Help me choose a hand drill reamer

[Steiger9]

Last year I had to enlarge some 7/16 holes to 1/2" in over thirty, heavy spring steel, chisel plow shanks. Ended up buying a single bridge/car reamer and it worked beautifully! Now I want a set to have on hand so the next hole enbiggening project I don't have to wait on UPS or try my luck with a drill bit. Viking has three different styles: two car reamers (one with a faster spiral than the other) and one called Hole Hog.

I was real pleased with how the reamer worked so I'm leaning toward that style. But I don't know which to choose between the standard and fast spiral. (Faster is always better, right?)

As for the Hole Hog, it seems to be a newer product (and newer is better, right?). But it looks like it has a pretty severe limitation in the minimum starting hole size. Since there's no telling what the next project will be, I'd like to keep more options open.

So I'm curious if anyone has experience with these types of reamers and could point me in the best direction.

 

[dutchgray]

The "Hole Hog" is a core drill not a reamer.
If the one you have worked well then more of the same is probably a good idea.

 

[timgunn1962]

As said above, if you've found that the one you've tried works well, stick with it.

Bear in mind that the fast spiral version is "more aggressive". That probably means it needs more torque to drive it effectively. If buying a set, or a selection, you need to consider what you are going to be using to drive them, particularly the biggest one. I've seen some fairly minor injuries as a result of using tapered reamers in handheld drills, particularly gutbuster drills. They could very easily have been life-changing injuries.

Think of the worst case: almost by definition, these are tools that you'll only be reaching for because things are not going right.

 

[carmantl]

In structural steel erection we use bridge reamers with hex heads chucked up in impact wrenches. The nominal 13/16 sized hole reamer for 3/4 heavy bolts used the industry standard heavy bolt dimension of 1 & 1/4 so we can use the same impact socket to tighten the bolt after reaming. Attempting to do this work with a drill can and will break wrists. The Vikings mentioned above are very good but pricey. These reamers take a lot of abuse from the impacting but good ones last us about 2 years and they get a lot of use. This is not a tool to cheap out on. Good ones will spall; cheap ones will shatter sending shrapnel everywhere.

 

[cannuck]

I like the bridge length in long spiral, and have used 1" ones driven by a huge right angle drill. I would be afraid of the fast spiral if hand held - and you have to be incredibly careful doing that. The ones driven by impact hex are definitely a much safer tool for field freehand work, but I just have an aversion to using an impact drive with a cutting tool. Have seen them work very well, though.

 

[bigfunwmu]

I have used the fast and slow twist both to modify truck frames. We used a corded Dewalt that ran at about 750 RPM, and if you could get a hip into the back of it to feed it through it would cut faster. The fast twist would cut smoother and grab less for me, those slower twist reamers would snag and swing that drill handle around and smoke me in the nuts if I didn't pay attention. The slower twist ones would chip easier too.

Lots of lube, and moderate speed. Best use was a 3/4" fast twist reamer in an M12 fuel drill cutting holes in a 3/8" bench top to mount a vise. That drill wouldn't even think about turning that bit in a truck frame though

We got a few hole hog bits to enlarge some holes in hydraulic flanges, they worked well in a drill press. Cut like a champ and leave a smooth hole behind.

The tapered reamers are pretty forgiving of side to side misalignment and straightening holes out, not sure how the hole hog would handle that. The hole hogs are nice if you don't have a lot of space on the back side of what you're cutting for the reamer to stick through when you're done.


Since you're here, you know the only right answer is to get both...

 

[Steiger9]

I appreciate the replies. In my one-time experience, I didn't have any issues with the reamer grabbing. I was driving it with a gear reduced D-handle drill and had my kid hitting it with coolant the whole time. But, it was pretty thick material and pretty hard. Maybe softer metal could have been a problem. I have definitely twisted my wrist up good trying to enlarge holes with a drill bit.
bigfunwmu - I see your point about the Hole Hog bits and backside clearance. I was having trouble figuring out why they existed.

carmantl - Like cannuck, I too had an aversion to using a cutting tool in an impact, so I just glossed over the hex head ones. But if they hold up for two years of industrial use, they'd probably last me a lifetime. I'll definitely give them a second look. Yes, Vikings are expensive...is there another brand you guys use that you'd recommend?

 

[jeepinerdeep]

My only comment is don't buy Hole Hog for handheld use. They work nicely in a mag or stationary DP. They are also pretty limited in offerings. I have them.

Good info from others on the reamer type. I'm also following along. I have used the car reamers on truck frames in a 1/2 SO air drill, they are kind of a beast, wear you out before the reamer quits.

 

[cherrybomb]

Its good your asking advice on a tool not often used,with lots of options and styles.familiarity and experience with a new tool and experience can be a safe and rewarding time.If you post after this we all learn,thats why we are family