who makes the best quality drill bits nowadays?

[kjacko]

Ok,
so just bought myself a decent box of DeWalt impact driver bits etc.
I'd like a set of wood bits 3-10m and masonry bits 4-8mm (non SDS). Currently i tend to buy Bosch masonry bits as they seem really good.
Also want decent flat spades bits as i find whatever i've bought they've blunted quite quickly, even for a DIYer like me.
Again, i bought a Bosch 23mm (with a serrated pointy middle bit) and it rips through everything.
Most of my kit is DeWalt (18v XR range) and Bosch Blue (10.8v range). I trust both these brands.
I also like Makita, but have heard some horror stories about some of their 'accessory' boxes, in that they aint the quality they should be.

So......advice and opinions please?

 

[Deleted member 174758]

If you want decent tooling you need to pay more than pound shop prices.....

SDS bits: deWalt Extreme, Heller, Bosch, Hilti, etc - all with 3- or 4-point tips (not the standard arrow tip). Wood bits? Do you mean brad point twist, power auger (if so for furniture making or rough site carpentry?), etc.? Fisch, Heller and Trend are good for brad points. Heller and Sandvik for power tool augers. Irwin blue x6 (or is it x8?) and Armeg for rough site augers. I don't like the Bosch "improved" spade bits - they pull in far too fast for clean work on a lot of materials (you can't use them on door faces without serious risk of splintering). If you want a spade bit you can sharpen bit which doesn't pull in then look at Irwin and buy a couple of oilstone slips (tri-hook) to maintain the edges

 

[kjacko]

Thanks for the info.
I've done a few internal doors with Bosch 23mm self cut bit and it was great. Don't recall it splintering the edges.
It's better going through joists

Hopefully you picked up from my first post that i already have and want quality stuff. Doesn't need to be full time workshop pro bits, but certainly branded that i can rely on.
I really do like the Bosch blue masonry bits, they plough into concrete much much better than any others i'd used before.

 

[Deleted member 174758]

I've done a few internal doors with Bosch 23mm self cut bit and it was great. Don't recall it splintering the edges.

Oak veneered flush doors....... I've done hundreds of them over the years, but only ever a couple with the Bosch "improved" spade bits - they're just too risky for quality work IMHO (especially if you were to screw-up a £200 door and haved to replace it out of your own pocket)

Hopefully you picked up from my first post that i already have and want quality stuff. Doesn't need to be full time workshop pro bits, but certainly branded that i can rely on.
I really do like the Bosch blue masonry bits, they plough into concrete much much better than any others i'd used before.

There's only cheap (mainly Chinese), trade and industrial. The ones I gave you are trade. As a tradesman I don't buy cheap - "buy cheap, buy twice" is my watchword. You wouldn't want to look at the prices of industrial stuff like Famag or Clico

 

[Norcon]

Try Festool centrotec 5 Piece Forstner Bit Set.
Though @ £130 quid might be a tad expensive.

 

[Deleted member 174758]

Try Festool centrotec 5 Piece Forstner Bit Set.
Though @ £130 quid might be a tad expensive.

Ridiculous price. Famag (who manufacture rather than buy-in like Festool do on tooling) are the best on the market for Forstners, but pricey. Fisch are also very good as are Colt. All of them are manufacturers. But for site use on doors they are all needlessly expensive overkill - as are the Festool Forstners IMHO

 

[Norcon]

Yeah most of those are quite expensive.
I have the trend snappy forstner kit which is only £70 quid and cuts through veneer clean as a shapton sharpened half micron edged samurai sword.
And a Milwaukee 7 piece self feed set for rough cuts.

 

[countrycow]

I bought some drills from Aldis and Lidls,and went back for more,I was really surprised at how long they lasted and how well they cut,these were general purpose, I was using them on metal,very good.