Regular spade bits can be easily sharpened with a file; just use the same number of strokes on each side. Add a little more angle and they will cut faster too. Never file the point or they may make an oversize hole.
HD shopping trip time again today for supplies, and these bits are now on the list. Thanks!
Phil
This morning I went back to that same HD. We are so thick with HD’s around here, that town has 2!
Anyway, after noticing that triple emitter light with 1000 Lumen I figured it must have 3 CREE XP-G2’s
If it did, I MUST get some. At only 9.88 it seemed a bargain. What I couldn’t figure out is why is this the only store to have them. 2 explanations, either they are old stock from last year and for whatever reason they are clearing them out at select stores. (I remember a triple from this time last year) OR it is brand new stock, not yet meant to be released and by accident it was put on the floor in this store early.
When I got there this morning I fully expected to see at least half of them gone, but no. Not a one had sold. So instead of grabbing a bunch in a frantic buying binge I took my time and checked on out closely. What I thought I saw through the package disturbed me. The emitters looked like CREE alright, but I needed to do one of my in store tear downs before I was going to buy any.
The light out of the package
Decent quality, not great, certainly not as good as the DST or the Defiant 3D.
The head is glued in place, no getting that off with my bare hands. I only bought 1, the reason being is that it appeared that every light had one LED that was larger than the other 2. Maybe 1 XP-G2 and perhaps 2 XP-E2’s? I don’t see how they could claim 1000 lumen from 1 XP-G2 and 2 XP-E2’s Being curious, I brought one home.
In store shot, through the bubble packaging.
For some reason it is much easier to notice with my naked eye. I am very near sighted.
Here is a better shot at home.
Now that is weird! Maybe that's why they're so cheap! (Ha! Like the general public would even know!)
I should look back thru my store display photos and see if my store had that one (photos unavailable until tomorrow).
-Garry
2 are definitely smaller. So far I can’t get it apart
Looks like the 2014 model: New Defiant lights at Home Depot (Pics added)
Wasn’t much interest in it.
Yeah, it looks like it but it is an even cheaper model. edit: (the one I have, thatis)
That store also had the drill set that poiihy mentioned. It contains the same bits, but with a lime green case. Actually the older Blue case drill set has titanium coated bits.
Here are the 2 side by side. I can now see that this $2.83 price is for old stock. Not likely other stores will have any, but you never know. I bought 4 more, that last of ’em
Of course; all stores have them. Ryobi changed the colors of all their tools to lime green and black/grey for some reason.
As you can see, the nice thing about this is that you can get the older tools for much cheaper, even though they are exactly the same as the new tools, just a different color. Julian Illet talked about this. You can find cheap Ryobi tools on ebay. That’s what’s so great about Ryobi. And even without any discounts, the prices are still good. Ryobi is the best bang for the buck, like Square D.
The new kits have black oxide bits instead of titanium coated bits, just for the different color to match their color scheme. I don’t know if the coating makes a difference. Does it, or is it just for color? What is the “black oxide” coating made of?
dchomak. How big is the opening on the bezel where the reflector is on the three led light you got for $9.88?
Titanium Nitride is a hard anti-friction coating; black oxide is soft and only offers some rust resistance. In my usage on various materials I find both to be more gimmick than useful being scarcely better than the standard HSS bits.
And as my luck would have it, the HD I went to today had no drill kits, TCP lights, or light sensors though they had a large flashlight display with most of what’s been posted here. So frustrating to see others get deals I can’t but keep at it because at least it helps SOMEbody!
Phil
Here is the best deal I ever got on drill bits from Home Depot. Last year and the year before HD had these amongst the holiday gift items that are part of the flashlight displays that I posted.
2 years in a row they were offered at $14.00. Both years they sold out quickly. Each store only stocked about 12. This year I have not seen them yet, maybe they come out for Black Friday.
