Recommend me some GOOD drill bits

[Dog Star]

I used to have some Dormer cobalt drill bits. They were mad and just went through anything like butter, however they were stolen in a garage burglary.

I'm about to fit a towbar to my 159 and unlike normal cars this needs the holes drilling. So I need to get some new decent bits.

In an ideal world I'd buy this set ...
https://www.nestools.com/Products/Drill-Bit-Sets/0...

However I haven't got £316 plus the old VAT.

Any suggestions for something very good quality (for keen hobbyist use) that will last?

[droopsnoot]

I'm using a set of Halfords drill bits that I've used for years and keep sharpening - some of them are quite a bit shorter now. The thing with drills (as I'm sure you don't need me to tell you) is to use the appropriate speed - generally the larger the diameter, the slower you rotate. Some of my drill bits had the appropriate rotation speed on the packet. I got through a few 8mm spot weld drill bits before I realised.

[rxe]

I use the standard Dormer jobber drills. They're good, cheap, and you can get the small ones in boxes of 10 for when you snap them.

[biggiles]

UKDrills (has a website and ebay presence) has a good range from cheap to good.

Dormer are still one of the best. I would get a Dormer cobalt bit in the specific sizes you need for your towbar job. I only use the cobalt bits if I'm drilling a lot of metal holes, or it's thick metal, as it saves time. Otherwise a set of "normal" drill bits work ok. Look at a set of Dormer non-cobalt bits.

[Dog Star]

I've actually ordered this set, which looks great for the price.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00AXXTJY2/ref...

[Dog Star]

biggiles said:

UKDrills (has a website and ebay presence) has a good range from cheap to good.

Dormer are still one of the best. I would get a Dormer cobalt bit in the specific sizes you need for your towbar job. I only use the cobalt bits if I'm drilling a lot of metal holes, or it's thick metal, as it saves time. Otherwise a set of "normal" drill bits work ok. Look at a set of Dormer non-cobalt bits.

that's the thing with this towbar job - there's 8 11mm holes to drill in the thick steel bumper bar for a start.

[Flibble]

Dog Star said:

that's the thing with this towbar job - there's 8 11mm holes to drill in the thick steel bumper bar for a start.

How thick? My cheapo chinese HSS bits will do 4mm mild steel without much drama, helps if you use cutting fluid.

[Theraveda]

The titanium coated ones are brilliant. I only buy these now, as my HSS drills wear out or break;

https://www.ukdrills.com/hss-drills/hss-titanium-m...

[Dog Star]

Flibble said:

How thick? My cheapo chinese HSS bits will do 4mm mild steel without much drama, helps if you use cutting fluid.

Dunno - I've not taken it off yet

However a set of decent bits should last me a long long time and I also didn't have a 13mm.

[DrDeAtH]

Buy a milwaukee drlll bit set, they work really well

[ARHarh]

rxe said:

I use the standard Dormer jobber drills. They're good, cheap, and you can get the small ones in boxes of 10 for when you snap them.

Always used Dormer jobbers, and I spent a lot of my life working in machine shops. The most important thing is angle of the drill, even a few degrees away from 90 to the surface will make holes harder to create. learn to sharpen drills and they will last a long time. As suggested use a cutting fluid of some kind even if its just WD40, which is good for ali, but will work with everything metal to some degree. Let the drill bit cut the material, no need to put 15 stone of pressure on it. And keep the speeds down, 20000rpm may be too much.

[shalmaneser]

When I had to drill out the exhaust manifold studs on my 996 (so needed to be really straight to avoid wrecking the block!) I used Dewalt Extreme 2 bits and they were incredible.

WD40 as cutting fluid too as others have said is better than nothing but I would be confident these bits will save you a lot of time! And make sure to centre punch the holes.

[biggiles]

Dog Star said:

biggiles said:

UKDrills (has a website and ebay presence) has a good range from cheap to good.

Dormer are still one of the best. I would get a Dormer cobalt bit in the specific sizes you need for your towbar job. I only use the cobalt bits if I'm drilling a lot of metal holes, or it's thick metal, as it saves time. Otherwise a set of "normal" drill bits work ok. Look at a set of Dormer non-cobalt bits.

that's the thing with this towbar job - there's 8 11mm holes to drill in the thick steel bumper bar for a start.

An 11mm Cobalt Dormer bit is about £30-40.... only you can say whether it's worth it in time saved!

[markjmd]

I've found Toolstation's own brand cobalt bits very good for drilling large numbers of holes through 5mm or thicker steel. At the price you can almost treat them as disposable. Slow speed and firm pressure, to get the best out of them.

[allegro]

As a reasonably cheap option i find pirahna bullet bits are very good through metals. The stepped tip is essentially like drilling a smaller hole first and they have sailed through anything i have drilled so far

Also fantastic if you want a square bottomed countersunk hole for hex socket screws and the like.

Edited by allegro on Wednesday 23 February 14:03

[DoubleSix]

Wera

[Watcher of the skies]

I've had good results with Presto jobber

[Dog Star]

Blimey - tgat was quick - same day by Amazon and my Bosch cobalts have arrived

[Mike_k]

i like the dewalt bits from screwfix to be honest, the drill bits have a extra point on them which i think helps holes larger than 5-6mm in a normal cordless drill not the cheapest but nice to use

https://www.screwfix.com/p/dewalt-dt4915-qz-hex-sh...

[ecs0set]

Dog Star said:

I'm about to fit a towbar to my 159 and unlike normal cars this needs the holes drilling.

Be warned that my professionally (PF Jones) fitted Westfalia towbar on my 159 Sportwagen caused the boot to bend slightly. The (admittedly heavy) bike rack also moved about slightly. When I strapped it to my Discovery, it was noticably more stable!