If you are new to DIY, then prepare to get to know the drill bit. When it comes to DIY tasks, one of the tools that you will use most frequently is your drill.
Your drill can be used for all manner of tasks, as long as you have the correct drill bit for the job. This is why you will usually accumulate a pretty big collection of drill bits, ranging from normal drill bits to metal drill bits.
But what happens when you get a new drill? Well that’s a good question! Some people believe that drill bits are universal, and while some drill bits are universal, others are not.
In this guide, we’ll be answering the question “are drill bits universal?”, so if you want to find out more, keep on reading!
What Are Drill Bits?
First things first, let’s take a look at what drill bits are. Well, like the name suggests, drill bits are bits that fit into your drill.
There are a wide range of different drill bits out there in different shapes and sizes, all of these will be perfect for different jobs.
Essentially, drill bits are cutting tools that are designed to slot into the clamp mechanism of your drill. While drill bits come in different shapes and sizes, they almost always have a circular cross-section, and this is used to make holes in the material that you are drilling.
The drill bit is able to create the holes as it will be forced into the material that you are drilling into through the rotation of the drill.
Essentially, the drill bit is one of the most important parts of the drill because without it, there would be nothing to penetrate the material that you are drilling. With that in mind, let’s take a look at whether, or not, drill bits are universal.
Are Drill Bits Universal?
So now that we have established what drill bits are, let’s get to the all important question – are drill bits universal? Well, the answer to that will depend on what you mean by universal.
If by “universal”, you mean “can drill bits be universally used across multiple materials?”, then the answer would be yes!
Unlike some other power tools, drills do not require you to use different bits depending on the material that you are drilling into.
Most of the time, no matter what drill bit you use, you will be able to use it to drill through a variety of different materials. Twist drill bits are considered a universal drill bit for this reason.
However, if by “universal”, you mean “do all drill bits fill all drills?”, then the answer would be no! While a number of universal drill bits will fit across multiple drills, this isn’t the case for all drill bit types.
Some drill bits will easily slot into the clamp of the drill, but others will not. It will all depend on the thickness of the drill bit that you are using.
In most cases, you should use specialized drill bits according to what material you intend to drill into. For example, wood drill bits should be used for wood, and carbon steel bits should be used for thin sheet metal.
Drill bits often are not specific to a particular manufacturer, instead they are specific to a measurement. This measurement is the size of the clamp within your drill.
Most drills tend to have a ⅜” clamp, but some will have a half clamp. Those with a ⅜” clamp will only be able to fit a ⅜” drill bits. In contrast ½ clamps will be able to fit ⅜” drill bits and half drill bits too. So ½” drills are universal, but ⅜” drills are not.
What Is The Most Common Drill Bit?
If you are new to DIY tasks, then it is likely that you want to find out which drill bits you should invest your money in. So, let’s take a look at what the most common drill bits are.
Of all the drill bits out there, there are two drill bit sizes that are the most common. They are 9.53 mm bits, and 12.7 mm bits.
Like we said earlier, most drill bits can be universally used across multiple different materials.
So, if you want a drill bit that can also be used appropriately for most jobs, then either a 9.53 mm or a 12.7 mm drill bit will be best. These drill bits are able to create holes that will be appropriate for most things.
However, you can get drill bits that are both significantly bigger and significantly smaller than these bits too.
So, if you are likely to be completing a lot of DIY projects with your drill, we would recommend investing in a range of different size drill bits. That way, you will always have the appropriate tool for the job.
How Do I Know If A Drill Bit Will Fit?
So, as you can see, there are a lot of different drill bits out there.
But if you have newly acquired a set of drill bits, and you are unsure if they will fit your drill or not, you probably want to find out how to know for certain. It is best to check if the drill bit fits before you try to drill into something.
So, the quickest way to check if your drill bit fits your drill is to run the drill without actually drilling a hole.
Simply pop your drill bit into the drill (check out our guide on how to change a drill bit if you are stuck), and then run your drill without it penetrating anything. If the drill bit stays straight and sturdy, then the drill bit is an appropriate size for your drill.
If the drill bit wobbles as it spins, then it is not the appropriate size for your drill.
Before you use any drill bits in your drill, we would always recommend checking the measurement and testing it out in thin air before you try to drill a pilot hole.
Summary
In short, whether, or not, drill bits are universal depends on what you consider to be “universal”. Most drill bits can be used to drill into multiple materials, but not all drill bits will fit all drills. You can find out more in the guide above.
Thank you for reading!