I’ve snapped another bit today, and I’m missing all sorts of sizes.

Suggest to me some good quality wood and masonry bits for a DIY’er. Mainly used on 18v combi drill.

I’ve bought some DeWalt in the past and they have been excellent, and still have a good Bosch screwdriver bit set. I’d rather buy quality.

For wood, these take some beating,
https://www.screwfix.com/p/bosch-self-cut-speed-flat-wood-drill-bit-set-8-pcs/5393V?tc=HT1&ds_kid=92700055262507123&ds_rl=1244066&gclid=CjwKCAjwtpGGBhBJEiwAyRZX2vN3O5eC96X5jf3Ynpzy5sii-r0qq1czxRzJR4quhpatiR6TQJpZBxoCigUQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds
Just remember not to go all the way through, when the point is protruding through the opposite face of your timber unwind bit and drill through opposite face.

I’m good with flat bits – its the smaller HSS and pointy / twist wood bits I’m after.

The old DeWalt silver colbot bits where very good but there is a difference now.
Dormer for me I just get replacements when I snap them mainly 3to8mm in the 160mm length.
For MDF I use cheap rubbish.
Split bit or those DeWalt pilot bits if you can still buy them are good for all round work.
If your drilling 3/4mm thick metal don’t rule a step drill out

For metal and other hard materials I would go for something like these,
https://www.screwfix.com/p/milwaukee-straight-shank-thunderweb-hss-g-metal-drill-bit-set-19-piece-set/552FJ?tc=HT1&ds_kid=92700055262507123&ds_rl=1244066&gclid=CjwKCAjwtpGGBhBJEiwAyRZX2pD0W9oARwzW3mh0Fq8W29av7w2ag-uMADBc_pQLHFlBLoDLGUVAAhoCxt4QAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

I use Bosch for all, I have a set of wood bits, a set of HSS and buy the blue fluted multi-material bits for masonry as I need them. The multi’s are brilliant, never had one wander or bend (despite being the 100-150mm length ones) and give as clean a result as you could want.

Dormer, Heller are good value.

A lot depends on your ability to sharpen the drill for different jobs, i find drilling thin steel sheets tends to break drill bits.

the blue fluted multi-material bits for masonry as I need them. The multi’s are brilliant, never had one wander or bend (despite being the 100-150mm length ones) and give as clean a result as you could want.

I dont know what magic ingredient they use for those bits but they’re ace – i think for most people they would probably the last masonry drill bits they’d ever have to buy

I’ve snapped another bit today, and I’m missing all sorts of sizes

You’ll generally use certain sizes more than others  – if you have a set and certain key ones are missing/broken its  because you use those sizes most.  Instead of buying another set and being left with the same un-used bits again buy little five-packs of those most frequently used sizes and use them to re-stock you drill set.  Same goes for driver bits – its important to have a selection box for any occasion but you’ll actually use a PZ2 95% of the time. Dewalt’s tictak boxes of PZ2s used to be the go-to for  that but there’s something wrong with the shape of their bits at present and they don’t grip well on smaller PZ2 screws (not PZ1s but smaller diameter screws with a PZ2 head – the dewalt bits seem a bit too pointed to seat in the head properly  – I’m using boxes of Milwaulkie PZ2s now instead and they are much better

i find drilling thin steel sheets tends to break drill bits.

Double ended stub drills are a good solution for that – usually sold (on eBay / amazon)  quite cheaply in packs of 10 you’re effectively getting 20 as they’re sharp at both ends. They’re also quite short and the flute is quite short so they’re strong and less prone to snap – quite an aggressive tip on them too so they’re a very quick way of getting pilot holes into metal before using a larger bit.

I find the current batch of dewalt ‘extreme’ bits very prone to snapping  – especially in larger diameters which is a bit counter intuitive.

Dormer

Quality drill bits

I make my own stub drills when i snap them….

I’ve had good success with the Bosch blue stuff so far but I’m far from an expert. Managed fine with some masonry jobs with my basic Ryobi combi drill.

I’ve just bought some Milwaukee bits which seem to be well regarded, not had much of a chance to use them yet but they look and feel great!

I like Irwin ti nitride drill bits but due to the cost I save them for do or die drilling out of broken bits.

Day to day I use a mix of Bosch and dewalt

One thing if your snapping smaller drill bits I find alot of it is down to the length sticking out of a hand held drill. You end up applying a bit of an angle by accident and it’ll snap. I use the drill press for small drills as much as is possible.

Glad it’s not just me having issues with the DeWalt driver bits they keep bumping out on my 3:5 head size screws. I’ve gone back to trend and non descript German brand

I’ve got a set that I’ve had for years, I’ve snapped a couple of small ones, but I don’t use them that much, but what I particularly like is that the bit is set into a steel hex base, which means they can’t rotate in the chuck. Also, it allows a bit to be used for making holes in things that really don’t require a drill, by putting them into a hex-driver handle, which I do quite often.
I must get another set sometime…