Step metal drill from China - review and test drive. What are the best metal drills?

For those who carry out construction and installation work, the drill will be the best assistant. Inserted into a drill or others mechanical tools, it will drill a neat hole or tighten a screw.

There is no universal drill, and an incorrectly selected one will ruin the job or make it impossible, so you should carefully choose it. In most cases, you will have to select a drill yourself, because, unfortunately, not every seller in a hardware store will give the right recommendations on the quality of this tool and the work for which it is suitable.

Do I need to buy drill bits in sets? How do you know what shape a drill should be? What drills are suitable for? You will find answers to questions in the article.

Spiral – universal, suitable for any type of hole;
Conical - characterized by a smooth conical shape, suitable for holes of any diameter. Need constant supervision from a master;
Stepped – also conical in shape, but they make the process of drilling holes of a certain diameter easier due to the presence of steps of different sizes;
Core cutters (annular cutters) – for holes with a diameter of 12 to 150 mm, multi-layer materials. They are characterized by low cutting force and produce high roughness values that cannot be achieved with other types of drills. Suitable even for conventional drills. The shank must be strong and powerful to prevent slippage in the chuck. They are chosen depending on what kind of work is being done and what type of steel is being used. They differ from wood drills by the sharpening angle and the presence of two longitudinal grooves that divert the chips to the side.

Options in the photo

The most powerful drills for large holes
Due to the steps of a given diameter, such drills make it easier to drill standard holes. Working with a conical drill requires constant attention from the master. Twist drills are the most familiar and common

Professionals highlight 5 points general criteria choosing a drill for metal:

The type and characteristics of the metal you are going to work with, including the grade of steel;
Depth of “penetration”;
Type of drilling (through or penetrating);
Hole diameter;
What kind of tool do you use (hand or electric drill, varieties - hammer drill, screwdriver or drill), its general characteristics.

Please note that you should not buy a set of drills for household use. If you don't use drills for professional purposes, you won't need many tools and your money will be wasted. If you are going to buy a drill for permanent use, do not skimp.

Features of choice

Professionals choose drills based on the following criteria:

Material;
Blossom;
Labeling;
Sharpening angle;
Size;
Shank;
To the manufacturer.

It’s not difficult to identify them by eye, but before doing this, be sure to find out what type of drill you have. For example, large cross-section holes will require low-speed, high-power drills with appropriate drill bits. Additionally, please note that some types of drills are used only with cooling solutions, in order to avoid burning them and the metal.

Which material is better

To use a drill at home, it is better to choose one drill for working with metal various densities. When choosing a tool for working with aluminum and steel, focus on cost.

Cheap - Chinese-made products. They quickly break or become dull. For long-term operation they will be required in plural, and their total cost is disproportionate to the purchase of a single, but high-quality drill.

In search of a quality tool, turn to the products famous brands. They are made of solid steel and are solid rolled.

Drill highest quality- solid rolled

Counterfeits are determined by weight. The drill should not be too light.

Choose by color

On store shelves you can find drills in the following colors, which directly indicate their quality:

This does not mean that you don’t need to buy gray or black drills. Approach the choice from a practical standpoint - if you only need to drill a couple of holes, you can save money by buying several drills, and if you are planning more global work, it is better to buy a “golden” drill, which will last much longer.

Marking

All data about the drill is printed on its shank

The drill marking implies a certain combination of alphanumeric values and indicates:

Drill diameter;
Steel hardness;
Metal impurities in the alloy;
Technology and place of production.

Please note that markings are not placed everywhere - for example, drills with a diameter of less than 2 mm do not have them. On instruments domestic production with a diameter from 2 to 3 mm, a mark and cross-section are given, on products with a size of 3 mm or more - data on the cross-section, metal grade, impurities in the alloy, trademark. If you decide to buy imported drills, they will indicate the country of origin, brand of company and metal alloy, drill diameter and cross-section, accuracy class and recommendations for use.

The highest quality drills are characterized by the USSR marking.

Main types of marking:

HSS-R and HSS-G – suitable for working with cast, alloyed, carbon steel with a strength of up to 900 N/mm2, aluminum, cupronickel, graphite, bronze or brass alloy and cast iron;
HSS-G Co 5 – for processing metals with a strength of up to 1110 N/mm2, suitable for drilling stainless steel, carbon, alloy, non-heat-resistant, heat-resistant steel;
HSS-GTiAN/TiN – drills with titanium-nitride-aluminum coating, suitable for working with cast iron, brass, cupronickel and bronze, cast steel.

