5 Drill Bits You Need and 1 That's a Waste of Money

These are 5 essential drill bits every woodworker should have in their shop. I'll show what bits to use in woodworking and how each one works. Why you should choose each bit and share some woodworking tips and tricks along the way.

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*Drill Bits In This Video*

Power Tools Used:

0:00 Woodworking Drill Bits
0:14 Twist Bits
1:50 Brad Point Bits
3:05 Forstner Bits
6:45 Wood Owl Overdrive Bits
8:08 Countersink Drill Bits
9:37 Hole Saw Kits
10:10 Don't Use this Drill Bit

#woodworking #drillbits #731woodworks

[Woodworks]

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[billybike]

Allow me to share, I started into woodworking 7 years after retiring, I was talking to an old colleague who had retired long ago and upon catching up I told him I was getting into woodworking, I knew he had dabbled in it as well. He asked me what type of forstner bits I purchased. I told I haven’t yet but was looking into the Irwin bits. He told not to waste my money to get Fisch bits. I tools the bite and never regretted the cost. Thanks for giving them a plug, great bits!

[spaci-]

If you're stuck on a job and the only bit available is a spade you can minimize the tear out by drilling from both sides, just like the forstner. Not perfect but it can keep you going without a major delay waiting to get a new bit.

[ex-nerd]

I recently picked up some of those overdrive bits and am blown away at how clean they cut. Half of my tests were cleaner on the "out" side than the "in" side. I will also say that I've switched to the KEO countersink bits after the recommendation from Blacktail Studios. They're more expensive but cut so much cleaner than the "tooth" style.

[csimet]

I find hole saws to be great and I have two sets (bi-metal, one up to 3" and the other 3-6"), but... larger ones will break your wrist if you are not careful using them. Huge trick I learned when using them on a hand drill is to set the chuck to one of the higher driver torque settings you typically use when driving screws and not the dedicated drill setting. That way, if it catches in the wood (and it will) the torque limiter kicks in and does not spin the drill out of your hands. I learned the hard way. ;)

Totally agree on the spade bits, like my Irwin Speedbore bits. They are really only good for construction use like boring holes in 2-by lumber for electrical runs.

[elliottsmith]

Definitely auger bits. I've used the longer ones for boring through beams but now there are shorter ones that make going thru studs a breeze.

[jimserhant]

I don’t know how well sawdust & I go together. It’s actually the bane of my existence 😂. I absolutely love your channel & appreciate you for taking the time to produce & share them with the world. God Bless you & your loved ones!

[markgallagher]

Rather than using spade bits for drilling through studs, use auger bits they are much faster and need less effort from the user because the screw tip pulls them through the wood. Irwin makes those too. Great video, I didn’t know about the self centering bits. I will definitely have to get a set of those.

[adamc]

I just recently started using the brad point and Forster bits as I am still new to woodworking. They are really making a big difference for me. For example, I'm making a wooden toy tractor for my cousins soon to be born baby boy. The brad point bit made it a breeze to drill holes in the side of the wood dowels. The 60 deg angle drill bits are better for metal. There not bad however, choosing the right tool for the job can make all the difference in the world. Stay awesome.

[supergimp]

The metal box of twist drills is different from the jobber bits like the Dewalt ones you showed. They are a drill index and if you look closely you’ll see that the bits are labeled with decimal sizes (and sometimes letters) which indicate their size to machinists and correspond to tap sizes, etc. Many drill indexes are still sold in metal cases.

[brentfrench]

When I started woodworking, I used spade bits and dull saw hole bits simply because I didn’t know forsner bits existed. Man, when I bought my fist set of forsner bits, I was pretty excited to see the difference from spade bits. No comparison. Also, when I switched from harbor freight $15 saw hole cutters to the Milwaukee, again, what a difference. It pays to go for the right bits and, quality bits up to whatever your budget allows.

[hansdegroot]

Great video. Thanks for sharing. I have all these types of drill bits I also have spade bits (even exchangeable spade bits, one shaft on which can be screwed the tips from 10-20 mm + 25 mm) I never drill through a board which is standing upright as you show in the video. I always have my board flat on the workbench + a backer board under it, all clamped together to the workbench That is for two reasons: I don't drill into the surface of my workbench and it minimizes tear out at the backside of the board (even with spade bits)
Lately I bought an adjustable hole saw. The mechanism allows you to drill a hole of any size between 45 and 130 mm.

[davidbondi]

Another great video. Two comments 1) Always use the side handle when using hole saws, that way, when the hole saw grabs, you have a good grip on the drill and can avoid the wrist injury. 2) spade bits.... weekend warrior construction guys maybe, but pros will use auger bits because they drill faster, and pull themselves through the timber, so less effort. I've been trying to convince myself that I "need" to replace my forstner bits with a set of the Fisch Wave bits, but just can't justify the cost at this point since the ones I have are still working for me.

[JimHep]

Thank you for the education. Slowly getting into wood working and needing to counter sink some magnets. That forstner bit is what I didn’t know I needed.

[jacobdinwiddie]

Very informative, I’ve been on the fence for awhile if the wood owl bits were worth the investment. This video answered that question for me and now mine will be here on Tuesday! Keep on keepin on, God bless!

[Leonitus]

Spade bits are good bits. The ones that leave ugly holes are the screw tip type but if you get get a good set with the brad point you wont have issues just use the right speed. I can get a hole just as clean as a Forstner bit with the spade bits i have.

[LYTOMIZE_Woodshop]

I'm ordering a set if the self-centering bits this week... I don't have any yet and need them for the reason you cited. Thanks!!!

[riversider]

New WW here. followed a YT recommendation a couple years ago to invest in Fisch wave cutter bits and I am SO happy with mine.

[handles]

I'm glad somebody was finally brave enough to come out and talk about the peas and carrots issue. All the respect.

[paparoysworkshop]

You missed the three-bladed auger bit. Fantastic for drilling in heavy timber. Bottom line is each bit has it pros and cons. Use the right bit for the right job.