Multi-material drill bits?

[blackrose]

I just bought a new drill from Screwfix http://www.screwfix.com/p/bosch-gsb-1800-18v-2-0ah-li-ion-cordless-combi-drill/7649hand it came with a small set of drill bits. At first I thought they were masonry bits and wasn't going to bother with them, but then I saw that they were labelled "multi-material".

 

I've never come across these sort of drill bits before - are they any good on steel?

 

 

 

 

 

[W+T]

What does it say is `Multi material` though. a cutting edge for steel is different from masonry. i cant see it doing both.

 

are these them

 

http://www.screwfix.com/p/bosch-multipurpose-drill-bit-set-4pcs/95958

 

syas it all, worth just a go with them to see.

Edited January 31, 2016 by W+T

[Alan de Enfield]

There is a TV-Shop advert on the shopping channels for similar rill bits.

 

The demonstrate by drilling bricks, concrete, reinforced concrete, wood, glass, tiles and then Brake discs ( apparently very hard stuff) then back to tiles etc etc.

 

They look amazing and I've often been tempted but never got around to picking up the phone

 

http://www.drillalldrillbits.com/

[W+T]

With these things i think always how long will they last, not many folk need to drill all materials. Price isnt to bad but still, how long will they last is my question and can they be sharpened, for some reason i doubt very much..

[RLWP]

There is a TV-Shop advert on the shopping channels for similar rill bits.

 

The demonstrate by drilling bricks, concrete, reinforced concrete, wood, glass, tiles and then Brake discs ( apparently very hard stuff) then back to tiles etc etc.

 

They look amazing and I've often been tempted but never got around to picking up the phone

 

http://www.drillalldrillbits.com/

Brake discs are generally good quality cast iron. Lovely stuff to machine and definitely not hard

 

Richard

[the barnacle]

i use similar that are great for all materials to a degree when new but once they loose their edge they are just good for blockwork or tile - but you can re sharpen the carbide tip on a Cubic Boron Nitride grinding wheel or similar, saying that even when new i dont use them on steel, this is the ones i use - http://www.irwin.com/tools/drill-bits/multi-material-jobber-length-bits

[W+T]

i use similar that are great for all materials to a degree when new but once they loose their edge they are just good for blockwork or tile - but you can re sharpen the carbide tip on a Cubic Boron Nitride grinding wheel or similar, saying that even when new i dont use them on steel, this is the ones i use - http://www.irwin.com/tools/drill-bits/multi-material-jobber-length-bits

 

 

They look different Steve, able to sharpen them as to the Bosch .

[blackrose]

What does it say is `Multi material` though. a cutting edge for steel is different from masonry. i cant see it doing both.

 

are these them

 

http://www.screwfix.com/p/bosch-multipurpose-drill-bit-set-4pcs/95958

 

syas it all, worth just a go with them to see.

 

Not sure if they are the same ones. There's a picture of the ones I have in the link I originally posted.

 

They look like masonry bits but the pack says they're ok for 1 - 5 mm metal.

[Steilsteven]

I have a set of similar ones that I bought from Ideal Homes on TV some yeas ago.

They do cut steel but quite slowly. I found them particularly useful when I was still working, there was more than one occasion when I needed to drill through wood and steel or masonry and steel.

 

Keith

[kingswood]

look like masonary bits to me

[George94]

I first came across these at the Ideal Home Exhibition, around 40 years ago. There was a chap demonstrating them, and showed one drilling through a thick metal file, which turned red-hot and almost melted. He was using a bench drill and a lot of force.

 

So I bought a set. They work OK, especially in stone or concrete, but a decent set of (expensive) modern metal drills work much more quickly on steel or iron.

 

As with all multi-purpose devices, they are a Jack of All Trades. I wouldn't buy them again.

 

Also, I worry what I am doing to the life of my drill when I have to use a lot of pressure.

[RLWP]

showed one drilling through a thick metal file, which turned red-hot and almost melted.

 

That would explain it! Getting it that hot would draw the temper out of a file bringing it down to ordinary carbon steel - which you can saw, drill and file with normal tools

 

Richard

[blackrose]

Thanks, I'll just keep them as a back up.

[Phil Ambrose]

 

That would explain it! Getting it that hot would draw the temper out of a file bringing it down to ordinary carbon steel - which you can saw, drill and file with normal tools

 

Richard

Reminds me of "get you out of trouble" drills when I was an apprentice they were Stellite drills and would drill any hardened steel. They were run st extreme speed and maximum pressure, triangular in form and did in fact melt a hole through the workpiece, later we would use a spark eroder.

