What is the Right Drill Bit for the Project?

So you’ve decided on your perfect drill, now you need to know what are the best drill bits? You would be surprised how many people use the wrong drill bit.

Firstly, you’ll need to know what type of drill bit fits in your drill. This could be SDS (Slotted drill shank) drill bits or normal drill bits (which most drills will take). Your drill will state this within the specification and won’t be too difficult to work out. Once you know that we need to consider what you will be doing with your drill, in order to decide on the right drill bits. Below is a handy guide, which will explain what each type of drill bit is for.

Brad Point Drill Bits

These are for drilling wood. They have a point which sticks out from the cutting edges, which helps keep the drill on course when starting a hole. It also makes the hole very accurate as you can place the point in the center and it will remain there. The cutting edges on brad point drill bits are sharp and leave very neat holes.

Spade Drill Bits 

These are designed for drilling larger rough holes in wood. They also have a point on the end making the position of the hole accurate. Their design means that the hole is drilled quickly, but also leaves splintering on both the entrance of the hole and the exit. These are ideal threading cables, wires or pipes through wood, where they aren’t visible.

Masonry Drill Bits 

As the name states, these are for drilling masonry or any other high-density material such as concrete. The decent quality masonry bits have a tungsten carbide tip and a steel shaft, so the tip doesn’t go blunt so quick and the shaft withstands the pressure exerted upon it. These are available for both SDS compatible drills and normal drills.

HSS Drill Bits

These are primarily for metal but can be used on the hardwood. HSS stands for High-Speed Steel. They’re heat resistant and very, very hard in order to drill through metal.

Countersink Drill Bits

These are like the name says, for countersinking holes in wood. They allow you to drill a pocket in the surface of the wood, which the head of a screw can sit in and then be flush with or beneath the surface of the wood, rather than protruding from it.

Hole Saw Drill Bits

These are made up of several bits. First, there will be a normal twist bit or Brad Point bit and then a circular saw ring with serrated teeth. These are connected with a nut which tightens to the thread on the shaft of the drill bit. These are used for drilling large circular holes in wood and are ideal for threading thick pipes through the wood.

A Drill Bit for Every Occasion

As you can tell, there are many types of drill bits that may be needed during your project. Knowing what type of drill bit is used for each specific jobs is important but actually HAVING the drill bits you need is what will get the job done. Hammacher Schlemmer has a toolbox with every drill bit that you may need whether working with different types of wood, concrete, brick, or any metal. 300 drill bits to be exact! This really comes in handy because when you are working on a project, you may need a combination of all types of drill bits to get the job done. 

What is Included in the Hammacher Schlemmer Bit Box:

• 66 high-speed steel twist drill bits (HSS)
• 50 HHS drill bits from 3/64″ to 1/2″
• 10 nut drivers from 5/32″ to 1/2″
• 33 50 mm screwdriver bit (slotted, Phillips, POZI, star, hex, and square)
• 55 25mm screwdriver bit (slotted, Phillips, POZI, star, hex, metric HEX, and square)
• 33 wood boring drill bits from 5/32″ to 1/2″
• 5 flat wood bits from 1/2″ to 1-1/4″
• 4 300 mm flat wood bits from 5/16″ to 9/16″
• 3 300mm masonry drill bits from 5/16″ to 1/2″
• 21 masonry drill bits from 5/32″ to 1/2″
• 4 nail punch from 1/32″ to 4/32″
• 4 drill stoppers from 1/8″ to 3/8″
• bit holder
• 1/2″ counter sink 
• allen wrench (2.5mm)
• drill gauge
• 4 hole saws
• hole saw mandrel
• screw finders

Before you start your next project, make sure you check out the Hammacher Schlemmer “Bit for every Occasion” toolbox!