ULTRA-VERSATILE BIT SET

This new DeWalt titanium pilot point drill bit set includes 21 bits with sizes from 1/16 to 1/2 in., with doubles of 1/16, 5/64, 3/32 and 7/64 in. They’re designed to perform well in a variety of materials, so I drilled numerous holes in plywood, hardwood, 1-in. acrylic and 1/4-in. brass stock.

In wood, these bits don’t cut as cleanly as my fine woodworking brad point drill bits, but they’re not meant to. Their strength lies in their versatility in a wide range of materials. I wouldn’t drill brass with my brad point set, but I won’t think twice about using these. In brass, the pilot point eliminates the need to predrill pilot holes for largediameter bits. And instead of a long curl of waste metal, which can clog the flutes, the bits eject small chips, which is a primary reason these bits run as cool as they do.

When you’re drilling in acrylic plastic, heat is the enemy. The plastic heats up and starts to clog the flutes, and suddenly you’re melting things. These drill bits cut clean and cool. In plastic, the waste material was a stringy curl, but it ejected cleanly with no clogging or melting.

The anti-slip shank design did its job well in the drill press, even when I forgot to tighten the chuck! However, I would prefer to see a quick-release hexshank design for use with my cordless drill kits.

This bit set comes in DeWalt’s new well-designed Tough Case. Not only can the individual inserts of these cases be swapped out with other bit sets, but the case itself is part of a larger interconnectable and customizable system. At about $25, these bit sets are a bargain.