Drill Bit BSTA

[houtvanpieter]

Hi,

does anyone know if the Drill Bit BSTA is HM or HSS?  There is no engraving in/on the drill parts
I want to use it for MDF.

.

I now see that this drill (picature above, the europe version(?)) is different from this USA type, click the link, see the drill point: version usa?

 

[carlb40]

I can't help with the bit material. However the one shown in the link is often used by dealers in the uk too.

As you can see by these.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Festool-Drill-Countersink-with-Depth-Stop-BSTA-HS-D3-5-CE-492523-/310774864911?pt=UK_Home_Garden_PowerTools_SM&hash=item485ba01c0f

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Festool-Drill-Countersink-With-Depth-Stop-BSTA-HS-D3-5-CE-492523-/380443294673?pt=UK_Home_Garden_PowerTools_SM&hash=item58942ffbd1

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Festool-BSTA-4-5CE-Drill-countersink-with-depth-stop-4-5mm-/390534805477?pt=UK_Home_Power_Air_Tools&hash=item5aedb037e5

 

[johnleve]

I have used mine in MDF and it worked fairly well.  I did break a bit or two due to heat build up but they are easily replaceable and not overly expensive.  That could have been avoided with more patience.

 

[AlexThePalex]

does anyone know if the Drill Bit BSTA is HM or HSS?  There is no engraving in/on the drill parts
I want to use it for MDF.

Hi Pieter, pretty sure they're high quality HSS. HM is generally not used for drill bits, because it is too brittle and the drill would break very easily. HM is used for cutting surfaces on for instance saw blades and router bits. The HM metal is very hard and therefore keeps it edge better, but the hardness also makes it lose its flexibility so it will break easier when a force is applied from the wrong direction.

I now see that this drill (picature above, the europe version(?)) is different from this USA type, click the link, see the drill point: version usa?

Unfortunately, you can not always trust the pictures on the USA website. Especially with accessories like bits you will find that sometimes the wrong picture is used, like in this case.

Festool makes two versions of depth stop bits, one with and one without countersink. For the countersink version they use shiny silver coloured pilot bits, and for the one without countersink (so depth stop only) they use a black pilot bit. Probably to make it easier to distinguish them. You can also look at the hole in the black part. There you see (or not) the countersink.

This is the one with countersink (492523, 492524, 496451):

[attachimg=1]

And this is the one without (492522) :

[attachimg=2]

 

[houtvanpieter]

Oke thanks for the replies. I did not know that drills are normally HSS, but what you explain is logical.
With these prices i don't want to screw up the drill bit after drilling "a few" holes in mdf. But still, i just going to use it with mdf.

 

[Trans former]

the one with the black bit I believe is a 5mm router bit, the same as comes with LR32 kit for shelf pins, 8mm shank.