The Best Drill Bits In 2021

Our Take

DeWalt’s DW1361 Titanium set is a great premium drill set for heavy residential and commercial use. This 21-piece set has imperial sizing and comes in a solid commercial grade carrier.

From a technical perspective, these drills feature a pilot point, which aims to reduce wear on the drills and make them last longer. It’ll also help prevent walking and make it faster to drill larger holes because you won’t need to drill a pilot hole before your final clearance hole. They also feature a non-slip hex head, which will reduce head slippage in tough materials.

They feature a titanium nitride coating much the same as Milwaukee’s Shockwave set, which make them a great general-purpose set for wood, light metal usage, and plastics. It goes without saying these won’t work for masonry applications.

Our Take

Bosch’s MS4091 is a great value choice for the general-purpose owner or handyman. Coming with a solid carry case and in a variety of sets (34, 41, 65 & 91pcs), this set includes a variety of drills for common applications.

Included you’ll find titanium nitride coated bits for metals, regular high-speed steel bits for wood and plastic, a selection of masonry bits for concrete and brick, and that’s just the drills. In the larger sets you’ll also find torx heads, hex head and various posi-drive and screw heads. In addition, there are some insert-bits, nut setters and a ratchet driver.

Although not suitable for high-precision applications, these drills are great value and an excellent one-stop shop for home usage and light commercial use.

Our Take

Widely praised in reviews, Bosch’s CO14B is a great choice when it comes to a heavy-duty cobalt blend drill set for drilling metal. These are Bosch’s highest-grade drill set, and highly respected in both commercial and residential settings.

Featuring a hardened tip and a thick web-helix design, these drills are much stronger than basic drill sets, but surprisingly won’t break the bank either – which is probably why they are so popular! Equipped with a standard split point head and circular shank, these simple and robust drills ready for any work you throw at them.

Although perhaps not the fanciest drill carrier out there – the one supplied with this set will do the job perfectly adequately, and given the quality of the drills, few seem to be complaining.

Our Take

Milwaukee’s Shockwave 15-piece drill set is a great mid-level drill set suitable for a wide variety of uses. These drills feature a titanium nitride coating which makes them harder wearing than regular black oxide drill bits, while also dissipating heat better.

They are well suited to wood, plastic, and soft metals (like aluminum or stainless steel), making them a great choice for general-purpose usage. Milwaukee’s split point head design helps to prevent the drill from walking and keeps final results accurate. These bits use a hex head design which reduces spinning and is compatible with both drills and impact drivers.

These come in a range of sizes, and as a more economical drill bit, it’s worth noting that as the coating wears off with usage it’s efficacy will reduce. In addition, these won’t be worth re-sharpening – you’re better off just buying a new set. All in all, a great choice for most buyers!

Our Take

Very popular with commercial users, this drill set from Milwaukee is a very solid choice for hard-wearing applications. Best suited to hard metal drilling applications, this Cobalt-alloy set will reduce friction and hence heat generation when compared with regular HSS drill bits.

Milwaukee’s proprietary Red Helix shaft design is highly effective at clearing swarf and cuttings away from the drill bit, helping to reduce jams and broken drill bits. The tips feature a standard 135-degree split tip design, which will help to keep the drill on target and reduce drift.

As will many Milwaukee tools, this set comes in a great carry case and will keep them well protected in commercial environments. If you’re looking for a very high-quality drill bit set for your workshop or toolbox, these are a fantastic choice and will be a great investment.

Our Take

Aimed at the everyday market, Craftsman’s CMAM2214 Gold Oxide coated drills are a twist (no pun intended!) on the standard black oxide drill bit. This 14-piece set is imperial sizing, and covers a wide variety of standard sizes.

These drills are a good choice for plastic, wood and occasional light metal work. They feature a split point similar to Milwaukee’s Shockwave bits, which helps to keep drilling accurate. The shaft is of the standard variety, which will work well in light duty settings.

Sold in a respectable quality plastic case, these drills will be a great value choice for the occasional home application. If you need a simple set of drills, you can look no further than these.

Our Take

Although not perhaps as well-known as other major brands, Drill America has a very solid following online and many glowing reviews. This is their basic High-Speed Steel set, which is aimed at residential users drilling wood, plastic, and occasional ferrous metals.

The bits feature a 135-degree split point head, which is standard amongst drills of this type. Equipped with a standard round shank, reviewers have remarked that the quality is much closer to what you’d expect from a more expensive set.

This set also features a unique cylindrical carry case, which allows you to clip the set to your hip or belt rings for easy access. Residential and light commercial buyers looking for a great mid-quality drill set that bats well above its average will be delighted with this set.

Our Take

When it comes to a great value good quality solid set of drills, you can’t look much further than Ryobi’s A10D29G set. These are the hard-working infantry of your tool set – suitable for a variety of applications and ready to soldier on through a variety of materials.

Suitable for wood, plastic, and light metal use, these drills are black oxide coated to reduce corrosion. The 135-degree split point tip is a standard feature, and these well manufactured drills will keep wandering to a minimum.

A nice little innovation from Ryobi is the addition of 3 flat shanks on the larger sizes, aimed at reducing slippage on tougher materials. The solid carrying case is also a nice plus, and it’s clear that Ryobi spent a lot of time considering the details when creating this design.

For a great value set of all-purpose drills, these will be an excellent choice.

Our Take

When it comes to heavier duty drilling through metals, standard oxide and titanium nitride coated drills quickly show they aren’t up to the task. For this type of application, you’ll need a cobalt-steel drill bit, and Irwin’s 29 Piece M35 Cobalt Steel set is a great choice.

The cobalt blend in the steel will help to reduce friction, and therefore reduce heat generated when drilling through metals. You will still need to lubricate the drill for thicker material though, and work your way through in stages.

This set comes in a solid hard-wearing case, with labelled holders for each drill, making it easy to make the right selection. Metal drilling is hard on all bits, even cobalt blend, but these should serve you well.

Our Take

Hugely popular with reviewers, this fully featured set of drills from Comoware is a real diamond in the rough. Aimed at commercial and residential users, these bits offer fantastic value for money and incorporate many elements you would not expect to find at this price point.

With a standard 135-degree split point and a titanium nitride coating, these drills will work well for wood, plastic and light metal applications. They come fitted with the ¼” hex head, making them suitable for regular cordless drills and impact drivers as well.

If you’re looking for a great set of everyday drill bits without all the bells and whistles found at higher prices, this set from Comoware will be a great selection.