What is a good all round drill bit set to own for all sorts of materials?

Question

I have a small set of masonry drill bits and a few wood ones but I would like to get some others, for different surfaces. What are my choices and what improvisations can I make?

Answer 1

What I like for a good all around set is the old fashioned high speed steel bits. They work well in most all materials and are cheap enough to replace when they become dull or damaged. Some of the more expensive bits are great for hard material like metal but they tend to wander badly in softer materials like wood. For sets, I have a 19 (18 bits and a case) piece set from Irwin that I use all the time. It is high speed steel and ranges from 1/16" to 1/2" (which accomodates the largest toggler I use) and sell for about $30.

For speciality bit, you already have some masonry bits which you can add sizes to as you need them, and a small set of spade bits. Spade bits are used for larger holes and you should get the ones with a spur at the outside of the bit for cleaner faster cutting. If you get serious about boring larger holes in things where appearance counts, consider Forsner bits, they cost about 10 times as much as spade bits but do a much better job, I am talking about makiing furniture.

Another category is extended or installers bits which are extra long, up to 18" and extensions for drilling all the way through walls and large beams. These can also come with a hole through the bit so you can pull wires back through the hole you just drilled.

Hole saws are more expensive and come in sizes from about 1" up to just about as large as you need. The largest I have is 4 1/8" I use to install dryer outlets. I have seen up to 8 1/4" used to install large pipes and conduits. These can be expensive, so I would recommend that you only purchase the ones you have an immediate need for.I should mention also that the arbors for hole saws tend to be brand specific, meaning that an arbor of one brand probably will not fit the hole saw of another brand.

This is a REALLY BASIC run down of boring tools. You can get a better idea from wandering through your local hardware store, home center or on line search of what is available and prices.

Answer 2

The best thing I can suggest is go to your local hardware store like Ace, Home Depot, Lowes, or even the small mom and pop owned store and look for multiple bit set. I have a 126 pc Black and Decker set I paid $45.00 for and it has everything I need from High Speed to Spade to Masonry to Wood to even Nut Drivers and Screw Bits such as Slotted, Phillips, Square, etc. You can also pick up a Hole Bit which is used for drilling holes in doors for Knobs and deadbolts as well as holes for running pipe or wires or whatever you need. In all plan on spending some money, however by doing so you save time. One more thing if your going to do A lot of drilling get a drill with at least a 14.4v battery or bigger I know it sounds funny but the bigger the better. Hope this helps

Answer 3

There were so many woodworking plans with this collection and you will not believe this but there are over thousands plans in the one package deal. Go here https://tr.im/QTFpq
This is really something to find that many all together. For someone like me who is just really starting to get involved with woodworking this was like letting me loose in a candy store and telling me I could have anything I wanted. That was my dream when I was a kid.

Answer 4

You also need a set of HSS (high speed steel). They will drill wood, steel, plastic, lead, etc etc.

Answer 5

I have had the best luck with Drill and Husky drill bitts .

Answer 6

Diamond. You can drill through anything and you'll never dull the bit.

Answer 7

Makita

Answer 8

I like to use carbide tip bits for everyday uses.