Tired of cheap drill bits. Any opinions on general use or metal bits?

HSS. Made in the USA.

They will last for many years if you treat them right. Use coolant.

I needed to drill some titanium a couple of years ago, I couldn't get even the best bits that I could find at the local hardware store to do a thing.
I mentioned the problem to a friend of mine who works in the Boeing tool department, he brought me a couple of bits that cut through the titanium like butter. I wish I knew what they were made of and where I could purchase some.

A lot of folks I have watched violate the number one rule. Speed kills !! Keep the speed and the heat to a minimum. Once you start pulling a chip..........don't stop. It will allow the piece to cool and work harden.

White17 pretty much covered it but I'll add that few people know how to sharpen a drill bit. They are just like a knife. You gotta keep it sharp. Dull bits cut slow and make heat. More heat means dulling faster. Couple that with people pushing harder because it's not cutting and you'll toast a bit in no time.

Good stuff

Get Cobalt bits

X2 on the cobalt bits

X3 on the cobalt bits

A bit spendy , but will drill through almost anything.

For drilling with a hand drill don't use the standard 118 deg. point drill , get 135 deg. split point drills in a good black oxide HHS or Cobalt if you can afford them.
Like was said, keep the heat down. At the very least use water to keep the bit cool if you don't have coolant or cutting oil.
For thicker pieces make sure you peck many times to clear chips and reapply cutting fluid. Be very careful on the break through. most people chip the outside corners on a new drill on a the first hole on the break through and then wonder why the drill is dull and they can't drill any more holes...

Talking of speed, as a general rule, the smaller the bit, the faster the speed.

More than a bit. But I agree, best you can get if you can afford them. However, not great in a hand drill. People tend to bust them off in a hand drill because most can't drill a hole without moving the drill. Just say'in.

would love to have this set but don't do enuff metal work to spend that kind of money on bits.

https://www.suncoasttools.com/crm/ItemPage.aspx?ItemNumber=40COMBHSCOJ90874++RM&VendorNumber=RMT

How much will they be the next time you need them ?

Unless you are doing alot of machine work or working mostly with steel or hard metals, HSS is fine for the average Joe in my opinion. The money would be better spent on a HSS set and a drill doctor (they work great) to sharpen them.

more i am sure lol they do have a made in usa set that is 1/16-1/2 by 1/64 that i just might order soon.
will have to be sure not to show em to my son tho.

Maybe carbide bits? We use them at work some, but they are easy to break.

Thanks for the info. Sounds like I am doing a few things incorrectly.

Do drill bit sharpeners work well?