![]() With Milwaukee cobalt bits we drilled through 1/2-inch plate steel in 30% less time than with other cobalt bits. I was really impressed with the smooth cutting action. ![]() In a test of the variable helix design at the PTR Labs, we were able to repeatedly bore 1/2-inch holes over 5-inches deep in pressure-treated pine without any binding or argument from the bit. ![]() Quicker waste removal reduces friction and heat that dulls bits and leads to binding and the despicable experience of snapping off a drill bit in your workpiece. The design pulls waste out of the hole at a quicker rate and with fewer rotations of the bit. These bits start with a tight 35° twist on the helix at the tip and then spread out to 15° at the base. Typical twist drills have a standard helix with the flutes being uniform all the way down the shaft. Not true of both the Titanium and Cobalt Red Helix bits. You can find other cobalt and titanium bits, but this feature is truly innovative. In my opinion, here lies the real genius of this tool. Milwaukee Red Helix Bits: Design and Innovation Variable Helix Sharpen these bits, and you lose the benefits of the titanium coating. Bits with a titanium coating are better for general purpose drilling in softer surfaces since the coating is only on the surface. This means you can sharpen these bits without losing any performance. Despite this, cobalt (really a steel alloy with 5-8% cobalt) works better for drilling metal due to its high resistance to the massive heat generated when drilling through highly abrasive materials.Ĭobalt bits are great for high production rates as the cobalt is found throughout the entire material. They also do better resisting to corrosion. It’s worth noting some pros and cons of both materials. TiN-coated drill bits are actually harder than cobalt and more slippery to reduce friction. Red Helix Cobalt drill bits deliver up to 10X more life than Black Oxide drill bits. Use them on stainless steel and cast iron-wherever you’d be likely to dull lesser bits. These bits cost more, but they thrive in hard metal applications. But it may require advance thought and preparation before you tackle those jobs.Also in the Red Helix family (but not Shockwave) are the Milwaukee Cobalt drill bits. Step-bits definitely have a place there are going to be times when that’s the only thing that will get the job done. Or the material behind would make it impossible to use the step-bit you’re using (i.e., it simply blocked progressing to the desired hole size unless you drilled through it as well). Sometimes you’d have material close behind the piece you’re trying to drill, so that breaking through would not be desirable (defacing that piece, or possibly drilling into a hydraulic hose). The final problem would be clearance issues. Again, using a drill press would go a long way to preventing those problems. ![]() I guess that gets better with practice, however. Another would be control of the bit to get a round (not oval) hole. Some of the larger bits have many hole sizes close to one another it looks like it would be easy to “bust through” to the next larger hole size if you weren’t careful, or you slipped because you applied too much force. Of course, some would find themselves doing more jobs that required larger holes because they now had that capability.Ī major concern would be the ability to stop the drill from making a larger hole than the size I intended. I’ve never drilled anything larger than 1/2″ hole (in metal), so the larger “unibits” aren’t something I would turn to very often. However, for something that large, I’d feel safer using a drill press, or have a machinist do the drilling for me. I can see that they offer a cheap alternative to buying multiple, large-diameter bits for the occasional user that needs, say, to drill a 3/4″ or 7/8″ hole. Stuart–I’ve never used one of these, and I’m not sure they offer enough advantages for me to buy one. These new Milwaukee step bits, as well as the older ones, are made in the USA. #1, #2, #4.Īll 11 of the new step bits are available individually, and there are also a few money-saving combo kits. It might seem trivial, but I like that new bits are properly numbered with industry-standard designations, e.g.
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