HF Brad Point Drill Bits Are Expensive, Really!

[Bill Havins]

Many motorcycle riders are "do-it-yourselfers."  As you know by now, I am.

I wanted to share an incident with all the other DIYers on the forum to demonstrate just how Expensive cheap tools are, specifically, Harbor Freight Brad Point Drill Bits.

Yesterday I got up early to finish installing vinyl rain guttering over our kitchen window.  I had to drill several 3/16th inch holes in some of the vinyl parts and thought I'd use a brad point bit to do it (brad points, as you know, have a very sharp end so they won't "walk" from where you try to start them).

I couldn't find my name brand bit, even after looking for ten minutes.  So I opened a brand new package of Harbor Freight bits that I had "in reserve."  I chucked up the bit in my cordless drill and set to drilling the holes in the vinyl; I backed up the vinyl pieces with a piece of pine 4 X 4.  I was doing the drilling on a very stable table.  My left hand was holding the vinyl piece and was well out of the way.

When I started drilling, the bit seemed surprisingly dull.  So I put more pressure on the end of the drill.  I drilled 6 holes.  Then when I started the 7th hole, "SNAP!"  The bit broke, throwing my drill off to the side.  When I looked down I realized the stub of the bit, still in the drill, had gone completely through the end of my left index finger, penetrating the bone.

I yelled for my wife to give me a hand but she quickly had to turn away to collect herself.  The scene was pretty grizzly.  I ended up manually rotating the entire drill to screw the stub of the drill bit out of my finger.

We hurried off to the emergency room where they X-rayed my finger - that's when we found out the bone had been "powdered" by the bit.  The orthopedic surgeon said that, since there was no bone left to splint, we'd explore surgical options later this week, after the swelling goes down.  After an IV bag of antibiotics and a tetanus shot we headed home.  Four hours; not bad for an ER visit.

So today I sit here with a huge bandage around my left index finger.  I'll be on antibiotics for another 10 days.  And later this week I'll meet with the surgeon and explore repair options - one of the options is amputating the end of my finger.  Grrrr...

I have looked at the fracture of the drill bit - there is an obvious flaw in the metal right where the bit fractured.

So, how expensive are Harbor Freight Brad Point Drill Bits?  I'll let you know the final tally when all of the bills come in.  And I'll let you know how many days it takes for my finger to "heal" (whatever option we have to choose).

I'm keeping the Harbor Freight bit and all of the other bits in the package.  If this gets really expensive, and if I lose part of my finger, Harbor Freight will get to see them again (if you know what I mean).

Don't buy or use these bits unless you like emergency rooms and surgeons!

Bill

[Jess from VA]

Nice work there Bill.

I cut a fingertip almost off in a chipper, and got it sewed back on at the ER.  Two months later I sliced the same finger to the bone with a utility knife (below the chipper damage) doing wiring.  As I return to the same ER, I get the same doc that sewed it on the first time.  He said... don't I know you?  Yeah, I was in here a couple months ago.  I thought I recognized my work.  Then.... Mr.  J, if you don't want this finger I can just cut it off for you clean, instead of all the mangling work you are doing on it.

Everyone's a comedian.

If they gave purple hearts for DIY projects, I'd be highly decorated.

[Kidd]

I would never buy anything from HF , for these reasons , too low quality , cheap , you are asking for problems  .

Sorry about your finger  , hope you get keep it

[bscrive]

Holy crap Bill, sorry to hear this.  You just never know when some weird thing is going to happen that will send you to the ER.

I hope everything works out good for you.  Keep us posted.

[Bill Havins]

Saw the surgeon.  He said, "We'll just splint it and guard against infection."

I'm good with that.

But I still recommend against buying Harbor Freight Brad Point Drill Bits.

Now, back to my fairing design.

Bill

[Robert]

Bill that totally stinks, I hope you will heal well.

[hungryeye]

OUCH! sorry to hear that and I hope you heal 100%. I do believe brad points are for wood only, I been wrong before. A good wack center punch dead on then tilt the punch and hit it tilted from different angles, then a small pilot drill first then final size.I don't do much wood work but if I need to drill a hole in wood I'll use a metal drill, they are much tougher.

[Kidd]

If you have time to waste , just read the complaints and awful stories  about HF

https://www.google.com/search?site=&source=hp&q=harbor+freight+yuma&oq=harb&gs_l=hp.1.0.0i20k1j0l5j0i131k1j0l2j5.1518.3699.0.6254.5.5.0.0.0.0.213.644.0j3j1.4.0....0...1c.1.64.hp..1.3.427.0..35i39k1.Lwa_k9dUEXE#q=harbor+freight+is+junk

And for you guys that love HF
https://www.google.com/#q=harbor+freight+tools+worth+buying

[Robert]

You know I must have bought 10 to 15 sets of drills in the last 20 years and I can tell you most of them are garbage. I have bought Snap On, coated, Mac, ones on sale at Home Depot and I can tell you none of them are really worth a dam. I am more surprised by a drill that holds up rather than one that breaks or just dulls in 2 seconds.

[Kidd]

Drill bits break  because of  the way the  pressure is  applied , most often .
I am not sure I have ever broken a bit , then again , don't use them all that often