Best Drill Bit Sets For 2024 (2024)

FAQs

Which is better M35 or M42 cobalt? ›

M35 has excellent resistance to abrasion and very good red-hardness for working difficult materials. M42 “Super Cobalt” is American made premium cobalt material used for higher performance ITM cobalt drill bits. M42 has the best resistance to abrasion and red-hardness.

Number drill bit gauge sizes range from size 80 (the smallest) to size 1 (the largest) followed by letter gauge size A (the smallest) to size Z (the largest). Although the ASME B94. 11M twist drill standard, for example, lists sizes as small as size 97, sizes smaller than 80 are rarely encountered in practice.

Carbide bits are the strongest drill bits material and can cut through hardened steel. But if they are not available, titanium and cobalt drill bits can also be used. However, drilling with either of these bits will take longer than drilling with a carbide drill bit.

Carbide is the strongest drill bit for metal and is typically reserved for professional-grade tools. Black Oxide is a coating added to HSS drill bits that helps reduce friction and speed up drilling through hard metals.

A twist bit is the most common type of drill bit for home use. It works for general-purpose drilling in wood, plastic and light metal.

If you're looking for a nice, clean hole presentable for finished work, you'll probably want to use a Forstner bit. On the occasion that you need to drill a hole for larger pipes or ductwork, you'll need to use a hole saw, because wood-boring bits like the ones I tested max out at around 1-1⁄4 in. to 1-1⁄2 in.

Cobalt drill bits make for optimal high-temperature applications and offer extreme durability. Cobalt drill bits can work longer without cutting fluids or cooldown periods, cutting through materials including cast iron, titanium, bronze, and stainless steel.

An M42 (8% cobalt) drill bit will drill harder metals however will also be more prone to breakage due to its inceased brittleness. M42 cobalt drill bits are best suited to use in a pedestal drill where direction of drilling is controlled better than a hand drill.

Cobalt is stronger than HSS, making it better for heavy duty drilling applications with a more rapid high-speed endurance. Cobalt also offers the advantage of being more heat resistant over standard HSS, allowing for longer running time performance when undertaking any drilling activity.

Not only does carbide provide cutting speeds at least four to eight times that of cobalt, but far higher feedrates as well. And because carbide drills also support a feature unavailable with their cobalt cousins—coolant through-the-tool—there's no need to peck.

Is cobalt better than titanium? ›

As mentioned in the detailing of cobalt and titanium's scratch resistance, both metals have a similar hardness. But it was noted that cobalt was just a bit harder than titanium. As a result, it is able to have a much higher polish applied.

Titanium drill bits are high-speed steel bits (HSS) that have a titanium black oxide coating. They are very hard, and corrosion-resistant. They last much longer than regular high-speed steel drill bits, and they are good for cutting through any metal, including sheet metal.

Having a bit break in the middle of a project can ruin your material (or even your drill). Cheap bits increase the chance of ending up with jagged holes, stuck bits or bits that go dull very quickly. Quality bits on the other hand may cost a little more in some cases.