BEST OVERALL: Irwin 29-Piece Cobalt Alloy Steel M-35 Drill Bit Set.Read on to find out what makes a durable and effective drill bit for stainless steel, our selection criteria, and how our selections performed in testing. We spent more than 40 hours researching the best materials and designs used to make these bits, selecting our top picks, and then testing our picks in the workshop. With loads of available bits for hard metal applications, finding the right drill bits for stainless steel can be challenging. Luckily, manufacturers design special drill bits capable of puncturing even the hardest grade of stainless steel. Drill bits built to work on softer material, like wood, won’t do the trick against stainless steel. Whether you’re expanding the size of a junction box punch-out or boring out a broken bolt, having the right drill bit matters. DIYers and trade professionals often need to drill stainless steel to complete a variety of electrical, plumbing, and automotive projects. Some argue that the standard 118-degree point is wrongly assumed to be a good compromise for general-purpose drilling in a variety of different metals. Drawing from the professional drilling industry, Milwaukee has chosen to go with a more advanced split drill point and flatten the angle out to 135°.Available in several grades, each with at least 10.5 percent chromium, stainless steel is popular because of its low maintenance, high sheen, and resistance to stains and rust. In the past, drill point standards have been accepted based on precedent, rather than logic and design innovation. Because all tested bits shared the same 135° split-tip, we attributed the speed gains to the chip breaker. With Milwaukee cobalt bits we drilled through 1/2-inch plate steel in 30% less time than with other cobalt bits. I was really impressed with the smooth cutting action. In a test of the variable helix design at the PTR Labs, we were able to repeatedly bore 1/2-inch holes over 5-inches deep in pressure-treated pine without any binding or argument from the bit. Quicker waste removal reduces friction and heat that dulls bits and leads to binding and the despicable experience of snapping off a drill bit in your workpiece. The design pulls waste out of the hole at a quicker rate and with fewer rotations of the bit. These bits start with a tight 35° twist on the helix at the tip and then spread out to 15° at the base. Typical twist drills have a standard helix with the flutes being uniform all the way down the shaft. Not true of both the Titanium and Cobalt Red Helix bits. You can find other cobalt and titanium bits, but this feature is truly innovative. In my opinion, here lies the real genius of this tool. Milwaukee Red Helix Bits: Design and Innovation Variable Helix Sharpen these bits, and you lose the benefits of the titanium coating. Bits with a titanium coating are better for general purpose drilling in softer surfaces since the coating is only on the surface. This means you can sharpen these bits without losing any performance. Despite this, cobalt (really a steel alloy with 5-8% cobalt) works better for drilling metal due to its high resistance to the massive heat generated when drilling through highly abrasive materials.Ĭobalt bits are great for high production rates as the cobalt is found throughout the entire material. They also do better resisting to corrosion. It’s worth noting some pros and cons of both materials. TiN-coated drill bits are actually harder than cobalt and more slippery to reduce friction. Red Helix Cobalt drill bits deliver up to 10X more life than Black Oxide drill bits. Use them on stainless steel and cast iron-wherever you’d be likely to dull lesser bits. These bits cost more, but they thrive in hard metal applications. Also in the Red Helix family (but not Shockwave) are the Milwaukee Cobalt drill bits.
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