it never pays to buy cheap tools

[toplessHO]

I needed an 11/16 drill bit for a project. Most likely will never need again as I have about every popular large size other than that.
So I went shopping online and found a set that goes from 9/16"-1".
I figured even a cheap set would work to enlarge 14 holes from 5/8" to 11/16". WRONG! I got 2 holes done and it went south on me.
Hopefully Amazon will take it back. I would recommend these as good for plastics,soft metals,wood,but not 3/8" mild steel.
I should have paid for a quality bit and bought just the size I needed,then would have had something that can be used again later.
They do come in a nice box tho.

 

[sweet victory]

Amazon does have an option under returns for "Did not meet my expectations." I've used it a few times, and have never had to pay for return shipping.

The products can be hit or miss from brands I've never heard of, but the customer service has always been stellar in my experience.

 

[woody 73]

Best education 101 lesson learned.

 

[Stooge]

$3 a piece for drill bits ranging from 5/8- 1", I would assume they are made out of soft cheese and going to be fairly useless. the bigger sizes, I generally just buy one offs from MSC rather than sets if I need something specific like that

 

[BFBOB]

BLAME THE VICTIM MODE=ON
How fast were you spinning that bit? Steel should be drilled with high pressure and low speed. Did you use lubricant? Steel should always be drilled with some kind of oil.
BLAME THE VICTIM MODE=OFF

..but there are some really, really awful bits out there. I had some made of such soft steel they would bend before breaking - like 90 degrees!
I also have a Chinese set that looks remarkably similar to yours and was really cheap (20 years ago), but works well even on mild steel.

 

[jd_1138]

There is a place for cheap tools in terms of pliers, screwdrivers, etc. if you want to have 3 or 4 different sets of tools and don't have money for high quality stuff. I often help out relatives with repairs, and I usually leave a set of screwdrivers and a pair of pliers at their house if they have none.

Consumables like drill bits, multi-tool blades, recip saw blades, etc. are not good to cheap out on because it can ruin the item you're working on or at least make the job way harder.

 

[1982fxr]

I E always found enlargening holes needs a quality bit.

 

[toplessHO]

BLAME THE VICTIM MODE=ON
How fast were you spinning that bit? Steel should be drilled with high pressure and low speed. Did you use lubricant? Steel should always be drilled with some kind of oil.
BLAME THE VICTIM MODE=OFF

..but there are some really, really awful bits out there. I had some made of such soft steel they would bend before breaking - like 90 degrees!
I also have a Chinese set that looks remarkably similar to yours and was really cheap (20 years ago), but works well even on mild steel.

Its nice to instill such confidence.
Sure its operator error not the POS bits that I thought would get me thru 14 holes. Its not like I was drilling them in a blank piece.Enlarging one step should be childs play.
The drill wouldnt go any slower and have enough torque to move,and I couldnt push any harder. But thanks for the vote of confidence.
I like seeing nice chunks or ribbons from cutting with a good sharp bit.
This never had that.

 

[eschoendorff]

Its nice to instill such confidence.
Sure its operator error not the POS bits that I thought would get me thru 14 holes. Its not like I was drilling them in a blank piece.Enlarging one step should be childs play.
The drill wouldnt go any slower and have enough torque to move,and I couldnt push any harder. But thanks for the vote of confidence.
I like seeing nice chunks or ribbons from cutting with a good sharp bit.
This never had that.

Enlarging holes is sometimes more challenging because you’re not engaging the whole cutting edge of the drill bit. You are concentrating all the stress and friction on a relatively small part of the outer surface. I’ve chipped more drills that way.

 

[Shehzada]

That set has bad reviews to begin with.

Sent from my mobile device

 

[ishiboo]

Enlarging holes is kind of a tough job for a cheap bit, no? I know you only think of it as a 16th, but I don't think that's how a drill bit is supposed to be cutting. Professional applications would use a reamer for that I think.

Those look just like the HF S&D set I've used to make a bunch of larger holes in 3-point equipment (1/2, 5/8 and 3/4" thick plate) without issues. Now days toss a Weldon adapter in the drill press and use an annular cutter for that size hole though if I have more than a few to do.

