Looking for Drills

[macardoso]

Hi All,

Some years back, I bought a cheap 115 piece import drill set with the intention to slowly replace any worn, broken, or bent drills with higher quality new ones. I have a number of drills missing recently and I need to buy some replacements. In the past I've gone to Shars, but they require you to buy a full package quantity of each size. Not terribly expensive individually, but it really adds up if you needs several sizes. My favorite local machine shop supplier (let my grab a baggie and fill it piecemeal from their stock shelves) unfortunately went out of business due to coronavirus (they weren't doing great before that).

I'm looking for a way to buy 1 or 2 drills in only the sizes I need. I don't need anything super fancy, but I would really like 135 degree split point drills. Any recommendations?

Thanks!

 

[RJSakowski]

Travers Tool and Wholesale Tool still sell individual drills.

 

[Z2V]

Fastenal will sell individual bits also. Their online prices are pretty good.

 

[jmkasunich]

McMaster Carr

 

[macardoso]

Did some comparisons. I looked up a letter Q drill, cobalt, 135 degree split point. No preference on coating or manufacturer. I thought Shars and McMaster only sold in package quantities, but it looks like the nicer drills are sold individually.

• WTTool: $3.59
• KBC: $3.65
• VictorNet: $3.85 (HSS)
• Grainger: $6.23
• Shars: $6.49
• MSC: $7.91
• Fastenal: $9.48
• Fairmont Supply: $10.36
• Travers Tool: $10.37
• McMaster Carr: $11.56
• Global Industrial: $13.75

Kind of crazy that there is 300%+ variation in the prices.

 

[JPMacG]

I have purchased a bunch of HSS jobber bits from McMaster. They seem to be good quality. They drill holes that are close to the proper size and the swarf comes off equally on both sides.

 

[Boswell]

Kind of crazy that there is 300%+ variation in the prices

Possibly there is a 300% variation in quality?

 

[Janderso]

There is a fine balance between too hard (brittle) grind quality and the HSS used.
I've been happy with McMaster. they seem to sell quality products with lightning fast delivery times.
I do the same thing, I break a bit, it goes on the order sheet for replacement.
Nothing more frustrating than not having the right bit in the middle of a project. Running to ACE hardware for a piece of junk drill bit at twice the price doesn't do it for me.

 

[cathead]

Sometimes Menards has some good deals on single drill bits. They even have an assortment of cobalt
bits as well. I look for those red tag specials that they have. I probably wouldn't shop for drill bit sets
there but for an occasional need it is fine.

 

[westerner]

I've been happy with McMaster. they seem to sell quality products with lightning fast delivery times.

I wholeheartedly second the above observation. Their price is not the lowest, but neither is their quality. I have never been sold Chinese junk from them.