Drill bit and step bit recommendations

[BB26]

Hey guys, I'm new here. This is a great site; I'm glad to have found it.

Anyways, I am in the market for some new drill bits. I have a set of HSS bits that are 5-6 years old and some are broken and the others are getting pretty tired. What brand or finish/coating do you guys recommend. I drill in a pretty even mix of wood and metals (both hard and soft).

Step drill bits look like they would come in real handy as well. I see that Irwin and Craftsman offer them. Let me know if you have any recommendations on these as well.

Thanks for the help!

 

[duke5572]

I've had pretty good luck with the Unibit knockoffs they sell at HF for uber-cheap. Worth the money even if they end up breaking.

*ducks*

 

[alex71]

x2 on the harbor freight step bits. one of the very few things they have that's worth buying, IMO. I've used the largest one they sell to drill 1-3/8" holes in 3/4" steel plate in my mill--no problems with slow spindle speed and a bit of coolant.

As for twist drills, I prefer HSS drills in jobber length. Unless you're drilling stainless steel or some other hard material, Cobalt or TiN-coated bits are a waste of money. Just get some good quality HSS bits, 118 degree split point (if using a hand drill...otherwise no need for this) in the shortest length you will find useful. The shorter the twist drill, the better your hole.

 

[Coach James]

I also have the HF step bits and will buy another set when this one gives up the ghost.

Coach

 

[krehmkej]

+3 on the HF step bits. The ONLY way to drill thin material. Mine have been in use for several years with no apparent loss of parformance.

 

[nissan_crawler]

x2 on the harbor freight step bits. one of the very few things they have that's worth buying, IMO. I've used the largest one they sell to drill 1-3/8" holes in 3/4" steel plate in my mill--no problems with slow spindle speed and a bit of coolant.

As for twist drills, I prefer HSS drills in jobber length. Unless you're drilling stainless steel or some other hard material, Cobalt or TiN-coated bits are a waste of money. Just get some good quality HSS bits, 118 degree split point (if using a hand drill...otherwise no need for this) in the shortest length you will find useful. The shorter the twist drill, the better your hole.

What he said. We even drill stainless and titanium with plain old hss bits all the time, works fine. Cobalts work marginally better, but the first time they catch, you have a shattered bit.

 

[Stuey]

I like the unibit step bits (made in USA) but haven't heard anything bad about the HF versions - they're not for me, but many folks here seem to like them.

As for standard bits, I like TiN. Cobalt can actually be a poor choice unless you're drilling through steel or SS most of the time. I like TiN, but if HSS or black oxide are good choices as well. It all depends on what you plan on drilling through and what your budget is.

You could always buy a black oxide or HSS set and then supplement that with TiN or cobalt bits in the sizes you use most often, and use those on metals.

 

[Vulturej]

I have the Unibit step drills, all bought on sale. I tried the HF step drills and I did not have as good of luck with them as the rest of you.

 

[911mick]

Sorry to Hijack - but what is the advantage of a step drill?

 

[Stuey]

Sorry to Hijack - but what is the advantage of a step drill?

A step drill makes it quick and easy to drill medium sized holes in sheet metal. Otherwise, one would have to resort to using two, three, or more standard drill bits. Step drill = no need for pilot or progressively sized holes.

 

[BB26]

Thanks for the info everyone.

I have heard that Cobalt bits can be brittle and considering how expensive they are, I think I will just go with another HSS set. Possibly TiN if I see a great deal. Like Stuey said, I can always pick up specific sizes in Cobalt for hard metal work.

Any thoughts on brand? I will spend whatever is necessary to get a quality set. I will be using these a lot.

I have seen the HF step bits in newspaper ads and have considered trying them. They are really cheap so I can always give them a shot and if they don't last get something better. Just curious, what is a good price for a Unibit 3 pc. set? $45-50?

 

[Brad54]

Thanks for the info everyone.

I have heard that Cobalt bits can be brittle and considering how expensive they are, I think I will just go with another HSS set. Possibly TiN if I see a great deal. Like Stuey said, I can always pick up specific sizes in Cobalt for hard metal work.

Any thoughts on brand? I will spend whatever is necessary to get a quality set. I will be using these a lot.

I have seen the HF step bits in newspaper ads and have considered trying them. They are really cheap so I can always give them a shot and if they don't last get something better. Just curious, what is a good price for a Unibit 3 pc. set? $45-50?

I actually interviewed someone from Vermont America for a very indepth story on drill bits a few years ago.
REAL TiN bits are coated with what amounts to a dry film lubricant. The friction of a drill bit isn't limited to the cutting area on the flutes. In fact, there shouldn't be friction there--they should be cutting. The sides of the hole are what creates the heat, and will contribute to wearing out a bit--as the temp in the whole tip of the bit increases due to friction on the sides of the flutes, the temper of the cutting edges will go away.

Cobalt bits are steel with... well, cobalt in them. The bits are very hard, and will cut through very hard materials, but they are brittle--they can't take any kind of side load or they'll snap. No hand drilling--machine tools only.
As a really cheesy experiment, I put 1/2-inch HSS Cobalt bits through my chop saw and timed how long it took to grind through them: it took almost twice as long to go through the cobalt bit.

Imported TiN "coated" bits are really just gold colored... there's no coating on them.

I can't remember if the TiN (the real one) makes the bits tougher or not. But the Vermont America engineer told me that while the bits cost almost twice as much as HSS bits, they get 3 to 4 times the number of holes out of them before the cutting tip goes away.
So that's my contribution there.

There was a post about a year ago about the Harbor Freight step drills, and they were overwhelmingly popular. I got a set, and am very happy with them.

 

[MAD]

Any thoughts on brand? I will spend whatever is necessary to get a quality set. I will be using these a lot.

I picked up a few Norseman bits at Fastenal a while back for a job and was very impressed with how good they were. I have been meaning to buy a whole set since then but have not done it yet.

http://www.norsemandrill.com/

 

[Stuey]

I recommend checking out MSC, Enco, or Small Parts - they all have occasional promotions on USA-made bits. MSC and Enco are better for sets, and I like Small Parts for individual sizes due to their free shipping.

You can get a Craftsman black oxide set for relatively cheaply during one of their sales, but they stink. I have a set of Dewalt bits, and they've surprised me with their durability.

I have heard good things about Norseman bits as MAD mentioned, but have not yet tried them out since I cannot find a place offering free shipping on them. Can you tell that I like free shipping when ordering smaller and lighter purchases?