Drill bit question

[CubsFan]

So, I saw that Woodcraft has a 170 drill bit set on sale. They have a Brad Point set and a Twist set. What's the difference between these? And which set would be a good general set to have?

[minorhero]

If you look at the picture you can see there is a difference in the head of the drill bit. In a brad point drill bit there is a thinner protrusion at the head of the bit. That thinner protrusion is designed to cut into the wood as soon as pressure is applied and stop the bit from wandering (or walking) when starting the hole. This is very good for wood and terrible for metal. In metal the brad point will get dulled and snapped off relatively quickly. Thrdr bits are not good for hard metals but the other kind could be used for soft metals.

As for the set itself. Basically there are a dozen or so sized bits in there and then just a lot of repeats. At the price they are offering I suppose that is ok and if you don't have any other drill bit sets lying around then it is probably a good way to go. If you already have a drill bit set lying around then you may wish to save your money. I find it better to buy nice quality bits one at a time for when you need them then to have a dozen of each size of just mediocre quality lying around.

[nateswoodworks]

I agree with Apple Wood on this one. Once you have bought cheaper bits and then used quality bits you won't want to go down that road again. I have one nice set that I use only for wood and another that started out as a large cheap set and I do exactly what Apple said, buy them when I need them and replace the cheap ones when they are toast. Just my 2 cents worth.

Nate

[Beechwood Chip]

By the way, I ran across this site a while back and bookmarked it, and I keep going back to it.

Drillbits - the different types explained

[iSawitFirst]

I bought the Woodcraft set a couple of years ago. Understanding they are cheap and possibly inaccurately sized or egg-shaped, they're my go-to bits for rough work. For precision work I use Lee Valley bits.