Drills for ~$100

[protoserge]

Originally Posted by JamesCH95

Are you serious?

Edit: took a minute, but I found a thread VERY relevant to the topic of dull drill bits: http://www.chiefdelphi.com/forums/sh...?postid=935748

Much, much easier to teach proper techniques for drilling and/or getting the right bits than to dull the bits and hope nothing like this happens to a student or mentor.

I think you misunderstood what I was trying to say. This is a common practice. Here is a video.

[JamesCH95]

Originally Posted by stinglikeabee

I think you misunderstood what I was trying to say. This is a common practice. Here is a video.

That is a really hacky "solution" to a problem that is easily solved by using purpose-made brass and plastic bits.

Plastic bits have a 60deg point to eliminate this problem.

Brass cutters have a different rake and other slight tooling changes to keep from catching.

Sheet metal bits have no spiral flues, or very short ones, to avoid this problem.

Not to mention that proper setup and material/tool holding should make this a non-issue in the first place. I would never put a thin piece of plastic in a vise like that, it would be clamped or screwed to a piece of wood or metal that is then clamped or placed in a vise. Working around one bad practice with another bad practice is not a good plan.

Just because some people consider something 'common practice' does not mean it is the safest, or 'right' way to do things.

[JamesCH95]

OP - I just got two of these kits for my team. So far we like them! The impact torque seems like a good range for most of the stuff that we're working with.

http://www.homedepot.com/p/RIDGID-12...000K/205358335

[philso]

Originally Posted by ToddF

If you really want to get into the weeds, you can probably track down a woodworking magazine with an exhaustive comparison review article comparing the performance of all the major brands. Yes, there are tiny differences in performance and weight between the various models. But, for a typical robotics team, it doesn't matter that one drill will drive 575 screws on a charge, and another one does 525.

Construction professionals will hotly debate between the top brands (Milwaukee, Makita, Dewalt, Bosch, Porter Cable). The next tier down is Hitachi, Ridgid, Ryobi, Craftsman. Black and Decker and Skil are the bottom of the barrel. Like any other consumer product, most people will be happy, and a few will end up with lemons. Personally, I've just decided to go with Ridgid because they stand behind their products with a lifetime warranty. I figure I'll go with the company that puts their money where their mouth is. If any of the others decides to do likewise, I'll consider their stuff, too. I just got tired of throwing perfectly good drills in the dumpster because their expensive batteries died.

Fine Woodworking usually does a comprehensive comparison test on battery drills each year. In the fall, they usually publish a "tools issue" where they collect together many of these reviews. The reviews rate the drills objectively as well as subjectively; i.e. number of screws driven into hardwood, balance in the hand.

[philso]

Originally Posted by stinglikeabee

I think you misunderstood what I was trying to say. This is a common practice. Here is a video.

Originally Posted by JamesCH95

That is a really hacky "solution" to a problem...

Not to mention that proper setup and material/tool holding should make this a non-issue in the first place. I would never put a thin piece of plastic in a vise like that, it would be clamped or screwed to a piece of wood or metal that is then clamped or placed in a vise. Working around one bad practice with another bad practice is not a good plan.

Just because some people consider something 'common practice' does not mean it is the safest, or 'right' way to do things.

What does one do if one has to drill aluminum or steel afterward? The bit is now non-optimal for other uses.

+1 on the importance of proper work holding.

I was also taught that one should start with a pilot hole and gradually increase the size of the drill bit. That greatly reduces any grabbing, especially if one is clamping the work piece properly.