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Recommend some drill bits

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Greenlawnracing

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Joined
Oct 4, 2017
Messages
324
Location
Edmond, OK
I don't use them often, but just grabbed my Dewalt set to help my wife "modify" some crappy Ikea style furniture that was misdrilled from the factory.

Something similar to this:

https://www.lowes.com/pd/DEWALT-14-Piece-Black-Oxide-Coated-HSS-Twist-Drill-Bit-Set/1000045819

Half of them are broken, in fact almost everything under 9/64th is missing.

Can you recommend a something for the occasional user? Oh, and I'm lazy so something with free shipping is preferred so I don't have to leave my house.
 
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Paul_The_Builder

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May 9, 2020
Messages
217
Location
Dallas, TX
What was wrong with the DeWalt bits themselves?

Expensive drill bits get lost and broken just the same as cheap ones.

IMO, unless you're a precision woodworker, there's no need for fancy wood bits.

If you're not drilling thick metal all the time, there's no need for fancy alloy bits (Cobalt, Moly, etc.)

I drill a lot of holes for a living, mostly in steel and aluminum, and the $10-$15/set DeWalt bits work perfectly well if you don't abuse them. I have a nicer $100 drill bit set I use at home on the drill press, but if I brought them to work I'd probably lose and break them just as fast as my DeWalt bits.
 
B

Bogie1632

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Joined
Feb 18, 2018
Messages
1,303
Location
Southeastern Wisconsin
While most might scoff at drill bits from Harbor Frieght, their Warrior Cobalt 115 piece set (fractional, letter, number) is actually quite good. One of the few things in that store I'd buy. Got my set maybe 12 years ago while still under their Pittsburg name for maybe $80 with a coupon. Now they're like $115, still worth it with a coupon. Liked mine so much I kept them at work in my locker for anything I needed to drill because the cr@p we'd get through the government supply system sucked and most of the guys I'd worked with didn't know what a good bit was or how to sharpen one. Only ever had one break but that was operator error and now a reason I don't loan out my set anymore.

Anyone have any feedback on this set recently versus my 12 y/o set? Interested in getting another set as a gift for someone.

https://www.harborfreight.com/cobalt-drill-bit-set-115-pc-61886.html

V/R
Bogie
 
I

ItsNemo

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Joined
Mar 5, 2016
Messages
4,805
Location
Canada
Learn to sharpen bits and use them properly...this has done far more for my drilling than any fancy drill bit set could. Even the best most expensive and fancy drill bit can get destroyed in seconds if you use it wrong and then there's no way to make it right again.
 
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az45

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Joined
Mar 19, 2014
Messages
298
Location
Tucson
I have several sets of quality bits, most are now dull. I can see the value in sharpening them for sure as a sharpener is less that a good set of bits...I just can't stand the thought of sharpening bits instead of working on one of my projects.

If the Dewalt bits are as good as the YT video M6erfan posted, I just use them up then toss em.
 
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PugetDude

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Joined
Mar 13, 2013
Messages
22,261
Location
Superstition Mountains, AZ
For a single set, I have an older Makita set I picked up at Costco years ago, it's been great.

on a related note... picked up a Homer Bucket half-full of used drill bits at a garage/estate sale this weekend. All of them US-made, in sizes from 5/32" to 1-1/4". When I got home and started digging through the bucket I discovered there were a bunch of taps, drift pins, punches, Unibits, spade bits, two Huot indexes (full) and a full set of pin gauges. Apparently they just dumped everything cylindrical or that looked like a drill bit into one bucket. Paid $20 for the lot. I filled my Huot fractional cabinet to overflowing with the best ones, the rest went into a drawer for future use.
Most of the bits were sharp, first one I used (on aluminum) produced a single spiral chip about 3' long!
I can sharpen them as needed, I usually just toss anything under 3/16. Probably won't ever have to buy a bit over 3/16 again in my lifetime.
 
N

Negen

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Joined
Jul 15, 2015
Messages
1,909
Location
Seatltle WA
Maybe , I heard that too but when i bought mine the price was about 30-25% different. Have not checked the price yes in about five years or more so not sure if they are not as discounted never tried to warranty a drill bit before but I am not successful in warranting anything gave up on trying to warranty stuff many years ago.
d.mcfarland said:
Last I knew, they were just rebranded Norseman.

Some people have said that the warranty is very difficult.
Click to expand...

