Best drill bit ever?

[WotEver]

19 minutes ago, Cheshire cat said:

Moving this conversation on, has anyone got recommendations regarding drill bits. I had some really nice Bosch cobalt ones that lasted ages but I don't seem to be able to find good replacements. 

I did a bulk buy from ebay for unbranded generic metal drills and half of them had a tip that wasn't centered. Appalling rubbish. 

 

I’ve had good results with the cobalt drills from Axminster. Not cheap but they’ll drill through 1/2” stainless without blinking. 

https://www.axminster.co.uk/19-piece-cobalt-hss-drill-bit-set-300282

Or fewer, for less...https://www.axminster.co.uk/10-piece-cobalt-hss-drill-bit-set-300284?utm_source=emarsys&utm_medium=web-recommendations&utm_campaign=emarsys-recommendations-home-page-personal

[WotEver]

Or individually https://www.axminster.co.uk/axminster-cobalt-hss-drill-bits-ax21744

[David Mack]

1 minute ago, WotEver said:

Or individually https://www.axminster.co.uk/axminster-cobalt-hss-drill-bits-ax21744

And two very different customer reviews!

[WotEver]

1 minute ago, David Mack said:

And two very different customer reviews!

Yup, and my experience echos the first. I wonder if the second reviewer was opening up an existing hole and causing the bit to catch instead of cutting its own hole. 

[rrt2]

Walked into the toolroom one night to see a Bridgeport mill being used to extract a broken stud. There was a centre drill rotating the "wrong" way.

Upon asking was told its a left hand one a bit blunt - no being a wise old apprentice my reply was oh yes along with the tartan paint, the rubber hammer and glass nails.

Upon further inspection it really was a left hander and you can buy them.

 

[WotEver]

4 hours ago, barry adams said:

Walked into the toolroom one night to see a Bridgeport mill being used to extract a broken stud. There was a centre drill rotating the "wrong" way.

Upon asking was told its a left hand one a bit blunt - no being a wise old apprentice my reply was oh yes along with the tartan paint, the rubber hammer and glass nails.

Upon further inspection it really was a left hander and you can buy them.

And when they’re not being used you no doubt hang them on sky hooks along with the long weights. 

[Cheshire cat]

Thanks for the suggestions. I shall go with the Axminster ones. They've got an outlet not too far away in Warrington. It's like walking into a sweetie shop. 

 

[WotEver]

52 minutes ago, Cheshire cat said:

It's like walking into a sweetie shop. 

Ain’t it just. I have one about a mile away and it’s next door to Screwfix, so whenever I have to pop out for a box of screws or whatever I have to be really disciplined not to pop in ‘just for a look’.

55 minutes ago, Cheshire cat said:

Thanks for the suggestions. I shall go with the Axminster ones. They've got an outlet not too far away...

Then if you do experience any problems I guess it’s easy to pop back and say “Ere!”

[Tony Brooks]

Not suggesting they are particularly good but I have found the cobalt drills from Toolstation OK. Maybe easier to find locally than Axminster.

[WotEver]

9 hours ago, Tony Brooks said:

Not suggesting they are particularly good but I have found the cobalt drills from Toolstation OK. Maybe easier to find locally than Axminster.

Good tip Tony. I didn’t even realise they sold them. I’m spoiled, I have a Screwfix & Axminster less than a mile away, Toolstation, Wickes, Jewsons, and proper builders merchants all about 2 miles away. B&Q is a bit of a run out at 8 miles away!

[Jess--]

On 25/04/2018 at 09:50, dor said:

I had a broken bolt on my bike once.  The guy in the workshop drilled a hole in the broken stud, then rather than using a stud extractor, hammered in a Torx bit.  Stud came out easily and the Torx bit was none the worse for the experience, although I expect they were better quality than the average bits on ebay.

I use a similar trick to undo rounded allen key headed bolts Torx really does seem to grab well

[Chewbacka]

43 minutes ago, WotEver said:

Good tip Tony. I didn’t even realise they sold them. I’m spoiled, I have a Screwfix & Axminster less than a mile away, Toolstation, Wickes, Jewsons, and proper builders merchants all about 2 miles away. B&Q is a bit of a run out at 8 miles away!

I like toolstation cobalt drills as well, but you MUST use coolant/lube otherwise they rapidly overheat and loose their edge

[Neil Smith]

7 minutes ago, Jess-- said:

I use a similar trick to undo rounded allen key headed bolts Torx really does seem to grab well

My mate works in a tyre shop and if a customer has lost his locking wheel nut tool he has a sort of female torx socket in various sizes that he hammers over the nut and unscrews it, they have to get a new nut after though.

Neil

[Tony Brooks]

50 minutes ago, Chewbacka said:

I like toolstation cobalt drills as well, but you MUST use coolant/lube otherwise they rapidly overheat and loose their edge

As I squirt them with a router cutting lubricant I have not had that problem.

[Cheshire cat]

That's probably what happened to Casper's original drill bit. No lubricant ?