Professional tool reviews for professionals

With significant advances in tool technology, you can easily feel that you are behind the latest improvements. More importantly-differences within common tool categories can cause confusion. In past generations, when a craftsman needed a hammer, he went to the local hardware store and bought a hammer. Today, the same craftsman may stand in front of rows of hammers, deciding between hickory handles, fiberglass or carbon fiber. Should he get a titanium head or a steel head, and why? The incredible market mechanism that meets our needs also creates problems. What about multiple drill bits? We can talk about the best drill bits, but let's talk about the difference between black oxide, titanium and cobalt drill bits.

All the different types of drill bits in these categories are based on high-speed steel (HSS), which is the name you will often see when reading about drill bits. But these HSS drill bits have been treated to turn them into black oxide, titanium or cobalt, and significant changes have taken place in terms of performance, intended use and life. Understanding the differences can help you avoid wasting money and using the wrong parts for the wrong materials.

Titanium drill bits are high-speed steel drill bits coated with titanium nitride (TiN) using a process similar to electroplating. TiN is a ceramic material that increases the surface hardness of the drill bit and provides a thermal barrier by reducing friction. This will increase productivity, corrosion resistance, and extend tool life by 3 to 6 times. Titanium drill bits are suitable for drilling iron, steel, aluminum, magnesium and wood.

Titanium drill bits are very suitable for general purpose drilling in a production environment because they can drill holes quickly. The TiN coating also helps the chips flow through the chip flutes, which is helpful because some materials (such as aluminum) adhere to the drill bit better than others. However, once the tip becomes blunt, it will not regain the cutting edge if it is not recoated with titanium nitride. It usually makes more sense to replace rather than repaint them. Therefore, even if they are harder than cobalt, their edges have only a superficial depth.

Cobalt drill bits are made of high-speed steel and 5-8% cobalt alloy. These are the best metal drill bits because they are highly resistant to the large amount of heat generated when drilling through highly abrasive and/or hard materials such as treated stainless steel, titanium and cast iron. Unlike TiN coatings, cobalt is present throughout the material, making it ideal for high-volume work.

Due to its durability and cost, most professionals will not use cobalt drill bits for general purposes. The additional hardness allows manufacturers to reduce the grooves to a percentage of the total thickness, thereby increasing the strength of the drill. You can also sharpen them without reducing the cutting effect. Cobalt drills cost more than TiN or black oxide drills, but many professionals find their toughness valuable.

The manufacturer heats the HSS bit to 950 degrees Fahrenheit to form a black oxide coating that resists rust and corrosion. This reduces the friction between the drill bit and the workpiece, thereby speeding up the drilling process. Drill bits made of black oxide coating are suitable for working on steel, copper, aluminum, brass, oak, maple, medium density fiberboard, pine, PVC, polycarbonate, acrylic, ABS, nylon and composite materials.

The service life of the black oxide drill bit is 50% longer than that of the standard HSS drill bit. They provide excellent durability and speed. Many professionals find that they can be used for many years and believe that the black oxide bit is the best general purpose bit you can buy.

We hope we can help you understand the difference between black oxide, titanium and cobalt drill bits. Have some professional tips on how to choose a drill bit? Add them in the comments below, or speak up on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

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Readers, whether professionals or tool enthusiasts, ask us more about the two main brands than any other brand: Ryobi and DeWalt. However, in the debate between Ryobi and DeWalt, the question is not which brand is more professional. The real question is whether professionals can use cheaper, budget-saving tools to do the work they need instead of more [...]

Cobalt has become a myth... When you check Amazon products, you will find 5% cobalt, but the surface treatment is titanium. Once the edges disappear, they will not cut anything. If there is no mention of the surface treatment, based on the comments about the quick dullness, it is most likely a titanium alloy. I found that the best option is to buy "old-fashioned" cobalt drill bits from eBay. They can be sharpened, are hardly used sometimes, and are easy to drill SS.

Therefore, the real thing to keep in mind when dealing with Cobalt drills is that this is a special drill, not a general purpose drill. The cobalt (M35 (5% cobalt) and M42 (7-8% cobalt) percentage) in the drill bit makes them very fragile, causing the bit to break rather than wear. This is why cobalt drill bits should only be used for metal drilling-otherwise the cost of each drill bit will be ridiculous, and if you move the drill bits a little bit, they will get stuck in the wood drilling. Titanium nitrate and black oxide (and gold...Read more »

I'm pretty sure that even after reading this article, "educated consumers" will still find a way to dilute themselves, thinking that black oxide is the best because it "looks bad" while titanium The metal is "professionals, because it is made of 100% aerospace grade titanium alloy...The reason why I did not mention cobalt is because I have seen many people think it is "just a gimmick", that is to say, they deny the existence of cobalt drill bits! , If you know a little bit about Home Depot, you can easily imagine their representatives walking around explaining why Ryobi HSS...Read more »

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Professional tool reviews for professionals

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