 

[kb1982]

Cheap drill bits are never worth the gamble. Even quality brands can be a miss sometimes.

Sent from my LML713DL using Tapatalk

 

[dogdog]

.......Those deming drill bits.... will get dull easily if miss used.... even the $75 heavy nitrate bits supposedly from Japan are like that if I didn't go progressively from 1/2 to 9/16 to 5/8 to 11/16 etc... especially when I am drilling metal... in my case 10Ga square metal tubing... ruin the 5/8 bit just because I went from 1/4 to 5/8 without any lubrication/cutting fluids or progressively enlarging it...... It's not the same thing as using normal drill bits I think...

 

[Professional Tool User]

It really depends on what type of tool. Some tools can be both cheap and good. Cutting tools are definitely not one of them. This is where you buy high quality used drill bits to save money. With cheap tools sometimes you win and other times you lose. If you are careful about what you buy, you can win most of the time and save a good deal of money.

 

[anndel]

I have and use Norseman.

 

[rlitman]

Enlarging a hole is definitely a contributor to the problem. That's tough on a bit. If you have a choice, make a very small <1/8" pilot hole to guide the tip, then drill the rest of the hole with the appropriately sized bit. The larger surface area will keep it from overfeeding and catching. It seems counter-intuitive, but it is actually much less stressful on the bits than enlarging a step at a time is.

If the pilot hole is any larger than the web of the bit (and this rule works in general for all standard twist drill bits), then you run a high risk of chipping the cutting edge. That's what happened here.

Yes, these were cheap **** drill bits. But even good ones run the risk of being trashed from this job.

You can use a drill bit as a reamer to open up a hole, but only if you step up in diameter by no more than a few thousandths at a time.

 

[BDT/NWMN]

Another copycat retailer who applied a different label. I bought that same set from Harbor Freight. Twice. Let's just say it is not My week to be bragging about drill bits.


They will work for drilling holes in a tree stump or wooden fence post.

 

[toplessHO]

lots of conflicting "expert" opinions here
ie drill a pilot hole,drill hole stepping up progressively,etc.

Ive always drilled progressively when It comes to larger holes
Have had no problems with chipping bits.
All these holes got up to 5/8" with absolutely no problems,most likely
most of it was done with (gasp) jobber bits.Not a one of you can tell me you have a set of bits that increases in just a few thousands that goes up to 11/16".And please tell me how many lifetimes it takes you to drill a large hole in that fashion.The bits are junk
merely taking public abuse for assuming that perhaps theres still hope ,but alas,there isnt.As for Im doing it all wrong and thats the problem,I can guess Ive drilled more holes than most can count,with alot of it being in stainless,which BTW Pepsi works great there,done it more than once in a pinch.
Bits are on the way back to amazon,someone will get a deal on 7 unused bits when they buy the salvage lot this will be in,hope the project is made of warm butter.

 

[2ndGearRubber]

I'm not much of a tool snob - But USA made is the only option for drill bits. Anything else is just suffering in my experience.

 

[2ndGearRubber]

lots of conflicting "expert" opinions here
ie drill a pilot hole,drill hole stepping up progressively,etc.

Ive always drilled progressively when It comes to larger holes
Have had no problems with chipping bits.
All these holes got up to 5/8" with absolutely no problems,most likely
most of it was done with (gasp) jobber bits.Not a one of you can tell me you have a set of bits that increases in just a few thousands that goes up to 11/16".And please tell me how many lifetimes it takes you to drill a large hole in that fashion.The bits are junk
merely taking public abuse for assuming that perhaps theres still hope ,but alas,there isnt.As for Im doing it all wrong and thats the problem,I can guess Ive drilled more holes than most can count,with alot of it being in stainless,which BTW Pepsi works great there,done it more than once in a pinch.
Bits are on the way back to amazon,someone will get a deal on 7 unused bits when they buy the salvage lot this will be in,hope the project is made of warm butter.

