Recommendations for quality drill bits and screw bits?

[JonW]

It's time for me to buy a set of decent drill bits for woodworking. I'm tired of breaking (or even twisting ) the cheap ones that are around the house. Got any recommendations?

Also, I need some "screw bits." I'm not sure what they're really called. But they're used to screw in screws. They are the 6 sided things you put into the drill chuck. And they have a Phillips head for screwing in Phillips screws (e.g., dry wall screws into wood). I keep stripping the ones that I have such that the 4 edges of the Phillips head wear down. Are there any good ones out there to get?

Thanks!

[LarryG]

One word: Lee Valley. Oops, I mean two words.

For brad-point drill bits, I suggest, strongly, that you bite the bullet and lay out the cash for a set from Lee Valley. After these won Editor's Choice (or whatever it's called) in a Fine Woodworking Magazine bake-off, I got the seven piece, 1/8" to 1/2" set and am absolutely amazed at what a difference a high-quality bit can make. A little spendy, but probably a lifetime investment for the average woodworker.

For driver bits, I've lately been using the Irwin brand because Lowe's put a whole table full of them on close-out a year or two back. All driver bits wear out but these seem to last as well as any I've tried.

[vaking]

I agree with Larry that for woodworking brad-point bits are superior. You still need some regular (split-point) bits because brad-points are unfit for other than wood completely. You also need split-point if you need to expand existing hole. Drill press is an extremely usefull tool for drilling (and not only for drilling). If you do not have a drill press - start saving. Driver bits are cheap but there is one correction to what you said about them - they work much better in an impact driver than in a drill chuck.

[JonW]

Thanks, fellas.
I'm not too concerned if those bits are as expensive as they are. I've become frustrated enough with the cheap ones I've been getting by with. So I'm totally willing to pay for good ones. Before ordering I'll have to go home and see what size ranges I typically use.

Are there any particular regular split point bits you'd recommend?

I don't have an impact wrench- but I didn't know that's better than a regular drill.

And the thought of a drill press did come to mind over the weekend- when I saw how crooked some of my holes were, after flipping the work piece over to see where the hole came out the other side. Do I really need another tool? Please don't answer that.

[LCHIEN]

Thanks, fellas.
I'm not too concerned if those bits are as expensive as they are. I've become frustrated enough with the cheap ones I've been getting by with. So I'm totally willing to pay for good ones. Before ordering I'll have to go home and see what size ranges I typically use.

Are there any particular regular split point bits you'd recommend?

I don't have an impact wrench- but I didn't know that's better than a regular drill.

And the thought of a drill press did come to mind over the weekend- when I saw how crooked some of my holes were, after flipping the work piece over to see where the hole came out the other side. Do I really need another tool? Please don't answer that.

You want an cordless "impact driver". Not an impact wrench or an drill.
They often can be found for $30 or so.

The drill press is so nice for drilling straight, true, perpendicualr holes. Like the improvement in going from hand held circular saw to a table saw.

[Stick]

I generally buy Dormer or Butterfield drills. I've got number, letter, fractional, metric, and left hand fractional, and taper shank up to an inch. They seem to last the best, for me anyway. Most of my drilling is in steel, and the larger sizes seldom need sharpening. Smaller sizes are cheap enough I don't usually bother sharpening them, just replace them.

[JonW]

Loring,
Thanks, but I don’t need more people trying to convince me to buy more tools.

Stick,
Thanks for the recommendations. Anywhere, in particular, you get these Dormer or Butterfield bits?

[Stick]

Check your yellow pages for machinery or machine tools. Places that supply industry will have them or a good equivalent. Or ask a local machine shop who their tool suppier is.

[scorrpio]

Lee Valley brad-points are sure nice, but $85? MLCS has a 7-bit set, same sizes, which looks great at just $23. They also got a 13-bit set for $35. (1/8-1/2 in 1/32step) All carbide tipped, spur shape. I think I recall that magazine review, and it was like eight types total - including W-shape, spade shape, spur shape, HSS, etc. Think only two carbide-tipped spur bits were there, and the non-Lee Valley one was a VERY close runner-up.

[LarryG]

Lee Valley brad-points are sure nice, but $85?

Where are you getting $85? The LV 7pc set is $41.50. And worth every penny.

[scorrpio]

Set of 3 (1/4, 3/8, 1/2, item 33J62.20) is the $41.50 one.

The 7 bit set (33J62.30) is $86.50.

[jziegler]

Scorrpio, those are the carbide tipped brad points. The high speed steel ones are less expensive, and are teh ones Larry linked to.

Jim

[LarryG]

Set of 3 (1/4, 3/8, 1/2, item 33J62.20) is the $41.50 one.

The 7 bit set (33J62.30) is $86.50.

Those are the carbide-tipped bits. The ones I linked to, and the ones tested in FWW, were LV's HSS bits.

http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.a...at=1,180,42240

[scorrpio]

I see - but then, aren't carbide-tipped better? I mean, any reason to get the LV HSS set over the MLCS carbide set?

[LarryG]

I see - but then, aren't carbide-tipped better?

In theory, but the proof is in the performance. I don't recall whether the MLCS bits were included in the FWW comparo, but of the bits they tested, regardless of material and tip design, the LV HSS bits drilled the cleanest hole. Published reviews must always be taken with the proverbial grain of salt, but this one was a simple comparison test, conducted by a well-respected magazine, in which there was no room for subjective personal preferences to influence the results (a frequent problem with comparisons of, say, random-orbit sanders, or routers). In this test, the LV HSS brad points made the best hole, at a price I did not consider to be exorbitant.

Further, there are many grades of carbide. Given the price of the MLCS set, I suspect what they used is just good enough to allow them to say, "carbide-tipped."