someone educate me about drill bits

[nageov3t]

any suggestions on a kit to buy? I have a drill, but no bits for it other than the phillips head that it came with.

I need something to drill holes in plaster walls and potentially tile as well (also wood, though I'm still debating that one... I have a bay window in my living room that I'm thinking about putting my tv on to save room, but then I'd want to drill a hole in back to route the power/hdmi cables through so they're not visible)

 

[lord_emperor]

All those activities, in theory, take different bits.

Of course you could buy a set at the dollar store which will probably last for this project.

 

[gar3555]

for cheap bits, Harbor Freight is your friend.

 

[BoomerD]

Drill bits...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drill_bit

Sadly, nearly all are now made in China, with a often drastic reduction in overall quality, but just go to Home Depot or Lowe's and buy a mid-priced set.

Buy a set that doesn't exceed the size of the chuck, unless you can get bits that are shanked to fit the chuck. (1/4", 3/8", 1/2") For about $20, you should be able to get decent quality bits in at least an 10 pc set...maybe more.

http://www.lowes.com/pd_173158-70-DW...uantity_sold|1

Tile takes specialized bits to do a good job. You MIGHT be able to "grind" your way through tile with a good carbide bit, but you'll ruin it in the attempt.

 

[boomerang]

http://www.askthebuilder.com/674_Drilling_Ceramic_Tile.shtml

 

[DaTT]

I bought a Ryobi 351 pc set for like $30 a while back. Awesome kit, great sale. Everything from masonary bits to hole saws.

 

[DrPizza]

You'll probably not use half of the bits when you buy those kits. Just get Cobalt bits as you need them. (Unless you can find a good price on a set of cobalt bits.) They're pricey, but worth it. The cheaper the bits, the more it's going to suck working with them. When you get a really good bit (and you'll recognize the difference after you do), it'll go through wood effortlessly, like a hot knife through butter. I've put 1/4" holes through angle iron when making rails for my kids back in the days that they rollerbladed. Those bits went through the iron nearly effortlessly & didn't dull at all.

edit: glancing at ebay, I'm gonna go out on a limb and say "stay away from "cobalt coated." It's pretty easy to take inferior steel, coat it with cobalt, or titanium, and claim you have good drill bits. The bit is no better than the material it's made out of; forget the coatings, as you'll have no guarantee of what kind of steel lies underneath. I see a few 29 piece sets for about $70 on ebay. Not too bad of a price, and indicative of why I'd recommend just getting the most common sizes you'd need, if you have a good hardware store nearby.

 

[CaptnKirk]

An M42 Cobalt Alloy bit with a 135* Split Point is your best bet.
Beware of the 'Titanium' drill, they are usually HSS (High Speed Steel) with a TiN (Titanium Nitride) coating.
They are bright gold in color, hoping to catch you with their 'Bling Effect'
If you do find a good Cobalt alloy drill and it has the TiN coating, that's a plus.
There are several standard sizes that you will need: #40 @ 0.098 (1/16"), # 30 @ 0.1285 (1/8"), # 20 @ 0.161 (5/32"),
# 11 @ 0.191 (3/16"), and a 1/4" @ 0.250 should handle nearly anything you encounter around the house,
but there are situations where a 5/16" @ 0.3125, and 3/8" @ 0.375
may be needed.
I doubt that you will be able to find any Double Margin Step Drills, but if you can find them they are great.
Check Ace Hardware, Lowes, and Home Depot for their stocking.

Read this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drill_bit

THis place has a multiple bit set for a pretty decent price:
http://www.drillbitwarehouse.com/ho...ge=shop.flypage&product_id=913&category_id=17

 

[JEDI]

any suggestions on a kit to buy? I have a drill, but no bits for it other than the phillips head that it came with.

