Drill Bit Manufacturer Suggestion?

The wife asked me what I wanted for Christmas. I am in a real need of a good set of drill bits. I want to know what are you guys using and who you would recommend? I am considering KN Kut. Has anyone used these or heard anything about them

 

Chicago-Latrobe or Precision Twist are always my first choice for drill bits of any sort.

Do yourself a favor and go for the heavy duty 135 deg split point (in cobalt HSS if you can afford them), instead of the 118 deg chisel point. They last longer, cut faster, start easier (with less walking), and drill closer to size than any other brand I've used.

They cost, but they are worth every penny.

Anything you can buy at a home store (Home Despot, Lowes, etc) is not worth owning.

Consult MSC (otherwise known as cutting tool mecca, IE www.MSCDirect.com) for prices and options.

 

I've never heard of Kn Kut drills, looked at the site but again, they are unknown to me. I get most of mine from MSC as well, I have an account at work and for the side business.

Cleveland, Chicago-Latrobe are very good, on the high end there is ***ex and Guhring but really not suited for garage type work since they're so expensive and better suited for production machining.

I agree on the cobalt but find that the 135 point is not always that great for hand drilling operations. The 118 point will hold up better for that. Avoid parabolic drills as well, they're not as strong for hand drilling.

Bob

 

I have an awful selection of bits. When I need a good one I usualy buy new but I got a "Drill Doctor" last year and they do work!

 

Parabolic?

Curved cutting edge?

 

They're used for deep hole drilling where a straight hole is required. They have a fast helix angle and get grabby when chucked in a hand drill. Look them up in a drill catalog or MSC and you'll get the idea. Parabolic referes to the flute design which is geared to fast chip removal.

Bob

 

You know, I had always heard that too, but since I always buy 135 degree stuff to use in my mills, I have a lot of them on hand, and they get used when I need to drill a hole by hand as well.

I've found them to be easier to start by hand than a 118 deg tool, and I've found they cut quite a lot faster too (or with less pressure, take your pick).

They're a little grabby on very thin sheetmetal when they are brand new, but they work like a champ even for that once they've dulled down a little. If sheetmetal was your only aim, you could blunt the edges with a hone to get the action you want right off the bat (it seems wrong to me to dull a brand new tool on purpose though, so I tend to just hang onto a few dullards to use in those situations).

Like I said, I don't even keep 118 deg stuff around anymore, unless it's an oddball size that I can't find with a 135 deg point.

 

Thanks for the input guys. I am going to check out MSCDirect.
Any other opinions out there?

How often do you use the numbered and leterd bits? Are they worth getting?

 

All my stuff is Dormer/SKF.

 

anything made is China......IS NOT the answer.............all of mine **** big time and I hate them. My drill doctor is my savior

 

Hole Hogs by Consolidated Toledo. Split point pilots up to 3/8 and 4 flute finish drills. Only avail in common sizes, but DAMN they cut fast and clean. You've never seen anything like it....

 

It comes down to what you get used to using. The 135 degree drills have a shallower drill point depth (.22 x Drill Diameter) as opposed to the 118 degree drills which have a .3 D drill point depth. Anything in the Bridgeport or CNC mills I tend to go with the 135 degree split point.

I have a set of number, letter and fractionals that I keep in the cases. I have a big index drawer full of almost everything as well. It all depends on what size holes you're going to be drilling.

For home use including threading, no one's going to be checking holes with a thread gage, so close enough works for those applications.

Bob

 

Or India.

 

I agree, you want something made from cobalt... Depending on how much drilling you do, you can get one of the cheaper cobalt sets from Sears... I have a set and they're not bad at all.

And I'm pretty rough on my bits...

There's a brand name out there "Kobalt" or something like that. Don't buy those, it's some cheap imported bull ****. When i say cobalt I'm not talking brands, I'm talking the metal that the bit is made from...

 

Better yet, have an old school machinist show you how to sharpen them, and you will never have to buy a drill bit again, unless you need a different size that you don't have. I learned how to sharpen drill bits in high school machine shop, and it has saved me alot of money over the years.

