Carbon Steel– This material provides a drill bit with better durability and hardness, therefore increasing the life of the bit. It also helps in retaining drilling lubricants for longer and is most suitable when drilling iron and steel. Over the course of his decades-long career, Bob Vila has helped millions of people build, renovate, repair, and live better each day—a tradition that continues today with expert yet accessible home advice. Long drill bits are not as durable as shorter bits due to the amount of torque needed to rotate longer bits.

The raised center point didn’t get in the way when we sharpened the edges of the bit point, but sharpening the center of the point was more challenging.These HSS-Co Extreme drill bits can make light work of various sheet metals, as well as wood and plastics, but they are especially good at tackling stainless steel and are an essential addition for anyone using a drill. Still, functionally speaking, we doubt that anyone would know the difference if we replaced some of their Irwin cobalt drill bits with these. The Heller 177351 6 Piece cobalt Drill Bit Set is designed for drilling High alloy steel and Stainless Steel. While most of the other bits did a pretty good job, the Milwaukee bits bit into the stainless steel noticeably faster. Cobalt Steel– The cobalt content increases the strength of the bit and aids in the resistance to heat and friction, so it can be used for more stubborn materials.

A pilot point makes it much easier to get started and eliminates the need for a separate pilot hole. This is to ensure clean and accurate holes and at the same time cutting down on lock-up on breakthrough.We also really liked the 3-flat shank that made these bits fast and easy to assemble into the drill chuck. Overall though, we really liked the split-point tip and 3-flat shank for secure chucking, smooth drilling, and easy sharpening. Strong central core with tapered web that greatly reduces breakage and no walk tip for easy positioning on curved surfaces. Based on your inputs, the builder will deliver a pdf list with images, descriptions, SKUs and quantities.