Irwin Tools IRWIN Drill Bit, 3-Cutter, Self Feed, 2-9/16-Inch (3046013)

I had to relocate a drain line in our laundry room, and figured it was going to be a bear of a job, considering the size of the hole… but with this bit, it turned out to be prettY easy… that spiral screw on the bit pulled the darn thing thru the 2x4 with ease… no effort on my part other than guiding the drill…. MADE AN IMPOSSIBLE JOB EASY

I was trying to make a hole with the grain in a 5 inch diameter piece of Osage Orange wood. I might as well been trying it in a billet of steel! Osage cuts easily with a chain saw and splits well, just don't try to drill a very big hole in it. This tool worked quite well for a ways then it dulled enough I had to quit using it, but no other tool would do the job either. This tool would have been fine in any "normal" wood. ej

To help out with my long-delayed garage interior build-out, I bought this bit so I could drill holes through 2x4 and 2x6 wall studs and framing for routing the 2" PVC drain pipes needed for some sink installations. This bit is made really well and works great, but the standard electric (corded) 1/2" drills didn't have enough torque to keep the bit cutting due to the rate at which the aggressively spiraled flutes on the outside of the self-feed tip pulled the bit into the wood. It was also about as much as my old wrists could stand, too! :-( Since each bit comes with an extra feed tip, I resolved the problem by using a grinder to remove the tops of the spiraled flutes so that the tip would still center the bit in the hole being drilled but allow me to control the feed rate based on the amount of downward pressure being placed on the drill. This bit is precision cast and ground, and cuts a very clean hole even when the board is well-seasoned and tough. Further, the casting is robust enough so I believe that it could be re-sharpened at least once if needed. Despite the "star" I deducted due to the excessively high self-feed rate issue I needed to resolve, I'd definitely buy this bit again. However, unless I could use it with a drill press, I'd simultaneously plan on buying a heavy-duty 3/4" hand-held electric drill due the amount of torque it calls for and resultant stress it puts on a drill and the person using it!

Excellent bit. It cuts much better if you take the self feed screw out and replace it with a short 5/16 high speed steel drill bit. It cuts much smoother and you can do it by hand without it ripping out of your hands. I used it with a cordless makita hand drill, a 1/2" milwaukee mag drill and on a large drill press. All of which drilled perfectly with this bit. I was boring 2-1/2" into 4" fence posts; both juniper and pressure treated. I have not used it on any hard woods yet; however, thus far I am very happy with it.

I needed to drill thru my (4" thick) sliding door header board. I decided to drill a 1/4" hole thru first to make sure I got the right angle thru the wall. The Irwin drill went thru very nicely even though I hit metal twice. I stopped and chiseled out the metal of course. I would push and let off repeatedly because this drill really digs in. It took several minutes and made a huge mess, but this drill is EXCELLENT! Great price too.

Cuts great. However the the self feed center bit cannot be held by the provided set screw. The center bit needs to have a drill mark where the set screw contacts the bit to prevent the center bit from leaving the boring bit.

Best self feed bit I've ever used. I use it to drill through 2x16 joists and it is amazingly fast. As other reviewers have stated do not use this with a drill that doesn't have a clutch. I use it with the Dewalt version of the 'hole-hawg' which is DW124K. That monster has enough mass and grip to allow me to hold it steady while drilling. The only time it has hurt me was drilling through a small piece of 2x4 which slipped and hit my leg (to prevent this first screw the smaller boards to larger pieces that will hold the small piece still while you drill). Never had a problem on joists which is what this is made for. I'm fairly certain I've even drilled though screws and nails and mine still keeps going.

The bit is ok, but none of the cutting surfaces came properly sharpened. The cutting edges were all visible and also full of visible small dings, which I immediately corrected. The benefit of this style of bit with the permanent blades is that if you know how to properly sharpen a chisel or a plane iron you can sharpen at least most of the cutting surfaces up. It seems like the center screw is replaceable or removable with the included allen wrench and extra screw, which is useful. This would be a 4 or 5 star review if the manufacturer bothered to properly sharpen the cutting surfaces, and didn't actually paint over some of the cutting edges. The metal seems adequately hard for cutting anything a sane person would try to cut with this. I am successfully using it to bore a hole in acrylic rod.

Fantastic drill bit! I love the fact it has 3 blades. Nails however will ruin the bit. Be careful not to hit any when drilling into your material. Also a12 amp battery is needed for a cordless drill.

As a Plumber I drill quite a few holes in wood for my drains and vent piping, paired up with my Dewalt 60v joist drill ( also from Amazon) this bit bites in with ease to drill my 2 9/16" holes. As with all drills of this type, nails are a no no, got it on sale $40 cdn. Puts the same Milwaukee bit to shame.

Good

Just got through three sandwiched 2x6s thanks to my drill's chuck. At first it spun, THEN it bit. Best hold on to your drill, hope its got two handles. Only wish the shaft was a bit longer.

Got through some slightly green timber pretty good. I am using a handheld double handle 1/2 corded drill at low rpm. Be warned that this is a big bit and will bite you hard if you do not give her respect. I could not imagine using this bit with a single handled drill. I was using a 1 1/2 inch spade bit and moved up to this monster for some new projects. Remember to let bit and drill cool off during deep cuts and rock it slightly to get it started.