 

Cobalt Bits are the only way to go. Any U.S.A. manufacturers are good. I'd check out MSC or Grainger if there are any near you. Depending on the size of holes you drill and your budget annular cutters or what i use. They are a hole saw bit for steel. I Build bridges for a living and when we connect Steel beams together we use Magnetic drills with annular cutters. They are super fast and only cut the perimeter of the hole. They drill a long time with out dying. They sell adapters to fit hand drills too. They can drill holes from 9/16" to 1 1/2" in most cases. Jancy and hougan are the best. Just sharing my knowledge and experience.

 

https://www.travers.com/

 

It is only for home use in a hand drill. They will be used for drilling holes in steel for both bolts and threading. Usually not too thick. Maybe 1/2" at the max. I am hearing that the best is any USA made with cobalt is the way to go. I also gather that the fractional drill bit are probably all I need.

Bobss396:

Can you explain what you mean by drill point depth?<O></O>

 

i hate drill bits..I like Unibits and sluggers...then end mills..haha,

 

Forget the drill bits, have her get you a drill doctor. The condition of the edge is 4x as important as the actual bit for most automotive work.

Sharpen up the ones you got, then start looking for used, but worn out sets of name brand bits.

Drill doctor, the gift that keeps on giving

 

Go ahead and hate me but I got the giant set form HF and a Drill doctor and have no complaints.......I agree the edge is the most important part of a twist drill.....the cutting speed is next and just as important, to many good bits get ruined by to much speed, the heat will ruin evan the best bit.

 

I dislike Drill Dr's.....buy the time you set it up I can sharpen a bit, thin the web if needed and even throw a chip breaker on the cutting edge if needed all by hand. I used to work in a tool room during my apprenticeship and this was my job for a year. Tell me what your drilling and I can throw the correct angle on the drill for drilling Ferrous/non ferrous/ sheet metal.

I like the old Cleveland Twist drills. 118 degree point. I like the Cobalt drills and when it comes to TiN coated drill....after you sharpen them the TiN coating is ground off of the cutting edge. The key is to have steady hand, a properly dressed wheel and a good understanding of what the tool needs to do. Bottom line is it's a piece of metal....don't let it outsmart you.

 

any truth that ***anium or cobalt bits are more fragile and break easier?

 

Never seen a "***anium" drill before.

I have seen TiN (***anium Nitride) COATED HSS drills.

The TiN is a PVD coating that helps reduce friction and heat absorption by the tool. It is used as a marketing gimmick on consumer grade drills and to extend the life of production drills working in steel.

The stuff they sell you in the home stores might as well have gold spray paint on it (perhaps it is paint, for all the good its presence does).

Fancy coatings on a drill for general use are wasted money IMO. Buy either "bright" (no coating at all, just polished HSS, best for aluminum and other metals that gall), "steam oxide" (gives the steel a vaguely gold tint, helps prevent rust in storage, and holds lubricant a little better than bright), or "black oxide" (black or dark gray coating with a matte finish, prevents rust and holds lubricant much better than bright).

Drills referred to as "Cobalt" are actually HSS (high speed steel) that is alloyed with cobalt (generally known as Cobalt HSS's, or just Cobalt steels). This increases the hardness (especially the hot hardness) of the tool and enhances the strength and toughness of the steel as well.

So no, TiN coated or Cobalt HSS tools are not more brittle or "easier to break" than standard HSS drills, 'cause TiN coated drills are standard HSS with a coating on the outside, and cobalt HSS drills are actually tougher than standard HSS (meaning they will tolerate more abuse before they break).

Carbide drills are easier to break in bending or with shock loads because of their extreme hardness, but the home shop guy doesn't have much need for a carbide twist drill. Maybe a spade to drill out broken taps or some such, but even that is out on the fringe of what most guys will ever need.

 

no. i never saw a ***anium drill either.

and thanks for the low down on the bits.

 

Exactly what he said!!

 

I prefer selling and using Norseman brand drills. They are good quality, and made in the USA. http://www.norsemandrill.com/

 

I use Snap On Colbalt. As long as you keep them oiled they last a long time. Actually bought one set at Sears for 75 and they worked pretty good.

 

The only thing I now buy from HF is thier step drills I use them on almost everything not just sheet metal but 1/8-1/4 in. steel. On thick metal drill to the stop for the next larger size and finish from the back side. These things seem to last and work well, I reach for them more often than reg. bits even though I have fraction/number and letter size bits.
In my drill bit sets about once a year I replace missing broken bits so I keep my sets up to date. I buy any good brand and have no preferance.

 

Nitro
TP