Drill Bits That Don't Suck - Fine Homebuilding

I also have a set of Hitachi from Lowes that I've been happy with

Same here, I've been using the same set of Hitachi bits for better than 5 years, probably longer. I've had to replace 1 or 2 bits along the years, but have been very happy with the Hitachi brand. I will say that these bits are typically used on a press with cutting oil (recycled gear oil), but they have never given me a day's trouble. That being said, I do have 3 sets of backup drill bits waiting as soon as they do...

What are the best quality drill bits? Do they really hold their edge longer? I'm tired of buying Harbor freight and then throwing them away. Yes, I use oil...

This would be for metal. Drilling wood I can live with.

Is just buying a Drill doctor as an alternative and buying cheap HF drill bits?

I don't think there is just ONE difinitive best bit as it is always a balance against cost, use and material being drilled.

On the prodcution floor we use Dormer USA bits sourced in bulk by our local industrail supplier.
They are very good bits, but like most industry, production and machine shop use, are tossed or scrapped when dull and a new one used.

Low volume or DIY use for me would be Norseman 135 split points for drilling metal.
Figure out how you want to sharpen them (Drill Dr or bench grinder) and you are set for a long time.

Drilling metal wears bits. It's just a fact. Speed and lubricant helps a lot to extend bit life, but they do get dull.

As for HF bits, I have an older set that I keep around just for wood and plastics (and occasionally aluminum.) They work fine for that. But if drilling steel regulary, most good bits I see are made in USA, Germany or Brazil based upon what I observe being ordered by industrial tool cribs or when I ask my tool supplier.

And BTW-yes, I own a Drill Dr. 500.
And a bench grinder.

any opinion on Chicago-Latrobe HSS bits as sold by McMaster-Carr

When you purchase from McMaster there's no guarantee that you're going to get a specific brand. It's all top quality stuff and in my experience if they accidentally stock junk they change vendors as soon as they get negative feedback. We buy all of our twist drills from them and we've always been happy with them.

Also, if you look at their catalog (or really any good industrial/machine shop supplier's) you'll see that there are a variety of drill bit types. Just saying that you want a bit for metal isn't really enough information to determine which bit is the best.

You mention that you use oil when drilling metal and that's another area where some more research will help you out. There's no one cutting oil that works the best for all applications. I have drilled many thousands of holes from small to really big, in mild steel and tool steels, and like others have said, the quality of the drill is only one part of the story. The drill has to suit the material being drilled and then you have to make sure cutting speed is correct as well as cutting feed (how hard you push). Oil is good for some light drilling but you really need cutting fluid. It is typically mixed (emulsified) with water and adds a cooling effect. Oil has very low heat conductivity and doesn't pull the heat away very well.

When drilling holes in steel, unless you have a really powerful drill press with feed, always start with a pilot hole for anything larger than about 5/16" (hand drill) or 1/2" drill press. You will be amazed at how quickly you can put a hole through a piece of steel plate. The trick with the pilot drill is that it has to be about the same size as the web of the drill for the final hole. For hand drilling, I will sometimes step up the sizes. Start with a 1/8" or smaller if you can manage it without breaking it and go up from there.

The death of a lot of drills is that they spend too much time rubbing and not cutting. You would be blown away if you saw how fast a drill can go through a piece of steel with the correct cutting speed, feed and coolant. And it will last a long time. The best bit for the Hole you're about to drill is the bit you just sharpened. The best wearing tool steel is usually the most brittle, use a cutting oil, and push just enough. I put a single facet on smaller bits, and put a trailing point on larger ones. Fresh in the box, most bit's need a better face put on them to function best. The best way to ruin a bit is to over use it when it needs to be sharpened. Obviously it depends on the metal you are drilling, if you are drillng by hand or not... Here are my recommendations:

Buy a set of HSS USA made drill bits from ENCO or one of the other industrial supply houses. You want split point, 135 degree for ferrous metal. These will get you thru 90% of your drilling if you keep them clean and sharp. Get a set with a good Huot made in USA index to protect them from shop dust and impact. Keep them oilled when not in use and use the correct cutting fluid for the material you are cutting (i.e. wd-40 isn't actually good for EVERYTHING).

Next, get a drill doctor and learn how to use it to sharpen split points at 135 degrees.

