Read on to find out more about our shopping considerations and testing process. This guide will help you find the best cobalt drill bits for turning metal into Swiss cheese. Cobalt drill bits consist of steel with a small percentage of cobalt—the higher the percentage of cobalt, the more heat-resistant and durable the drill bits will be. The amount of cobalt in a drill bit varies. An M35-grade cobalt bit contains 5 percent cobalt, while an M42-grade cobalt bit contains 8 percent. The higher the grade, the more expensive the bit. Tip Point Tool Steel with Tungsten Carbide Tips– TCT provides a longer working life for the bit while allowing for a more stable and solid tip and enabling it to withstand more rigorous drilling applications. M42 cobalt drill bits, which have 8 percent cobalt, are the hardest drill bits available. Why Trust Bob Vila

Drill bits are cutting tools that are used to remove material in a piece to create a circular hole. Having the right size and the right type of bit is key in ensuring the highest standard of work and ensuring that you can drill with confidence and accuracy. Learn more in our drill bit sets guide. Bob Vila has been America’s Handyman since 1979. As the host of beloved and groundbreaking TV series including “This Old House” and “Bob Vila’s Home Again,” he popularized and became synonymous with “do-it-yourself” home improvement. Countersink. Countersink drill bits create shallow holes that allow the head of a fastener to sit flush with the material and are angled to match the tapered head of the fastener. Cobalt countersink bits will create countersink holes in hard metals. Unlike twist drill bits, which include self-piloting tips, countersink bits require an existing hole to drill into a material. To drill countersink holes, twist bits are needed to drill the initial hole, then countersink drill bits are used to create the countersink holes.While cobalt drill bits will hold up better against heat than other drill bits, they will need to be sharpened from time to time. Sharpen dull cobalt drill bits using a bench grinder. Q. Are cobalt or titanium drill bits better?

Step drill bits offer the advantage of fast, clean precision drilling into thin metals without changing bits. Each of this set of three cobalt step drill bits is designed and engineered to drill up to 1,000 holes into 14-gauge steel. They feature a rapid strike tip for faster starting, elongated dual flutes to reduce heat buildup, and smaller step gradients for smoother drilling. There are four types of cobalt drill bits, with each type serving a specific purpose. Understanding the right application for each bit type is essential. In addition, be aware that drilling into hard metal requires a special technique to ensure that the bit cuts into the metal smoothly without overheating. Use a quality drilling lubricant with a high flash point. We used 3-In-One Multi-Purpose Oil for our tests. Also, drill at a slower speed with moderate downward pressure to avoid damaging expensive bits. The smallest bits can safely drill at about 3,000 rotations per minute (rpm), but larger bits should turn no faster than about 1,000 rpm. How We Tested Cobalt Drill BitsThe Bosch cobalt drill bits offer a unique combination of structural features and extra-hard M42 alloy that make them a pleasure to work with. To test this product, we used a cordless drill and a drill press to highlight the difference between precision drill press work and handheld drilling. The cordless drill mostly worked well, but its variable-speed trigger made it more difficult to maintain a slow, precise speed for drilling steel.

Don’t throw away dull drill bits. Instead, sharpen them with a grinder to restore their sharp edges. The Milwaukee cobalt drill bit set exceeded our expectations in the stainless steel drilling test. While most of the other bits did a pretty good job, the Milwaukee bits bit into the stainless steel noticeably faster. The slightly elevated point, which is shorter and narrower than DeWalt’s, seemed to find a sweet spot that then allowed the rest of the cutting edge to follow. Because the step bit’s cutting edges run from top to bottom along the edges of the flutes, instead of at the tip only like twist bits, we approached resharpening differently. We clamped the bit in a vice and used an angle grinder to touch up the cutting edges. It worked fine, but we had to be extra cautious not to damage the size markings. Carbon Steel– This material provides a drill bit with better durability and hardness, therefore increasing the life of the bit. Carbon steel can withstand higher temperatures and is more suitable for harder materials.Drilling through steel, cast iron, and other metals produces tiny shards that can end up in skin or eyes, so make sure to wear protective gloves and safety glasses when working with cobalt drill bits. Since the manufacturer recommends these bits for cordless drilling, we tested the Milwaukee step bits twice, first in the drill press and then in a handheld cordless drill. They drilled fast and clean as billed. Then we tested the step bit’s unique ability to enlarge existing holes—a task that is nearly impossible to do cleanly with conventional twist bits. We clamped an old steel electrical junction box to the workbench and used the #9 step bit in a cordless drill to widen the punch-out holes from ½ inch to ⅞ inch. The resulting hole was perfectly shaped, clean, and smooth, with no burs.

After drilling the first round of test holes (or after the second round for some harder drill bits), we sharpened the ⅜-inch bits with a bench grinder. We held the cutting edge to the wheel for 5 seconds on each cutting edge, once on the coarse grinding wheel and once on the fine wheel, making sure to maintain the 135-degree original tip angle. To evaluate how well the bits responded to resharpening, we drilled another round of three test holes for each bit in the scrap steel. There aren’t many materials strong enough to put holes in hardened steel. For that kind of strength, the only answer is cobalt alloy drill bits. This 13-piece set from Amoolo comes in at a fraction of the price of other cobalt drill bit sets. This set is durable, with 5 percent cobalt steel alloy, though not as strong as M42 bits, which contain 8 percent alloy. Using a lubricant or cooling water can help extend the life of these bits. Their split-point tips prevent walking and make starting holes easier. Ranging in size from 1/16 inch to ¼ inch, these bits come in a plastic carrying case with labeled sizes.

The kit includes #1, #4, and #9 step bits. The #1 bit drills from ⅛-inch to ½-inch holes, with step increments of 1/32 inch. The #4 bit makes holes 3/16 inch to ⅞ inch, in 1/16-inch increments. The #9 bit drills ⅞- to 1⅛-inch holes in 1/16-inch increments.