After much interest and market research, we have recently launched our new range of Dry Diamond Tile Drill Bits. Prior to testing I had never used this product before so was very keen to see how they performed. Like many people, I have tried the old spade type bits and masonry bits (albeit very carefully!) but neither really seemed to work that well, particularly on porcelain.
With my previous knowledge of the unreliability of the spade type bits and a desire to find a product to suit our high standard we opted for the dry diamond tile drill bits which are a fairly new innovation to the market. Some key features of the product are the self-sharpening, vacuum brazed diamond tip and the unique wax cooling system which completely eliminates the need for traditional water cooling systems.
I received the samples of our bits and purchased equivalent bits from three other competitors to give a comprehensive view of the products currently on the market. We opted for a “market leading” brand and two other recognised industry brands to assess performance, lifetime and general usability. The bits were tested on 8mm grade 2 porcelain bathroom tile (a tough test for any drill bit) and were a simple test of how many holes could be drilled until the products failed along with the average drilling speed. After each hole I allowed the bit to cool right back down in order for the data collected to be accurate and fair.
The market leading brand set the bar high with 37 holes with the other two brands only managing 10 and 7 holes respectively. I was very surprised at such a huge performance variation which wasn’t really represented by the cost price of the products. Finally, I put ours to the test and was pleasantly surprised as it completed 49 holes (12 more than the market leader) while also being an average 4 seconds per hole quicker. Equally as pleasing was that not a single crack was caused to the tile throughout the test process, something that is sadly all too familiar with the old spade style tile drill bits.
I conducted the tests free hand (which does take a few holes to get used to as you need to start with the bit at about 45 degrees and straighten up as the hole deepens) I would highly recommend the Drill Guide for a really neat hole, particularly if you have never used this product before. The guide has a suction cup which secures to the material and features hole guides for 4mm-12mm bits. It’s a really simple but great product. The guide is available as part of our 4pc set which also includes 3 Drill Bits in popular sizes.
I’m a big fan of these products and would never go back to the old style tile drill bits. These are a must have accessory for anyone who regularly drills through tiles.
Get in touch with the Abracs team for more details or to request samples.
