DeWalt 13/64" Pilot Point drill bit

Why I reached for this bit

The 13/64-inch size comes up more often than you might think—especially for #10 screw clearance holes, quick jigs, and general fabrication. I’ve kept this DeWalt pilot-point bit in my drill roll for a while now as a single “go-to” when I don’t want to dig through a full index. After a run of projects in wood, mild steel, and plastic, I have a solid sense of where it shines and where it’s just okay.

Build and design

This is an HSS bit with a gold ferrous oxide finish and a pilot-point tip. The pitch here is straightforward: the pilot point starts the hole on contact, reduces walking, and helps keep the hole on center; the tapered web beefs up the core to resist snapping; the round “no‑spin” shank is meant to stay put in the chuck; and the size marking sits above the chucking area so it doesn’t disappear after a few uses.

Dimensions are standard jobber length—about 3-5/8 inches overall with roughly 2.44 inches of flute. That’s long enough for typical shop tasks without being wobbly. The shank is round, not hex, so it’s intended for drill chucks and drill presses rather than quick-change impact drivers.

The finish is worth a note. Gold oxide isn’t a hard coating like TiN; it doesn’t transform a bit into a high-heat cutter. But it does help with corrosion resistance, chip flow, and some lubricity, and it tends to wear a little more gracefully than bare HSS.

Accuracy and starting behavior

The pilot point does what it claims. On wood and plastics, I rarely needed to center punch. The bit starts exactly where I place it and stays true, even on angled surfaces and slick laminates. On steel, I still recommend a light center punch for consistent results—especially if the surface is painted or you’re working handheld. But compared with a standard 118-degree jobber bit, it walks less and gets to full-diameter cutting more quickly.

Hole roundness and size were consistent in my tests. Using calipers, I measured clearance holes for #10 hardware just under 0.204 inch, as expected for a 13/64-in bit, with minimal bell-mouthing when I kept the feed steady.

Performance in wood

In hardwoods (oak and maple), the pilot point produced clean entry holes with less skittering than a conventional bit and less tear-out than I usually see from HSS. It’s not quite brad-point clean, especially on plywood exit holes, but it’s close when you back up the work or let the bit break through gently.

With pine and sheet goods, chip evacuation was straightforward, and the bit tracked well along layout lines. The pilot point is a real asset for repetitive jig building: I could mark with a pencil, position the bit, and trust it would cut where it touched without skating.

Performance in metals

I ran the bit through mild steel angle and flat bar up to 1/8 inch thick and through aluminum plate in a drill press and handheld drill. With a dab of cutting oil and moderate speed, the bit cut smoothly and stayed cool enough to avoid blueing. The pilot point helps the first contact on steel; it doesn’t eliminate the need for good technique, but it gives you fewer false starts.

Burrs on the exit were typical of HSS in sheet metal—plan on a quick deburr pass. In thicker material (3/16 mild steel), it still pushed through reliably with a pecking rhythm and lube. I wouldn’t reach for this bit for tougher alloys like stainless in any quantity; HSS will work in a pinch at slow speed with ample coolant, but you’ll get longer life from cobalt in those situations.

After a couple dozen holes in mild steel, I saw no chipped lands, just light polishing on the cutting edges. The tapered web gives the bit a reassuring stiffness—you can feel it in reduced squeal and fewer vibes when the feed is right.

Performance in plastics

Acrylic and PVC are unforgiving of poor chip control. At slow speed with light pressure, this bit cut both materials cleanly without grabbing. The pilot point helps avoid wandering on slick surfaces, and I had minimal melting when I paused to clear chips. For brittle acrylic, step up through a smaller pilot hole if you’re drilling near edges, and let the pilot point nibble its way through with a conservative feed.

Shank, grip, and markings

Despite being a round shank, I didn’t encounter any spinning in keyed or keyless chucks. The “no‑spin” billing seems to refer to a slightly improved surface and shank tolerance rather than flats or a hex, and it works: the bit stayed locked in under typical hand-drill torque. If you plan to use an impact driver, this isn’t the bit for that—stick to hex-shank accessories or a proper chuck adapter.

The size marking sits above the chucking zone, and after plenty of in-and-out it’s still legible. Small detail, big convenience when you’re sorting gray-on-gold bits on a bench.

Durability and edge holding

For an HSS bit, durability is solid. The edge held through wood and a fair batch of mild steel without noticeable performance drop. I appreciate the thicker web—13/64 isn’t tiny, but smallish bits are the ones most likely to snap under side load, and this one inspires confidence. The gold oxide finish is showing normal rub where chips ride the flutes, with no rust or pitting after some neglect between sessions.

This isn’t a premium coated cutter, and you still need to respect speed and feed. Run it too fast in metal or dry-drill stainless and you’ll shorten its life. Used within its lane, it’s a dependable single that takes regular shop abuse.

Best practices that paid off

• Wood: High drill speed, steady feed, back up the exit on plywood for clean holes.
• Steel: Slow the RPM, use cutting oil, peck to clear chips, and lightly center punch for repeatability.
• Aluminum: Moderate speed, minimal oil, clear chips often to avoid galling.
• Plastics: Slow speed, light pressure, peck to keep chips moving; consider a pilot hole near edges.

Limitations and trade-offs

• Not a brad-point: For furniture-grade clean exits in hardwood, a true brad-point still wins.
• Not a cobalt workhorse: For regular stainless or abrasive alloys, cobalt or TiN/TiAlN-coated bits will outlast HSS.
• Round shank only: Great in drills and presses, but not suited to quick-change impact workflows.
• Single size: Obvious, but worth stating—if you’re starting from scratch, a small index may offer better value than buying singles piecemeal.

Where it fits in my kit

This bit lives in the “frequent flyer” pocket: jig building, general assembly, shop fixtures, and light fab. If I’m drilling a stack of steel brackets or I need a surgically clean wood exit hole, I’ll pick a more specialized bit. But for the blend of accuracy, easy starts, and durability across materials, it’s the one I grab first for 13/64.

Recommendation

I recommend this pilot-point bit for general-purpose drilling across wood, mild steel, and plastics when you value accurate starts and solid durability from an HSS cutter. It starts on contact with minimal walking, produces clean, round holes, holds up well with reasonable technique, and the shank stays secure in the chuck. If your work leans heavily into stainless or you need furniture-grade finishes in hardwood, pair it with a cobalt bit and a brad-point in the same size. For everything else a 13/64 hole touches—especially #10 clearance work—it’s a reliable, no-drama choice backed by a straightforward 30-day guarantee.