IRWIN Tools SPEEDBOR Max Speed Auger Wood Drill Bit Set, 6-Piece, 3041006

I got these for DIY home renovation. I've used them to drill through joists and beams to run wire throughout my house, and they've worked great. Before, I was using a paddle bit as that's all I had (I'm new to all of this) and it took a lot of labor, effort and about 20 minutes to go through a joist, with these auger bits it took this bit about 5 seconds.Other use, there were 3 large stumps in the lawn of the house I just bought. Saw an idea on a website that suggested drilling into the stump and putting in some chemical to rot the stump out. I decided to try doing the pilot holes with these bits. Worked amazing until I hit a soft spot in the stump and got a bit stuck! Whoops, that's the downside of how efficient these are. Luckily, after using the pilot holes i had drilled and a sledge hammer and splitter I destroyed the stump and took the section with the bit and cut it out. Afterward, the bit was still in perfect shape - it was all the way in there as my drill went flush with the stump. These are fast, and sturdy.

These are sharp and sturdy bits designed to bore into softwoods quickly. The design is an improvement over spade and auger bits, although not a substitute for these type bits in every situation. Do not expect a clean neat hole as would be achieved with a forstner, hole saw, or brad point bit nor are they suitable for drilling thick hardwoods like oak or maple. These are aggressive bits (hence the name Speedbore) that are designed for drilling through softwoods like pine, cedar, fir, or spruce, the type of woods typically used in residential framing. Because of their aggressiveness they require a stout drill, however I find that a 18 volt impact driver that accepts hex shank bits has enough torque to adequately turn these bits.

I have had these for a short while and find I use them more and more when I can. These bits are FAST, and they cut a nice round hole. They chunk out LARGE wood shavings, you can see why they cut so fast, they cut a lot on each spin. However, the piper must be paid his due, and in the case of these bits, you need a large, powerful drill to run them well. I have seen some comments here on sloppy exit holes, which has not been my experience at all, I've gotten nice clean exit holes, and I wonder if that's caused by running them with too small a drill. I would use a corded drill whenever possible (These things have sucked my 18 volt lithium 1 amp drill batteries dry in less than half a dozen holes in 4x4 post stock) and it should be something big like a 3/8 drive, minimum. With a smaller drill they will bind in the hole and twist your drill (and wrist). Also unlike others here, I have had no trouble running them through deep 4" stock, BUT you have to back them up to clear the shavings a LOT. They do not throw out the shavings behind the bit well. However, I consider that a small inconvenience, I'm still drilling faster using these and clearing the shavings than with twist bits and much faster than spade bits. I'm not sure how they rate against my other augers, maybe about the same for speed, but my augers cost more for each bit than this entire set did, so I think this set has a good deal of value to it.Another con is that you shouldn't even think about trying these at more than a few degrees of angle from the wood surface. They need to go straight into the face of the board, or they will run, not walk across your work, dragging that pilot cone like a router bit, digging an unwanted groove in the work.Pros - fast, clean holes, clean entry, clean exit.Cons - Need a powerful drill, clogs with shavings, cannot be used at any kind of angle.

These are serious tools!! We manufacture feeder and mineral boxes for livestock and raised garden beds all from 4x4s which we get surplus. We fasten all together by driving oak pegs into holes bored through the beams. There are like 100+ holes needed for a 4'x 9' model so the quicker they get drilled, the better. I have tried a number of different bits and these are by far the best. But, be advised, the bigger bits, say from 3/4" up, require a heavy duty drill to really take advantage of these bits. I had a cheap Chinese spade drill from a major tool chain and it had the power and torque to do it right but, the dang chuck screw kept breaking! Tried another spade type drill of a major seller and, while it cost more, it too was made in China and used the same screw which, also kept breaking. Finally got a major name brand drill and it will keep going but, I have to be careful not to over heat this drill. So like I said at the beginning, I would not recommend the larger of these bits unless you have need of serious high speed production and the tools to take advantage of them. That is why I put a down check on the "easy to use" column and only a 4 star rating.

Have been using these bits for a while now, so based on how well they have worked for me in the past it was worth the purchase. They go through wood quicker than the spade type wood boring bit.

I am a commercial electrician. So I know a few things about using these bits. They are pretty good. Its nice that they come with a 1-1/4" bit. I have been using these for about a month now. Only complaint is that that the 1-1/4" is starting to dull. Granted its still sharp, but it could be sharper since its still so new.Update 12/12/12All of the bits either have completely rounded off shoulders and/or the shanks have bent. Granted the shank problem could be my fault, I think they are just able to stay straight when hitting nails or screws.

I was using Irwin spade bit set to bore holes into studs to run electrical and speaker wires. 18v Drill thru 2x4 would take a couple of mins, drilling through a 6 inch PSL paralam would take nearly 30min with lots of arm and shoulder pain. I was skeptical of the auger set, but once I used it, it was amazing. Using an 18v impact driver, no strain and no pressure since the bit is self-feed. It took me 20 secs to go through a 2x4, and about 1 min to go through the PSL w/ 1-1/4 bit. Can't believe I worked without this before. My go to solution for boring holes now.