I need something to drill holes in plaster walls and potentially tile as well (also wood, though I'm still debating that one... I have a bay window in my living room that I'm thinking about putting my tv on to save room, but then I'd want to drill a hole in back to route the power/hdmi cables through so they're not visible)

the Craftsman cheapo black carbide bits on 50% sale regularly at Sears sucks for metal. ($9.99 on sale)

dewalt titantium bits aint bad

 

[JEDI]

An M42 Cobalt Alloy bit with a 135* Split Point is your best bet.
Beware of the 'Titanium' drill, they are usually HSS (High Speed Steel) with a TiN (Titanium Nitride) coating.
They are bright gold in color, hoping to catch you with their 'Bling Effect'
If you do find a good Cobalt alloy drill and it has the TiN coating, that's a plus.
There are several standard sizes that you will need: #40 @ 0.098 (1/16"), # 30 @ 0.1285 (1/8"), # 20 @ 0.161 (5/32"),
# 11 @ 0.191 (3/16"), and a 1/4" @ 0.250 should handle nearly anything you encounter around the house,
but there are situations where a 5/16" @ 0.3125, and 3/8" @ 0.375
may be needed.
I doubt that you will be able to find any Double Margin Step Drills, but if you can find them they are great.
Check Ace Hardware, Lowes, and Home Depot for their stocking.

Read this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drill_bit

THis place has a multiple bit set for a pretty decent price:
http://www.drillbitwarehouse.com/ho...ge=shop.flypage&product_id=913&category_id=17

whats wrong w/the titanium coated drill bits?

 

[PottedMeat]

whats wrong w/the titanium coated drill bits?

it will eventually ( usually pretty quickly ) come off, giving you a plain old HSS bit.


OP should just get a HSS/Black oxide cheap set for wood/plaster and the specific bit he needs for tile/whatever.

 

[Minerva]

Don't be fooled by cheap Chinese made shit!
Even the brand names found in big stores have gone downhill fast.

There are still good ones out there alright but you will cry at the price.

Get GOOD bits in the size you need now and buy as you need as Doc mentioned. Don't abuse them and learn how to sharpen them too! A good bit won't break when taken care of but they still need TLC on their cutting side.

 

[WildHorse]

``

 

[PottedMeat]

here's a made in the usa cobalt set for ~$22

http://www.use-enco.com/CGI/INSRIT?PMAKA=890-8844&PMPXNO=3463188&PARTPG=INLMK32

 

[HappyPuppy]

The vast majority of responders in this thread don't have a clue what they are talking about. The average DIYer or homeowner doesn't need anything better than the worst and cheapest crap they can find on the market.

At the very least they are going to drill through drywall and at the most they will drill through some two by fours and possibly some PVC. They don't need high quality drill bits.

Now, all you kiddies go home and suckle at your mommies' titties.

 

[lxskllr]

The vast majority of responders in this thread don't have a clue what they are talking about. The average DIYer or homeowner doesn't need anything better than the worst and cheapest crap they can find on the market.

At the very least they are going to drill through drywall and at the most they will drill through some two by fours and possibly some PVC. They don't need high quality drill bits.

Now, all you kiddies go home and suckle at your mommies' titties.

LoL, true enough. The exception might be the tile bit. I've never drilled tile, but I bet it chews the shit out of standard bits.

 

[HappyPuppy]

There are specialized carbide and diamond dust drill bits designed specifically for making holes in tile/glass. You only have to buy the size you need. For all else you can buy a Black and Decker cheapo drill bit set for about $10 and it goes up to 1/2 inch.

 

[IronWing]

There are specialized carbide and diamond dust drill bits designed specifically for making holes in tile/glass. You only have to buy the size you need. For all else you can buy a Black and Decker cheapo drill bit set for about $10 and it goes up to 1/2 inch.

You forgot to insult someone. You're slipping.

 

[Gurgitate]

Your mom. I drilled that bits all night long.

 

[DrPizza]

The vast majority of responders in this thread don't have a clue what they are talking about. The average DIYer or homeowner doesn't need anything better than the worst and cheapest crap they can find on the market.

At the very least they are going to drill through drywall and at the most they will drill through some two by fours and possibly some PVC. They don't need high quality drill bits.

The average person reading this thread is in his 20's. If he purchases cobalt bits & takes care of them, he can give them to his adult children 40 years from now. HSS bits are sufficient for any one or two particular projects, but after a handful of uses, they're shot.

