Tool Review: Auger Bit and Carbide Drill Bits Strolling down the aisle of a hardware store will show you an amazing selection of tools. If you wander over to the drill section, you’ll see a breath taking array of drill bits … carbide drill bits, Step and Cobalt drill bits are a just few of what you will see. These drill bits are used for a variety of tasks, some very specialized. You don’t need to have hundreds of drill bits, but you do need to have the right drill bit for the right task.
If you plan to do any kind of wood working, plumbing or electrical work, you’ll want to have an auger bit. Auger bits are used for creating clean, neat holes in wood. You can find auger bits in a variety of sizes, which give you lots of options when wood working.
An auger bit has a sharp center point that bites into the wood for drilling and a deep spiral flute that effectively removes sawdust and chips while drilling. These bits will make large-diameter, deep holes in large boards, such as 2x4’s. The auger bit also leaves a flat bottomed hole.
While an auger bit will make short work of drilling deep holes into wood, or take care or nails where you’re drilling, sometimes you need something with a little more horsepower, at least something that can cut through metal. One option is to use carbide drill bits. Carbide bits are used when regular steel bits simply won’t do the job.
Carbide drill bits have been coated with carbide, a compound made from carbon – this material used to coat these drill bits is made of Tungsten carbide, titanium carbide and tantalum carbide. The hard carbide particles coat the drill bits, are pressed into a metal die, and then heated in a furnace to over 1400 degrees Celsius. This coating makes the drill bit some of the toughest material available. It also makes the carbide bit quite a bit more expensive than traditional bits.
An auger bit has a sharp center point that bites into the wood for drilling and a deep spiral flute that effectively removes sawdust and chips while drilling. These bits will make large-diameter, deep holes in large boards, such as 2x4’s. The auger bit also leaves a flat bottomed hole.
While an auger bit will make short work of drilling deep holes into wood, or take care or nails where you’re drilling, sometimes you need something with a little more horsepower, at least something that can cut through metal. One option is to use carbide drill bits. Carbide bits are used when regular steel bits simply won’t do the job.
Carbide drill bits have been coated with carbide, a compound made from carbon – this material used to coat these drill bits is made of Tungsten carbide, titanium carbide and tantalum carbide. The hard carbide particles coat the drill bits, are pressed into a metal die, and then heated in a furnace to over 1400 degrees Celsius. This coating makes the drill bit some of the toughest material available. It also makes the carbide bit quite a bit more expensive than traditional bits.
Carbide bits are considered an industry standard for metal working professionals – carbide drill bits will cut through almost anything. These bits have incredible cutting power, and will also hold their naturally sharp edge longer than most drill bits. While these drill bits certainly may be more expensive to purchase initially, they will hold up well over time. You won’t have to replace them with the frequency that you will have to replace traditional drill bits.
To a hobbyist, general handyman or building professional, the right tools are incredibly important. Check out our full line of drill bits and drill bit sets make sure you have the best auger bit or carbide drill bits for your job!
