The Home Machinist!

Any opinions on the quality of this drill set for occasional use to supplement a regular drill index with additional sizes?

http://tinyurl.com/2vhafb

I've got what is probably the same set, but mine is the much berated set from HF. I got it "on sale" cheap just to fill in all the number/letters (which I have almost none of otherwise) and "fill-ins" on the odd-rarely used fractionals. It does just fine for this purpose and I've never seen any of the dramatic failures sometimes attributed to the HF set. When I use one enough to ruin it (and this is far from a "first use it fails" deal!) I buy a decent or good bit to replace. The #7 was the first to go, followed by 7/16, and both are now "Clevelands" (IIRC).

All that said, I would hate to give up my high grade "hitting the high points" collection of good US made (with some EB/JP) drill bits used for the majority of work...

Well, first your URL sends me elsewhere. Canadian Tire?

However this set looks like a fraction-number-letter set sold in several places. Since I can't read the advertising I'd want to know where it's made and if they're HSS. If they don't specifically state HSS, then assume carbon. Most of these cheaper sets are made in China. Be leary of them unless they're only for soft material. If they're from India...stay away!

Victor

Good point on the material. The pseudo TiN coated (painted?) bits I got from HF are supposedly HSS. Seems like they were something like $39 with a 50% sale?

I bought a set that looks just like that one except that the box is all silver.

Is a set of fraction, number and letter drills and I paid $29.00 at Costco in Los Angeles some three years ago.

I have used it and they're truly high-speed bits TiN coated.

One could not even buy the case only for that price a few years ago.
Don't know where mine are made. I suppose Taiwan or China.

I don't know what mine are coated with, but it does not hold up and the edges turn silver with even moderately hard use. Unlike my TiN coated end mills that handle much more abuse without wearing through. I figured it's either some look-alike process without the benefits, or it's a cut rate TiN application that is not right in some way (probably too thin to save money?). Of course, I didn't expect them to hold up like high dollar drills, and the first resharp takes the TiN off most of it anyway, though you would supposedly still get the benefits on the rake chip flow...

Victor, Where is Elsewhere???
FYI - Check the Numbers Below

Canadian Tire Corporation, Limited (Toronto:CTC)
Toronto, Ontario M4P 2V8, Canada
On the web: http://www.canadiantire.ca
Employees: 10,457
Employee growth: 17.2%

Don't be fooled by this company's modest name: Canadian Tire sells much more than tires. Nearly 470 Canadian Tire general merchandise stores run by a network of associate dealers throughout Canada sell automotive, home, and sports and leisure products, including bicycles. The company's 60-plus PartSource auto parts stores cater to knowledgeable automotive "do-it-yourselfers" and small garage owners. The Canadian retailer also operates the 340-store Mark's Work Wearhouse chain. In addition, Canadian Tire is the country's largest independent gasoline retailer through its Canadian Tire Petroleum subsidiary, which sells fuel and related products at about 260 agent-operated outlets in nine provinces.

Key numbers for fiscal year ending December, 2005:
Sales: $6,667.5M (That's 6.7 B)
One year growth: 12.3%
Net income: $283.1M
Income growth: 17.0%

Gerry