Drill bit recommendations

[BBB]

I need a set of decent steel bits for bodywork and steel plates. Not a professional so have an eye on budget too.

What do folk suggest?

[demographic]

My general purpose everything from drilling wood (upto 13mm in half mm increments) plastic and metal drill bits ate the cobalt bit set from Machine Mart.
They even cope with stainless steel if lubricated with some cutting paste.

The sets I get (think over the last 25 years on sites I've got three sets) the small bits eventually snap and get replaced but the 10mm or bigger (sometimes I'm drilling steel girders to double them up by bolting them together) eventually wear out and I buy another set.
When I break the maller sizes I replace them with these. Same bits and loads of replacements but not the bigger sizes.
https://www.ukdrills.com/drill-sets/cob ... 01807eb56a

Obviously for specific wood auger bits and masonry SDS drills, holesaws and so on I use.. well auger bits, holesaws and SDS bits but I've found the cobalt twist bit sets to last as well as any big name sets and at less cost.

[iansoady]

I agreee re cobalt bits. I wore several HSS bits out trying to drill an Allen screw on a Yamaha V twin. I then heard about cobalt bits and bought some from Toolstation. The went straight through in seconds.

[BBB]

Picked up a set of the machine mart cobalt bits. Thanks all.

[Ssray]

My general purpose everything from drilling wood (upto 13mm in half mm increments) plastic and metal drill bits ate the cobalt bit set from Machine Mart.
They even cope with stainless steel if lubricated with some cutting paste.

The sets I get (think over the last 25 years on sites I've got three sets) the small bits eventually snap and get replaced but the 10mm or bigger (sometimes I'm drilling steel girders to double them up by bolting them together) eventually wear out and I buy another set.
When I break the maller sizes I replace them with these. Same bits and loads of replacements but not the bigger sizes.
https://www.ukdrills.com/drill-sets/cob ... 01807eb56a

Obviously for specific wood auger bits and masonry SDS drills, holesaws and so on I use.. well auger bits, holesaws and SDS bits but I've found the cobalt twist bit sets to last as well as any big name sets and at less cost.

I didn't know you could get such things, off to machine mart adap
Thanks

[demographic]

The cobalt drill index I have from them goes from 1mm to 13mm in half mm increments.
Its no magic bullet mind and they still break or wear out, just at a rate that I don't mind too much.

I suppose I really should either work on my drill bit sharpening skills or buy a drill bit sharpener but as long as I use cutting paste on the harder materials (mostly stainless steel) they last ok.

Stuff like bolts and exhaust studs will give em a harder time than on the girders and so on I often use them on and for the smaller sizes I'm often just using them for pilot holes in wood and they last for ages as long as I don't knock my cordless over and snap em.

[Skub]

'Taint difficult to sharpen drills demo,a man of your skills would have it with a bit of practice. Start off on the bigger drills,easier to see what you are doing.

Slack times in work I used to work my way through a pile of blunt bits. Very therapeutic.