There are also cobalt drills (one of the most expensive and durable types of drills, suitable for drilling hard metals) and hard metal alloys (suitable for metal processing large thickness, have a one-sided, acute sharpening angle).

Sharpening angle

The sharpening angle is the angle between the edges

The sharpening angle is the angle between the edges. For various types metal it is different. For example:

Drills for steel have a sharpening angle of 116-140 degrees;
To work with bronze, brass and aluminum, you will need a sharpening of 110-135 degrees (such drills are most common);
For “stainless steel” - 120 degrees;
For cast iron - 118 degrees.

The ease of drilling depends on how correctly you select the drill according to the sharpening angle. different types metal

What size are drill bits?

There are different sizes of drills, but our country’s GOST sets the following parameters:

Short (GOST 4010-77) – diameter 0.3-0.20 mm, length – 20-131 mm;
Extended (GOST 10902-77) – diameter 0.3-0.20 mm, length – 19-205 mm;
Long (GOST 886-77) – diameter 1-20 mm, length – 56-254 mm.

They allow you to make holes of different depths.

What is a shank and what are they?

The shank is the part of the drill that is clamped by the drill or hammer chuck. At first they were of the same type - tetrahedral, placed in the hole of the drill chuck and secured with a screw. Later, improved types of shanks appeared, used for various types of tools.

Shanks are:

Cylindrical - found most often. Typically, such products have same size drill base and diameter. Sometimes there are models in which the shank is thicker or thinner than a drill. The disadvantage is that the shank slips, which makes it impossible to transmit a large torque to the drill. Advantage - if the drill gets stuck in work surface, the drill will be protected from damage;
Hexagonal (aka hexagonal and hex) shanks - suitable for various types of drills. Disadvantage: insignificant accuracy when using a ¼-inch holder;
This shank shape fits almost any drill model
SDS shanks are the brainchild of TM Bosh for hot changing drills in rotary hammers. There are different types: SDS (with two grooves with a diameter of 10 mm, inserted into a 40 mm chuck), SDS-plus (common shanks with a diameter of 10 mm, placed into a 40 mm chuck, used on light hammer drills, drill diameter - 4-26 mm ), SDS-top (rare, have 2 open and 2 closed groove, characterized by a diameter of 14 mm, in a chuck - 70 mm, drill diameter - 16-25 mm, suitable for 4-kg class hammer drills with a replaceable chuck), SDS-max (widely distributed, suitable for drills over 20 mm, inserted into a chuck by 90 mm, diameter – 18 mm, have 3 closed and 2 open grooves), SDS-quick (4-10 mm), SDS-hex (used in jackhammers, picks, drills);
Shanks designed specifically for rotary hammers
Splined shanks – have the same parameters as SDSMax;
Triangular - clamped into three-jaw chucks, the main advantage is that they transmit large torques;

Metal drilling is technological process, aimed at producing holes of various diameters in metal sheets and workpieces using a special rotating tool called a drill.

For drill manufacturing Hard materials that do not collapse under mechanical influence are used, most often these are high-speed alloy alloys. Depending on the type and thickness of the material, the diameter of the hole and the technological requirements for the processing method, metal drills can be:

spiral;
feathers.

Each type of tool has its own advantages and disadvantages, which significantly affect the ability to perform certain works, details about all these types.

Key indicators for selection

When choosing a tool for drilling metals, you must consider:

the composition of the alloy from which they were made;
way additional processing and the presence of surface coating;
manufacturer's trademark;
diameter and design shape;
design and sharpening angles of cutting edges.

Important! Cutting part traditional twist drills has a front and rear angle of inclination of the plane of the cutting part. Geometric parameters The rear sharpening angle determines the magnitude of the friction force during operation and the wear rate of the tool. Increasing this indicator allows you to process more durable metals, but leads to reduced heat dissipation and faster wear.

What can color say?

An important external parameter when choosing a drill can be the color of the surface, which indicates the composition of the alloy, the processing method and the surface reinforcing coating. Quality tool made from high-speed alloys with the addition of titanium, molybdenum or tungsten. The international designation for such metals is HSS (High Speed Steel).

However, even if the drill marking contains a similar inscription, but its surface is gray steel in color, you should not buy such a product. It was not subject to additional types processing and does not have sufficient strength and wear resistance. The price in this case will be low, but it will also last a short time, with the need for frequent sharpening.

