The author tested eight brands of drill bits for the accuracy of their stated dimensions, the efficiency of their design, and their chip-clearing ability. The 3/8-in. bits were selected for the most rigorous tests, drilling 200 holes in hard maple and 875 in particleboard. The 3/16-in. bits were tested for clogging in pine; the 1/2-in. bits were tested on white oak. He found that the spade-shaped bits performed the worst, the W-shaped bits produced mixed results, and the spur-shaped bits were best overall. If chip-free exit holes, even in splintery plywood, are important to you, then the Frisch Vortex D is the set to buy. This set of W-shaped bits comes in an oak case, which is a nice touch but hardly justifies the high price of $63, especially since the performance of these bits in the entry-hole test was worse that that of the less expensive sets. This bit got a good/poor in the entry-hole rating, an excellent/good in the through-hole rating, and an excellent in chip clearing.

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