I have talked about multi-material and multi-construction drill bits before, but this new Makita drill bit set is somewhat different.
Yes, it’s a multi-material drill bit set, but that’s because it comes with 3 sets of drill bits, each separately suited for drilling in wood, metal, and masonry materials.
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While I really don’t know which are the most frequently used small-diameter twist drill bit sizes, 3/16″, 1/4″, and 5/16″ are incredibly commonplace, especially when talking about things like wall anchors.
The product description describes these bits as being ideal for common household and DIYer drilling needs, which is unusual given Makita’s we make tools for pro’s stance. But it also looks like these might be imported from Europe, since I couldn’t find any USA mention of them outside of Amazon.
You get 3/16″, 1/4″, and 5/16″ sizes in the following styles:
- TiN-coated HSS for drilling metal
- Tungsten carbide-tipped for drilling in masonry materials with a hammer drill
- Brad point for cleaner drilling in wood
While I like being able to pick and choose from among different drill bit brands, I can see the appeal of this Makita set. It really does give you drill-almost-anything functionality.
I suppose that the masonry materials should cover most small anchor sizes, the brad point bits should cover common dowel sizes, and the metal bits round out the set.
This set isn’t for everyone, and I’d probably buy larger material-focused sets for my own use, but I think we can all agree that this set looks extremely convenient.
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Price: $18
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fred
It looks like the Makita marketing gurus have been thinking. This set may have some appeal – as you say – and might engender some extra sales. Hopefully the bits are of decent quality – as there seem to be lots of TiN coated twist drills from China that can’t cut worth a darn.
I had a neighbor struggling to drill a couple of 1/4 inch holes in a boat trailer. His shiny new TiN bit was going nowhere fast – so I went and grabbed a drill index with mostly Cleveland bits in it. I apologized in advance if the 1/4 bit would not cut – saying he might have work-hardened the drill spot – but the old (but sharpened) Cleveland bit drilled both holes in under a minute.
Adam
If the set originated in Europe, it would be metric…….no?
Stuart
There are metric and inch sets. This is the inch set. The saw a separate metric set available at overseas dealers.
Drew M
Shame the “metal” bits are TiN coated.
mike aka Fazzman
Tin coatings on drills kinda suck for metals,good ole black oxide is way better. Personally as a machinist when i see drills supposedly for metals from contractor tool manufactures I gotta cringe.
fred
I always wondered about coatings in general. I recall when TiN coatings started showing up on some to the end mills and reamers we were buying. Then we had folks pushing alternative coatings with Aluminum or maybe Carbon in the mix . I think we were told that we’d get superior tool life from some of these – because of better lubricity or heat/corrosion resistance. It always seemed like we were doing apples and oranges comparisons – since we mostly did one off jobs – not big production runs so it was hard to get statistically valid comparisons. I do recall one of the machinists saying he like one type better for milling cast iron – but I can’t remember which coating or brand it was.
Drew M
TiN is particularly bad for use on aluminum as the two like to bond to each other which can ruin the bit. Copious amounts of flood coolant can mitigate this but honestly, what home gamer uses flood coolant.
IMHO, general purpose “metal” bits should be either plain or TiCN.
mike aka Fazzman
Cast iron can be a pain thats for sure,and its horribly messy.
In CNC stuff yeah coatings do make a difference because you generally have the HP and such to make the coatings do there job instead of just rubbing the coating off. We use alot of crazy tooling in the shop,but for standard drill bits if its not a Cobalt drill,its black oxide for metals except aluminum which you use a shiny drill.
With a hand drill,you honestly cant go fast enough for the coatings to matter much,its more a clever marketing strategy. You’re better off using some cutting oil,beeswax,or dry lube. Most folks dont use drill bits properly for the material type too.
The wood drills in that kit look really nice,I wouldnt mind trying some of those, the brad point on it looks better than most. The masonry bits remind me alot of spade drills.
MT_Noob
Throw in some 1/8 bits for piloting and I would jump on this set.
Brian
feels like a pink hammer to me…
for a person that can suffice with only 3 drill bit sizes, I doubt they would find themselves drilling much masonry… and they’d probably be content to use a metal drill bit in wood…. Which begs the question, why not get a generic set of wood/metal bits in 9 different sizes rather than getting 3 redundant sizes?
Boris
I’ve got this exact set about 10 years ago. It came inside wired hammer drill set. Bits seem to be a good quality.
Hang Fire
I can’t find a source for it, but I seem to recall that 1/8″ bits are the most commonly sold size, in the USA anyway.
Stuart
Found it!
My post https://14cyiuhvcgv.com/caution-cheap-drill-bit-sets/%3C/a%3E , led me back to this post http://www.bridgecitytools.com/blog/2010/10/25/5-for-a-18-twist-drill-only-in-america/ , which says that:
1/8″, 1/4″, 3/8″ and 1/2″ are the most popular drill bit sizes.
Logan
Always a hater on imported bits, but if they’re TiN coated HSS, the metal bits might be worth a damn.
HSS bits, properly made, are the best choice for steel in my experience. If these bits are of good quality HSS, and have that coating, they should be very good, if not outright excellent. Considering the bits many tool manufacturers put out as accessories, though, these will likely be junk, though their makeup hints at something good. If it’s a Chinese set, then it will be garbage.
I am, though, used to the coating being applied to pot metal steel mixes for cheap trash bits. Time will tell!