Drills can be:

Black, after heat treatment superheated steam and additional hardening. The cost of a black drill is slightly higher than that of untreated products, but it is quite affordable for use for domestic purposes. But increased strength significantly increases service life.
After heating the finished drills in a furnace and gradually tempering the metal to relieve internal stresses, the surface acquires light yellow tint. As a result, the wear resistance of the drill increases significantly, and its sharpening is required much less frequently.
Bright golden color talk about the use of an alloy with the addition of titanium, which is characterized by maximum strength. These are the most expensive drills, but their use is completely justified long term operation.
Grey colour indicates low quality of the instrument. Used for one-time work, after which it is thrown away. Accordingly, this drill is the cheapest on the market.

When determining which drill will be best for your conditions, approach the issue with practical point vision. For constant drilling work, it is better to buy an expensive, but more wear-resistant tool. But for periodic use and solving everyday problems, black or pale yellow drills are quite suitable. This will allow you to get the desired result at the minimum acceptable cost.

How drills are made and why they are different colors, video from the RUKO plant (Germany)

Marking of drills for metal, what you need to consider when choosing

The alphanumeric designations printed on the drill contain information about:

diameter and length of the tool;
the brand of metal from which it is made;
method of additional processing and the presence of surface coating;
manufacturing accuracy class.

At the same time, diameters up to 3.0 mm are not marked, and all necessary information shown on the packaging.

The area of application can be indicated by the following symbols:

HSS-G for drilling mild steel, cast iron and non-ferrous metals;
HSS-E for high alloy and stainless alloys;
HSS-TiAIN universal tool for all types of materials.

The presence of such markings indicates the possibility professional use tool.

How to choose the right drill for metal and other materials

Materials	HSS-Co	HSS-Tin	HSS-G	HSS-R
Steel (H/mm 2)<900	**	**	**	**
Steel (H/mm 2)<1100	**	*
Steel (H/mm 2)<1300	*	*
Stainless steel	**	*
Cast iron	**	*	*	**
Aluminum	**	*	**
Brass	**	**	**	*
Bronze	*	*	*	*
Plastic	**	**	**	**
Wood	**	**	**	**

Classification by length and diameter

According to the ratio of length and diameter, the tool differs in:

Short drills, 20-131 mm long, their diameter is in the range of 0.3-20 mm.
Elongated, length is 19-205 mm, diameter - 0.3-20 mm.
Long with a length of 56-254 mm. and diameter 1-20 mm.

TOP 10 most famous manufacturers

The manufacturer's brand is also a very important factor influencing the right choice. Well-known manufacturers of drilling tools guarantee the strength of the alloy, the quality of sharpening, high wear resistance and corrosion resistance. Therefore, if you are looking for a high-quality metal drill, you won’t be able to save money. The cost of well-known brands is quite high.

An exception to this rule may be rare drills made in the USSR. Having seen such a tool, you can have no doubt about its quality. Experts unequivocally speak about the excellent performance of Soviet tools in terms of alloy strength, long service life and stability of cutting edges. This is also due to the GOST requirements of that time for such a tool.

Among the ten best manufacturers of drilling tools, experts name:

