[Source] What Are Some Good Quality Drills?

HMF

HMF

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I'm not sure this is the right place to post this in this confusing forum you got here <bg>

I want to get some good quality new drills, perhaps a set. I want USA (if we still make them) or good quality foreign drills.

What do you guys suggest?


Someone suggested Hertel or PTD


"Complete" Hertel set ($343): http://www.use-enco.com/CGI/INSRIT?P...MPXNO=28073987
The PTD version is $490 and comes in a crappy sheet metal box.

Those offshore drills with the gold dust finish cut through steel once, and they are dull. I am sick of it.
 
Hertel or Triumph Twist Drill are all great bits. I sell a LOT of Triumph on the tool truck.

That said, I have two drill indices in my main shop. One is the full fractional index with "Disposable" written on it and the other is a mill bit index with "Pilot bits" written on it.

My thought process is that I'll use the common fractions 1/8, 14, 5/16, 3/8, etc as pilot drills to get the holes where I want them and then I'll use a "Disposable" bit to step-drill to finish size. Might not be the best way to do things, but I can buy a LOT of Chi-Com (or other off-shore) bits for the cost of one good USA bit so I think I get the best bang for buck this way.

In my machine shop, I have the same, but I also have the number and letter bits as "Disposables". When I refer to them as disposable, I don't dispose of them (I have a REAL Darex sharpener), but if I'm being paid to do a job, I can't stop to sharpen a drill bit and this method allows me to drill a Helluva a lot of holes using a new bit for each one and then sharpen them at my leisure.

Yeah, I know, it's yet another reason why I can't earn a real living using my hands, there's just something about being a perfectionist.
 
Nels said:
I'm not sure this is the right place to post this in this confusing forum you got here <bg>

I want to get some good quality new drills, perhaps a set. I want USA (if we still make them) or good quality foreign drills.

What do you guys suggest?


Someone suggested Hertel or PTD


"Complete" Hertel set ($343): http://www.use-enco.com/CGI/INSRIT?P...MPXNO=28073987
The PTD version is $490 and comes in a crappy sheet metal box.

Those offshore drills with the gold dust finish cut through steel once, and they are dull. I am sick of it.
Click to expand...

I like New York Twist Drill. Got my first set of fractional sizes in 1972. Added a number drill set a few years after. USA made and IMHO top quality.

Tom S.
 
I usually by PTD or Triumph. I think most PTD are made in Brazil, but are good quality. Other top quality manufacturers would be something like Norseman or Guhring. I think you can still get some Cleveland, but I don't know if they are still US made.
 
Norseman.
However, the ALFA link above is interesting!
I'm wondering about the quality of ALFA files.


Daryl
MN
 
The best drills I have are screw machine drills. I happened to luck out on a brand new 115-piece PTD set on ebay for $100.00, shipped. I also have Triumph, Cleveland, Dormer and Titex jobber sets in the usual fractional/wire/letter sizes - all are very good. However, the most used set I own is a fractional Makita set; this is an outstanding drill set that is as good, if not better, than all the others.
 
I bought a 115 piece set set from Grizzly 3 years ago that is TiN coated and has performed quite well for the $49 president special. I have found that there are several of them I use frequently and many I use occasionally that still look new or may have been sharpened. When I break one, typically it is smaller than 1/4", I swing by my local Marshall's Hardware and pick up a package quantity of the Brubaker brand they carry. Marked made in USA and fine craftsmanship. Over the years I have purchased 6 or 8 packages of the 6 or 8 sizes I tend to break. I've only broke 2 of the Brubakers so I have have a number of spares in some sizes.
Dave
 
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