DeWalt Titanium Nitride Coating Drill Bit

Why I reached for this bit

I keep a short roster of metal-capable bits in the shop for days when a hand drill is faster than walking over to the press. This TiN pilot-point bit has been in that roster for a few months. It’s a 3/8-inch diameter, 6-inch overall length bit with a titanium nitride coating, a pilot-point tip, and a hex shank. On paper, it promises clean starts, decent wear resistance, and better chip control thanks to optimized flutes and a tapered core. In practice, it’s mostly delivered—provided you use it for what it’s designed to do and treat it like a high-speed steel bit, not a carbide roughing tool.

Setup and compatibility

A quick note about the shank: it’s a 3/8-inch hex. That’s secure in a 1/2-inch chuck and excellent for preventing slippage in a keyless drill. But it will not fit many 3/8-inch chucks because the across-corners dimension of a 3/8-inch hex is larger than 3/8. If your drill only accepts up to 3/8-inch round shanks, expect fit issues. Also, despite the hex, this is not a quick-change bit for 1/4-inch impact drivers, and you shouldn’t run HSS in an impact anyway. In my workflow, it lives on a 1/2-inch cordless drill and sees occasional duty on the drill press.

The pilot point is the other setup advantage. On flat stock I often skip center-punching with this bit; it tracks well and resists walking. On curved material—like thin-wall tube—I still like a light punch for safety, but the bit starts far more confidently than a standard split-point.

Test materials and approach

I ran this bit through:

• Mild steel: 1/8- and 1/4-inch A36 plate, angle, and some sacrificial fasteners
• Aluminum: 6061 plate and extrusion
• Wood: red oak and fir
• Plastics: schedule 40 PVC and fiberglass sheet

I kept speeds sensible for HSS. For mild steel, roughly 700–900 rpm in the hand drill with a steady feed and cutting fluid. Aluminum at higher rpm (around 2,000 on the press) with paraffin or a light oil. Wood and plastics at moderate speeds to avoid burning or melting. For deeper holes I used a pecking routine to clear chips and control heat.

The spec lists a maximum drilling depth of 2 inches, which aligns with the effective flute length before you’re into thicker web territory. That’s fine for most through-holes in common stock, but if you routinely bore deeper, you’ll want a longer flute bit.

Performance in metal

In mild steel, the pilot point earns its keep. The bit bites quickly without skating and produces round, on-size holes with minimal burr when I control feed and keep it lubricated. In 1/8-inch plate, I can go full-depth in one smooth pass; in 1/4-inch plate I prefer a light peck cycle to keep chips from packing.

Where things get tricky is heavy torque situations. A 3/8-inch bit in tougher material wants power, and that can punish HSS. If I lean on the drill to force a faster cut or run it too fast and dry, the bit warms up quickly and edge life falls off fast. Kept cool and fed, it holds up. Pushed hard, it dulls and loses its edge. That’s not unique to this bit, but the tapered core and hex shank won’t save you from the fundamentals: use the right speed, apply cutting fluid, and let the geometry do the work.

I did not use it on stainless steel—this bit isn’t recommended for that—and I’d advise against even “just a quick hole” in 304 or 316. If stainless is on your list, pick cobalt or carbide designed for it.

Wood and plastics

In hardwood, the pilot point leaves clean entries and notably cleaner exits than many standard HSS bits. The spade-like pilot helps reduce tear-out, especially if you back the workpiece. In framing lumber, it’s predictably fast and forgiving. In PVC, a light touch avoids melting and yields crisp holes; in fiberglass sheet the bit cuts cleanly, though as always, PPE and backing are essential to control chipping. The titanium nitride coating seems to help with chip flow and heat, but the bigger win here is the tip geometry—it’s simply easier to start accurately.

Chip evacuation and control

The flutes do a good job of moving material, especially in aluminum where strings can be a problem. In steel, chip forms are consistent and break well when feed is steady. If you pack the flutes in a deep hole, you’ll feel it immediately as torque rises. Back out, clear chips, and go again; forcing it only adds heat. The web taper contributes to rigidity, which helps maintain straightness under load. I didn’t notice any pronounced chatter in the hand drill when the work was clamped.

Durability and edge life

TiN coatings resist wear and help with lubricity, but they’re not a magic shield. With proper technique in mild steel—fluid, correct rpm, steady feed—I got a respectable run of holes before noticing a drop in bite. After a series of steel holes and some aluminum work, the cutting lips still felt sharp to the touch, and the pilot point remained defined. The first sign of fatigue was a slight increase in thrust required and warmer chips.

I did a controlled abuse test: dry drilling, high rpm, and heavy feed in 1/4-inch steel. After a few holes, the bit colored slightly near the tip and performance fell off. That’s consistent with overheating HSS; TiN does not negate the laws of heat. It’s recoverable to a point, but once the cutting edge softens, you won’t get factory-fresh performance without a proper regrind—and regrinding will remove the coating and pilot geometry. If you rely on pilot-point accuracy, you can’t casually restore it at the bench grinder.

Accuracy and hole quality

The standout is hole start and roundness. The pilot point seats quickly, and in materials like thin sheet or tube where walk usually ruins alignment, this bit holds the line. Holes measure close to nominal with my gauge pins in softer materials; in steel they tend to finish slightly undersized before a quick pass-through achieves a true 3/8. Burrs are modest on exit in steel and minimal in wood and plastic. If you need near-zero burr, a light countersink pass cleans things up nicely.

Ergonomics and practical considerations

• The hex shank is grippy in keyless chucks and eliminates slip, but it’s big—plan on a 1/2-inch chuck.
• Jobber length gives working reach and visibility; the 2-inch practical depth is fine for most bracketry and through-holes.
• No warranty and a Prop 65 warning—par for the course, but worth noting for California users.
• Right-hand spiral, standard rotation; nothing exotic required.
• It’s a single piece, not a set, so think about pairing it with smaller pilot bits if you’re drilling large holes in thicker metal. Step drilling reduces torque and improves results.

Best practices for success

• Use the right speed: around 700–900 rpm for mild steel at 3/8-inch; faster for aluminum; moderate for wood and plastics.
• Always use cutting fluid on metals.
• Clamp your work and peck on deeper holes to clear chips.
• Don’t use it in an impact driver.
• Avoid stainless steel; choose a cobalt or carbide bit built for it.
• If you must resharpen, know you’ll lose the pilot geometry and TiN at the edge.

Where it fits in the shop

This bit excels as a reliable, general-purpose 3/8-inch option when you value clean starts and decent wear resistance, especially for mild steel, aluminum, wood, and plastics. It’s not a replacement for cobalt in hard steels, and it won’t forgive ham-fisted technique. If you understand HSS limits and work within them, it performs well and stays in the rotation.

Recommendation

I recommend this TiN pilot-point bit for anyone who needs a 3/8-inch workhorse for mild metals, wood, and plastics, and who can run it in a 1/2-inch chuck. The pilot point meaningfully improves accuracy and reduces setup time, the flutes clear chips reliably, and the TiN coating provides respectable edge life when you manage heat. I wouldn’t choose it for stainless or for abusive, high-torque drilling in hardened fasteners—there are better choices for that—but as an everyday bit for common shop materials, it’s a solid, predictable performer.