European concern Bosch, producing drills made of high-strength high-speed steel with a surface coating of titanium nitride with a tensile strength of up to 900 N/mm 2. Can be used for drilling any metals except aluminum and its alloys. The cost of a drill depends on its diameter and length. A set of 12 pieces costs an average of 3,000 rubles.
Trade brand " Attack", distinguished not only by high quality products, but also by affordable prices. They are made from high-quality steel alloys that can provide long service life even under conditions of high-speed metal processing. The average cost of one drill is less than 100 rubles. 5500 – 7000 Cost of a set for professional use.
Wurth Zebra Spiralbohrersatz HSS is one of the best twist drills for metal working. Capable of providing the ability to drill at high drive speeds, while guaranteeing high edge quality and dimensional accuracy. Used for drilling structural steel and all types of cast iron. Can be installed on stationary drilling machines and hand-held electric drills. The average cost of diameters up to 12 mm does not exceed 120 rubles per piece.
Sets of the Russian brand " Anchor" The set consists of 19 items with a diameter of 1-10 mm and costs an average of 1000 rubles, so it belongs to the group of inexpensive high-quality tools. The durability and reliability of the drill is ensured by the presence of a tip made of high-strength high-speed alloy.
German brand Metabo Bestler produces a spiral-shaped tool with the cutting edge sharpened at an angle of 135 degrees. This condition makes it possible to achieve high drilling accuracy even at any rotation speed. The average price for a diameter of up to 12 mm is 100-120 rubles.
AEG HSS are considered the best metal drills in an affordable price category. Special sharpening of the tool does not require preliminary punching on the metal surface, which greatly simplifies the work process. Designed for drilling alloy steels with a tensile strength of more than 1000 N/mm 2.
Russian brand drills " BISON» (ZUBR) are used for processing all types of steels and ferrous alloys. Special cross-shaped sharpening ensures self-centering of the tool and high drilling accuracy. A set of 20 items costs 1000 rubles.
Sets DeWALT can be used in production and at home. The special design of the drill completely eliminates the possibility of damage and defects along the edges of the hole. A tool set of 28 items with a diameter of 1-13 mm costs up to 5,000 rubles.
Surface of Hawera drills from a European company Bohler coated with titanium nitride, which increases their strength and wear resistance. In addition, all products are subjected to special grinding, which guarantees drilling quality at any drive rotation speed. However, a set of 20 items can cost up to 6,000 rubles.
Irwin TurboMax belongs to the category of universal tools, designed not only for processing metals, but also plastics, wood, gypsum and other materials. When drilling alloy and stainless steels, a mandatory supply of coolant is required. The cost of a set of 15 drills is about 3,000 rubles.

As can be seen from the above list, the drills offered for sale differ in their characteristics, purpose and price. The manufacturer's rating also determines the quality of the products, which is usually confirmed by a large number of positive reviews.

Almost every head of the family has a minimum supply of necessary tools for various purposes. And one of the most common jobs is drilling. And for some, this is a regular need. But according to the universal “law”, what you need is not always at hand at the right time. Then you have to go to the nearest store in search of good drills for metal, wood, etc.

Just as a warning for the future, it is not recommended to purchase ready-made whole sets of drills. Yes, they look beautiful and fascinating, but there is no guarantee that you will need all of them. With the exception of rare cases, such variety is not needed in everyday life; a few truly necessary units are enough.

Before you go to the store to buy drills (or one), there are a few things to consider:

The type of material you will have to work with, not forgetting about its features and steel grade.
To what depth should the drill be immersed, that is, will it be a through or penetrating procedure?
Required hole diameter.
What kind of tool will be used for drilling (hand or electric drill, hammer drill, screwdriver).
Parameters of the tool used (speed, power, etc.).

However, these are general recommendations. And since the drill is selected for specific purposes, and the product range is diverse, it is worthwhile to dwell in more detail on some important points. At the same time, we’ll find out along the way what nuances there may be.

Drill classification

Most manufacturers produce their metal products in a fairly wide range of working sizes. And so that ordinary consumers do not experience confusion among such a great variety, regulatory documents (GOSTs) were specially developed. Among them are GOST 886-77, GOST 10902-77, GOST 4010-77. According to them, all products are divided according to several parameters: form, purpose, performance.

But initially, all drills can be divided into two main groups: 1 - for metal; 2 - for wood and other soft materials. Metal drills have two longitudinal grooves, with the help of which the chips are diverted to the side. In addition, they are distinguished by a special sharpening angle. As for core and cone drills, they fall out of this list.

If there is a need to make a hole in a layer of metal for a self-tapping screw, you should not use a drill of the same size. Usually, if the metal thickness is less than 0.5 mm, then pre-drilling is not necessary, otherwise it cannot be avoided. The table below may come in handy.

And since in the assortment of self-tapping screws you can find a large number of pointed black hardware, you should use another table. In addition, their diameter starts from 3.5 mm.

As you can see, the diameter of the drill must be selected smaller than the same parameter of the self-tapping screw.

Dimensions

According to the same GOST 10902-77, there are three groups of drills depending on their diameter and length:

Short series - the length ranges from 20 to 131 mm, and the diameter is 0.3-20 mm.
Extended series - longer drills: from 131 to 205 mm with a similar diameter as in the group above.
Long series - these products are even longer: 205-254 mm, the diameter here is also slightly different and ranges from 1 to 20 mm.

This division makes it much easier for customers to choose one product or another. For the most part, this applies to spiral, but there may be other varieties depending on the needs of production. And as you can understand, the classification does not end there. But in everyday life, different situations can also arise, and then you should pay attention to the shape of the drills.

