Drill Bits - What do you recommend?

[Axle]

Originally Posted by Gregski

5/16 holes in the frame to mount the LMC Truck dual exhaust hangers for example, I know to drill a small hole then step up the drill bits, but having to use 6 different bits is redonculous

Don't try to get too carried away with small increments in drill diameter as you try to make a big hole. Stick with a small pilot hole to guide the large bit. If you try to slowly work a hole larger with drill bits, all you are doing is using the outer ends of the cutting surface causing concentrated heat, and dulling only the edges rather than allowing the entire bit to do the cutting and carry away heat as a whole. So next time around you use it you get an uneven cut with that drill and egg your hole, or find it just doesn't drill worth a darn.

Alex.

[Marv D]

This would probably be the last set of drill bits you would ever buy.

Use the proper cutting fluid,, speed and feed and these will last better than anything I have ever tried. And they just almost 'give them away'! OK so their a bit pricey but if you add up all the junk bits you have bought over and over,, the cost per use starts justifying the purchase of a 'good' set of bits.

[Gregski]

Went to Ace Hardware to get some Irwin drill bits, and got the worst customer service ever, usually it's the pimple faced youth that act like they don't want to be there, but in this case it was a middle aged gentleman who even asked me if I needed some help, and when I said yes please I am looking for some Irwin Cobalt drill bits, you would think I asked him to hand over his life savings or something

anyway they only had the cheap Irwin bits so I bought the only Cobalt set there which happened to be DeWallt for just under $40 bucks

it's a bit of a funny 14 piece set since there are two 1/16th drill bits as well as two 1/8th drill bits

[cableguy0]

Originally Posted by Gregski

Went to Ace Hardware to get some Irwin drill bits, and got the worst customer service ever, usually it's the pimple faced youth that act like they don't want to be there, but in this case it was a middle aged gentleman who even asked me if I needed some help, and when I said yes please I am looking for some Irwin Cobalt drill bits, you would think I asked him to hand over his life savings or something

anyway they only had the cheap Irwin bits so I bought the only Cobalt set there which happened to be DeWallt for just under $40 bucks

it's a bit of a funny 14 piece set since there are two 1/16th drill bits as well as two 1/8th drill bits

They give you two of those because they break easily and are often needed. That isn't a bad set of bits. My buddy bought them all the time. He was using them on heavy frames and stuff and didn't worry about burning them up. He had nothing but good things to say about them.

[LostMy65]

I know this is an old thread, but I stumbled upon this thread searching the forums about drill bits.
All these years and I never had much success with drill bits. Never knew about drilling slow. 50 years old and somehow never knew that. :-(
Needed to do some drilling, so I went slow. Even with bits I've had for years, and it just chewed through. Long curly strings of metal rather than metal dust.

[Gregski]

got an update for you guys, so I've been very happy with these DeWalt drill bits, however I managed to break one while drilling out the rivets on the frame of my '74 truck to lower it

anywho, I broke the 5/16ths bit and thought no problema, we will shoot over to the same ACE Hardware store we bought this set at on our way home from work today, and pick up a replacement, we brought our old set with us and everything

but than the ACEr staff guy tells me, they don't sell individual DeWalt brand bits there, WHAT? so I ended up buying an IRWIN, and that kinda bugs me a bit that my set will have one non matching bit, the stems are different, the IRWIN stem is round the DeWalt stems are nicer, they have flat spots so they won't spin in the drill gun

figure I share this tid bit with you all, so you can consider this when you are picking out your new new drill bit set

[gmc 2500 4x4]

thanx richard2717. on me finding mcmaster-carr!!

[rtinniste]

Precision twist drills m42 cobalt is what we use here in the shop. They work great a little pricey but you gotta pay to play. Carbide in a hand drill is a no no that will shatter, carbide tip tho is okay.

Also resharpening if done right there's no difference in tool life you can make the lands slighty bigger to keep from blowing your edge out.
But unless you have a monoset grinder you wont be able to get it perfect by hand on a bench grinder.

You can also send your drills out to have them resharpened depending on size it ranges .15 to .50 cents a drill. We send all our dull salvageable drills and endmills out for resharp and recoating.

Also note tool life in a hand drill vs a good drill press or Bridgeport is going to be night and day. Run out kills drills end of story.

check penn-tool, grainger, mcmaster, carbide emporium, there's more cant think off the top of my head at the moment of places that don't need an account.

I've been a tool grinder/maker and manual machinist for the past 4 years. And now run the tool crib for a large aerospace company.