Tool Test: A Better Brad-point Bit

Tool: Five Star Drill Set

Manufacturer: Colt

Price: $56

When I grab a brad-point bit to drill a hole, I don’t give much thought to the design of the bit and to the finer intricacies of just how holes are drilled. But the German company that produces the Colt line of drill bits does just that. That’s why Colt products, such as the Five Star Wood Drills, rank at the top.

There are two prominent features that make these bits stand out. First is the point of the bits. Five Star bits have a longer point than those found on conventional brad-point bits, and that point has its own precision-ground cutting edges to allow it to cut as it enters the wood. Other brad-point bit points have no cutting edge so they have to be pushed through the cut. And the longer point translates into less of a chance of skidding across the workpiece when beginning a hole at an angle. As a result, Five Star bits complete the cut with little noticeable blowout, which makes them the perfect choice for all woods, laminates and even plastics.

A second feature that makes Five Star bits a better choice is a patented “twinland” flute design. This design has two ground surfaces that rotate against the walls of the hole to keep small pieces of waste in the flutes and lifted out of the hole without excessive heat buildup. Excessive heat causes bits to dull faster.

Also, Colt manufactures the Five Star bits with a flute angle of 25° versus the 30°-40° angle in conventional drill bits. This also allows waste to exit the hole more quickly and with less friction, so as not to dull the bits’ sharp edges.

These bits are available individually, or you can purchase an assembled seven bits (1⁄8” through 1⁄2“, in 1⁄16” increments) in a wood box.

-Glen D. Huey