Kimball Midwest Blog

Chuck These in Your Power Drill

Written by Kimball Midwest | November 20, 2019
When you think of power drills, drill bits probably come immediately to mind as well. And that’s understandable, considering drill bits are so widely used and extremely versatile. However, if you’re not putting some specialty bits in your drill chuck every so often, you’re not using your power drill to its full potential. These specialty items are often superior to drill bits, depending on the work you’re doing.

To make sure you have the right tool for the job, consider some of these options.

Hole Cutters

Ideal for cutting holes in a variety of metals, Roto-Kut hole cutters and annular cutters come in many diameters. They cut faster and last longer than drill bits and produce clean, burr-free holes. As a result, you finish your work faster and without the need for additional tooling. These Roto-Kut cutters come in sets or individually.

Hole Saws

K7 Hole Saws are ideal for cutting holes in stainless steel and other metals as well as pipe, nail-embedded wood, floors, plywood and plastics. They come in a range of diameters and are designed to be shatterproof, so you don’t have to worry about breakage as much as you would with a drill bit. You can find hole saws in sets or individually.


Power Taps

When you need to tap and drill, power taps do both in one operation. The Cryo-Gen and Power-Tap 2 come in coarse (USS), fine (SAE) and metric and provide ideal thread formation and superior thread strength. With a power tap, you finish the job quickly and eliminate the need for separate drilling and tapping operations. If you need a set of power taps, we have you covered.


Reamers

Reamers are handy to have around if you often enlarge holes in metal. They debur, enlarge and align holes quickly and easily in stainless steel and tough alloys. The Cryo-Gen and Super Primalloy reamers come in many diameters and can be used for a variety of applications. We have everything you need, from single reamers to sets.

Step Reamers

Step reamer bits have five chamfered steps that enlarge holes in 1/16” increments for more precision while deburring at the same time. You can also use them to drill new holes. They cut efficiently into tough metals up to a half-inch thick and are designed to resist chipping and breaking. Step reamers can be bought in sets or individually.


Step and Stepless Drills

Step and stepless drills, such as Ultra-Bit and Taper-Kut, can be used to cut a variety of hole sizes in thin materials. The Ultra-Bit has hole enlargement steps that allow you to cut up to 13 sizes. The stepless Taper-Kut allows you to cut any size hole within the range of the tool. Both are designed to produce accurate, burr-free holes quickly and easily while resisting wear for longer service life. Ultra-Bit and Taper-Kut come individually, or you can get them in sets.


You could keep using drill bits to do any of the jobs these specialty bits do, but then you end up with broken or chipped drill bits, wasted money and lost time. To avoid that scenario, and to get your hands on any of the tools listed here,