, and plastic. They were wonderful. As time marched on, we added more and more automated equipment to punch and cut the holes, but I bet those same Unibits are still occasionally used over there today.

 

[TNToy]

YOU'RE PAYING TOO MUCH!

I've used Irwin and Greenlee ones. This is the one thing EVERYONE should buy from HF. The quality is right up there with the 'real' ones... and they're so much cheaper.

Go order some from them. Now.
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=91616

 

[eschoendorff]

YOU'RE PAYING TOO MUCH!

I've used Irwin and Greenlee ones. This is the one thing EVERYONE should buy from HF. The quality is right up there with the 'real' ones... and they're so much cheaper.

Go order some from them. Now.
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=91616

I second this motion.

 

[russlaferrera]

Also ...when drilling , go to the next size, very lightly, to deburr the hole.

 

[Elroy]

Elroy recently picked up this Magna brand step bit. Can't say these larger size bits are that common. This post is merely to document the fact larger diameter step bits are available.

 

[dirty old man]

I borrowed one of these when I installed my O2 bung for my wideband AF sensor/gauge. If I ever get around to doing more fabrication, I'll definitely buy my own set.

 

[ImportTuner]

And to demonstrate how good elroy's photography skill is ..

Nice shot ..

 

[Elroy]

In addition, Elroy was in the country a few weeks ago and snapped this shot of some "old Iron" and though a few others might enjoy this as well. Tractors are cool in Elroy's book. Enjoy

Minneapolis-Moline

 

[Elroy]

And to demonstrate how good elroy's photography skill is ..

Nice shot ..

Thanks. There might be a "little' truth in that. Elroy actually has a few reasons for doing this. First is to document the second is as a service to the board as Elroy seldom posts other than tools. Save for the shot above. Elroy also is making an effort to hone his photo skills.

So yep in that case you're right.

 

[zuspiel]

Plus now I saw this thread and will run to HF and get the $10 set
I've been looking at those but the prices kind of scared me away without having a true need for them...

 

[goodfellow]

Plus now I saw this thread and will run to HF and get the $10 set
I've been looking at those but the prices kind of scared me away without having a true need for them...

They're like peanuts; you just can't have one. I buy two-three HF sets every year -- whenever they go on sale. I do a lot of sheet metal work and for drilling holes in 18 and 20 ga., -- they save a lot of time.

 

[zuspiel]

HF here I come...

 

[Red Green]

They're like peanuts; you just can't have one. I buy two-three HF sets every year -- whenever they go on sale. I do a lot of sheet metal work and for drilling holes in 18 and 20 ga., -- they save a lot of time.

You can sharpen the bits. If that is the reason you are buying that many new sets.

 

[goodfellow]

You can sharpen the bits. If that is the reason you are buying that many new sets.

Yes, I know. However, I always get too distracted with a project and sharpening drill bits (whether standard or unibit) gets pushed to the back of the "to do list". I just throw them in a drawer and will go on a sharpening binge once a year or so.

I received a Drill Dr. for Christmas a few years ago, and even with that machine I hate the thought of sharpening regular drill bits.

 

[Graham08]

Dumb question, but how does one go about sharpening a Unibit? I have one with a burned step that would be nice to get tuned up. Too much drill speed in 4130 sheet...

 

[goodfellow]

Dumb question, but how does one go about sharpening a Unibit? I have one with a burned step that would be nice to get tuned up. Too much drill speed in 4130 sheet...

Well, I'm not good at it, and they don't last as long as new ones, but I use a Dremel tool with a small diamond coated drum to restore the point and clearance angle. As long as the stepped flutes aren't damaged, restoring the point and clearance angle is all I do.

 

[Red Green]

I take a Brand new green sanding/grinding disk on a die grinder and very carefully sand the cutting edge to make it sharp again.