Brad point drills from Wilkinson (Wilko)

The 99p stores ones are unreassuringly cheap but work.

NT

One of the biggest "advantages" of electronic drills is that unlike in the old days its now possible to run them in reverse without actually noticing. Until the burning smell anyway.

Same with modern one handed chucks as opposed to old fashioned keyed chucks. It seems much easier for stuff not to seat properly.

Nowadays De Walt are just badge engineered Chinese made products for a lot of lines. Not that there's anything necessarily wrong with Chinese stuff except that maybe it may not merit a premium price based simply on the name.

michael adams

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Strangely I've seen this too with these type of drills - the set I have is branded Black and Decker. One of them is bent. And none what I'd call sharp. I've never had a bent HSS drill, so I'd guess it's down to how they're made? Softer steel which can bend - whereas HSS just break?

Those were the ones I bought. They didn't work. Useless.

MM

That's my fear should I decide to order the De Walt bits. The Wilko drills are manufactured in China.

I don't care where the stuff originates provided it does the job. I've bought a number of tools from Wilko over the years, all of which have been satisfactory.

I doubt Poundshop would sell *brad point* 8mm drills. Twist drills, possibly.

MM

Obviously inferior quality steel and/or manufacturing process. The stores don't give a damn as long as they can sell 'em to some mugs (i.e. me in this case). Time to speak to a few carpenters, cabinet makers I reckon. See what they recommend. Of course, there's always flat bits intead... hmm.

MM

Well your doubts are misplaced.

Brad points are otherwise known as "wood drills" - a point in the middle and two outside spurs. I've bought sets branded Holtz TIGER

As I said, buy while the pound is strong as they don't always have them in stock. What I've noticed in the past is that as the pound fluctuates so do the poundshop offerings by way of drill sets. ISTR at one point it was down to four in a set. And then only for cheap twist drills made of cheese rather than HSS.

michael adams

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I thought you got wilko.

They have sets of brad point aka dowel bits, twist and masonry. For 99p you get about 8 of them. Do inspect the points as I've seen junk ones sometimes.

Cheapo bits are mostly fine, but not always. I dont mind, I regrind any dud.

The worst performers of all. For the best performance in wood I use steep angle twist drills. They make dowel bits look crap.

NT

Think the idea of these dedicated wood bit with the strange point is they give a cleaner hole in wood - and are less likely to wander. They also have a different spiral to clear the waste more efficiently?

Flat bits are very quick in an electric drill - but can make quite a mess as they exit.

I must admit to simply using HSS in wood these days. Lifting out every now and gain to clear the waste. Or augurs where I must have a decent hole, in the larger sizes.

I've a set of Aldidl ones that have done well for 2 or 3 years. One unexpected use was starting into woodchip, as a brad drill avoids the 'bounce' of the lumps, so they've done some plaster as well.

I looked at the brad point ones in Aldi not that long ago and decided against as the grinding for the end didn't look that equal or centered...

I do have some decent brad point drills and they do cut a nice clean hole in timber. CK branded but whats a brand these days...

Damn dangerous if they snag.

Bill

The Armeg wood-beavers are /very/ fast ...

I'm confused now. I did buy WIlko brand from Wilko. What were the "store" ones (99p) you were referring to?

MM

From a chain of shops called 99p stores

NT

In message , MM writes

I assume NT was referring the '99p Stores' chain of shops.

Probably not something you'd be aware of if there wasn't one of their branches in the places you tend to shop.

They don't seem to have much of a presence "here", only one in the three counties I was born, live and work in.

I just looked up Armeg on the web. Are their products only available directly from them or from factor like Screwfix?

(I don't dare ask the price of the 8 mm brad point drill! They look expensive.)

MM

SF do them, but I think 10mm may be the smallest size

Not cheap, they do a two flute 8mm P/N WBP0080