Drill bits

[davidtu]

<- newbie alert

How can I tell a good set of drill bits?

Will getting an expensive set make a real difference in quality or do they just last longer / stay sharper?

What characteristics are good for what uses?

(e.g. Black Oxide, Gold Oxide, HSS, Titanium coated, Cobalt, 118s, 132s)

[cabinetman]

At 3:48 AM, I don't really have drill bits on my mind. I take that back - I think I did about two weeks ago, or was it last year. Anyway, in wood, I think brad points work pretty good. They start clean, don't skip and are fast. The split point bits are a standard bit that can be used in either metal or wood, unlike brad points, that are designed for wood. Split points can be sharpened in the DIY type of sharpeners, wheras brad points cannot. As far as quality, the better bits probably do last longer, and may hold an edge better.



"I'M NEVER WRONG - BUT I'M NOT ALWAYS RIGHT"

[LarryG]

Will getting an expensive set make a real difference in quality or do they just last longer / stay sharper?

I have a cheap, 29pc set of brad points from Harbor Freight, for which I paid maybe eight bucks. I also have the 7pc Lee Valley set that won a recent comparo test in Fine Woodworking Magazine; these cost around $40. "Like night and day" is a cliche but in this case it definitely applies. I would not have believed the difference in how smoothly and cleanly they cut until I saw the results for myself.

The same goes for HF's Forstner bits vs. something like a Freud.

A good set of bits is probably a one-time, lifetime investment for the average hobbyist woodworker. I strongly recommend biting the bullet (whoops, another cliche) and buying top-quality stuff.

[bigsteel15]

I second what Larry says.
Get yourself a good set of brad points. That one from LV has the sizes you will most commonly use with others available.
I would also get a good set of HSS split point bits. Others my say get TiN coated or cobalt but for general WW use and maybe some minor steel or aluminum drilling HSS is the way to go, IMHO.
I work in a heat exchanger shop. We drill holes all day everyday. We use HSS and re-sharpen. And yes there is a difference in the cheap HSS bits.

[LCHIEN]

I generally find even the cheapest bits are quite accurate in the diameter of the hole.

The 118&#176; bits are the most common and therefore the cheapest. Then you pay for variations on that theme.

Here's my experience:
135&#176; are supposed to be better for working on steel and metal, I don't have a set myself and I have lots of bits.
118&#176; are fine for general around the house, aluminum, and some metal work. They work well for woodworking. If you don't do a numch of precision stuff where want very close fit, then the 1/16th to 1/4" sets with 1/64th increments is fine. If you do a lot of drill press work and do some fine fitting for toys and jigs then you may want the 135 piece sets with fractional and numbered sizes and letter sizes.
Finish - heat is the enemy of all drill bits, they lose their edge rapidly when overheated to where they turn blue and smoke. HSS is better than carbon steel. The titanium finishes are coatings that will make the bit slicker and help keep it cooler, perhaps but of limited use in wood.

Brad point bits - I have several 7-piece sets from different places; these are handy because the point centers the bit real well in wood and the edge cuts fibers and makes a clean hole. I would buy a good quality 7-piece set if i was at all serious about woodworking. I also have the larger 29-piece set from HF or two when they were on sale for something ridiculously low like $10 and they are OK - the sizes are right, dissappointingly, the brad points on some are not perfectly centered showing a lack of quality control but they are usable. A well made 29-piece set probably cost $50 or more. I've been lusting after a nice set of Lee Valley brad point drills.

You also need forstners if you have a Drill press. I have found the HF forstners to be farily nice in fit and finish - sizes are right, overal finish better than expected. I don't have an expensive set of Freuds to compare to, I have the HF 16 pc? set from 1/4 to 2.125" and it's been quite heavily used.