Cone products

Which metal drills are best? This is what we will find out throughout the text. Cone drills allow you to make holes of any shape, as can be understood by their name. The master only needs to decide on the size of the required circle and accurately set the drilling center. When working with conical products with smooth walls, it is necessary to constantly monitor the entire process.

With the help of such products it is easy to work with aluminum sheets, non-ferrous metals, and also with steel structures up to 6 mm thick. But besides this, they can also be successfully used in relation to other materials: plastic, wood, plywood.

Step drills

It is easier to work with stepped drills - a certain step corresponds to the required diameter. For such drills, the working part is made in the form of a stepped cone. But unlike the above-mentioned tools, there are stepped ring transitions on the surface.

The question of which metal drills are better worries any craftsman. And the answer may have already been found - due to its shape, processing can be performed at high speed. And it’s worth noting that stepped edges have a high degree of strength. Like many other metal drills, they can be used to work with drywall, plastic, and concrete.

Crown shape

The crown shape of the products is used for large sizes, and they can also work with multi-layer materials. And due to their structure, such drills do not depend on the power of the tool used. The cutting force is small, which allows you to work with a conventional drill. If you need to choose, you should pay attention to the shank - it is desirable that it be powerful and durable.

Thanks to this, the possibility of good drills slipping through the metal in the chuck is eliminated. It is necessary to take into account that vibrations and overheating contribute to increased wear of the product. Therefore, it is worth reducing these factors to a minimum, or better yet, getting rid of them altogether.

Spiral

These are the most common drills today, but however, they have always been popular and are unlikely to lose their relevance in the near future. As for household use, this is usually where the need arises. Even every schoolchild knows how they are constructed from labor lessons - a cylindrical rod in which there are two grooves with cutting edges. In this case, they are located relative to the axis of the cutting product at an angle from 10° to 45°.

At the same time, almost everyone has a right-handed cut, but there are drills with left-hand rotation for metal. They are used when it is necessary to drill out some broken fastener when it is not possible to unscrew it manually. Actually, this is their main and, perhaps, only purpose of left-handed products.

Marking

As you might guess, any drill will plunge into the surface or workpiece when its cutting part is harder in relation to the material. Therefore, their marking helps to make the right choice regarding a particular metal drill.

As a rule, it is located on the shank of the tool. And here it is worth paying attention to how it is applied - if all the symbols are clearly visible, it means that the engraving was done at the factory. This is a sure sign to recognize a fake. Depending on the working diameter, the marking of metal drills (extended, short, long) may contain various data:

On miniature drills, the diameter of which is less than 2 mm, there is no information at all. Which is quite understandable, it will be impossible to consider anything.
Products with a slightly larger diameter (from 2 to 3 mm) already have markings - steel grade, cross-sectional size.
Tools with a diameter of 3 mm or more contain more data - working diameter, steel grade, manufacturer's stamp.

Drills from foreign companies contain even more useful information:

manufacturer's name;
company trade index;
brand of alloy used;
working diameter of the product;
accuracy class.

In addition, from the markings you can glean some information regarding which materials can be worked with.

Alphanumeric designation

The markings of any metal drill (long or short) contain not only numbers, but also letters. As a result, you can obtain information regarding the category of the alloy used for the production of drills, as well as the presence of additional chemical elements in its composition. This allows you to significantly improve their performance.

The letter “P” indicates that durable tool high-speed steel is used for the manufacture of products. Often a number of elements are additionally added - molybdenum, which is designated by the letter “M”, and cobalt (letter “K”). Examples of such notations are below:

P9 - a high degree of wear resistance and ductility, but thermal tolerance leaves much to be desired.
P18 - this can be considered a good indicator, indicating high grindability over a wide range of quenching temperatures.
R6M5 are very good metal drills that contain molybdenum. And despite decarbonization (reducing carbon concentration), they last quite a long time.
R12F3 - contains 3% vanadium, grindability parameters are quite low. These drills are designed for medium loads.
R6M5F3 - long service life, but such drills are also recommended for working with steels in medium mode.
R6M5K5, R9K5, R18K5F2 - the cobalt content makes it possible to give the products good hardness and heat resistance. They can already be used in high-load conditions.

In addition, on drills you can find another type of marking: HSS or Din, which already applies to imported products. If you need to choose a really high-quality tool for specific conditions, all these parameters should not be ignored.

Drills from a number of foreign manufacturers have their own markings - HSS or Din. At the same time, a set of metal drills HSS-G and HSS-R will be useful in working with cast, carbon and alloy steel with a strength parameter of up to 900 N/mm. Also, such products can be used for processing gray and ductile cast iron, graphite alloys, bronze, brass, aluminum, etc.

