# Kawasaki Titanium Coated 99 piece set of drill bits



## AttainableApex

so you used it on metal?
did you try on wood?


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## TopamaxSurvivor

I had some others just as bad from another supplier. I relinquished them to set up guides as they were not suitable to drilling anything. As I mentioned above, they force their way through wood. They are typical twist drills with a universal point, not specifically wood drills.


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## rtb

A store near us started handling their power hand tool line, two years later they are no longer to be found, I bought a couple of them for my son and they turned out to be very inferior. I wonde if this is even the same company ?


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## Karson

Thanks for the review. I'm no where near a Cosco so I guess I'm safe unless they show up at a store near me.


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## Dautterguy

Take-em back. COSTCO will let you return anything except food products. We had a shed blown apart by some unusually high winds. We took back all the pieces we could round up, they returned our $$$.


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## Dusty56

Thanks for the warning !! I wonder if the multi piece brad point set that WoodCraft is offering on sale is any better ?
http://www.woodcraft.com/Product/2081568/30005/170-Piece-TiN-Coated-Brad-Point-Drill-Bit-Set-With-Drill-Bit-Gauge.aspx?refcode=10IN12RL


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## ducky911

Thank for the heads up

There should be a rating system for bits…i am a sucker for cheap bits….but you know you would have to wonder how good they are when they sell so many in each size.???

Bob


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## TopamaxSurvivor

You are all welcome. I got the pic off Amazon, so I suppose they are everywhere. I would think Kawasaki would be taking action against infringement on their trade name if the product is not theirs. I suppose with the American consumer market in the toilet for the last 2 years, lots of companies will try new ventures to keep a cash flow. After all, many American States rank in the top 20 economies in the world.

I would not have taken the chance on them if it were not for the Costco return policy. You can bet they will get them back. If they are going to become a discount junk store, it will cost them in the long run, IMO.

I did get some Titanium unibits from Harbor Freight to try that turned out to be very good. I'll review them if I haven't already, but they are more of a metal working tool than wood. Not sure they are really appropriate. If I hear any input from here, maybe I'll go with the flow on that. Thanks for the comments.


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## docholladay

In my experience, most of these low cost bit sets are pretty much cheap chinese import junk. They are about the same as the sets that are sold at Harbor Freight.

FYI, Dusty 56 asks above about the Woodcraft set. I bought the Brad Point set and they are pretty useless. So far the ones that I have used have all been pretty dull right out of the case the first time. They will drill, but not very well.

Doc


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## Dusty56

Thanks for the input , Doc : ) You just saved me $40 !


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## TopamaxSurvivor

The first ones I mentioned I could not even sharpen to where they would drill. That is useless when you can't even sharpen them. Wonder what they are made of cast iron ;-))


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## tierraverde

Here's the problem folks.
Don't buy any drills, reamers, forstner bits etc. unless it is stated H.S.S. (High Speed Steel). These coated products are labeled "carbon" steel that are nothing more than a standard steel with a hard coating about only .001 to .002 thickness. ALL steel has carbon, (except for better grades of stainless) so this is a misnomer sales tactic.It's imported JUNK for the occasional homeowner/hobbiest !

As a test, take a metal machinist file and file the cutting tip. You will be able to. Now take a H.S.S. drill. It won't even scratch the drill.

These imported drills might go through pine or cedar, but thats about it.


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## mnguy

I know all us Jocks appreciate a heads up on lousy products via reviews - thank you.

But, how can anyone reasonably expect drill bits that are being sold for $0.20 each to really be any good? Granted Costco handles close outs and odd lots sometimes, but when you are buying a tool for the cost of good raw materials, that's a big warning sign that it's crap.

Many folks on this website (not necessarily anyone posting on this specific thread) simultaneously pursue cheap products at Harbor Freight and big box stores while bemoaning how much stuff is made in China. Excuse me?


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## TopamaxSurvivor

*mnguy,*

In a solely American economy, that would be a true and valid statement. You have to understand world trade and especially free trade which allows unlimited imports into the US and unlimited exports of jobs. It is not really trade, it is intra-corporation money and product shuffling. I believe a good product for that price can be made in China. Most of these products are no longer made in the US. Your choice is to find the good China priced products or pay obscene profits to shysters charging us for US made while providing China made.

How this works is a company moves its production facilities to China. They export the finished product to Indonesia which has literally no taxes on the corporation. They declare an obscene profit on the item. They ship the item to the US for retail sale. They do not make a profit here and may even declare a loss to take advantage of our generous tax laws and corporate welfare. You can say we have very high corporate tax rates which it true. But we have to lowest effective tax rates because nobody makes any money on the books to pay any taxes here. If they do, their corporate headquarters and tax basis is at a PO Box in the Cayman Islands. Again, they escape paying US taxes. In the last 30 years, most of our corps have moved their headquarters to one building full of PO boxes in Cayman Islands according to CBS 60 Minutes.

