Good drill bits for general purpose - any recommendations

[newbury]

In https://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/parts-repairs/382798-good-drill-bits.html the focus was for drilling SS.
I'm looking for buying decent single size, like 1/8, 1/4, etc. in quantities of a dozen for less than a $1@. Drilling pilot holes in wood and sheet metal.

There's like 12 PCS, 1/4", HSS Black and Gold Coated Twist Drill Bits, Metal drill, ideal for drilling on mild steel, copper, Aluminum, Zinc alloy etc. Pack in Plastic Bag - - Amazon.com , but I don't trust the reviews, and I found a site SDS Masonry Drills | Drill America that sells their own brand but shipping is about the cost of the bits unless I can find $100 worth to buy. I can't tell the quality of their bits and don't want to buy $100 worth of poor bits.

/edit - And I should have put bulk in the title, I don't want to buy an entire "set" when I really only need 3 sizes.

 

[Industrial Toys]

I kind of like this guy. He get's to the point quickly. Not perfect, but interesting and probably worthwhile.

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

 

[Reb954]

You won't get much of a drill bit for a dollar or less. Just search Ebay or Amazon and choose what fits in your price range, I suspect they will all be about the same quality.

 

[Reb954]

To go a bit further, try buying one or two cobalt drill bits in the $5 to $10 range. I suspect you will find one of those will outlast 12 of the $1 or less bits.

I buy quite a few bits for the company I work at. The bits we get will range from $10 to $45 each. We learned a long time ago that cheap tooling gets very expensive.

 

[5030]

They are all good IF you know how to sharpen the dull ones.

 

[Industrial Toys]

It's what I should do (and I have a drill DR. I don't use).

Get a fine stone on your bench grinder, a good light, pair of reading glasses and learn how to sharpen them. Takes but a minute.

 

[Sportsman762]

I have had good luck with the following brands, they are all USA made:
Chicago Latrobe
Cle-Line
Cleveland
Montana Twist Drill
Norseman
Triumph
Viking

I was also pleasantly surprised by the durability of a MasterForce colbalt bit I bought at Menards for an odd job.

 

[Tippmann98]

I have had good luck with Dewalt Cobalt steel bits. I drill i-beams and angle iron all the time for work. Cobalt bits are the only way to go if you will be drilling metals.

 

[AndyMA]

I usually find that buying a set is much cheaper than buying a few loose bits. Home Depot always seems to have decent Dewalt & Milwaukee sets on sale

 

[fried1765]

I usually find that buying a set is much cheaper than buying a few loose bits. Home Depot always seems to have decent Dewalt & Milwaukee sets on sale

M42 cobalt steel bits are the best, but I very much doubt that Home Depot sells that quality.

 

[Peter 315]

look at these drills........Drill Hog(R)

 

[5030]

Actually, the very best drills you can buy are Hi-Rock die reclaim drills. They dill anything including glass. I have a set, they ain't cheap either. 5 will set you back a couple hundred bucks. Just the ticket for drilling out heat hardened exhaust manifold studs. Guy bet me one time that I could not drill a hole in a glass pitcher bottom. Got one of my Hi-Rock's a squirt can of plain water (you use water as a lubricant and swarf flusher) and drilled a hole in the bottom, neat as a pin and then the pitcher leaked.....:laughing:

 

[mikester]

Buy your jobber drills from an industrial supplier. I stick with brands like Cleveland, union butterfield, triumph, dormer. Cheapo drills are junk and not worth the effort or time. I can still drill holes faster with a dull, quality brand drill bit than with a brand new cheapo that chips or breaks when you look at them.

 

[sea2summit]

I kind of like this guy. He get's to the point quickly. Not perfect, but interesting and probably worthwhile.

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

Came here to post that. Project Farm is in my top three favorite YouTube channels.

 

[fried1765]

look at these drills........Drill Hog(R)

I have two sets of Drill Hog bits.
Both are M42 cobalt steel.....M42 is the highest quality cobalt drill steel!

 

[5030]

Been my experience that the cheapo HF (Pittsburg) drills are so cheap, they actually unwind...