The main concern for cracking edges on bits is using the progressive step method, with not enough "distance" between sizes. 1/8 is a great pilot hole for 3/8, less so for 3/16, as the latter is more likely to "self feed" and bind the edges.


Cheap drill bits drill as such. I doubt any technique could have made those huge bits cut through steel effectively.

 

[Ign]

If the pilot hole is any larger than the web of the bit (and this rule works in general for all standard twist drill bits), then you run a high risk of chipping the cutting edge. That's what happened here.

Yes, these were cheap **** drill bits. But even good ones run the risk of being trashed from this job.

You can use a drill bit as a reamer to open up a hole, but only if you step up in diameter by no more than a few thousandths at a time.

This. Once the pilot hole exceeds the web diameter it's actually harder on the bit the larger the pilot hole.

A 4-flute bit would be a better choice but they're rare and generally only available for machine tools, like an MT shank. Otherwise I might try to come at 3/8" plate from both sides with a step drill.

A 2 flute twist drill will work but ideally only in a rigid machine with proper feed & speed

 

[Ign]

lots of conflicting "expert" opinions here
ie drill a pilot hole,drill hole stepping up progressively,etc.

Ive always drilled progressively when It comes to larger holes
Have had no problems with chipping bits.
All these holes got up to 5/8" with absolutely no problems,most likely
most of it was done with (gasp) jobber bits.Not a one of you can tell me you have a set of bits that increases in just a few thousands that goes up to 11/16".And please tell me how many lifetimes it takes you to drill a large hole in that fashion.The bits are junk
merely taking public abuse for assuming that perhaps theres still hope ,but alas,there isnt.As for Im doing it all wrong and thats the problem,I can guess Ive drilled more holes than most can count,with alot of it being in stainless,which BTW Pepsi works great there,done it more than once in a pinch.
Bits are on the way back to amazon,someone will get a deal on 7 unused bits when they buy the salvage lot this will be in,hope the project is made of warm butter.

The "expert" opinions are actually experts, ie formally trained machinists.

If you tried to open up a 5/8" hole to 11/16" with a twist drill and blamed the bit when employed in a machine shop they'd figure out you don't actually know what you're doing.

I'm not saying your bits weren't an inferior alloy but the fact remains that SOP and best practice are to aim for a pilot hole the size of the web.

 

[bonneyman]

What's the old saying? The sting of cheap quality lingers long beyond the joy of cheap cost.

 

[Rabid Badger]

The "expert" opinions are actually experts, ie formally trained machinists.

If you tried to open up a 5/8" hole to 11/16" with a twist drill and blamed the bit when employed in a machine shop they'd figure out you don't actually know what you're doing.

I'm not saying your bits weren't an inferior alloy but the fact remains that SOP and best practice are to aim for a pilot hole the size of the web.

From what I can tell the OP was trying to enlarge holes in an existing fixture rather than starting from scratch. What would be the best way to enlarge holes by ~10% in 3/8 mild steel?

 

[dogdog]

The "expert" opinions are actually experts, ie formally trained machinists.

If you tried to open up a 5/8" hole to 11/16" with a twist drill and blamed the bit when employed in a machine shop they'd figure out you don't actually know what you're doing.

I'm not saying your bits weren't an inferior alloy but the fact remains that SOP and best practice are to aim for a pilot hole the size of the web.

Horse powers on the drill press in a machine shop vs home would be different...

 

[toplessHO]

From what I can tell the OP was trying to enlarge holes in an existing fixture rather than starting from scratch. What would be the best way to enlarge holes by ~10% in 3/8 mild steel?

I guess the answer is to bring the building its mounted to,to the machine shop??

Isnt it nice to live in such a perfect world?

 

[Professional Tool User]

I'm not much of a tool snob - But USA made is the only option for drill bits. Anything else is just suffering in my experience.

These days, as long as the manufacturer knows what they are doing and don't cut corners, the drill bit should work well. And even with Made in USA bits, some are better than others. As for back in the day, I've got some old English, German, and Australian made bits that cut fairly well.

