Just picked up a cheap set of 300 drills & driver bits as a present to a homeowner friend. He won’t use them often, so even though they’re not first rate, I think they’ll perform adequately for him.
I noticed they have a tray of gold-colored “Titanium Nitride coated HSS bits” and another tray of “Roll forged black finish HSS drill bits”. Same size selection in both trays. I was wondering what the purported advantages/disadvantages of each kind was, eg. preferred usage, etc.
Replies
Here's a thorough explanation on http://www.mcmaster.com
Search on "twist drill bits", then click on "
", and scroll down to the heading "Surface Treatment".
There is a lot of good info and stuff there but that index is a pain. Maybe there is another array but the items look like they are arranged in a rather random fashion.
Shopping at Harbor frieght I see
“It so happens that everything that is stupid is not unconstitutional.†—Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia
I'm not saying this just to dump on them but the steel isn't what it could be. Take one of the smaller diameter bits and you may be able to bend it with your bare hands. Hopefully not, though. I have seen both kinds- my dad bought me a set and they didn't last long. The ones I bought at Sears are great- they go through stainless and don't dull fast on fiberglass, which is the reason I got them, since I was working on boats at the time. The think that's absolutely stupid about the Crafstman bits is that any replacements in the larger sizes are too long for the plastic index they came with.
Another kind that works really well and lasts quite a while is the cobalt bullet point bits from B&D or DeWalt (since they're the same company). Another kind where the replacements won't fit in the index if they're larger than about 3/8". Great for steel (with cutting oil), wood (nice crisp hole), plastics, pipe- all at the proper speed and feed rate.
Yeah, they aren't "all that" for sure, but what can you expect for $40.00? He's got every size carbide tipped masonry, flat spade, HSS steel, and woodworking bit he'll ever need, plus the full assortment of regular and oddball bits. He's only likely to use any one of them once or twice.
And they anticipated that "bend and break" and give you 3-4 of the small sizes.
I worked for a guy who was all proud of himself for finding a 20 pc set for about $7. First one I used grabbed a screw and bent about 90 degrees. 3/16" and I straightened it by hand. I stopped using his tools that day.
"I cut this piece four times and it's still too short."
--"Another kind that works really well and lasts quite a while is the cobalt bullet point bits from B&D or DeWalt (since they're the same company)."B&D and Dewalt have been the same company since 1960.Since 2004, Porter Cable, Delta, and Oldham are B&D companies too (not to mention Kwikset and Baldwin hardware).B&D and Bosch are in a race to gobble up their competitors before the other one does.
It'll be Bosch&Decker when the smoke clears.
Yup.Just Bosch & Decker...and...Maktachi. ; )
RyobiCable?
No, that is RyobiWaukie
Edited 11/5/2006 1:18 pm by BillHartmann
Ugh,
Hope not.
Ryobi's parent company purchased Milwaukee last year, so......Ryobiwaukee it is.
<RyobiWaukie>
Love it!
Forrest
But B&D came out with the Bullet point bits before DeWalt. Would it have helped if I had used AND instead of OR? DeWalt is, or was, basically the commerciall branch of B&D before they decided that they would sell to retail consumers. They're owned by a holding company, IIRC and yes, I know the others are under the same umbrella. If you remember seeing TWC (The WoodWorking Company) at WoodWorking Shows, they were part of Oldham and when they were bought, TWC was shut down, even though they were making money. I bought some things from them at the last show they had a display and needed to return them, so I got the explaination from Beverly in CS.Maybe they'll change it to "The World Tool and Machine Company" or the "We Went Around All Of The Existing Anti-Trade Laws To Become The Biggest In All The Land And You Can't Do Anything About It Tool Company"."I cut this piece four times and it's still too short."
Edited 11/5/2006 12:10 pm by highfigh