Uni-Bits

[walldan]

I have been slowly buying tools and when I look at the various websites I see there is a huge variety of uni-bits... some are HHS, Cobalt, Titanium... I see some are make in the USA and most others are China. Not knowing where I will use these in an RV Build, I am wondering if it really matters? Should I spend $100 or can I buy an amazon special?

I suspect better tools will last longer, but not sure how much difference it makes?

DW

[David Paule]

I've been using Harbor Freight brand, and I have needed to replace one or two, but aside from that they work fine.

Since I'm building an RV-3B, I might perhaps have needed to use it more than on the other planes.

Dave

[wirejock]

Originally Posted by David Paule

I've been using Harbor Freight brand, and I have needed to replace one or two, but aside from that they work fine.

Since I'm building an RV-3B, I might perhaps have needed to use it more than on the other planes.

Dave

Same here. I do own some Irwin. They each have a use. I like the small pointy one for small holes. Smaller pilot hole. They are excellent for cutting holes in the stainless firewall. Fiberglass too. I always draw a black line in the unibit at the stop mark to keep from going too far.

[Carl Froehlich]

A three piece set of Irwin is the way to go. For run of the mill holes, the Harbor Freight type stuff is fine - just finish the last bit with the Irwin unibit. The unibits with multiple flutes tend to not make smooth holes.

My original set lasted for three SB RVs. Go slow with good pressure on Stainless Steel however as once it heats up it tends to be Kyrptonite for all drill bits, including unibits.

Carl

[rockwoodrv9]

I used the cheap ones. I did find that using them on fiberglass was the ticket to needing new ones.

[rocketman1988]

Be aware that the hf may not be exactly the diameter the you are looking for...

I found that to be the case when drilling for a snap bushing; the holes were either too small, or a bit too large to ensure a good fit ...YMMV

[g zero]

HF makes a few different types , self feed ( spiral) & regular cut . We go through 50-80 a year at work , they are a bargain compared to the Greenlee & other brands . Proper RPM & Edge Lube helps longevity.