Showerthought: my cheapest drill bit outlasted my expensive set on a job in Austin

I was drilling into old brick for shelf brackets last week and my $8 Harbor Freight bit went through 8 holes no problem, while my $50 Bosch set chipped on the second one. Maybe the expensive stuff is just marketing hype and we're all paying for a brand name. Has anyone else found a random budget tool that beat their pro gear?

2 comments

2 Comments

park.abby9d ago

Was the Bosch set carbide tipped or just standard HSS? In my experience, the cheap bits sometimes have a more aggressive tip geometry that bites into hard surfaces better, while the fancy ones can be too brittle for dirty old brick. I've burned through a few Milwaukee sets on rebar before, but a random no-name bit from a gas station worked like a dream. Not defending the price tags, but maybe the expensive stuff is designed for cleaner, more predictable materials than what we actually throw at it.

joel6039d ago

Picked up a "pro grade" set from Home Depot once, top shelf price tag, and the first bit snapped on a cinder block before I even got a good hit in. Ended up finishing the job with an old beat up bit I found in my dad's toolbox from the 80s. Honestly think half the battle is just not getting the cheap ones from gas stations made out of recycled paperclips.