Chicago Latrobe 69901 157 Series High-Speed Steel Short Length Drill Bit Set with Metal Case, Bright Finish, 118 Degree Conventional Point, Letter Size, 26-piece, A - Z

Strong bits in a nice case. Be sure to buy the correct type. USA standard drill bits come in three types: Fraction (like 3/8ths), Numbered (like #28), and A-Z. I accidentally bought A-Z bits. But they are excellent bits, so I'll buy their Fractional and Numbered sets too. Short bits (stubby) are nice to eliminate having to raise/lower the work for different lengths.

I get stub length twist drills for use in my Mag drill because a Mag drill has limited quill travel and stub length drill bits are ideal for that limited quill travel plus they are much more rigid when using in other applications. Nice index (metal) and it's also a quality piece. Chicago-Latrobe (Greenfield Tool) is made in USA. I actually have a complete set now, A-Z letter drills, Fractional Sized (1/2" to the tiny ones) as well as numbered (1-60) drills, all in their respective cases. The 118 degree points are ideal for me as well. I don't care for the 135 degree points as I hand sharpen them when dull and 135 degree points are difficult to resharpen whereas the 118 degree points are much easier to resharpen.You get what you pay for and Chicago Latrobe has always been quality. I prefer the non coated (bright finish) over coated bits. Coated bits are nothing more than just that, a surface coating used for improved chip evacuation. Not need in my applications as I always use cutting lubricant when drilling and the cutting lubricant provides good chip evacuation. The other issue with coated bits is, once you regrind the bits, you remove the coating anyway so why pay extra for it. Makes no sense to me and C/L drill bits are right on dimension all the time.

I work a lot with aluminum and mild steel, and find short bits to be preferable for most applications. These letter sizes fill in the intermediate sizes between fractional drills nicely, and often make for better tapped holes. I use these mostly with a drill press. The points are ground well with no chips and nothing off center. Good product at a good price.

The most boring tools in my tool chest.

Like, nice set for hobbies

Very good quality product. Fast delivery.

Great drills, reasonable price.

Accurate uniform grind, no runout, quality HSS. Stub length is good for a vertical mill to reduce need for setup changes between milling and drilling ops. Also may eliminate need for center/spot drilling in some cases. Size markings on shanks could be better. Also wish they'd make a short drill index for short bits; lots of wasted space.