Tools: Milwaukee Red Helix Drill Bits

Photo: courtesy ProToolReviews.com

Milwaukee Cobalt Red Helix Drill Bits
Milwaukee Titanium Red Helix Drill Bits

In September 2015, Milwaukee added to its Shockwave line by fielding Impact Duty Titanium Red Helix Twist Drill Bits. Tooled out of high-speed steel, the name is derived from the titanium nitride (TiN) coating, a ceramic material that increases hardness and reduces overheating. Milwaukee claims 3x longer life with TiN coating while still providing the same benefits of corrosion protection, increased tempering, and stress relief found in black and bronze oxide. TiN-coated bits are suitable for drilling wood, iron, steel, aluminum, magnesium, and similar materials.

Also in the Red Helix family (but not Shockwave) are the Milwaukee Cobalt Red Helix Drill Bits, which the company says are made for “hard metal applications … such as stainless steel, 4140, and cast iron.”

Pros and cons. TiN-coated bits are harder than cobalt bits, more resistant to corrosion, and more slippery, which reduces friction. Cobalt bits (made from a steel alloy with 5 to 8 percent cobalt) have higher resistance to the heat that's generated when ...

This is an excerpt from a longer article. Read the full-length original story at ProTradeCraft.com.