Spot drill, pilot drill, or center punch all holes in steel to help the bit start.


If this doesn't work, your next step is a set of USA made cobalt (M-42) drills. Import cobalt drills may or may not be M-42. Forget coated drills.

Last, with all due respect to the experienced folks above, I don't believe you can buy a good set of drill bits at Lowes or Home Depot. At least not the ones near me. A decent set of drill bits will cost about $100.

My advice is to skip the huge indexes with all the number and letter drills. Instead, I have tap and drill sets which suit me for the vast majority of the time. Those big sets (115pc) cost a small fortune when you buy good quality. Inevitably, you'll never use half of them.

I'm sure there is a learning curve and I'll take all advice to heart...So is there no difference between HF and high quality bits if I use the proper procedures? All things being equal, what are the better drill bits?

What? Who said that? NO!

Better quality drill bits are the steel they say they are, are heat treated properly, have material and process inspections, and sharpened so that they are usable out of the box.

Yes, you can improve your results through improving your technique and resharpening. And maybe you should start there. But as for "best drill bits", you won't find them in HF or Lowes or likely even your local Ace hardware.

My drill doctor works fine. Most of my bits were bought in boxes or trays at auctions. A mixture of brands and types. I haven't noticed a difference the most part.
Oil and bit are only part of the process.
What speed are you drilling at and how much pressure are you putting on the drill?
The metal should be coming out of the holes in coiled strips or chips. If it isn't slow the drill speed down or increase the pressure.

Best post in the thread ^^ blue chips are bad As others have said, it depends on your drilling needs.

I have bought packets containing 100 or so of certain sizes. I use these for the most common sizes that I drill. For the cost they likely are not a very good bit, but they are good for the time being and are cheap enough that when they dull, I just throw them away.

I have some better bits that are actually pretty good bits. They are what I use on jobs like broken bolts, holes in thick steel, etc.

I also have a set of Rodman bits. I bought them t the state fair, and they are great. They can and will drill through anything. The problem is that they like very high speed, for steel. They drill the best at rpm or more. There is just a few corded drill that turn that fast, and most presses will too. Not many cordless or air tools will. These are my go to for drilling anything hardened. The demonstration showed a file being drilled, and I have drilled out broken taps before. They really work.

Not knocking American made bits, many you get what you pay for. If you look at industrial lines, many are made in Germany. A lot of quality tooling comes from there. I picked up a drill doctor 750 with the Zoro 30 percent off sale. I took a 135 bit ground it to 118 then back to 135 very easily. The split point option is nice too.

Feed and speed is crucial. You don't want to work harden the material. Too little feed and a dull bit can lead to this.

The web on cobalt bits is wider since they are brittle and this is not necessarily good. A machinist on another forum swears by m2 hss with 118 tips.

Keep the cutting edge sharp and free from chips and burrs and proper speed and feed and you will be poking holes super easy with the right cutting oil.

There is a great deal going through the end of March on Norseman bits here

http://garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=

I don't think there is just ONE difinitive best bit as it is always a balance against cost, use and material being drilled.

Excellent response!

There is no "best" option. My local supplier's catalog lists over 100 pages of hole-making products. Each one of them is designed with a different purpose in mind. A study of various manufacturer's catalogs will provide some information, as will a cruise though the section on "Machining Econometrics" in Machinery's Handbook.

As jjjrmx5 said, all drills wear and eventually lose their edge. Most home machinists run twist drills either much to fast or much too slow. Either case results in dramatically reduced tool life and / or tool breakage. Even when driven by high-quality manual equipment operated by a seasoned machinist, drill life will suffer as compared to an automatic machine.

So, how does one make the most of the tool?

1) A good oil or soluble oil coolant / lubricant will extend the edge life of any tool substantially and result in easier drilling.

2) As will using proper speeds and feeds when the driving machine is capable of it will dramatically extend tool life.

3) Using the proper tool for the job and accepting reduced edge life in difficult situations such as drilling rusty exhaust studs.

4) Sharpen the drill before it stops cutting. As the edge dulls, cutting pressure and temperature rises, increasing the rate at which the tool dulls.

As for a recommendation, any 118° US-made bright or black oxide M-2 or M42 drill will do fine.