 

[2ndGearRubber]

These days, as long as the manufacturer knows what they are doing and don't cut corners, the drill bit should work well. And even with Made in USA bits, some are better than others. As for back in the day, I've got some old English, German, and Australian made bits that cut fairly well.

Ah, I should have specified "first world" drill bits. Most options I see generally available are china...or USA; with little in between. I prefer Norseman, but CTD, chicago latrobe, cleveland, champion, and the other usual suspects work well too. I like Norseman high-moly for my regular use; general HSS bits are whichever USA brand I can get cheapest.


I'm a mechanic, not a machinist. I abuse my bits.

 

[rlitman]

From what I can tell the OP was trying to enlarge holes in an existing fixture rather than starting from scratch. What would be the best way to enlarge holes by ~10% in 3/8 mild steel?

With a boring jig in a mill.

 

[CR888]

I'll buy cheap tools from Taiwan when I can be sure they'll do a good job and be good quality. Tools like punches, drive bits, drill bits, screwdrivers etc need to be the best quality you can get. You save money, frustration & time buying good drill bits. Skimping in this area of tooling is kinda false economy. Good drill bits will reward you for a long time.

 

[WittHay]

I have had good luck with Irwin and Jet silver deming drills. Dont need a better US made drill bit because the chucks on a certain brand of cordless drill are crappy and the bit usually spins in the chuck.

When working with cordless or spade drills, I always go up a 16 of a inch at a time. If you are underneath something drilling up say to enlarge a 1/2 hole to 5/8. You would use a a 9/16 bit first and then a 5/8

In a machine shop with a drill presses and mills, you use a different method

 

[Dieselhammer]

Never go cheap on drill bits unless its in wood, that being said, i tend to use reamers on an air drill on bigger holes / fab projects.

 

[Lwel9226]

Get a "CAR" reamer, some places might call them "bridge" reamer or "mechanics" reamer, They are designed to do just what you are doing....
Put them in your 1/2 in. drill motor and go to work.....

LynnW

 

[Prospecter]

I learn a lot here, and appreciate the wealth of knowledge. I mostly work in wood, so bit strength is less of an issue for me. I have some cheap bits, and some of dubious origin. They lower the cost of learning, and I then have the $$$ to upgrade after I know what I am doing.

So oddly, sometimes for me it does pay to buy some cheap tools. YMMV

 

[MushCreek]

I've been machining metals (mostly tool steel) for over 40 years. I agree that a 1/16" step up is hard on the bit. Often, it will want to **** the bit in too fast. I've had to partially lock the quill on a mill to control the feed better.

 

[ishiboo]

Next time ruin one of these babies!

https://www.harryepstein.com/index....gree-split-point-reduced-shank-drill-set.html

 

[Rabid Badger]

Get a "CAR" reamer, some places might call them "bridge" reamer or "mechanics" reamer, They are designed to do just what you are doing....
Put them in your 1/2 in. drill motor and go to work.....

LynnW

That's very useful information. Thank you.

 

[6PTsocket]

I bought a similar set from HF to get the 11/16, too. It is the pilot size for a 3/4-16 thread. I was enlarging stripped 5/8 ultra fine locking threads in a floor jack pump. I went slow with lots of lube and it went fine. I have used a few of the other sizes, since, with no problem. I do not confuse them with quality bits but for the occassional hole in mild steel they have worked. I made a steel drill guide to keep the bit going straight. Enlarging holes can probably tear up a bit but I was not getting into reamers or a mill or or other suggestions posted here. The hole was fairly deep so a step bit was out. I was pleasantly surprised that those S&D bits did the job. I may not be out of the machinist's handbook but I got the result I wanted and damaged neither tool nor work piece.


Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

 

[PartsGuy]

I purchased a huge yet cheap set (fractional, letter, number, all in a nice index) from Northern Tool years ago. Drilling into hardwood, and the bit got stuck. I reversed it, and the bit "untwisted" itself!

 

[Blind1]

Inexpensive tools are sometimes an incovenience. The whole “never buy cheap tools thing” is TOTALLY overblown.

Especially with something like drill bits... they are a consumable. I keep an extra set or two on hand because **** happens.