I used to think Harbor Freight only sold junk and the other brand names were progressively better. I have found that not to be true. Some of the brand names are no better than HF junk and in some cases lower in quality. Some of HF's products are as good as you will find anywhere. Caveat Emptor, buyer beware!!

Two can play this game. The customer is always right and most retailers have generous return policies. When you see a outrageously good deal. Buy it. Try it, Keep it or take it back depending on whether or not it is China produced at a fair price or China Junk.

With that said, I prefer to buy US made at a fair price if I can find it, but since most of our production has been shipped to China along with most of the good paying, middle class, family wage jobs, that is increasing more and more difficult.


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## lilredweldingrod

You would think a big company like Fastenall would sell a some what good product. I bought a set of 4 drills with the countersinks. The bits broke almost immediately. I went to Fastenall and ordered 10 each of the 4 sizes at $54.00. These expensive bits were no better than the original.

Are you ready for this…....Harbor Freight has their bits, 10 per pack at 1.98 and I'm still using them. Only one has broke so far. Go figure. This was 3 years ago. Maybe i should write a review on these. lol


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## TopamaxSurvivor

*Rance* you should write it, consumers have to gang up on the shysters.

*Jim C* thanks for the info. I'm not much of a metalurgist, but I supposed those drills were "pot metal" ;-))
I have come to the conclusion that only HSS marked drills are any good. That certainly explains why I could not sharpen the others, I don't see how a home owner or hobbyish could use them if they are trying to dril anything but wood. Then they are not drilling, more like parting the fibers ;-)


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## tierraverde

Topmax, and all,
I bought a set of fractional, letter and number drills from H.F. for about $39.00. (Well over 100 drills in a set) U.S. quality manufacturers were selling similar sets for up to $300.00 But, they are H.S.S and run true and straight. And they cut a hole to size and fast. The H.F. drills run out so much I could put a leather belt on them, wrap it around my waist, and lose weight. HA! Even the case (stamped cheap metal) had to be fixed when I opened the box)
The problem, in manufacturing is they machine the cheap ones soft, (carbon steel) then heat treat them and "coat them" The stress of the heat treatment causes them to warp and hence the runout.
Quality manufacturers machine them oversize, (Alloy M-2 H.S.S) heat treat them, and then grind the diameters to within .0002 size. They come out perfectly straight, to size and run as true as your drill press or hand drill will allow.
Depending on the quality hole you are trying to size, runout, clean cut and longevity of the the tool are the factors for spending the dollars.
Runout and cheap carbon steel are the enemies to a quality hole through wood or steel.


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## mjsworkshop

With tools, I find that quality is remembered long after the price is forgotten.

At .20 cents a drill bit, how can they be a quality product? Especially when you consider that some of that had to go into the packaging and shipping from China.

-mj


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## TopamaxSurvivor

*Jim C* I saw some "black oxide" drills today. What are they?


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## TopamaxSurvivor

*Mark Juliana* CHINA PEGS THEIR CURRENCY ON THE DOLLAR AT 1/10. PLUS, THEIR WORKERS WORK FOR PEANUTS. Cost of material depends on where the mine is? I doubt if the Chinese are mining in Utah, which is a right to work state. That would be the cheapest you can mine here. Their costs are extremely low in dollars. Why do you think all the multi-national corps have moved production facilities to China. They are bettng the US CONSUMER will SPEND, even though US LABOR is UNEMPLOYED? They know the Chinese cannot buy the products they produce.


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## tierraverde

Topmax,
I just sent a P.M. to you.
Black Oxide is a coating used to prevent rust on soft carbon steel. (Junk drill bits.) It has no hardening/wear properties.
H.S.S. drill bits do not rust.


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## TopamaxSurvivor

Thanks Jim ;-)

I just had an after thought about the cost of production in foreign countries. A couple of years ago 60 Minutes on CBS had a report about cardboard shanty towns that grew up around US company production plants in Mexico. Anyone think they can't produce think for pennies when we are used to thinking in dollars? The workers are virtual slaves.


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## PurpLev

yup, did the same thing buying the woodcraft set - all soft metal drills, they can actually be bend by hand.

HSS from now on.

As for Black Oxide - as mentioned, this is a blackening/finishing technique to put a protective coat on steel. it usually does hardens the surface of the metal if done as hot-blackening, but does not harden the entire part.


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## Sanderguy777

I would never buy their stuff anyway but the previous owner of our house left one of those drills…. I had a cheap craftsman that worked better.

I have had about the same experience with B&D. They seem to be really cheap. One the other hand, the only bits I broke where less than 7/64".


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