Sent from my ONEPLUS A6013 using The Garage Journal mobile app
 
S

sk farmer

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 4, 2009
Messages
5,550
Location
nd
Paul_The_Builder said:
What was wrong with the DeWalt bits themselves?

Expensive drill bits get lost and broken just the same as cheap ones.

IMO, unless you're a precision woodworker, there's no need for fancy wood bits.

If you're not drilling thick metal all the time, there's no need for fancy alloy bits (Cobalt, Moly, etc.)

I drill a lot of holes for a living, mostly in steel and aluminum, and the $10-$15/set DeWalt bits work perfectly well if you don't abuse them. I have a nicer $100 drill bit set I use at home on the drill press, but if I brought them to work I'd probably lose and break them just as fast as my DeWalt bits.
Click to expand...


i have actually had good luck with the dewalt pilot points. i have a 29 pc and a few smaller sets. ace has the smaller sets on sale a few times a year and i use them to fill in the odd bits missing from the the 29 pc. as said bits in general are consumable, especially the smaller sizes. when used nicely they last a while and when abused they don't.

m only issue with the pilot points is the inability to enlarge existing holes because of the of the odd grind.....unless you regrind them. when enlarging i use my norseman bits in the round holder. i really hate the round holder though. you can't read the sizes and any little bits of swarf make it hard to remove the bits.
 
M

M635_Guy

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Joined
Dec 5, 2019
Messages
4,333
Location
NC
Greenlawnracing said:
I don't use them often, but just grabbed my Dewalt set to help my wife "modify" some crappy Ikea style furniture that was misdrilled from the factory.

Something similar to this:

https://www.lowes.com/pd/DEWALT-14-Piece-Black-Oxide-Coated-HSS-Twist-Drill-Bit-Set/1000045819

Half of them are broken, in fact almost everything under 9/64th is missing.

Can you recommend a something for the occasional user? Oh, and I'm lazy so something with free shipping is preferred so I don't have to leave my house.
Click to expand...

M6erfan said:
Take a look at this vid...

Click to expand...

Having seen this video a while back (I love that guy), I think the answer is the current DeWalt black oxide or Bosch cobalt (which are much more $$, though should have more life)
 
S

Steve_P

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 15, 2010
Messages
5,181
d.mcfarland said:
Last I knew, they were just rebranded Norseman.

Some people have said that the warranty is very difficult.
Click to expand...

Many threads here on this. The drill hog bits are not Norseman. Norseman larger than 1/8"? is stamped USA, Drill Hog is not.
 
M

M6erfan

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 6, 2014
Messages
10,170
Location
'Merica!
Steve_P said:
Many threads here on this. The drill hog bits are not Norseman. Norseman larger than 1/8"? is stamped USA, Drill Hog is not.
Click to expand...


DrillHog is very dodgy on COO of their bits. They never replied to my email when I inquired...
 
T

Tallpilot

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 13, 2017
Messages
2,384
Location
Orlando
Steve_P said:
Many threads here on this. The drill hog bits are not Norseman. Norseman larger than 1/8"? is stamped USA, Drill Hog is not.
Click to expand...

M6erfan said:
DrillHog is very dodgy on COO of their bits. They never replied to my email when I inquired...
Click to expand...

Yeah, every time we talk about them I can’t help but think they just don’t pass the smell test. Maybe the guy’s legit but it doesn’t seem worth the hassle to me. Norseman or Chicago are just a few dollars more.
Hopefully Epstein’s can hook us up with Norseman deals again this year.
 
M

Mike in Ohio

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 27, 2008
Messages
2,404
Location
Canton,Ohio
Bogie1632 said:
While most might scoff at drill bits from Harbor Frieght, their Warrior Cobalt 115 piece set (fractional, letter, number) is actually quite good. One of the few things in that store I'd buy. Got my set maybe 12 years ago while still under their Pittsburg name for maybe $80 with a coupon. Now they're like $115, still worth it with a coupon. Liked mine so much I kept them at work in my locker for anything I needed to drill because the cr@p we'd get through the government supply system sucked and most of the guys I'd worked with didn't know what a good bit was or how to sharpen one. Only ever had one break but that was operator error and now a reason I don't loan out my set anymore.

Anyone have any feedback on this set recently versus my 12 y/o set? Interested in getting another set as a gift for someone.

https://www.harborfreight.com/cobalt-drill-bit-set-115-pc-61886.html

V/R
Bogie
Click to expand...

I have 2 of the same set, not sure how old they are, 4-5 years probably. Was still a quality set a few years ago.
 
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