[mioduz]

I am by no means a machinist. But I have a BF20 Mill on the way next week and its time I start tooling up. Ive worked with a lot of drill bits and found out why not to buy the cheapest Harbor freight had to offer.
Is there any suggestion on a good set of drill bits that are reasonably priced. I would like a master set with all 115 bits typical in a letter, number, and fractional set.
I drill through a lot of steel and aluminum. I am looking to be under $200 for the set, but if i get alot more for the money i will spend more. What do you recommend?

Currently These are the sets I am looking at:
115-Piece Production Grade Jobber Drill Set (USA)

McMaster-Carr

[TarHeelTom]

My personal preference is a box of numbered and a box of lettered. This is just to save space in the work area, which is cramped. YMMV

I drill a lot of aluminum, and the black oxide work fine for that.

But I also, on occasion, drill some much harder steel. Actually, a lot of this seems to be used in places where it just doesn't make any sense. You can melt down a HSS drill bit in nothing flat in this kind of stuff.

So, I buy either the odd carbide bit or the fancy plated bit for this, but not a full set. Oddly enough, many times you can drill a smaller hole with the carbide, then drill it out to the final size with a HSS bit. So, you need a cigar box or plastic box to hold all those oddball bits, for which you don't have a case.

My local cutting tool shop has small "sandwich" type bags which are perfect for hold one or more odd bits of a size, and can be marked with a marker.

I find that I use a few certain size drill bits much more, so buy them 3 or 5 at a time, and keep the extras in one of the sandwich bags, in the cigar box.

Tom

[691175002]

I'm looking into buying a set of split point screw machine drills:
Enco - Guaranteed Lowest Prices on Machinery, Tools and Shop Supplies

Unless you need the longer bits, screw machine drills will be more rigid and the split point means it wont wander so the center drill can be skipped. Should save a lot of time and be more accurate than what I currently use.

It is also a smaller issue but I strongly prefer sets that come in three separate cases over the one large box. I didn't realize it until I had used both but it is easier and takes less space when the sets are separate.

I currently have an import set and they do everything I ask although they aren't particularly accurate.

[Delw]

Buy quality drills as you need them, your just wasting your money and time buying them in a set and your getting junk.

go with chicago drills buy a pack every time you need a certain size. you will add them up quickly, some tooling supply house will break open packs for you.

I get all my drills/endmills through the tool crib in phoenix AZ I can buy 1pc or full packs.
these are not junk toolng and the endmills are garr which are top quality.
The cheap **** will cost you more in the long run then quality and the quality ones are not that much more.


Delw

[Mcgyver]

The precision twist drill sets so many carry are decent quality at a reasonable price

Buy quality drills as you need them, your just wasting your money and time buying them in a set and your getting junk.

I agree buy quality, but that's baloney saying you're wasting your time if its a set, there's junk sets and quality sets. My dormers in a set were not a waste of money.
I like separate index vs one one of those mega sets, easier to handle.

[Delw]

The precision twist drill sets so many carry are decent quality at a reasonable price




I agree buy quality, but that's baloney saying you're wasting your time if its a set, there's junk sets and quality sets. My dormers in a set were not a waste of money.
I like separate index vs one one of those mega sets, easier to handle.

The "set" refered to the garbage that "ENCO" and these other chinese wannabe sets sells

[Mcgyver]

The "set" refered to the garbage that "ENCO" and these other chinese wannabe sets sells

you should say that then, my mind reading was a little off today

[LUCKY13]

The Little Machine Shop has sets that are USA made, they also have the imports but they list which is which.

AS far as Enco if you look they also have about 12 different brands which you can pick the level of quality you want.


LMS I really like, they tend to find quality stuff and even in there import brands they seem to get the higher end of stuff than the real cheapy brands. They also have the small kits or the complete ones.


ANyway it is better to get good bits even if you do have to build up a set a little at a time. The real small bits it is good to get extra or packs if you do use then a lot because no matter how good you will break one from time to time.

Being able to sharpen you bits is well worth investing in also.
I find very nice bits at yard sales that might just need sharpening or not. There is no doute that a lot of money can be spent in tools such as bits and cutters and being able to sharpen them will pay for itself in time.


Jess