DeWalt 5/32" Split Point drill bit

A 5/32-inch bit is a shop staple, so I’m picky about how one performs across the materials I drill most: wood, sheet and plate metals, and plastics. I put this DeWalt 5/32-inch bit through a week of mixed work—cabinet hardware, a steel bracket, a handful of aluminum pilot holes, and some acrylic test pieces. It’s a straightforward high-speed steel bit with a split point and a gold oxide finish, jobber length. Nothing exotic, and that’s the point: it should simply work well.

First impressions and build

Out of the package, the bit looks cleanly ground with a uniform gold ferrous oxide finish. The flutes are smooth and free of nicks, and the web is noticeably tapered toward the shank. That thicker core gives a bit more confidence against snapping, which is never a bad thing in this diameter.

The shank is round. In my keyed drill press chuck and a couple of keyless cordless chucks, it seated solidly and didn’t slip. DeWalt calls out a “No-Spin” shank; in practice, that just translated to a good fit and sufficient friction in the chuck. There are size markings placed above the typical chucking area, which sounds trivial until you’ve scrubbed off laser etching on cheaper bits. After the week, I can still read “5/32.”

Overall length measures right around 3-1/8 inches with a 2-inch flute—standard jobber proportions. That means there’s enough reach for most brackets and hardware without the flex and chatter of long-series bits.

Tip geometry and starting accuracy

This bit uses a split point, not a true pilot point. The difference matters. A pilot point has a small central pilot nib that acts like a self-centering starter; a split point has the chisel edge relieved and split to reduce thrust and wandering. On the bench, the grind looks consistent, and under use, it behaves like a 135-degree split point: less walking than a 118-degree general-purpose tip, but not the “pinned on a center punch” feel you get from a genuine pilot point.

In practice:
- On wood and aluminum plate, I could start holes freehand with reasonable accuracy, especially when I lightly center-punched. On bare, smooth steel without a punch, it still wanted a little guidance.
- On thin sheet metal, the split point helped reduce grab, and it didn’t lunge through on breakthrough the way some sharper 118-degree tips can.

If you need surgical accuracy on layout-critical work without a punch, you’ll miss a true pilot point. For general use, the split point’s balance of lower thrust and decent self-centering worked fine.

Performance in wood

In both pine and maple, the bit cut cleanly at higher drill speeds with steady feed. Entry holes were crisp, and tear-out on exit was minimal when I backed the workpiece. Compared with brad-point bits designed for cabinetry, you’ll see slightly more breakout on plywood faces, but that’s expected for a metal-capable jobber bit. For repetitive hardware installs, it maintained diameter well; my 5/32 fastener tests seated smoothly without wobble.

Chip evacuation in wood was uneventful. The flutes carried chips out quickly, and the bit didn’t pack up unless I fed too slowly at low speed. Nothing unusual here—in a good way.

Performance in metals

Mild steel: Using light cutting oil at around 1,500–1,900 RPM on a drill press, the bit made clean, consistent chips with good bite. A gentle pecking rhythm kept temperatures down, and I didn’t feel the edge deteriorate over a dozen holes in 1/8-inch flat bar. Exit burrs were modest; a quick deburr pass with a countersink took care of them.

Aluminum: At higher speeds on a cordless drill, the bit stayed smooth. Aluminum loves to form long, stringy chips; pecking helped break them. Holes were close to nominal size, and the bit didn’t chatter unless I went in too timidly.

Stainless or hardened steel isn’t this bit’s lane. It’s HSS, not cobalt or carbide. You can get through thin stainless with correct speeds, lubrication, and patience, but edge life will drop quickly. If stainless is routine for you, step up to cobalt.

Performance in plastics

Acrylic and ABS are useful tests for heat control. Slowing down to keep from melting the material, the bit cut cleanly with very light pressure. The split point helped start without skating, especially on acrylic. As with all plastics, a backer board and a gradual breakthrough eliminated most exit chipping. If you’re drilling a lot of brittle plastics, a specialty bit with a more neutral rake will further reduce cracking, but this one did fine for occasional use.

Heat, wear, and durability

After the week’s work—call it a mix of a few dozen holes across wood and metals—the edge still feels keen. The gold ferrous oxide finish isn’t a magic coating; it won’t match TiN or TiAlN for wear resistance, but oxide does help with corrosion and reduces initial friction. More importantly, the grind and heat treatment on this bit seem consistent. I didn’t see any blueing or temper loss, and there’s no micro-chipping along the cutting lips.

The tapered web does add stiffness. On a 5/32 bit, you’re not fighting catastrophic flex, but I could lean into cuts in steel a bit more than I would with a bargain-bin bit without fearing a snap. Re-sharpening a split point is doable on a jig if you’re set up for it; freehand on a bench grinder is trickier to keep symmetrical.

Chucking and “No-Spin” behavior

The round shank held tight in both a Milwaukee keyless and an older Jacobs keyed chuck. I didn’t experience any spin-out, even when hogging through aluminum. That said, round shanks live and die by chuck quality and clamping force. If you’re routinely using an impact driver or dealing with worn chucks, a hex-shank bit is a better choice. For standard drills and presses, this one grips reliably.

Accuracy and hole quality

Measured hole diameters in mild steel consistently landed a hair over nominal—around 0.157–0.159 inches—with my setup and technique, which is typical for a hand-fed HSS bit. In hardwood, holes tracked straight with minimal wandering after a light punch. If you need tight tolerances, reamers or an undersize/ream sequence is still the way to go. For general fastening, tap drilling, and clearance holes, it’s right in the sweet spot.

Ergonomics and markings

The size marking above the chucking area is a nice touch. After chucking and un-chucking many times, I can still read it at a glance. That matters if your index drawer is an odd mix of brands and the laser etchings tend to vanish.

Value and use case

As a single, general-purpose 5/32 bit, this DeWalt piece hits a practical balance:
- Versatile across wood, mild steel, aluminum, and plastics
- Durable enough for everyday use without babying it
- Ground split point that reduces walking and lock-up compared with a 118-degree tip

Where it’s not the best tool:
- Precision layout without a punch, where a true pilot-point or brad-point would win
- Stainless and harder alloys, where cobalt or carbide will outlast it
- Impact drivers or questionable chucks, where a hex shank is more secure

Practical tips from use

• For steel, run moderate RPM with cutting oil and peck to manage heat and chip load.
• For aluminum, clear chips frequently to avoid galling.
• For plastics, slow down and use a backer to minimize cracking and breakout.
• Center punch metal when hole placement matters; the split point helps, but it’s not magic.

Recommendation

I recommend this bit for general-purpose drilling across wood, mild steel, aluminum, and plastics if you want a straightforward, durable 5/32 option with a split point that starts reliably and resists grab. It’s a solid everyday bit for the shop drawer: good grind quality, sensible geometry, and no surprises. If you routinely need dead-on starts without a punch, or you spend your days in stainless, look to a true pilot-point or cobalt alternative. For everyone else, this bit earns its keep.