"Charlie S." wrote in message
news
dbIf.4184$0s.1090@trndny04...
I have an electric corded drill and a 12-V cordless Black and Decker -
Firestorm. I use both drills for occasional household repairs. I mostly
use the cordless.
From time to time I break bits because the materials I am going through
might be too difficult to get through. I generally replace with Black
oxide
bits. The 1/8" drill bit package I have indicates it's good for wood,
plastic and soft metal.
I'd like to know what types of bits I should be buying. Sometimes I do
need
to go through a piece of metal. Most times I work with wood. Should I
have
two sets of bits... one for metal the other for wood? Or, is there one
type
of bit that is good for both?
Another question. This one about my cordless drill. It's a cheap model,
but serves my purposes. I find that even though I hand tighten the bit
receptor, occasionally the bit stops spinning as the receptor losses its
grip. It most often happens when I am going through denser materials. Is
this a drill flaw? I don't remember it happening to my electric drill
with
the key tightening system. I doubt I can do anything about it, but
thought
I pose the question anyway. Do better cordless drills have the same
problem?
Just my opinion. Others may disagree. I use a drill 5-6 days a week in my
installation business.
It sounds like you are buying a cheaper grade of bits (black oxide). For
general duty up to 1/4" a quality all purpose bit (twist type) will do the
job. Dull bits bind and break. Cheap bits bind and break. The "brad point"
style twist bit is about the fastest drilling. The "brad point" sets sold
by B&D and Dewalt are both decent quality bits at an affordable price.
For holes in wood larger than 1/4" the spade type bit is the cheaper choice.
It will work but will dull somewhat quickly. The best choice is the auger
style bit with a screw tip. With a corded drill and reasonable care it will
drill a lot of holes before it wears out or needs sharpening. It does put a
load on a cordless motor and battery.
If you need nothing large than 1/2" buy one of the kits above.
IMO, keyless chucks are garbage. I used a B&D model 7144 corded drill with
a standard chuck in a keyless fashion for 12 years on a daily basis. Each
drill lasted 2-3 years before it died. It never loosened. Whether I was
driving screws or drilling. No matter how many forward or reverses. I have
been using a keyless chuck for the last 7 years or so and I wish MS. Makita
had it stuck where the sun don't shine. I use the contractor model (about
$109). I have sometimes borrowed other "keyless" chuck models while on a
job. They all seem to have the same problem.
Colbyt