A couple of weeks ago, Altan mentioned that there were new Dewalt Extreme Tri-Flute drill bits coming out in the UK and Europe.
The new Dewalt Extreme Tri-Flute drill bits feature a 1/4″ hex shank, screw tip for self-feeding, cutting spars for cleaner and faster holes and extended drilling life, and 3 cutting edges for optimum chip removal.
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Is it just me, or do the new Dewalt EXTREME drill bits look very familiar?
Speaking as someone who buys the Irwin bits on occasion, I wouldn’t mind giving the Dewalt version a try. The blue coating on Irwin spade bits usually wears away quite quickly anyway, at least in my experience, and so is there any disadvantage to the seemingly uncoated Dewalt bits?
See Also(Irwin Speedbor Drill Bits via Amazon)
For something like this, do you have a preference for Dewalt black or Irwin blue? Assuming of course that these are the same. Or would you go with a different brand’s auger-style drill bits?
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Frank D
Looks exactly like some of the speedbore ones in my drill box …
Joseph Unson
Irwin Tools are made by Dewalt and owned by Stanley Black & Decker.
Stuart
Exactly.
William
Not being a contractor, I’m satisfied with spade bits.
Curious, what are the advantages with this style of bit? Is it faster and cleaner?
Carlos
These bits typically bore out the hole in wood rafters with it’s edge as you are holding the drill into the task while the tips of these bits actually pulls the bit into the wood as you are drilling into the material.
A superior design & effective.
Chris
For the average DIY-er, their isn’t enough of a difference to justify buying them.
The longer flutes help evacuate waste from deeper bored holes.
To get similar performance and for a better price point, go with the Bosch daredevil spade bits. They have an aggressive self feeding tip and the price is right. Once you use one, you will never want to use a regular spade bit again.
Jason. W
A plain spade bit is nice when your not trying to drill all the way through something. The self feeding aspect of the Bosch Daredevil bits make this difficult. Other then that, Daredevil all the way.
Altan
It depends how many holes you are going to make a day, plus the budget, Longer flutes helps to evacuate waste from deeper holes but makes the drill bits heavier also, some brands do the flutes longer that these even.
Big Richard
However, the self feeding screw tip on these, or the Bosch Daredevil spade bits, can crack your work piece if it is thinner wood. Just something to keep in mind.
Altan
Yes, 100%. these are good mostly for electricians to drill joists.
Adam
Faster yes, cleaner no. You also usually need a more powerful drill or impact for them as well
Altan
A bit cleaner, not too much, they both destroy the wood on the other side of the hole, for clean holes you need holesaws, DeWALT Makes them with Carbide teeth, but not with hex shank
fred
Woodworkers and furniture builders have produced clean holes for hundreds of years without resort to hole saws. In fact hole saws produce a somewhat rougher cut than a Forstner bit (a somewhat modern invention). Chairmakers traditionally used spoon bits for drilling blind holes – before the advent of the Forstner bit. A spoon bit produces a rounded bottom hole – not flat like a Forstner. When using an auger bit – like a Russell-Jennings pattern one – you can either take it easy as you break through the wood – or better yet back up the hole with a piece of scrap wood. Chucked in a brace bit – and driven by hand – you can (perhaps) exercise better control versus powered drilling.
Altan
I agree, Forstner bits make even cleaner holes, they have made TCT version of Forstner bits (FAMAG), Fisch does them with 1/4 hex shanks, I wish they will make TCT ones with hex shank, but Forstner bits consume more battery as they grind the whole hole, but holesaws just grind the edge of the hole, too much difference in wood waste mess also. I have not heard of spoon bits, interesting, I have seen Slot drill bits for wood made by Fisch or ENT (both Austrian brands) to make fully flat bottom holes as Forstner bits leave a little lower point at the centre. I don’t buy them as they are not with E6.3 hex shank, I am a hex shankolic. Is there any spoon bit available now?
fred
Spoon bits that I know of – are for hand use. They come with a tang suitable for chucking in a hand brace. Lee Valley (Canada) is one source:
http://www.leevalley.com/us/wood/page.aspx?p=57713&cat=1,180,42337&ap=1
fred
Here is a UK source:
https://www.oldtoolstore.co.uk/chairmakers-spoon-bits-clico-260-parallel-series-4916-p.asp
Altan
Thanks, they look quite well made and they are not expensive. I wonder if I turn the shank to hex shank and use it with cordless drill it is going to be OK or not.
