Most of my work is electrical and plumbing, so I need to make med-large size holes.
I found the greenlee d’versibits to be a true lifesaver (I have 3 of them) esp. the 72″ length
I have also found the Irwin shorty spade bits to be handy for getting into tight spots.An the 18″ long spade bits are great as well. I have a few spade bits that have screw points on the tips and they work really well for me.
As far as augers go, I have a few greenlee, some bosch that were free giveaways during their promotion, and I have one of those ridgid bits. Dewalt used to make a shorty auger bit but no longer does, so I get them on E-Bay.
What bits do you guys prefer for making holes? Augers, spades, or other things?
Has anyone used the Irwin spade/augers that I have seen at Lowes?
Replies
ditto on yur line up...
and the Milwaukee hole hawgs...
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FWIW Ideal still makes shorty auger bits..I ordered some for another electrician on the job but I have never used them.
..I want to try the Irwins but the Greenlees you use are pretty good along the the Milwaukee augers
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, wer ist jetzt der Idiot ?
I have the plumbers set of Milwaukee self fed bits. They are great. I also have assorted paddle bits. I agree about the d'versibit. I have a 60" 1" auger.
I worked with an electrician that used a Greenlee auger, 1", with an 18" extension all the time.
I think you can never have enough drill bits. There are so many sizes and styles and each have specific applications.
Headstrong, I'll take on anyone!
I bought a set of the Irwins a while ago and I am real impressed ,they make a spade bit feel like your digging a hole with your fingers in comparison.
ANDYSZ2
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REMODELER/PUNCHOUT SPECIALIST
The best bit I own is a Lenox 1-3/8" with a threaded outside rim... that puppy feeds itself so well that you can hold the RA drill in one hand once you get it started. Also have 3-4 of the Milwaukee self-feeds and wish I'd bought more of the Lenox instead... just got lazy and didn't look for them.
I just picked up an MK Morse tradesman hole saw set from Amazon. Comes with 22 or so hole saws 4 1/8" to 7/8" along with 2 arbors and a 12" extension.$96 shipped for the whole setup. Have some of those Milwaukee Pathfinders as well. They were originally selling for $60 for a 4 peice set and marketed as multi-directional bits. Don't know about that so much, but makes for a nice set of Forstners in the field.Bought one of the drill bit sharpeners a year ago - the Drill docter 750xp. haven't used it a ton, but nice to know you can have one set of good drills and keep em sharpened easy.
(While do I have 10 sets of drills then???? -- garage sale finds..)JT
I vote for the Irwin (besides , it looks about as cool as a drill bit can possibly get), the Ridgid are better than a standard spade but not much.
I have a bunch of Harbor Freight augers that have earned their keep for sporadic use, have some of the DW augers and have no issue with them, well worth what I paid on e-bay. I like their paddle bits better than speed-bore.
For spade bits - the newer Bosch one's are pretty nice. They have a thread at the tip that really pulls the bit into the hole.JT
What Jemcon says. Forget the spade bits, unless you need a flat bottom recess for something. Get the self-feed bits, like the Milwaukee.