Anyway 2 years ago I found 2 sets in January for $8.00 and I grabbed them up. Last year I saw one for $10 and grabbed it. Like I said they don’t last long, so if they appear at $14.00, anyone that could use them should get a set. 1/16 all the way to 1/2 inch!
I just checked, they are still on the website. So maybe they will back again this BF.
I just did a search for these 2 drill sets on EBay. I found them both, but you gotta pay!
Think about it. How can something like this be sold online and cost less than a retail store? A retail store like HD or Lowes has a distribution network that can truck in pallets of these, whereas EBay had to ship each individual one to your home. And to put it in even more perspective, as texaspyro once pointed out, delivered to your front door by uniformed men. Who do you think pays for that.
$19.99, twice HD’s list price. Oh but that’s OK because there’s free shipping. :~
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$37.81, over twice HD’s list price. But once again, “free” shipping 
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Nope - didn't see that light in my store display photos :( .
-Garry
I am starting to believe that they were meant to come out for the Black Friday event and this store jumped the gun. My favorite shopping day of the year!
Now back to drill bits, I am on a roll this morning.
Lately I have had very bad luck ordering stuff from FastTech. First order of an item is OK but then when I re-order there is a second generation out that has been made cheaper to the point of not being usable. I certainly have never ordered drill bits online, but here is proof as why it would not be a good idea.
Here is a capture of an offering of bits at FastTech, and then a blowup of their picture.
Enough said
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Compare that to an EXTREME closeup of the Ryobi bits (considered by many to be cheap and of lesser quality than “name brands”}
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This is something I have never come across before, but it makes sense. While I was doing some tailcap readings (2.75A with 2 18650’s in parallel, ala the DST thread) I noticed I could not switch modes. There should have been High, Low and a Blinky. All I could get was “High”. What I suspected was true. The driver is in the tailcap!
There are no identifying numbers on the small chip on the bottom.
No high amps thru the tailcap switch and the clicky had a nicer feel.
Thanks for the measurement of the reflector.
I’ve often found that things at Home Depot or Wlamart are cheaper than ebay. Walmart has the best price for garbage disposals. Home Depot has the best prices for most electrical stuff (though Walmart has the best price for blank and rectangular cover plates).
But all those on ebay are a lot more expensive. :~
It has been confirmed. The 850 Lumen Defiant 3C is a Black Friday promotion light that was brought early by that 1 store. Look for that light in an upcoming Black Friday ad.
I showed a picture of the display to Customer Service at my home town HD and they could not find it in their system. Then I showed them my receipt and they found it in another place on their computer. Upcoming BF stock.
They had them in the store, just not yet in their system, and certainly not on display.
My final thoughts on this is light is that it is not bad for what it is. A decently bright light that runs on commonly available batteries that is relatively cheap. The tailcap driver is probably not easy to mod and so far I have not been able to get the head off. The sloping of the head towards the bezel makes it difficult for a strap wrench to grip. Good for gifting non flashaholics during the holidays.
If I get time tomorrow I’ll walk up the hill from work and check the HD there. I haven’t had much luck with this store but who knows? If I do buy something I know who I’m gonna blame!
Got the ryobi kit returned and found the HDX kit. They don’t put them with all the other kits, instead they put them in front where they have all the other random stuff that you get for cheap or use as gifts…
Seems to be a nice kit for only $4.88. It has multiple of each bit so that you can break them several times before you run out. Also the kit has a rubbery back so when you place it on a smooth surface, it doesn’t slide all over the place.
http://www.homedepot.com/p/HDX-Drill-Bit-Set-35-Piece-CF4353-1/205913964
I tested some of the bits and they work really well. They drill much better than the old ryobi bits, of course because they’re new. I broke 3 smaller bits when trying them out :_( The small bits are so fragile! But the larger bits are fine.
I used some of the bits to replace the bits in the old kit.
It was nice to repair the old kit but I felt bad taking bits from the new kit. The case of the new kit is so nice. :~
I wish HD would just sell assorted bits without a case that you can use to refill old cases. The bits always break but the nice cases don’t.