What are the best drill bits

[jcb]

What drill bits are best to get if you are drilling metal ? I've seen Titanium, Zirconium Nitride, Cobalt, H.S.S. Some indicate "high speed", some are coated with the above metals only. I do know that some are much more expensive and stay sharp longer than others but I have no idea what type they are. Is price the only deciding factor ?

JCB

[Crepe Myrtle Farmer]

We have 1000s of bits here in the barns, shop --- picked up an old Darex "factory / industrial" drill sharpener from a company auction and probably won't need to buy bits ever again.

[shootist2]

If you are hand drilling, use air drills. They don't develope full torque at near zero rpm like an electric motor. I use 1/8 double ended split point 135 degree bits for almost all of my piloting. Over the 40+ years I've learned to put my full 200 lbs on them and not break them. I also use 3/16 and 1/4 s in the same drills. The cobalt bit sets are much harder than titanium coated, just not as tough. A drill doctor, cutting fluid and enough pressure for your bit size to keep it curling metal will keep you on a set of bits for a lot of years. I don't usually pilot with a resharpened bit, they will walk a tad in most cases. Heat kills! Keep the pressure high and the speed down. And I totally agree on the tap magic.

[harlyalice]

Helpful thread.

[Architect-1]

Tap magic

I have had the same set of bits for years. Drill doctor to sharpen and the best cutting fluid around. Tap magic. American company!

[justracn15]

The drill itself isn't the most important part. Knowing how to keep them sharp and how to use them properly is the trick!

[tommy2069]

I still am using a set of kobalt bits I bought 5 years ago.the day I bought them I also bought a drill bit dr bit sharpener .I paid 50.00 for the sharpener and sinse then it has paid for itself 100 times over.

[jenfour6]

What drill bits are best to get if you are drilling metal ? I've seen Titanium, Zirconium Nitride, Cobalt, H.S.S. Some indicate "high speed", some are coated with the above metals only. I do know that some are much more expensive and stay sharp longer than others but I have no idea what type they are. Is price the only deciding factor ?

JCB

Carbide-tipped bits are generally the most expensive but they are supposed to stay sharper the longest, more so than the titanium H.S.S and the others.

[@cvmechanical]

What are the best drill bits

I use the Walter SST bits, they're the best bits I've used in my 28 years.

[cognoscentik9]

RAPID TAP is my cutting fluid of choice!

[GB2]

I have a set of Bad Dog Bits, which are like nothing else and are guaranteed for life. Watch how they work:

https://baddogtools.com/Bad-Dog-Drill-Bits.html

I also have the Bad Dog Biter tool, which works great for what it does. I must say I don't use it very often but when I need it there is nothing else like it.

[jdj90]

We use nothing but Milwaukee bits in the shop. They are great but it really sucks if you break one because they aren't cheap.

[AKweldshop]

turbomax

those turbomax bits cut like butter in soft mild steel

[Lockman1]

The most use full video I have seen is "The ultimate guide to drill bits" on You Tube. It covers all drill bits from HSS, Cobalt, and Carbide.

[jcb]

Thanks for all your advice. I went to my shop and sharpened my bits instead of getting new ones. I was careful with the angle using a stationary belt sander with a fine grit. I slowed the speed down on my drill press and cut through a piece of 1/2 '' steel like nothing with a 1/4 '' bit.. A bit that I had baught in 1992 and until today would have barely gone through wood.

Thanks again ....JC