Lidl Parkside drill bits

[PCUK]

You may be surprised but these are brilliant! £7.99 for a set of fifteen. Needed to drill some 2mm stainless. Started with a 3mm pilot then straight in with an 8mm. Both went straight through without any lube' pulling off curls of swarf. I was pleasantly surprised to say the least!

 

[rotrax]

In 1982, at an Earles Court Boatshow I was I/C the Lucas Marine stand. I purchased stuff for the retail part of the stand I knew to be good for selling to fellow boaters.

One item were sets of Chinese HSS Drill Bits, in imperial sized. 24 in a folding box. They were very cheap, but far from cheap and nasty.

I am still using some I bought through the staff purchase discount, more than 40 years later, in my home workshop. Mostly on the lathe for threading Imperial holes or for Imperial helicoils.

I do have the advantage that I can sharpen drill bits by eye.

Several of the more popular sized are quite short now............................

 

[BobnLesley]

Reassuring to know; I haven't used them yet, but our local Lidl was doing a special offer on those at only £4.99 last week, then with a 10% monthly discount I'll have got another fifty pence of them too; I didn't actually need them, but at that price...

...still using some I bought through the staff purchase discount, more than 40 years later... I do have the advantage that I can sharpen drill bits by eye.

That's a gift worth having! We have a good friend who I take my box of drill-bits to once a year to have them all re-sharpened, they get returned in neat little bags indicating what angle they're cut to, though they soon get mixed up again and I can never remember which angle's for which material anyway.

 

[Bristolfashion]

I do have the advantage that I can sharpen drill bits by eye.

Doesn't that hurt?

 

[Plum]

You may be surprised but these are brilliant! £7.99 for a set of fifteen. Needed to drill some 2mm stainless. Started with a 3mm pilot then straight in with an 8mm. Both went straight through without any lube' pulling off curls of swarf. I was pleasantly surprised to say the least!

Thanks, just looked at their website and can't see the drills listed......

 

[B27]

'Stainless' varies a lot.
Sometimes any half decent HSS drill is fine.
Sometimes you'll find that where you want to drill a hole, it's work-hardened and laughs at you.

Time to anneal it, or get carbide drills!

 

[VicS]

Thanks, just looked at their website and can't see the drills listed......

Things like those are usually "Middle of Lidl" specials. Keep the minces peeled to spot them next time round. ( or sign up for the newsletters)

 

[PCUK]

'Stainless' varies a lot.
Sometimes any half decent HSS drill is fine.
Sometimes you'll find that where you want to drill a hole, it's work-hardened and laughs at you.

Time to anneal it, or get carbide drills!

I drill 304 and 316 stainless on a day to day basis and have never annealed any and it is usually polished anyway. Constantly resharpening but a good drill bit is essential to start with.

 

[rotrax]

Doesn't that hurt?

No, because I use a H/D workshop grinding wheel.

The 'by eye' bit means I have the ability-it is a bit of a Black Art-to see if I have done it right.

As I wear a pair of my pensioned off Speedway goggles while doing the sharpening, both eyes stay protected.