If you need to work with stronger metals (up to 1100 N/mm), then you should use HSS-G Co 5 products. The HSS-TiAIN and HSS-TiN series are similar to the previous type, but there is corrosion protection.

Select by color

All drills that are sold in many stores can be divided into 4 main groups depending on color. Moreover, each shade indicates the presence of certain characteristics. The color scheme is as follows:

Black - after production, the drills were treated with high temperature steam. Although they have a fairly low cost, they have sufficient strength and reliability.
Gray - no surface treatment of the products was carried out. As a result, the drills are not of high quality and burn out quickly.
Light Gold - These drills are made of hardened steel and have been treated accordingly to improve performance.
Gold is the most durable products in the production of which titanium is used. Moreover, among all other analogues, they are not only the most reliable, but also durable. But again, due to the peculiarities of production, including additional processing in several stages, such products, accordingly, have the highest cost.

As for choosing good metal drills, this issue should be approached from a practical standpoint. Cheap black drills are suitable for one-time use and most household needs.

Gold-colored products should be purchased only if it is justified by rationality - a large scope of work in which it is necessary to make several hundred holes in the metal surface or workpieces.

The best choice

When choosing drills for your own needs, you need to pay attention not only to a number of characteristics, you should also consider which manufacturer they were made by. There are not many of them, and most people, especially home craftsmen, know their names very well. The list below includes companies you can trust:

Metabo.
Ruko.
Bosch.
Haisser.
Polmart.
Dewalt.

Regarding metal drills from Metabo and Bosch, one thing can be said with confidence: they will last much longer than their competitors in the form of Matrix, Stayer and other Chinese analogues.

Drills produced under the Ruko brand have cross sharpening and various types of spraying. At the same time, the ratio between quality and cost is at an optimal level.

The Bosch brand itself is already a symbol of high quality and reliability. Every consumer who needs equipment for construction and repair should give preference to this manufacturer. And first of all.

Products manufactured by Haisser are capable of operating under extreme load conditions. And all thanks to the design features, as well as the use of special alloys in their manufacture.

The company under the name Polmart also produces high-quality drills that can be used equally when working with both hand tools and stationary equipment.

Dewalt metal drill bits contain cobalt, which gives them extra hardness. And this is a guarantee that with their help you can drill more than a dozen holes. The products are sharpened in such a way that the contact patch is very small. This allows you to avoid cases where the drill moves to the side at the initial stage of drilling.

Domestic products

Oddly enough, it is domestically produced products that can most often be found in many construction stores. And here the choice is simplified by the fact that you can purchase drills without much thought - you won’t have to doubt the quality and reliability of the product.

The Enkor company, which began its activities in 1992, deserves special mention. Today it is the largest manufacturing and trading company, whose activities are aimed at producing various tools, including accessories for them.

As for Anchor metal drills, the manufacturer presents two main series:

HSS drills.
Drills R6M5.

The first group includes products in a cheap price category that cope well with many household needs. Just for many home craftsmen who like to spend their working time at the dacha or in their garage. For an affordable price you can purchase drills with a diameter from 0.8-1 to 13 mm. Moreover, all products are completely polished, and the sharpening angle is 118°.

The second group is designed for professionals in their field or more demanding consumers. For the manufacture of such equipment, a more durable material is used - high-performance high-speed steel R6M5. The surface of the products is also completely polished, and the sharpening angle is already 135°. And thanks to the cross-shaped point of the jumper, preliminary core punching of the metal surface or workpiece is not required.

The “Bison” metal drill set is also worthy of attention. This equipment has such necessary parameters as quality, reliability, cost, which are also harmoniously combined with each other.

A high-quality metal drill is capable of drilling many different holes in the hardest materials without becoming dull or breaking. High performance characteristics can be expected from a drill if it is correctly selected for the product being drilled, made of high-quality material and sharpened in the required manner.

Let us consider in detail the types of metal drills, their characteristics, features of use and criteria for choosing a cutting tool.

A metal drill is an indispensable tool for a modern builder

A metal drill is used for cutting holes in alloyed and unalloyed steel, its alloys, non-ferrous metals, cast iron and other types of metal. Often such drills are used when working with hard plastic materials. The scope of application of metal drills is limitless: the tool is used in a variety of fields of activity and in everyday life.