Altan
These are good drill bits, much faster than Flat bits which you Americans call it Spade bits, much cleaner depending on the brand. Irwin has BiM version of these Tri Flute Auger bits, they call them nail proof, but smaller sizes come with 1/4″ hex shank and big sizes are with 8mm ( I think) hex shank, but as soon as you get used to them you will abuse and destroy them also 🙂 I would advise to get one of those credit card looking diamond files that Trend makes and always have it in your pocket!
fred
Just a little tool history – aka everything old is new again :
At one time carpenters and other tradesmen used a “cordless” drill called a “bit brace” to drill larger holes in wood. This tool used muscle power to crank an auger bit into the wood – and spiral flutes to clear the chips. Companies like Stanley and Millers Falls made the bit braces and auger bits. Probably the best in class bit brace was made by North Brothers in Philadelphia – and theirs was a standard for telephone lineman. North Bros was acquired by Stanley in 1946. Possibly the best – cleanest cutting auger bits were made by Russell Jennings – but their pattern was slow cutting. Enter a new startup company Irwin that bought the rights (from a blacksmith) for a new pattern (solid center) auger bit that was faster cutting and stronger in tough wood. Russell Jennings was acquired by Stanley. Irwin too got acquired (from Newell) by Stanley – and now one style of their bits (that Stuart pictures above) seem to have been rebadged (possibly modified somewhat) as Dewalt. Dewalt – a company that once produced only Radial Arm Saws – is of course now one of Stanley’s (SBD) flagship brands.
Jim Felt
So basically Walmart or Amazon or China, Inc. will one day own every single design patent. One way or another.
;-)~
fred
Or perhaps to paraphrase a classic Humphrey Bogart movie – the world may become a place where this is heard:
Patents? We ain’t got no patents! We don’t need no patents! I don’t have to show you no stinking patents!
Altan
Even if now it is like that, you and me are not going to know that. We don’t know if these big brands have some sort of agreements between themselves to just look competitor! Lots of tools made by DeWALT, Makita, Milwaukee and others have similar designs, kind of they are all designed at the same place with a bit of modification. Also in some countries Makita is more promoted and in some other countries like US and UK DeWALT is more marketed, kind of they have divided the countries also 🙂
Farid
The polished edges and shaft take longer to manufacture, so there is some cost cutting. I would think the polished edges would also produce less friction.
A local auction whorehouse that deals mostly with overstock and returns from major retailers like HD and Amazon had several auctions almost exclusively filled with the Irwin Speedbor bits (new packs).
I like using the Irwins for quick holes, especially when routing new wiring through joists. They work pretty fast. They don’t produce a clean hole though, and larger sizes put a lot of strain on the drill. I also have a set of Bosch self-feeding spade bits that produce cleaner holes, but work a little slower.
Mike47
Whorehouse? Really?
Stuart
I think he meant warehouse, but auto-correct took the liberty of guessing. One of the more amusing auto-correct flubs I’ve seen in comments so far.
Altan
I wish I can get rid of this auto corrector. I don’t claim I have a good knowledge of English Language but they make it look even worse…
Farid
Oh my!! Sorry about that. I meant warehouse.
Altan
I think most of the brands do these. coatings for a reason, Coated bits with a single use would show it has been used, but with non coated ones that is not the case, they try to avoid abuser customers with this policy
Stuart
Sometimes coatings are for branding, other times the coatings supposedly reduce friction and thus heating.
In my experience, coatings usually wear away quite fast where they would matter most, perhaps too fast to make a difference after the first cut.
Altan
Yes, but I have seen Snappy Auger bits that the old versions had silver shank and new ones have black coating on, if friction is the case as you said then coating should be on the tip , not on the shank!
Jo B
Good morning!
I frequently had electrical apprentices show up with the Speedbore bits and it irritated me because they’re not bits suitable for the job. They’re okay for drilling in cupboards, but not through dimensional lumber. Milwaukee HoleHawg bits, Greenlee Nailer Eater bits, etc. is what works best for dimensional lumber/nail-filled lumber. The apprentices frequently broke the shanks on the Speedbore bits if they were using a 20 volt HD drill. The steel was soft and needed to be sharpened lots which they struggled with too. Speedbore bits are best suited to homeowners and finishing carpenters.
