Which Drill Bit Brand is Best? Let's find out!

12 drill bit (twist drill) brands tested for speed and durability on spring steel, 304 stainless, and mild steel using various drill bit sizes and a drill press. Drill bit showdown highlighted two very impressive brands. All drill bits tested were between $10 and $40 per set. Brands tested: Bosch, Craftsman, DeWalt, Harbor Freight (Warrior), Harbor Freight (Bauer), Ryobi, Walmart (HyperTough), Milwaukee, Metabo, Work Force, Black & Decker, and MasterForce (Menards).

➡ As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

➡ Products Tested In This Video (in no particular order):

Videography Equipment:

This video is only for entertainment purposes. If you rely on the information portrayed in this video, you assume the responsibility for the results. Project Farm LLC

[ProjectFarm]

A big "thank you" to Chuck, a very talented machinist, who helped me put together the test approach. He gets credit for everything that went well, and I get the credit for any mess ups. Sorry it's taken me a year to get to this one but wanted to get it right the first time. Thanks again Chuck!
Products Tested In This Video (in no particular order):

[Jay-Jose]

This channel is one of the true joys of YouTube.

[sethbrown]

You ever wondered what dads watch when everyone else is sleeping? Well look no further because this is it

[buckethead]

My 8 year old son stopped to watch this video with me while i had it on. He asked what you were doing. I told him you were testing drill bits for me to see which one was best so i dont have to do it. He thought that was very kind of you. I am very thankful myself for all your videos. They are very informative and save me time. Keep on doing what you love my friend! We all love it!

[ianrutkosky]

As a blacksmith who make knives and tools with hardened steel, I figured out which bits were best by trial and error. Bosch is definitely my go to for most medium to high carbon steel and DeWalt are the ones I use for mild. Even though they are the best, they do wear out pretty quickly when you're doing a lot of hardened steel. Two things help... Don't let them get too hot and use something like a drill doctor to keep them sharp. I have saved tons of money on bits using my $50 Drill Doctor. You won't get factory results, but you can definitely sharpen old bits into very functional bits. When all of that fails, you bust out the carbide bits, which are about $15-$20 a bit. They will go through anything...

[is]

This man does a great public service. Thanks mate.

[ginsengjin]

I swear, it's like you know exactly which tool i'm going to buy This channel needs more recognition.

[EbenVisher]

I *love* it that you talk fast. It help to get through a lot of material quickly. Your videos are engaging beyond belief! Thank you *so* much.

[tomferrin]

These kinds of unbiased tool tests done by Project Farm are priceless to me. They cover tools (like the drill bits in this video) that span a range of prices, so I can pick a brand and level of quality that matches my pocketbook for the particular tool I need. Sometimes I'm looking for a tool that I only need to use occasionally and sometimes I'm looking for something that I'll be using everyday. Either way I can find the answers I'm looking for here. A big Thank You to Project Farm!

[andybub]

I thought he was going to say: "lets see how long drill bits can be run in a lawn mower's crankcase before the engine blows up"

Great video!

[RVCrazy]

The Dewalt drill bit's seamed to do pretty good, Since Dewalt has so many kinds I'd like to see a drill bit comparison with black oxide, titanium, black and gold and cobalt bits all compared. Dewalt has all of those types available. I'd also like to see a drill bit comparison between Dewalt pilot point and split point with both drilling speed and bit life. Thanks for all your hard work.

[curtk]

As a machinist no one would be more likely to criticize this video.
All I can say is thanks and you did a great job with the test. You also provided good drilling advise.

[BarbaryStudio]

Youtube must give you an award for best channel of the year 2019 and you realy are the best channel with very good fair comparison without sponsors

[shayanshaffey]

This is a quality channel. The gold standard in terms of honest titles and enjoyable videography alongside narration by a knowledgeable host.

[kmac]

I've just recently found your channel- OUTSTANDING!! Your ability to convey a multitude of testing variations without occupying an hour or more to do so is impressive. Thanks a lot for your efforts!

[utubeaccess]

Yes, after destroying countless drill bits in my youth, I finally learned how to drill metal about 20 yrs ago, high force, low speed, lube, back off the pressure right at the end of the cut. Works every time.

[ZZstaff]

Results at 6:14 12:03 14:27 and conclusion at 15:55

Thank you for another great review.

[jackwoodford]

OK this is the 5th video thats popped up for me from you. I know I'm 9 months late here, but hear me out. I can't get over the level of ingenuity you apply with setting up these tests. I'm impressed by the thoroughness of your performance to cost comparisons as well. I'm subscribing and liking and hope your channel grows more so you can keep helping us out with valuable real-world product analysis as well as maybe getting sponsored or some kind of compensation for coming out of your own pocket to buy all these items.
Thank you for your work!

[douglassmith]

This was a great video thank you. Many factors come into play with respect to drills. The actual composition of the tool steel, the machining and straightness of the machining of the drill, the coatings, the final sharpening grind all play a role in the overall quality and lifetime use. Work hardening is a very real issue with drilling, that is why when you drill spring steel you can work harden it to the point where it will dull high speed steel to where it no longer cuts. Stainless is also very susceptible to work hardening, even too much coolant or cutting fluid will cause SS to work harden. Sharp, slow, consistent pressure is key. Slowing the speed down allows the operator more room to make mistakes with feed, before work hardening develops. Cobalt drills are very good for harder materials than HSS, but are more brittle and will chip more easily if chattering or impacted during cuts. Solid carbide is even more so.

[BeginnerGuitarist]

I respect the amount of time and effort you put in this video. Great stuff man!