It is difficult for an ordinary buyer to navigate among the wide range of drills that are presented on the construction market today. Without competent consultation from a specialist, choosing a suitable model is quite difficult.

Structurally, a metal drill has a working part (cutting and calibrating part) and a shank.

Metal drills belong to the category of spiral drills, since they have spiral-shaped grooves along the entire length to remove chips

The place at the end of the drill is the cutting part, where the pointed edges are located to ensure the penetration of the drill into the material. Behind the cutting part there is a calibrating part equipped with grooves for removing metal chips. The calibrating part is responsible for the smoothness of the edges of the hole and sets the desired diameter.

The material of manufacture and the structure of the working part determine the purpose of the cutting tool.

The drill is attached to a hand tool or machine through a shank, which can be conical, cylindrical or hexagonal.

Classification of drills for metal

Depending on the design features, metal drills can be divided into the following types:

Features of marking drills for metal

When choosing a drill for metal, you need to pay attention to its markings, which may indicate the diameter, steel grade, accuracy class and manufacturer.

Drills with a diameter of up to 2 mm are not marked; on products up to 3 mm, the diameter and grade of steel are indicated, and on drills of large sizes, more extensive information may be indicated.

Basic designations:

marking starting with a letter R indicates high-speed steel products;
numerical values determine the content of a particular substance in the alloy, for example: K6- six parts of cobalt (increases the heat resistance of products); M4- molybdenum content;
for comparison, a drill with markings R6M5K5 much stronger than a drill with markings R6M 5, due to the addition of cobalt (the price of reinforced cobalt drills is higher than conventional ones);
imported analogues have designations H.S.S. or Din; an HSS drill for metal usually has additional markings of Latin letters indicating the working material ( HSS-G drill alloy and carbon steels, aluminum and copper alloys, cast iron; HSS-E in addition to the materials listed, they can cope with acid-resistant and stainless steel; HSS-G Tin- especially durable, suitable for drilling titanium alloy).

For the manufacture of drills for metal, GOST regulates the use of tool high-speed steel grade P18

What can the color of a drill tell you?

The method of final processing of the drill will play an important role in ensuring the strength and reliability of the tool. The color of the drill indicates what materials were used to process the product.

Grey colour indicates that the drill could not be processed in any way. This is the cheapest and least stable product, which will not cope with all types of metal and will not last long.

Black color the drill acquires after treatment with superheated steam - this increases the service life of the product.

Dull golden hue- a sign of using tempering to relieve internal stress in hardened metal. This procedure reduces the fragility of the hardened drill, giving the material strength.

Rich golden color have drills coated with titanium nitrite - this ensures the highest wear resistance. These drills are the most convenient to use (reduced friction) and durable, the only drawback is their high cost.

Proper sharpening of a drill: the need for the process and the algorithm of actions

A high-quality drill is designed for long-term use, however, it can become dull over time. Of course, you can replace it with a new one, or you can avoid unnecessary expenses and sharpen the drill yourself.

In everyday life, for household needs, drills with a diameter of up to 16 mm are usually used, which can be sharpened on a regular sharpening wheel without resorting to “high technology”. If you don’t have a sharpener, you can use a grinder or electric drill, which must be secured before work.

Before you start sharpening a metal drill, you need to prepare:

eyes must be protected with glasses, hands with gloves;
prepare a small container for coolant (machine oil, water) - if the drill is not cooled periodically, the metal will overheat and will not be able to withstand high loads during drilling in the future.

The sequence of actions when sharpening a drill is as follows:

Pressing the drill tightly against the grinding wheel, we process the back surface of the tool. The sharpening angle should not change.
After finishing processing the back surface, a regular cone should form (you can see it by looking at the tip of the drill from the side).
While maintaining the sharpening angle, the working part of the drill is processed.
Finishing of the rear part of the tool occurs after processing the working part of the drill.
The size of the bridge at the tip of the drill should not be more than 0.4 mm (for drill diameters up to 8 mm) and no more than 1-1.5 mm for larger drills.

You should not concentrate only on the tip; the entire working side surface of the drill should be sharpened

When sharpening for the first time, it is advisable to practice on old, worn-out drills in order to feel how to hold and press the tool correctly. If you insert a “test piece” into a drill and drill a couple of holes, it will immediately become clear where the error was made during processing.

When choosing drills for working with metal, you should adhere to the following recommendations:

With the right choice of tool and good sharpening, metal drills can be used for a long time and without problems, both for their intended purpose and for drilling holes in other materials: wood, plastic, plexiglass and stone.