If you go to a hardware store and purchase two identical sized bits, one cobalt, and one HSS, then use them with the same drill to put a hole through a 2x4, you'll definitely feel the difference when they're brand new. Put 100 holes in the 2x4 and the cobalt bit will still be going strong. The HSS bit is going to suck ass pretty quickly.

 

[Meghan54]

Heck, Dr., I'd go even further and say never buy cheap tools. They don't work as well as good ones, never last as long, and you end up spending your money twice, not to mention the frustration of using a cheap tool....cuts/fastens/etc. much worse than a good tool.

Buying a cheap tool, no matter how little you think you may use it, is just false economy and plain stupid.

But if one just loves ill fitting, ill working tools making the job harder and the finished product look like a child did the work, then by all means by the cheapest junk you can find. If, on the other hand, one takes any pride in the work one does, then cheap isn't the way to go.

Of course, I'd wager most that advocate buying cheap junk tools really never have used a good tool.....or they'd not be saying cheap junk works as well. Once you use a good tool, you'll never go back to the crap that some say is "just as good."

 

[lxskllr]

Of course, I'd wager most that advocate buying cheap junk tools really never have used a good tool.....or they'd not be saying cheap junk works as well. Once you use a good tool, you'll never go back to the crap that some say is "just as good."

Drill bits wouldn't get used much by the majority of ATers, and they'll just rust away in a box, or get lost by the time they need them again. Screwdrivers, yea, wrenches yea, drill bits, not so much.

 

[Kirby]

Drill bits wouldn't get used much by the majority of ATers, and they'll just rust away in a box, or get lost by the time they need them again. Screwdrivers, yea, wrenches yea, drill bits, not so much.

I'm waiting for the "I broke my wrist/teeth with my new $170 1/2 inch Milwaukee drill" thread.

 

[BoomerD]

Drill bits wouldn't get used much by the majority of ATers, and they'll just rust away in a box, or get lost by the time they need them again. Screwdrivers, yea, wrenches yea, drill bits, not so much.

Or if they're ham-handed like me, the smaller bits will end up broken and tossed in the tool box...

I've always bought good quality tools. I don't have ANY hand tools that say "Made in China," and I probably never will. I do own a couple of cordless drill sets that are Chinese...but only because there aren't any American-made options. Hell, MOST cordless drill sets are made by only a couple of Chinese factories...each may be built to mfgr. specs, but still off the same assembly line as the rest.

I had a tough time "downgrading" to Craftsman end wrenches after my garage was burgled several years ago. I lost Mac, Snap-On, and Matco tools...but because I stopped turning wrenches for a living, I could live with the lesser quality. (still Made in the USA though...not so any longer)

 

[DrPizza]

Heck, Dr., I'd go even further and say never buy cheap tools. They don't work as well as good ones, never last as long, and you end up spending your money twice, not to mention the frustration of using a cheap tool....cuts/fastens/etc. much worse than a good tool.

Buying a cheap tool, no matter how little you think you may use it, is just false economy and plain stupid.

But if one just loves ill fitting, ill working tools making the job harder and the finished product look like a child did the work, then by all means by the cheapest junk you can find. If, on the other hand, one takes any pride in the work one does, then cheap isn't the way to go.

Of course, I'd wager most that advocate buying cheap junk tools really never have used a good tool.....or they'd not be saying cheap junk works as well. Once you use a good tool, you'll never go back to the crap that some say is "just as good."

In some cases, the casual user won't destroy the cheaper power tools. And, depending on the purpose, cheap is sometimes more than good enough. i.e. the multimeters from Harbor Freight are regularly on sale for $2.99 or so. They're not Flukes, but they stand up to high school students quite well & are accurate enough. But, in general, you're right. And, using quality tools, people might be inclined to do more work. In many cases, the difference is very noticeable. The difference between how well a cheap phillips head screwdriver grips the screw & a good one is night and day.

Ironically, there's a thread right now about can openers. That's another case of good vs. low quality.