# Enco's 115 drill bit sets



## milotrain (Feb 3, 2011)

So ENCO has a web deal on their 3in1 Model #300-0057 drill set which is a 135* Black Oxide coated "heavy duty" (oooooo, ahhhhh) set. Cheap as chips. Is there any reason I shouldn't buy this set? Are their other sources for cheaper sets or are there more limited sets that will cover the range of nearly all work? I'd love screw machine length drills but at $120 more for the set I can't justify it.


----------



## kcmillin (Feb 3, 2011)

I can only speak from personal experience, but when it comes to drill bits its like toilet paper and cheese, I choose the expensive ones. (Turns out cheap cheese don't melt in a grilled cheese sandwich)

Example, I purchased a cheap A-Z bit set, I drilled test holes from A-E, it turns out the A makes a bigger hole than E, and the difference in the rest is negligible. I really cant say otherwise, some may have better luck than I, But the point of purchasing drill bit sets it to make accurate sized holes, something I have not achieved with cheap drill bits.

Kel


----------



## milotrain (Feb 3, 2011)

Funny, I read that and said "cheese I get but toilet paper?" And then you explain cheese.

That's a great point about the smaller bits, my friend keeps telling me to just buy the bits I need and replace them when I need new ones but as much as I like Mcmaster-Carr's 24hour turn around I don't love the price premium.


----------



## doc1955 (Feb 3, 2011)

Have you checked out Travers for drills.
I would like to order a full set of Dreamers but for now drills will have to do. I was wondering how good the 115 drill sets were that Enco sells. I have a full set but it didn't come from Enco to be honest I've had the set for about 25 years and have had to replace a few in the set but for the most part they have done me good. I believe I got them from another company similar to Enco and Travers but can not remember.


----------



## 1hand (Feb 3, 2011)

What I've done is, I started with one of the $40 import 115pc sets. When I break one, I go to my local Jobber store and replace with a better made drill. One way of getting started without breaking the bank, and ending up with decent bits of the ones you actually use.

Matt


----------



## Metal Butcher (Feb 3, 2011)

1hand  said:
			
		

> What I've done is, I started with one of the $40 import 115pc sets. When I break one, I go to my local Jobber store and replace with a better made drill. One way of getting started without breaking the bank, and ending up with decent bits of the ones you actually use.
> 
> Matt



That's exactly what I did (Enco 115). A great way to get a start, plus you get a metal Index! Price one of those out empty! The commonly used # drills like #44 I buy them in 12 packs.

Beer is good that way too! ;D

-MB


----------



## milotrain (Feb 3, 2011)

> Price one of those out empty!


SOLD.


----------



## shred (Feb 3, 2011)

I acquired one of those 115 letter-number-fraction mega-sets along with some other stuff a few years ago. I suspect it's one step above the $49 bargain-basement.. maybe the $99 import "cobalt" bits or something. They're not great, but do ok, and as others say, get good bits for the ones you use a lot and keep these for when you suddenly need a letter J bit or whatever. 

I found our local nut-n-bolt supply place sells number drills (and probably letter, I've not asked) in singles if desired. Handy when you don't want to buy 12 of something at Enco.


----------



## Metal Butcher (Feb 4, 2011)

kcmillin  said:
			
		

> Example, I purchased a cheap A-Z bit set, I drilled test holes from A-E, it turns out the A makes a bigger hole than E, and the difference in the rest is negligible. I really cant say otherwise, some may have better luck than I, But the point of purchasing drill bit sets it to make accurate sized holes, something I have not achieved with cheap drill bits.
> 
> Kel



Hi Kel. I have had pretty good luck with my Enco 115 psc starter drill set. Maybe you have a miss-marked drill bit? Check it out with a mike. I check the 'chosen one' right before I chuck it up. Due to you know, old age, bad eye sight, stupidity, etc.

My take on "Accurate sized holes" is that I consider drilling to be a roughing operation and use it as a first step.
The final step is the use of a reamer or boring bar to achieve an accurately sized hole. The only drilled holes I don't normally ream are clearance and tap.

Edit: I would also like to add that drilled holes are not round either. They are actually a triangular shape. 

Wrong size and wrong shape. It doesn't get any worse than that unless its put it in the wrong location too! 

-MB


----------



## rake60 (Feb 4, 2011)

I buy my drill bit sets from Harbor Freight.

AND, a Drill Doctor bit sharpener from Sears.

Even a cheap drill bit won't melt if it has a fresh edge on it every time you use it.

Rick


----------



## kcmillin (Feb 4, 2011)

I forgot to mention that I did not get the Enco Drills. Mine were purchased via E-Bay, so who knows where they came from. They appear to have a little extra twist to them. I know that drills are not very accurate hole makers, but a letter A hole mikes out bigger than the letter E. The drill bit itself measures OK, but it makes a huge hole, perhaps I just need to sharpen it better.

