What is a brad point drill bit – review

what is a brad point drill bit

Brad point drill bit

Are you having trouble keeping a conventional twist drill bit in place while drilling a piece of wood or fiberglass? You might want to try a brad point drill bit. What is a brad point drill bit?

It is a drill bit to make holes in wood.

Sometimes called a lip and spur bit, brad point drill bits used for wood feature a point at the center of the bit, which is pressed into the wood that you intend to drill and helps to hold it in place.

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There are different types of drill bits and each serves a special function, but which drill bit for wood is best? Here are five that you should consider:

 

Steelex D1034 Deluxe Brad Point Bit Set, 25-Piece
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This set of twenty-five bits in sizes from 1/8-Inch to 1/2-Inch by 1/64-Inch increments would make a great addition to any woodworker’s shop.

Instead of hunting for the bit you need, why not have them all indexed and close at hand.

Features and Benefits:

  • Made of tools steel
  • Have a ¼” shank
  • Comes in a steel index
  • Can drill flat bottomed holes in any wood.
  • Most extensive set with 25 bits included

Drawbacks:

  • Some complaints about wobble in a drill press.
  • Shank size varies along with bit size.

Comments:

Though there are complaints that the brad is not perfectly centered and that these bits tend to wobble in a drill press, most customers found them to do a good clean job of boring through wood without tearing the surface grain.

They are a great value and the right bit is easily at hand in the steel index.

 

See the latest price of Steelex D1034 Deluxe Brad Point here…

 

 

Bosch B14616 Brad Point Set, 5-Piece

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This set of bits is designed for both portable drills and drill presses.

A drill bit to make holes in wood with perfect precision without tearing the surface grain of the wood.

The most commonly used sizes of bits are included in this set.

Features and Benefits:

  • You’ll get clean holes with the sharp spurs.
  • Faster chip removal due to extra wide flutes.
  • Ideal for doweling, furniture, and cabinetry.
  • Includes: ¼”, 5/16”, 3/8”, 7/16” and ½” sizes.
  • Tool steel material

Drawbacks:

  • Smaller number of bits to choose from
  • No index, so not as easy to locate the bit you want.

Comments:

Though a smaller set of bits, it includes the ones that you’ll need the most. These bits cut a very clean hole.

There are no complains of wobbling when used in either a drill press or portable drill.

You can’t go wrong with these brad point drill bits used for wood.

 

See the latest price of Bosch B14616 Brad Point here…

 

 

 

Dealt DW1720 Brad Point Bit Set, 6-Piece

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When it comes time to choose which drill bit for wood you’re going to choose, this DeWalt brad point set is an ideal choice.

The precise cutting edges reduce splintering and the brad point tip reduces walking.

Used for doweling and drilling precise holes, this six piece set will get the job done.

Features and Benefits:

  • Precise cutting edge reduces splintering of surface grain
  • Drill bit won’t walk
  • Flutes are engineered for clean chip removal
  • Made of high speed steel
  • Set includes: 1/8, 3/16, 1/4, 5/16, 3/8, and 1/2-Inch bits

Drawbacks:

  • Some complaints of bit warping
  • No index, so not as easy to locate the bit you want.
  • Some wobble

Comments:

With the Dewalt name behind these bits, they tend to produce the quality that customers expect from an industry leader.

In the vast majority of cases, these bits perform with precision, boring clean holes in wood with expected accuracy.

 

See the latest price of Dealt DW1720 Brad Point here…

 

 

 

Topzone 8 Pieces 1/8″ – 3/8″ Brad Point Drill Bits Set for Wood
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Brad point drill bits start holes on center and eliminate the need for a center punch.

A set of brad point drill bits used for doweling, furniture construction and fine finish work, allow the do it yourselfer to produce professional quality work.

This 8 piece set is exactly what you need to get the job done right.

Features and Benefits:

  • Patented speed tip design.
  • Quicker removal of material from its innovative flute design.
  • Sizes include: 3mm-10mm (1/8″, 5/32″, 3/16″, 1/4″, 9/32″, 5/16″, 11/32″, 3/8″)
  • Set comes in an index.

Drawbacks:

  • Are actually metric, so, they fall a little short in projects that use imperial measurement.
  • Plastic case instead of steel
  • Some wobble

Comments:

The major point to keep in mind if you choose to purchase this set is that they are actually metric.

In some cases, a metric hole is close enough to its imperial counterpart, but in others, it might not be.

The high speed tip does help prevent splintering of the surface grain and it does cut a clean hole.

 

See the latest price of Topzone 8 Pieces 1/8″ – 3/8″ here...

 

 

Porter-Cable PC1014 Forstner Bit Set, 14-Piece
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Porter-Cable Forstner bits have an open tooth design that drills holes with a fine, smooth finish both quickly and accurately.

They have optimized cutting angles to create flat bottom holes and are made of hardened steel for a longer service life and durability.

Features and Benefits:

  • Optimized cutting angles
  • Open tooth design
  • Produce a fine, smooth finish
  • Durability and long life
  • Common, imperial sizes from 1/4 to 2 Inch
  • Durable indexed case

Drawbacks:

  • Not well finished on their cutting edges
  • Not precise enough

Comments:

Used on low speeds and with a lower rate of feed on a drill press, these bits work very well and cut very precise holes.

They are value priced for a higher quality bit and do everything that is expected of a brad point bit.

 

See the latest price of Porter-Cable PC1014 Forstner here…

 

 

 

Conclusion – What is a Brad point drill bit

What is a brad point drill bit?

It is one of many different types of drill bits used for drilling clean precise holes, exactly where you want them.

The main purpose of a drill bit to make holes in wood is to avoid splintering the wood grain on the surface.

Brad point drill bits do that. The only question that remains, is which drill bit for wood are you going to use on your next project?

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