Bosch 5 Piece Impact Tough Black Oxide Drill Bit Set

A five-piece bit set rarely steals the spotlight, but the right one ends up living in the front pocket of my tool bag. That’s exactly what happened with the Bosch Impact Tough set. It’s compact, impact-ready, and dialed for everyday drilling in wood, plastics, and light metals. After several weeks of jobsite and shop use—mostly with an 18V impact driver and a couple of cordless drill/drivers—here’s how it stacked up.

What’s in the box and what stands out

This set covers five staple sizes—3/32, 1/8, 5/32, 3/16, and 1/4 inch—each with a 1/4-inch hex shank. The headline features are straightforward but useful:

• No-skate tip for accurate starts
• Black oxide finish to shed heat and reduce friction
• Long flutes for chip evacuation
• Impact-rated hex shanks that resist twisting under torque
• Laser-etched sizes that are easy to read

None of this is revolutionary, but together they make a reliable, grab-and-go set for common tasks.

Design and build

Bosch’s “no-skate” tip is essentially a split-point geometry that bites quickly and resists walking. In practice, it works as advertised on wood, plastic, and aluminum. On steel, it still benefits from a center punch for perfect placement, but I found wandering to be minimal if I used steady pressure and a sensible speed.

The black oxide finish is even and not over-polished. Black oxide isn’t a hard coating like TiN; it’s a surface treatment that improves lubricity and helps with heat dissipation. The finish held up well on wood and aluminum. After several runs through mild steel, I saw a predictable loss of the deep black sheen near the cutting edges, but no unusual wear.

The 1/4-inch hex shanks are ground cleanly with consistent flats. That matters. Sloppy hex flats can introduce runout and vibration, especially in impact drivers. I checked these in a collet and in a few quick-change chucks—concentricity felt good for a general-purpose set, and I didn’t see the wiggle you sometimes get with bargain bits.

Laser markings are clear and survived multiple in-and-outs of quick-change chucks. It’s a small thing, but it saves time when you’re grabbing sizes on the fly.

Performance in wood

In pine, fir, and MDF, the set drills quickly with minimal fuzzing around the hole. The no-skate tips start cleanly without a pilot, even on angled surfaces like studs. In hardwoods (oak and maple), the bits cut clean and straight with sensible pressure. Hole walls were smooth, and clogging wasn’t an issue thanks to the longer flutes.

Using an impact driver in wood, I prefer to feather the trigger for a steady rotation rather than let the tool hammer. The bits don’t need the hammering action to cut wood well, and a steady rotation makes for cleaner entries and exits.

Performance in plastics

Acrylic and PVC can be finicky. The Bosch Impact Tough set did fine at lower speeds. I got the best results by starting with light pressure and clearing chips often. The split-point helped prevent skating across slick plastic surfaces, and I didn’t experience the edge grabbing that chews up sheet goods. If you drill a lot of acrylic, consider a slightly slower feed and back the bit out more often than you would in wood.

Performance in metals

In aluminum (6061 sheet and angle), these bits cut fast and straight. The black oxide finish and flute geometry kept chips moving, and the 1/8 and 3/16 sizes stayed sharp after dozens of holes. For mild steel (up to 1/8-inch), they did solid work when I kept the speed moderate and used a dab of cutting oil. With the impact driver, I prefer to avoid impact mode in metals—straight rotation gave me cleaner holes and extended life.

The spec sheet mentions stainless steel, and I tried 304 sheet around 0.040 inches. With cutting fluid, a slow speed, and firm feed, the 1/8-inch bit punched through cleanly. But there are limits: black oxide bits are not the ideal choice for heavy or repeated stainless work. If stainless is a regular part of your day, cobalt bits will last longer and cut with less drama. For occasional thin stainless, this set can get you through with care.

Using an impact driver

The impact rating isn’t just a label—these shanks resist twisting and rounding better than standard round-shank bits. I deliberately stalled a 1/8-inch bit in a piece of 1/8-inch mild steel using an impact driver, and the shank stayed true with no visible twisting. Still, impact pulses are not generally your friend for drilling metal. Use the impact driver’s variable speed, ease into the hole, and avoid full-on impact unless you’re in wood or you’re breaking chips in something gummy like aluminum.

In fast-paced framing or fixture installs, the quick-change hex is a time saver. Swap from a driver bit to a drill bit and back without touching a chuck key or sleeve. It’s a small productivity gain that adds up over a day.

Durability and edge retention

Edge life was what I expect from a good black oxide set: better than bargain-bin, not as long-lived as cobalt. After a week that included framing hardware in PT lumber, bracket holes in aluminum angle, and a handful of mild steel tasks, the 1/8 and 3/16 bits were still cutting crisply in wood and aluminum and acceptably in steel. I touched up the 1/8 with a light pass on a sharpener and it snapped back to form. The 1/4-inch bit, after several steel holes, showed the first signs of edge rounding but remained usable with oil and patience.

The long flutes help with evacuation, but like any jobber-length twist bit, you’ll get better life if you clear chips regularly and avoid heat buildup. The black oxide’s heat resistance helps, but it’s not magic.

Limitations

• Size coverage tops out at 1/4 inch. That’s fine for hardware holes and pilot work, but you’ll need other bits for larger bores.
• Black oxide isn’t the best choice for heavy stainless or hardened steels. Occasional thin stainless is okay with care; anything beyond that calls for cobalt.
• Impact drivers can make ugly holes in metal if you hammer away. The bits are impact-rated, but good technique still matters.

Practical tips

• For metal: run slower than you think, use cutting fluid, and keep the impact action to a minimum.
• For plastic: low speed, light pressure, and frequent chip clearing prevent melting.
• For wood: back the bit out near breakthrough to reduce blowout; a backing board helps with clean exits.
• Keep a center punch in your pouch. Even with a no-skate tip, a quick punch guarantees accuracy on slick surfaces.

Value and who it’s for

This set fits the daily-driver niche for carpenters, installers, maintenance techs, and DIYers who rely on impact drivers. The combination of hex shanks, clean starting tips, and decent edge life makes it a strong utility set. If your work skews toward metal fabrication or frequent stainless drilling, you’ll want to supplement it with cobalt or specialized bits. For mixed-material jobs, service calls, and general shop work, the Bosch Impact Tough set hits the mark.

Recommendation

I recommend the Bosch Impact Tough set as a reliable, everyday companion for impact drivers and drill/drivers. It starts accurately, clears chips well, and holds up respectably across wood, plastic, aluminum, and mild steel. The impact-rated hex shanks add durability and speed up bit changes, and the laser markings are a simple but appreciated touch. It’s not a stainless specialist and it tops out at 1/4 inch, but as a compact, go-to set for common tasks, it earns its place in the kit.