Hilton
Yep I’m that guy. I bought a three pack to see what the hoo-hah was all about. Chucked the 1inch into my impact driver and promptly bent the shaft.
fred
My old Greenlee selfeed bits use lengths of 3/8 inch black iron pipe for extensions. Many modern selfeed and other auger bits are manufactured with a 7/16 hex shaft. Expecting that a 1/4 hex shaft is capable of sustaining the torque generated on a larger boring job is optimistic. I realize that the manufacture probably will say that with the proper feed rate and a light touch the 1/4 inch shaft should be fine – but once the bit gets stuck you may need lightning-fast reflexes to avoid an issue.
matty67
Maybe it’s because I don’t often hit nails or use the largest bits, but I’ve rarely had an issue with the Speedbor bits I’ve got. No, they’re not as durable as the Bosch Daredevil Augers I also like, but with extensions and other 1/4 inch pieces, they can also get holes into places that a straight 6/12/18″ auger can’t.
I don’t see the benefit to be drilling a 1″ hole for a single 14/2 Romex or 2 when a 3/4 will work just as well.
I only use cups for the really large stuff.
ca
I love the Irwins, but I find the 1/4″ hex shank is a little bit undersized for some of the larger sizes (I’ve broken a few).
Altan
I agree, but some brands like Irwin do the hex shank as 8mm or even larger, but then you can not use them with 1/4″ collet tools. When you use the larger diameters slow down a bit 🙂
Tator
These things are junk! Don’t pull through the wood glad I only bought a 1” bit to try. Back to the drawing board boys!!!
RKA
Wood owl bits are a good brand if you need something durable that will leave clean holes. They have a range of auger bits for different applications.
Jo B
I found that WoodOwl auger bits broke really easy – had to stop using them for electrical. They couldn’t handle nails like Milwaukee or Greenlee. My third choice was the Ideal Industries auger bits.
fred
Greenlee makes a line of ship auger bits that they call “Nail Eater”
Bosch make ones that they call “Nail Killer”
Perhaps others make ones that are supposedly nail resistant.
I can’t say that we tested any side by side to see if they live up to claims.
What I do – especially if working on old construction or using reclaimed wood is to use a metal detector wand (mine’s a Lumber Wizard) when I can. My experience is that most auger bits and nails (particularly old cut steel ones) don’t mix well.
RKA
Same with wood owl (nail chipper bit). I haven’t used them, but I wonder which bit Jo B had used.
fred
Wood Owl makes a bit they call “Overdrive” – looks a bit like these Dewalts – has a 1/4 hex shank – but comes with a brad point.
https://www.amazon.com/WoodOwl-00702-OverDrive-Boring-Cordless/dp/B01BK96M24
They also make these:
https://www.amazon.com/WoodOwl-09709-Tri-Cut-4-Inch-2-Inch/dp/B0009OAJRQ/
Altan
Wood Owl auger bits can be made of HCS and not good to touch metals, just wood, but they have nail chipper version also which probably are BiM and the tips are made of HSS.
ca
Bosch has good ship augers as well.
Altan
Yes, they are good, but they are something between Auger and Brad Point drill bits, they would not tear the wood as fast as Auger bits. Auger bits are good for quick job in joists that are going to be covered.
David Funk
Speed bores need high running torque and don’t work well in a impact driver. Just a heads up.
Corey Moore
I stick to Daredevil spades, or greenlee nail eaters in a hole shooter (joist drill). The last two times I found myself prewiring apartment buildings, I picked up Irwin’s speedbores, and both times I ended up flexing the shaft out on every other size. Heat was probably a factor, undoubtedly a drop or two caused a couple, but I still determined them unreliable for my heavy use. I’m sure they’d have greater longevity in a more limited use scenario, but in that application I’d still see spades as the better value, if you’re only occasionally needing to bore through something. I also wish Dewalt would stop with the haphazard naming of lines. Adding the E isn’t going to stop confusion with the 12v brand, and don’t get me started on how annoying it was to see Flexvolt branded consumables that fell right into obscurity like so many other Dewalt accessory revamps.
Altan
https://www.irwin.de/tools/drill-bits/blue-groove-power-wood-boring-bits
These are BiM, it seems they are discontinued but some sellers have still some old stock.
