OK, I've broken a few bits, but WTF??

[FNFS2000]

get what you pay for....

 

[Moose-LandTran]

Get your self some center drills, start you holes with them then drill with a good HSS but machine length is best. Try to run you hand drill at the slowest speed and give the bits some lube you will be amazed at how much better you can cut though hard steel like butter.

Lube or coolant? I heard spraying water on the bit/workpiece works wonders, but lube i can only see making it harder.

 

[Griff93]

I had a china tap that the teeth came off the tap instead of the tap cutting the threads. I really try extremely hard to buy US or German made cutting tools. Its starting to get hard to find certain sizes US made. I had to have an 18mm drill for a part I was building a little while back and couldn't find one.

John