feedback about new drill bits

[Dragsinger]

I like a nice, sharp drill bit and have many, well, did have. Several years without buying any drill bits have finally run my supply low, so I need to restock.

Let me hear about who you buy from and what brand and material the drill is made from.

My usage is common automotive materials, aluminum, mild steel, nothing exotic.

[CMcAllister]

I've gotten good drill bits from the Snap-On guy in the past . Also industrial supply places. I use MSC. Forget the Big Box stores or Horror Freight. And I stay away from the China crap. Not cheap.

Buy good bits and a Drill Doctor. I have drill bits decades old. Keep them sharp and don't burn them up.

[Andy Friar]

High speed steel from Production Tool or a similar tool supply house. Brands are not as important as speed & pressure when drilling. if you have to push hard then your bit is dull and/or the material is too hard for general automotive stuff. Keep em sharp, use good oil while drilling and peck drill holes helps a lot. I have had good luck with Morse and Cleveland Twist drill both at work and at home in the past.



https://www.pts-tools.com/search#/catalogue/group/6901

[Chevy55]

Hard to beat these.
https://www.harborfreight.com/135-sp...-pc-61885.html

[FireSale]

Try your welding supply shop. Cutting steel is what they do. I've never used them but my local shop has bits that look like they would cut without a drill.

[FED 387]

larry--- go to the website "protoolreview.com" click on accessories and type in drill bits--- it will direct you to "types of drill bits/black oxide, titanium and cobalt----informative article it explains the uses of each bit --the materials you should use with each type of bit ---also remember if whether you are using a hand held or drill press device that comes into play and drill bit speed are a important factors to consider as well as the material being drilled. Some bits are more suitable for certain materials such as mild steel, stainless steel, titanium, or cast iron---- all use /need special bits to drill into them-- Yes you can sharpen HSS/black oxide bits however you cannot sharpen Titanium bits as you will remove the coating thus removing the effectiveness of a Titanium bit you now have basically a HSS bit with a Titanium coating just not a Ti coating on the tip only on the shanks---- flute style and count enter into the decision of the material being drilled---as to sources/vendors there are many manufacturers both US made as well as off shore--Korean manufacturers are an Asian source,--- manufacturers in Israel and other countries in Europe also make quality products--- vendors maybe look at industrial supply companies-- on a side note Lowes sells a NEWER product called "Spyder Mach Blue drill bits" I have never used them only read about them but they "supposedly" have a longer life and durability than other types of drill bits---FED 387 Dick Ullrich

[SSDiv6]

My choice for drill bits are tool suppliers for aviation. Due to the amount of drilling that takes place, aviation tool supply stores carry some of the best drills you can find, including left hand drill bits that are great for removing broken bolts and fasteners.

https://www.panamericantool.com/

https://www.yardstore.com/

https://www.aircraft-tool.com/

https://www.browntool.com/Listview/t...3/Default.aspx

[Dragsinger]

Thanks to all for the feedback, I appreciate it.

[Tom Meyer]

My son is MAC tool dealer, there drill bit warranty is if you break one or it gets dull you get another one free yes free.Tom

[dwydendorf]

I worked 24 years as a tool and cutter grinder for a large automotive supplier. Don't waste your money on coatings. We did tool studies in our shop and the only tools that it worked on were end mills and shaper cutters. When you resharpen a drill, you have to take the drill back far enough that the corner is not rounded off. That means that if you look at the side of the drill, there is a small thin land that follows the twist in the drill. If that land is wide towards the front of the drill, you need to grind the drill back far enough to make it as narrow as the rest of the land. We used to have operators that would not run new drills without us resharpening them. That was because some new drills are not resharpened right. The foreign junk can be the worse, if you look at the end of the drill both sides should look equal, one side longer than the otherwill make it cut oversize. Typically you use black oxide drills on steel and bright finish drills on aluminum but either will work on the other. Most of the time the really expensive drills are not that much better, it is all in how they are sharpened. A Driil doctor works ok if you rough down the really worn drills first but I do most of my resharpening on a bench grinder. I also have an industrial machine to grind large drills.