RUIMI Titanium Step Drill Bit Spiral Metric Sizes - Amazon Review

So, there I was, just a girl needing a hole drilled....

Looking for a cheaper alternative to the step bits that are sold locally, I saw these and decided to give RUIMI Titanium Step Drill Bit Spiral Metric Sizes 3Pcs a try. I, unfortunately, did not read the description thoroughly and was intending to use them on a much thicker piece of wood than recommended. As a whip maker, my intent (wish/desire) was to be able to drill a tapered hole in a handle.  This, of course, is no fault of the manufactures, but it is the overall reason for buying them, since it was recommended to me, by more than a couple of people. For the record, I never did use them for the whip handle. I did some research online about these type of drill bits and they are simply not intended for thicker material, the rule of thumb being, no thicker than the width of each individual “step.”

However, I thought they might be useful for both myself and my husband for other projects, using them for their intended purpose, within the parameters given and I find them very functional for light, hobby-type occasional work. They were sharp enough to drill through the wood, though not as sharp as a better quality bit would be.   The biggest one, especially, had quite a bite to it and wanted to “bind up” while drilling.

I honestly think that the spiral cutting surface was really nice idea, especially when moving wood dust out of the way while you drilled.  They seemed to clear their own path rather well.

The titanium coating was quite thin, and after drilling about 20 holes, it was gone completely from the cutting blade edge. Though again, I was experiencing some binding with the biggest bit and it just wasn’t cutting as well as I thought it should. As you can see in the last 2 photos, the titanium coating is indeed gone completely. I am no woodworking expert and this would be my first experience with a step bit of any kind; however, I expected it to be different in this regard.

As you can see, there is some chipping off right away.

And again, here.

They feel heavy though, they feel very sturdy and the hex shaft is really nice for chucking up securely in the drill. No slipping there. The range of sizes was very nice. Like I said, that biggest one really gives you a good range by itself, while the smallest one is really quite versatile too.

So, the bottom line is this, heavy, solid construction. The hex shaft is excellent for chucking up in a keyless drill. Make sure not to use it on thick material.  The description clearly states, no thicker than 5 mm.  Came with a nylon drawstring bag (pictured).  A good choice as far as being an affordable alternative to the more expensive brands out there, will get the job done; however there are a couple of factors that demonstrate you get what you pay for here.