Drill bit set recommendations

[John21]

I am after a good quality drill bit set for steel and aluminum. Will be used on my Makita battery drill. 

Am I right to believe that HSS will be the most long lasting option? Any brands that are known to deliver quality stuff? Thanks.

[Jenny Pryde]

Watching this with interest as I have to drill through the thick metal of an old gate after breaking the bolt on the latch!

[426hemi]

I bought this set of drill bits and it’s done everything I’ve needed.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/p/1808155233

[DesmoEddy]

4 hours ago, John21 said:

I am after a good quality drill bit set for steel and aluminum. Will be used on my Makita battery drill. 

Am I right to believe that HSS will be the most long lasting option? Any brands that are known to deliver quality stuff? Thanks.

I have this set:-

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/254375886599

And use it extensively in battery drill, pillar drill and lathe. It's behaved very well indeed.

[porter_jamie]

if it says Dormer on it and is HSS then you are probably going to be ok. Basic rule with a drill is slower revs but faster feed than you would think. and, as they say, use plenty of lube

 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Dormer-A002-1-10mm-Drill-Set-HSS-Jobber-Drills-Tin-coated-19pc/254375886599?epid=21035233893&hash=item3b39fbff07:g:yOMAAOSw6pxdakZ7

 

this kind of thing

[Novarally]

I was sceptical as they're on sale at Screwfix, but my good friend who has worked for all sorts of car race/rally preparation places recommended me to these;

https://www.screwfix.com/p/erbauer-straight-shank-hss-drill-bits-25-piece-set/2726v

And he was right to, they're easily the best set of drills I've used, even on stainless steel. 

[rusty]

54 minutes ago, Novarally said:

I was sceptical as they're on sale at Screwfix, but my good friend who has worked for all sorts of car race/rally preparation places recommended me to these;

https://www.screwfix.com/p/erbauer-straight-shank-hss-drill-bits-25-piece-set/2726v

And he was right to, they're easily the best set of drills I've used, even on stainless steel. 

I just picked up that set a couple of weeks back and have been impressed with them. So far I've used them to drill a bike frame and drill out a 4mm brake pad retaining pin. Absolutely no issues and I was quite surprised that the 2mm bit I used cut really well and didn't just snap like cheap ones I've used in the past.

[Evilchicken0]

I thought it was cobalt for drilling out bolts ???

[Swarf]

Dormer A002. We use them at work on everything from battery drills to full cnc mills, on most materials. Top stuff. 👍👍

[jollygiant]

47 minutes ago, Swarf said:

Dormer A002. We use them at work on everything from battery drills to full cnc mills, on most materials. Top stuff. 👍👍

And at prices from £10- £72 each I would hope they would cut though anything, poured only be looking about a grand for a set!

[Swarf]

4 hours ago, jollygiant said:

And at prices from £10- £72 each I would hope they would cut though anything, poured only be looking about a grand for a set!

Dunno where you're looking, but a 5mm is about 2-3 quid generally??

 

https://www.orbitalfasteners.co.uk/categories/dormer-drill-bits-a002?page=2

Edited June 2, 2020 by Swarf
Linky

[jollygiant]

4 minutes ago, Swarf said:

Dunno where you're looking, but a 5mm is about 2-3 quid generally??

 

https://www.orbitalfasteners.co.uk/categories/dormer-drill-bits-a002?page=2

Just googled it and that was the first thing I came too

[4tgp]

I would go HSS+co for extra durability and split point for ease of cutting  (it reduces force required by over half in my experience)  and 1-13mm

https://www.mscdirect.co.uk/RUK-21522K/SEARCH:KEYWORD/product.html

if that link doesn't work part number RUK-21522K 

[Mark/Foggy]

Oh and buy a cheap bench grinder and learn how to grind a drill, many many vids on youtube.

I'm not exactly good at it, but has saved me many throwings and swearings, after buggering up the bit that I need.

 

[GSXR814]

I use Presto drills.....only because they were 'free' from where i used to work.

They are ok.

Cheap.

I think we were paying £14 for a pack of 10 4mm trade.

Edited June 3, 2020 by grinder

[blow_away]

Dormer/Presto here, although a couple of times recently I've been stuck for a drill bit and had to use Wurth (they have a depot nearby) and they've been fine.

For stainless steel, use Presto Hi Nox series.

[jaycee]

10 hours ago, Mark/Foggy said:

Oh and buy a cheap bench grinder and learn how to grind a drill, many many vids on youtube.

I'm not exactly good at it, but has saved me many throwings and swearings, after buggering up the bit that I need.

 

My first decent project in metalwork at school was a drill-angle gauge. I gave it to my dad who is a toolmaker, he still has it I think.

My first project in the apprentice training centre, coincidentally, was a drill-angle gauge. They gave us a piece of 8mm flat bar to work with. They intentionally left this bar stock outside to weather it so that we had to hand-file the rust off. 

The second lesson we were given at school after being shown how to properly use ( and care for) our hand tools was that, when possible, use a machine, they make life easier. 

So I took the workpieces of all the Pretoria branch's apprentices to the precision grinding bench at my dad's work on my way home and ground off 99% of the rust. Then all we had to do was carefully draw file the remaining pitting off and get some file marks on it to look like we had hand-filed them over the weekend. 

My training officer knew my dad and was impressed with what he thought were my draw filing skills (I can, but why when there is a precision grinder available?) and showed the Johannesburg apprentices (our rivals) "See boys, this young man has learned from his dad and can draw file magnificently, not like you fucking monkeys" 

He later took us aside and asked if I had done a few of my mates too, because they all had similar thicknesses. I admitted I had, but never mentioned the grinder. He said it was good teamwork, but that the others had to help me where they had strengths. I didn't have to buy my own lunch for two weeks. 😁

Another long-winded story from my youth, not like me at all... 

 

Anyway, regrinding is a skill I lost somewhere along the way along with my angle gauge. Maybe I should make another while I'm off to keep me busy for a few days then regrind all those blunt drills in the bottom of the toolbox 

Edited June 3, 2020 by jaycee

[DougW]

Drill angle gauge bought £2.64 delivered from China.

I could  make one , but why do that when China ?

And I have fence post holes to dig.

[Mark/Foggy]

It'll take a fucking age to dig a post hole with a drill gauge even if you put a pilot home down it first.......

Are you sure that you'rein the right thread?

[coombehouse]

Sadly I never learned to sharpen drills. It was a sacking offence as they were not accurate enough when done manually. A man in the stores spent his whole day with a proper machine sharpening drills. We used to get them replaced a dozen at a time most days.

[TQ_uk]

On 6/1/2020 at 3:53 PM, Novarally said:

I was sceptical as they're on sale at Screwfix, but my good friend who has worked for all sorts of car race/rally preparation places recommended me to these;

https://www.screwfix.com/p/erbauer-straight-shank-hss-drill-bits-25-piece-set/2726v

And he was right to, they're easily the best set of drills I've used, even on stainless steel. 

A bit late to the party, but I got this set about 18 months ago and they've been great. Hand drill and pillar drill, drilled loads of 3mm steel plate and box section. One of my better purchases!