Norseman Drill Bits 44170 Ultra Dex Type 240-UB 135 Degree Split Point Magnum Super Premium Jobber Drill Set (29 Piece)

Drill bits used to be good. I remember those days. But then the world went crazy loco with cheaply produced imports. I've been using big box store bits for some years now and I hate them. Poor geometry, they burn, they shatter, they don't cut, and I can't get many holes from them. My bench was littered with incomplete sets because of breakage. And I got completely tired of wrecking my wrists when one would bind in a chunk of steel and kick me like a mule. Two years ago, I had a job where I needed to drill a hundred half-inch holes in quarter-inch plate. I knew I was doomed with the imports, so I bought three Norseman half-inch bits. What do you know, I completed the job using just one bit, and that bit still had holes left in it to drill. Fast forward about five minutes after that job and I bought this Norseman set. I use it frequently. The bits bore beautifully. Not one bit has shattered. It is such a pleasure to open the case and see every one of the bits still intact and in its place. I wish I had bought this set fifty years ago! Yes, I would buy it again, but I don't think I will have to. I leave all my old drill bits in a tray next to the drill press. Anyone who uses my shop can use them. But I keep this Norseman set under lock and key in my tool box. They are mine. MINE! And you can't use them! I also bought the Norseman set of four larger than half-inch bits. Nice set, also worth the money. By the way, after watching many YouTube videos about which is the best cutting oil for drilling steel, I came across one that said to use just plain water in a squirt bottle. Drill bits don't need lubrication. The bits need to dig in and cut. But they do need cooling and there is nothing better than plain old water to cool as you bore steel. Works great.Who'd a thunk it.

For years, I’ve struggled with inferior drill bits. When the time comes to drill a challenging hole through steel, the cheap bits get dull almost instantly. Not these puppies! I bought these bits to use only for those challenging instances. Turned out to be a great buy! Example: I bought a front-mounted Kubota snowblower for my tractor last year. It needed larger, aftermarket skids to prevent gravel from being scooped up from my driveway and into the impeller. The new skids required thicker bolts, plus an additional bolt on each side. I tried drilling a 1/8” pilot hole before opening it up to 3/8”. Neither my cheap “titanium coated” Harbor Freight bit set nor my go-to Dewalt titanium set made a dent in the steel housing. I reluctantly cracked open this set, added a drop of cutting oil to the tip of the bit, and got busy. Chewed through the steel like it was butter! Amazing. Well worth the money! Highly recommended. MADE IN USA!!!

It seems like there is a mixture of reviews, so this review is for the 44170 jobber length twist drill set. In short, these are excellent twist drills for general purpose metalworking. To get deeper in detail, Norseman says that these are NAS 907B. That is an aerospace industry standard, and it specifies that the twist drills must have a 135 degree split point, be M2 or M7 High Speed Steel, and a bit of a thicker web. The 135 degree split point means that the point will center up a little bit better than the more common 118 degree point twist drills. It is a small difference, but it can really have an impact on how quickly you can work if you are drilling a lot of holes. For the larger sizes, I still drill a pilot hole to make sure the point has clearance. High speed steel comes in a variety of types. If you look in Machinery's Handbook, you can read up on M2 and M7 HSS. M2 is really the most common for tooling like twist drills. Norseman says that these drills are high molybdenum, and meet NAS 907B, so that probably means they are M7. Machinery's Handbook seems to say that M2 and M7 are really close to interchangeable. M7 may be able to be hardened a little bit more. The jobber length is a general purpose length. Stub drills are shorter (and as a result stiffer, which makes more accurate hole placement easier). Aircraft length are longer. Jobber are just right for general use. These drills seem to have a black oxide coating in the flutes but the rest of the drill is uncoated. Black oxide is nice for holding cutting fluid when drilling steels. Black oxide wears right off when drilling aluminum. If you look at the first picture, you can see where the black oxide is wearing off. The second picture shows a Norseman twist drill on the left and a Chicago Latrobe (another excellent drill) black oxide drill on the right. The Chicago Latrobe drill has been used on aluminum very frequently, wearing off the black oxide very clearly. Norseman leaves most of the drill uncoated, which means it will hold up better with use on aluminum, while still working well on steel. The 135 degree split point, jobber length and finish all mean that these twist drills are really, in my opinion, the ideal general purpose twist drills for metalworking.

Great bits holds up well, holds an edge, reclaims well

I purchased this set because I was tired of trying to drill holes only to burn through most materials. Cheap Harbor Freight drills will fail every time. I have used these a few times now only to find them sharp and strong, I don't know how long they will last but so far I am happy.