Stumbled on a stat that made me rethink my drill bits

I was reading through a random blog on workshop gear last night and found out that a typical high-speed steel drill bit goes dull after about 100 holes in softwood. That hit me because I've been using the same set of bits for like 2 years on various projects around my house near Charlotte. Never even thought about how fast they wear down. I just assumed they'd keep cutting until they snapped or something. Now I'm wondering if my recent struggles drilling into a pine shelf was just the bits being toast. Anyone else ever track how long their bits actually last before replacing them?

2 comments

2 Comments

dakotam174d ago

Overthinking a drill bit. Just sharpen it and move on.

the_drew4d agoMost Upvoted

500 dollars for a set of fancy drill bits and people act like sharpening is beneath them. I get it @dakotam17, a quick touch up on a bench grinder works for most jobs. But when I'm drilling through hardened steel or doing precision work on a lathe, a badly sharpened bit walks and ruins the piece. A sharp bit from the factory has a specific geometry for a reason.