Altan
Hi Stuart
– It was not a couple weeks ago, I would say couple on months ago 🙂
– I think it was not UK, was Germany or Scandinavia.
– One day I would like to meet the guys who prepare the PDF catalogues for DeWALT in different countries. The impact rated HSS drill bits with E6.3 hex shank are produced from 3mm -13mm, but in UK catalogue some sizes are missed, in German catalogue size 13mm is missed, What is the meaning of this? Are Germans not allowed to drill holes with 13mm dia?! I really would like to know the answer, do you have a satisfying answer for me? I can give you thousands of examples like that,.
Recently I joined DeWALT Owners UK on Facebook and my membership did last approximately 15 hours! they kicked me out as they did not like that I was posting the tools DeWALT makes for US market only. People started to get angry and swear specially when they saw DCS356. I introduced toolguyd to them to get news about tools and brands. I have noticed when a brand releases a new tool first they introduce it to specific country/ countries and keep the other countries to finish the old stock previous models, otherwise if both models are going to be available at the same time most of the buyers would go for the newer model and that makes it difficult for the brands to sell the old versions unless they put them on sale. My business side tells me that they should find a way to solve that problem. I noticed it is not 21st century that we can see and read any information available online, somehow we are guided to have limited access to online data.
Stuart
~8 weeks ago. That still counts as a couple, right? Ok, it’s a reach.
https://14cyiuhvcgv.com/dewalt-xtreme-subcompact-series-of-cordless-power-tools-2019-launch-announcement/#comment-1239139%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E
I didn’t see it in the catalog (due to loading and scrolling times), your next link was to a UK retailer, and my search results then turned up UK sources.
Maybe “Europe” would have been better phrasing than UK.
Altan
Yes, you are right, I did send a UK link also, but the link for the catalogue was a Swedish link, I have not seen it in UK catalogue.
Altan
UK is not really Europe, actually is not part of the mainland Europe, Soon with the Brexit will be completely out of Europe, We can have a pointing system to import foreigners like Canada and Australia, I am a foreigner also but I am not happy with the policy that let’s anybody to get in without a control for qualifications in the country that I live, including people from where I come from, if anyone comes here to help to build the country is welcomed. I am not emotional about these things at all as I am always stressed even about the flat that I live in, that what I will do if a leak appears somewhere beneath the floor! Our building has been built by foreigners also and we had a lot of leak cases in recent years.
Stuart
Just because the UK are islands doesn’t mean they’re not part of Europe. Brexit will withdraw the UK from the EU, a political and economic entity. “Europe” is a geographical entity which the UK is a part of. Switzerland and Norway are considered part of Europe, but they’re not members of the European Union either. You might not want to consider the UK as part of Europe in a political context, but it’s part of Europe.
As for the rest of your comment, you are entitled to your opinions, but please avoid political topics. Geographical semantics are thing, but this is not the place for how you feel about immigration.
Altan
Thanks for reminding, I sometimes forget here is to discuss tools, sorry!
Altan
I also found a photo online that they produced Toughsystem tool boxes with Vidmar label, I was searching something else and that appeared, was a Vidmar version of DS400 with DeWALT tool boxes on the tough system trolley, I can not find the link anymore, even if you google, it does not come up, but I have saved a photo of it, I will email it to you.
Rami
Altan, you should check “DeWalt talk group” in FB. It is mainly a UK based group, but has members at least from US, Canada, Scandinavia and me, a Finn. I would say that at least 95% of members there seem to be nice folk.
Altan
They kicked me out of that group, my membership did last 15 hours just :))) The rule was to talk just about DeWALT and I did, but they did not like that I was posting about DeWALT tools that are made for US market only.
Altan
Another thing I wanted to mention is that if DeWALT can copy these bits from Irwin, then Irwin should be able to copy DeWALT Toughcase accessory cases to make them in blue colour, and Lenox in white colour,
Jo B
I really hope that NOBODY copies those cases. They shouldn’t be on the market, they’re so poorly built. We bought a dozen, extra-large cases, packed them to half the weight capacity and 5 broke in the first month (handles), and rest with-in 6 months. NEVER again. I strongly discourage anybody from buying DeWalt tool boxes. We bought Pelican cases and haven’t looked back. Love them!
Altan
I was not talking about tool boxes, I was talking about small tool accessory cases.
Jo B
Thank you for the clarification. I red your message wrong, and wanted to warn people about those extra-large cases.