Wanted to buy drill bits for metal, did I buy ones for wood instead?

[liyanage]

I wanted to buy a set of Festool drill bits for drilling steel. I bought the 492512-492518 ones after reading in their description:

CE Drill bit HSS 3mm - 492512

The 3mm Spiral Drill Bit with Centrotec Shank provides a precise, compact, and durable solution for drilling wood, metal, and plastic.

So that mentions metal. However, the packaging has a little forest icon, and it also says "3 CE/W" which makes me think W stands for wood.

On the back of the package are two tables of drill bits, the first one again with the forest symbol and all sizes of the "CE/W" bits, exactly the ones I bought. Then there is a second table where it says "CE/M" (for Metal?). That table has a metal beam symbol, which makes me think those are for drilling metal. The numbers on those are listed as 493421-493428. Their description sounds similar, but they seem to have a reusable shank.

Should I have bought those ones instead? Does the CE/M vs CE/W distinction mean anything? What about those symbols?

 

[squarecut]

I do not own any Festool drill bits, however # 492512 looks like a typical Brad Point drill bit which is for wood.
Check out this link -
http://www.festoolproducts.com/Festool-492512-Ce-Drill-Bit-Hss-3mm-p/492512.htm

If you look at the picture of #493421 at this link -
http://www.festoolproducts.com/Festool-493421-Twist-Drill-Bit-Set-D3-0-33-p/493421.htm?gclid=CKPyicTKib0CFRQaOgodhGYABg
you will see a drill bit without a Brad Point, it is for metal primarily

 

[AlexThePalex]

Checked the USA and Dutch websites with the product numbers you mentioned, and indeed, the ones you bought are for wood only. That they are for metal and plastic also is mentioned incorrectly on the USA site.

Your assumption that CE/W stands for wood and CE/M for metal is correct. 

 

[Administrator_JSVN]

These bits can be used for plastic and metal, although they are primarily used for wood.

 

[liyanage]

Thank you for the clarification Shane, good to know they will work.

Would it still be better (for the drill bits and/or the workpiece) if I used dedicated metal bits? And are the "CE/M" bits indeed intended primarily for metal?

 

[AlexThePalex]

I don't get it, why isn't metal mentioned on the European sites? Seems to me that that point would be gone in a second if you drilll in metal.

https://www.festool.co.uk/Products/Accessories/Pages/Detail.aspx?pid=492512&name=CENTROTEC-drill-bits-D-3-CE-W

 

[Slappy]

I don't get it, why isn't metal mentioned on the European sites? Seems to me that that point would be gone in a second if you drilll in metal.

https://www.festool.co.uk/Products/Accessories/Pages/Detail.aspx?pid=492512&name=CENTROTEC-drill-bits-D-3-CE-W

those would burn up on steel IMO , but will work on AL thou not as well as the correct metal bit

 

[greg mann]

I would not recommend them for aluminum either. They may drill some grades okay but wth a greatly reduced life.

 

[Administrator_JSVN]

Would it still be better (for the drill bits and/or the workpiece) if I used dedicated metal bits? And are the "CE/M" bits indeed intended primarily for metal?

If you're primarily planning to drill metal, yes, probably so.

 

[Administrator_JSVN]

Regarding the other replies... Sometimes Germany does not have a photograph for a specific product, so I have to use the closest match that is representative of the product. This bit is a split point bit, not a brad point. So, the image is not correct, I believe. I don't have one in front of me at the moment.

http://www.festool.com.au/3mm-HSS-Drill-Bit-CENTROTEC-Holder-Set

 

[Slappy]

there nothing worse than buying a drill that the package says will work for metal & wood

then drill some steel & have the bit burn up in seconds

ask me how I know that  [embarassed]

L O L    :

 

[waho6o9]

Machinist grade cobalt for metal is what I use and the

results are great.

 

[liyanage]

Thanks for the tips everyone. I ended up getting this 13-piece metal drill bit set from Bosch. It has a selection of sizes that is a good fit for what I need (mostly smaller ones): http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0000TZMC2