What the drill color really says. We drill quickly and don't overpay three prices
How do you choose an instrument? Unfortunately, I often buy it on the "the more expensive the better" principle. But a high price is not always a sign of quality. Let's see what the color of the drill indicates. I am sure this will help you to work quickly and not overpay.
Which drills to give preference to
A few words about the material. For domestic needs, I see no reason to chase a Soviet instrument made of the legendary P18 steel. But I would also not advise you to slide down to the Chinese industry without a brand, without a clan, without a tribe.
Modern drills are made from HSS (High Speed Steel) steels. They retain their properties when heated. Depending on the type and amount of additives, they can have different characteristics and purposes.
As for brands, you can decide which one you prefer.
What does gray mean?
HSS drills in metal (gray) shade are the simplest and cheapest. There are no special additives in them. When drilling metal, they quickly become dull. But sharpening them will not be difficult. However, it cannot be said unequivocally that they are bad and urge to buy more expensive counterparts.
"Gray" steel is not brittle, but rather soft. If you work on metal with a household drill, it forgives many mistakes: skewing, hitting, biting at the exit from the material and etc. If an expensive drill could be thrown away in such situations, a cheap gray drill is enough to sharpen and work with it. further.
Bright black
Additional processing - steam oxidation gives the drills a black tint. This is a budget method for metal processing. The price of such an instrument increases slightly. This increases the cutting performance. An additional letter appears in the marking - HSS-R.
Light gray drills
They can be distinguished from classic HSS by their characteristic shine. It is obtained by grinding the cutting part with cubic boron nitride. The color becomes closer to white. And in order not to be mistaken, look for the HSS-G index in the marking.
Such a tool copes well with drilling steel and is relatively inexpensive. In my opinion, for household purposes, an excellent value for money.
"Gold" - "titanium" drills
The golden color does not mean that the instrument is made of titanium. This shade is obtained by coating the surface of high speed steel with titanium nitride. It gives hardness and heat resistance to the metal. In the marking, you will see the HSS-Ti (HSS-TiN) index.
If you need to drill through car leaf springs or stainless steel sheets, choose HSS-Ti. It should be understood that only spraying has wear-resistant properties. When it snaps into action or becomes dull, normal high speed steel remains.
What does bronze color mean
Cobalt drills - HSS-E (HSS-Co) have a light brown shiny shade. The addition of cobalt provides even greater wear resistance. These drills are called professional. They are usually chosen if you need to drill a lot and for a long time. And also if you have to make holes in high-alloy and other extra-strong steels.
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