Phil

[RLWP]

Thanks, I'll just keep them as a back up.

 

I'd try them on something. Maybe they work really well

 

Richard

[Chewbacka]

I use cobalt drills from toolstation, they are very fast in steel, but you MUST use coolant/lube with them otherwise they are ruined.

[blackrose]

 

I'd try them on something. Maybe they work really well

 

Richard

 

I'll try them with my new Bosch drill - once I find some bits of scrap steel.

 

I just hope these Li-on batteries on the new Bosch are better than the Ni-cad ones I had on my DeWalt. I ended up giving away a perfectly good DeWalt drill yesterday because the batteries only lasted 2 mins. He's on a GRP broads cruiser and he only has a mains drill so it may be useful for him. I could have bought a couple of replacement Ni-cad batteries for about forty quid from ebay but I didn't really see the point if they'e going to do the same thing and die after a year. It's just throwing away good money after bad.

Edited February 1, 2016 by blackrose

[WotEver]

 

I just hope these Li-on batteries on the new Bosch are better than the Ni-cad ones I had on my DeWalt. I ended up giving away a perfectly good DeWalt drill yesterday because the batteries only lasted 2 mins. He's on a GRP broads cruiser and he only has a mains drill so it may be useful for him. I could have bought a couple of replacement Ni-cad batteries for about forty quid from ebay but I didn't really see the point if they'e going to do the same thing and die after a year. It's just throwing away good money after bad.

Odd that. I wonder why some NiCads die early and some don't. I have 6 DeWalt NiCads and at least 2 of them are 10 years old and still work for about 20 minutes drilling/sanding/screwing.

 

Tony

[George94]

Odd that. I wonder why some NiCads die early and some don't. I have 6 DeWalt NiCads and at least 2 of them are 10 years old and still work for about 20 minutes drilling/sanding/screwing.

 

Tony

 

I have one of the earliest Makita drills ever made. I won't say the batteries last for hours, but they last long enough for most jobs.

 

It's mainly used as a screw-driver, with the modern Makita doing the drilling.

[jacko264]

I bought a long 10mm drill bit to drill 150mm thick wood like the ones you are showing and it was not very good it did the job but hard work

next time i need a drill i will buy the right drill bit for the job

graham

[HappyDayz]

i do use a drill/s professionally installing security equipment, some multi bits are very brittle and will shatter like glass if dropped on a hard serface. i bought a set from a motorbike show, in a nice metal case and shafts had proper hex ends. on seeing the demo they were to be the goto set for harder work like drilling marble (not good idea to put drill on hammer).

 

1st job out my son used the smallest drill to drill a roller shutter foot plate, burnt the thing clean out - no tip left, this when you find out you have to return the bit, they send you a new one for 'free' then charge astronomic return postag and insurrance.

 

handiest drill bit is called a stepper drill, come in a set of three sizes, ideal for gradually increasing the hole if you not sure,, you can also get a chamferred version that has no steps.

 

i too had the very early makita 9.6 volt battery drill, no hammer just a keyed chuck ideal for light work and quite powerful. i now have the two drill kit where one is a driver and rpthe other an impact driver (neither have hammer action). if you have never used an impact scredrver get one, it's like having tripple the power.

 

The action literally taps the shaft round when it hits ressistance, similar to garage air wheel wrenches, this reduces the tendancy to mess up the screw and bits.

 

For drilling fixings in hard material like lintels and pre-cast concrete an sds puenumatic drill is hard to beat, but a brilliant tool is the Boshe EON, it has a mini sds action, can accept hex shaft tool bits and drills, has it's own masonary bits and can accept hex masonary bits - a truly versatile drill.

 

Alan

[raymondh]

I have used these

http://www.screwfix.com/p/bosch-multipurpose-drill-bit-set-4pcs/95958

And found they do as it says on the box

Dilled through hardened stainless steel when other drills would not and then used on wood and brick

Hole not drilled to exact dia but better than no hole

Ray

[SUIGENERIS]

I have never retired my old battery drills because the batteries have expired, I wire them up to crocodile clips and use them off the boat's battery bank. Even have a small motorcycle battery that can be carried about when I need them away from the permanent source.

 

Cheers. Mick