Kel


----------



## Lew Hartswick (Feb 4, 2011)

kcmillin  said:
			
		

> but a letter A hole mikes out bigger than the letter E. The drill bit itself measures OK, but it makes a huge hole, perhaps I just need to sharpen it better.
> 
> Kel


If it's that bad you should be able to see the difference in lip length. Just re-grind it 
right and if it mikes right it will drill right but about thou over.
  ...lew...


----------



## Metal Butcher (Feb 4, 2011)

kcmillin  said:
			
		

> I forgot to mention that I did not get the Enco Drills. Mine were purchased via E-Bay, so who knows where they came from. They appear to have a little extra twist to them. I know that drills are not very accurate hole makers, but a letter A hole mikes out bigger than the letter E. The drill bit itself measures OK, but it makes a huge hole, perhaps I just need to sharpen it better.
> 
> Kel



I have seen Tin coated sets with the strange twist at a local store. It was just a few bits, not the entire set. quality can vary quite a bit depending on the source , batch, and retailer.

If your drill bit is cutting holes that are way oversize than it most likely needs to be re-sharpened to even it out. Unevenly sharpened drill bits will pull off center, behave like a boring bar, and produce unacceptably over sized holes.

Three critical areas you might want to check;

The drill point angles must be correct. 59 + 59 to equal 118 degrees.
The cutting edges (lips) must be equal in length.
The clearance angles should be equal and about 8 to 10 degrees. Or whatever angle you have good results with.

That's a lot of areas that can cause problems. And that's why I don't feel that I'm qualified to sharpen my own. I consider them a disposable cutter.

-MB


----------



## jonesie (Feb 4, 2011)

if you buy the cheap one like kel said might cut big or small so before doing any thing fuss take a piece of the same steel and drill a practice hole and then ck. also if the hole is fuss drill small and ream or bore to size. on the cheap drills check the drill point to make sure the chip clearance is enough or going in the right direction, or none at all. jonesie


----------



## kc5ezc (Feb 4, 2011)

Agree with starting with the cheap import set from harbor freight. The HF #1611 has been OK for me. The Drill Doctor is a big help. I can only get about 50% of my hand sharpened ones to cut right.
When I break one it is replaced with a quality drill if I can find one. Here in the rural area sometimes import is all that is available in the size you want. Especially in the smaller sizes or letters and numbers.
John Burchett
in Byng OK


----------



## milotrain (Feb 4, 2011)

In regards to drill point angle. I was thinking about this recently. I've always used 118* until I got a set of Milwaukee bits at HD in 135*. I had never seen or heard of 135* so I did a little googleing, it seems that 135* is for harder materials, and that while Aluminum is fine with 135*, brass and anything softer likes 118*. I will say that I put a few holes in a huge chunk of really hard stainless recently using the 135* bits and it was a treat.

So anyone have thought's about the different point angles?


----------



## doc1955 (Feb 4, 2011)

118 degree is a general purpose drill angle and yes the harder materials will drill easier with 135 degree angle but unless you are having trouble with heat build up while drilling I would stick to the general purpose angle that's just my opinion.


----------



## ironman (Feb 4, 2011)

I have been using the HF 115pc set and ENCO GP set for 5 years. Have replaced most of them up to 3/16. I am thinking about getrting the ENCO 300-0056 Set (On Sale) TIN coated 135 deg. Split Point Heavy Duty. Or HF 47653 115pc Cobalt set 135 deg. Split Point by Drill Master...... I am leaning to ENCO 300-0056, yep, that's it.
ironman (Ray)


----------



## jct842 (Feb 4, 2011)

I have what is left of an enco 29 piece set from probably 25 years ago and all the holes are still full...filled with mostly better bits bought one at a time when broken. 

 I will add to be very carefull with fingers if drilling with el-cheepo bits. I had one grab on a drill press and twist to a sharpened pretzel and cut my too close finger to the bone. and yes the work was clamped and did not move, just the bit did! I swore off chinese bits but have since found some that were ok. the rest in that set were fine. 

john


----------



## milotrain (Feb 15, 2011)

I eneded up getting http://www.use-enco.com/CGI/INSRIT?PMAKA=300-0050 because everything else was backordered. I haven't gone through all the drills but at least a few are warped beyond usability, I sort of expected that this might happen, also the box is really junky. Additionally I'm finding a similar situation to Kel as some drills don't really make close to their hole size. I went from M to Q just as a test and for my set N and O were the same and P was way oversized.

However, for the money it will function quite well. I have a number of my typical drills that are higher quality and the kit will be a good way of seeing which drills I go for often.


----------

