Good drill Bits

As others said below, MSC to get them.

• Precision

If you have a Sears tool store nearby, Sears Craftsman drills are pretty good, and pretty consistent. I've had good success with drills made by Triumph, Vermont American, Cleveland, and others made in USA. Some of these may be available at your local hardware.

For use at home in my shop area, I've had good luck buying them from the link below. I'm not too far from one of their stores, but they do sell over the phone or on-line.

We use a lot of their cutting tools in the school shop area.

• WT

HF is a crapshoot, you may get a hundred holes, you may not finish one. I see somebody got an extremely hard set that works well. I have a set at work where somebody leaned on a hand drill and bent the 3/32" 90 degrees like a finish nail. Needless to say, they barely cut butter.

Look around your area for a surplus industrial tool dealer. There's one here that sells top quality American made drill bits, most brand new or at the worst toolroom sharpened for $5 a handful (can't sell by weight anymore as his scales are not certified and the govt scale certification geek got pissy).

When I started the diemaking trade I didn't know if I would ever learn to sharpen a drill correctly by hand. It was not that difficult though, all you need is a properly dressed grinding wheel (not out-of-round), a drill tip guage, patience, and practice. The bigger the drill that you practice on the better, makes it easier to see what you are doing right/wrong. I know you didn't ask about sharpening but drills that are kept sharp will last much longer and cause fewer headaches.

You are certainly right about drill bit quality. A good drill is worth paying for. I don't especially go for the fancy coatings but want a drill that will continue to be tough after re-sharpening.

• MSC