Metalworking does not cause difficulties only for those who know how and what to work with. Beginners in this business have to start with the basics, for example, finding out which metal drills are better or what shape of tip is needed for round holes.

There are not many special tools that can be used to work without the help of a machine. Therefore, it is important to understand what drills are, how they are classified and what they are intended for.

Metal drills: design differences and markings

The modern market offers a large selection of cutting tools for metal processing. You can purchase a ready-made universal kit or a set of metal drills.

For a one-time use, you should not pay for everything at once, but choose something specific for performing any operation that meets certain characteristics.

Tip: When looking at a tool, pay attention to the markings, where many parameters are coded. These are letters and numbers that all types of metal drills have.

From a short inscription, an experienced master immediately understands all the parameters:

metal fabrication;
what material to work on;
drill working diameter;
accuracy class;
country of origin (logo).

Spiral gimlets of minimum diameter are not marked. But the remaining designations will not be able to be understood by a novice home craftsman. For example, the marking P6M5K5 indicates a composition with a certain percentage of tungsten, molybdenum and cobalt - this is the highest quality drill.

But even with 15% cobalt it is also a high-quality tool; the designation P9K15 shows that this is a high-speed steel drill.

Imported alloy steel products are marked with HSS:

HSS-E VAP (for working with stainless steel);
HSS-E with the addition of cobalt (for working on metals with high viscosity);
HSS-Tin with titanium (for increased cutter hardness);
HSS-4241 drills aluminum products;
HSS-R tool for maximum durability.

Attention: Look for the markings on the shank of the metal drill, as shown in the photo.

Which brand of drill is better?

To this day, home craftsmen have preserved tools and equipment from Soviet times. This is not to say that these were bad drills, especially Pobedit ones, but how to sharpen a drill for metal without equipment?

It’s easier to buy a new cutting tool from foreign and domestic manufacturers:

Bosch – any product of exceptional quality.
Ruko – Look for the best Phillips carbide drill bits for reliability.
Haisser - their drills with titanium-nitride coating can withstand extreme loads (processing steel, copper, bronze, cermets, etc.).
“Zubr is a well-established domestic brand, the optimal price-quality ratio, offering reliable cutters for metal, in particular with cobalt.

Important: Any drill will take a hole in a thin product made of a malleable alloy. For “specialists” working in metal, it is not profitable to buy cheap gimlets of dubious quality and waste time sharpening them.

As a rule, drills are specialized for metal and wood, but they can also work with other materials, including concrete, ceramics and polymers.

Drills, their types and characteristics

Drills that structurally have much in common are used for metalworking:

cutter;
working surface (provides advancement while removing chips);
shank (fixed in the chuck).

Main classification:

step or cone (conical) drills;
feather (flat);
crowned;
spiral.

You can find other types of metal drills in catalogs, but these are only discrepancies in the names. For example, annular cutters are the same core drills. On the end part you can see diamond-coated teeth. Standard core drills select the contour of the hole.

Step or conical drills - for holes of the required diameter in thin metal plates. The advantage is that there are several diameters in one tip, but they are practically not used in everyday life.

Classification by material

Cutting tools are most often made of steel, but when metalworking with hard alloys, the temperature rises. If the temperature threshold is violated, the drill becomes dull - you need cutters with plates of sufficient hardness, for example, alloyed with cobalt.

Titanium drills are a good alternative to cobalt drills in terms of hardness and reliability. Technological use guarantees long-term operation with factory sharpening.

Carbide carbide tools demonstrate increased wear resistance. Although these drills do not require regrinding, this tool is used by professionals when working with thick metal. For these purposes, powerful drills operating at low speeds are used - drills are included.

The tool loses its properties due to intensive use, but this does not apply to drills with a bright golden hue.

By the way, by the color of the drill you can judge its performance characteristics:

Black surfaces - from hot steam to increase wear resistance to extend the life of use.
Gray ones are drills for household use; after working with hard metal they become unusable.
Golden - high-speed drills that have undergone a special hardening procedure; they inspire confidence even in experienced craftsmen.
Bright gold surfaces are the best titanium metalworking tools, but they are quite expensive.

The dimensions of metal drills do not affect quality, but a wide range of drills makes it possible to choose the right tool for any metal work. The size scale is regulated by GOST standards. The working length of the cutters ranges from 20 mm to 131 mm, and their diameter ranges from 0.3 mm to 20 mm.