20 Best Countersink Bits For Wood (2023 Updated)

Helping a friend build a deck out of the Brazilian Ironwood “Ipe”, I found that Ipe dulls and overheats drill bits and counter sinks rapidly. The countersinks that have solid adjustibke stop collars have two problems with Ipe: 1).

The drill bit waste that is pulled out gets under the collar and prevents it from consistently going to the correct depth, and 2). The bit and counter sink easily overheat and/or fill up with the drill dust, in effect”carmelizing” around the bit and making it unable to drill.

The advantage of the Smart Bit is that the counter sink guide is hollowed out plastic on a ball bearing. This means it doesn’t overheat as easily as a solid metal collar. Also, when the plastic guide stops turning you know you are at the right depth.

Our issue is that we were using #10 bugkehead screws, and wanted them counter sunk, not flush with the decking, as this system is designed to do. In speaking to an Ipe seller who had previously used the Smart bit, he mentioned that the rubber o-ring on the bottom of the plastic guide would leave black circles on his deck boards.

My experience was different. I used an angle grinder to grind down the plastic housing, making it shorter, so that it would counter sink below the surface, not flush. With Ipe, there is no way that screws will self sink a nano-meter beyond what the counter sink does.

When I did this, the rubber o-ring was taken off and I had no issues with black circles marking the decking. The other thing I found was that the Smartbit worked much longer if I dipped it it water after each hole.

Often I could hear a hiss due to the heat of the metal bit being cold in the water. I think it would be great if the manufacturer would make the Smart Bits to allow for counter sinking below the surface.

I bought several of these for an IPE deck and some were better than others. The preset countersink on one was no where deep enough and I could only use it as a starter and had to change bits to get the proper depth.

The set screw on a different one stripped out and I was never able to change the worn drill bit.

Used this to drill and countersink ipe decking. The depth of the countersink is consistent. The holes do have a fuzzy edge, some boards worse than others. Requires sanding around every hole. Drill and sand before you stain the top or you will be restaining.

Bought 2, used first for 600 holes and swapped to other one, no noticeable difference in performance. Plastic depth stop does have more play after 600 holes, still functions fine though. Came with extra drill bits but I never broke any or noticed any dulling after 600 holes on each.

Relatively inexpensive so I got two in case one wore out before I was done.

I’d previously not had a pressing need for combined drill/countersink – and baulked at the Festool price, but did want drills with adjustable depth stops. Now, having a project with a load of csk screws (many of which will remain visible), consistent countersinking will be needed; so I bit the bullet and got the Centrotec item.

It works very well. Unlike some brands, you can adjust the depths of the hole and countersink independently (on some others the drill itself is fixed and often too long). Also, and of particular interest to me, the countersink depth can be backed out to ‘zero’ giving you a straighforward drill with adjustable stop (although, strictly speaking, you adjust the protrusion of the bit rather than the stop).

The stop rotates freely, and hence stops spinning, on contact and being plastic would not mark anything but the most very delicate surface. And the drill bit itself is replaceable. (There is also a third, larger, size which does not appear to be offered on the Axminster site.

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I had seen them being used on videos and wanted to see for myself if they are as good as seen. Well they are , does a really neat job. The is two faults , one is the price as they are not cheap or I would be getting other sizes tomorrow but do a better job than other types so it a case your paying for what you get.

The other is that they are meant to be for festool quick release but I use with a chuck. Dont take my word for it but if you get the chance to try one or at a tool demonstration you see the difference.

Countersink works great. Does not mar the wood surface and gives consistant and repeatable countersinks. Easy and quick to set up.

If your like me you probly bought the cheap chinese countersinks thinking there were all the same and like me your probly looking for something better. Look no further, these work awsome. I love the fact that these use standard drill bits so if you break the drill bit you can just replace the drill bit with standard drill bit, not some proprietary ones you can’t find.

These are made in the USA and the quality shows. Also if you something even better they make the same thing with carbide bits, I love these so much I bought the carbide ones as well and they are freaking awsome.

If you are looking for countersinks get these or better yet the carbide version of these. Bit pricey but these will last me a lifetime. Only thing I wish is that they would include some kind of storage case.

Be careful! I would recommend using a drill press with a depth stop, or due caution with these on soft wood. They are going to countersink quickly, being very sharp. I bought two sets and immediately checked all for being out-of-round; all were dead on.

I have only used a couple bits a few times, but they were a pleasure to use. I have used other brands over several years and none compare to these; top quality. How well they maintain their edge and how they work in oak, etc, remains to be seen, but I suspect they will do well.

The countersink set came in as i expected. The 3/8 and 1/2 countersink portions of the bits fit the plugs i had purchased exactly which made it nice for gluing. The quality is good and i expect them to last a very long time.

Had to drill some pretty tough Stainless today and these things did a great job and counter sinking. Terrific Value!!! Way better than I expected.

For the price these are excellent. They are HAS so limited, but overall a good value.

Made from HSS, pointy and most useful for centering your mind.

I purchased this because I needed something to help more easily make holes that fit a certain tube diameter. It definitely makes holes in wood very easily, but compared to 2 other 7/8 inch bits I was using, this one is about a millimeter larger, measuring just over 22.

3mm for the hole. It’s useless for me now because it’s too big for the deck balusters I’ve already purchased.

I bought this to clear out mortises in a 4×4 post, and man did it work great. The screwed tip kept it from wandering and the flutes didn’t get filled up like a more traditional twist bit! Would definitely recommend!.

This speed bore only last after one day of use. It became dull so quickly.

This bit is exactly as it is stated, but maybe just a little bit more. For the value, it’s perfect for my needs. The hole it cuts is clean, sharp and a perfect cut size. There are no gaps due to it’s well made symmetry.

i have already used it to cut several dozen projects and it’s still just as sharp as it was when it first arrived. It’s a great value!.

Bought this bit for a special project. The other bit I bought from another company wouldn’t go through pine. The CMT bit went thorough red oak with no problem. Couple dollars more but 10 times better than less expensive bit.

decently sharp and cuts well out of the box, but obviously Chinese quality finish. does not have a 3/8 shank as most forstners have. infrequent use only. sorry CMT felt they needed China source , as you can find the same marginal quality for much less money.

I was very impressed with this bit until it snapped after not a lot of usage. Would expect a lot more life out of it for what it cost. When I picked it up from Screwfix the packaging was not exactly ‘fresh’ so I did wonder if it had been a returned item which had sneakily been used? Who knows.

It did, however, work very well while it lasted.

Been meaning to buy one for a while and got one when I needed to build a frame for a baseboard. Occasionally the pilot bit wobbles but usually easily fixed by loosening the grub screws, twisting the bit and retightening.

Works a treat for me and speeded up construction no end. Countersunk is nice and sharp so you don’t need to press hard. Only annoyance is the bit is not a standard size so if you snap it you will probably need to buy again and although they’re not expensive the cost is enough for it to be an irritation.

good product but drill bit came loose when used. You need to check that both grub screws are done up with an Alen Key on the shaft of the drill and not on the flutes If you need a shorter drill then fit one of the same size only shorter.

also the countersink part is very sharp and will cut too deep if you are not careful. would have scored more if it was easier to use but the idea of this tool is to enable les tool changes you just need to set up with possibly a shorter drill.

nun the less a good tool.

I build high quality vintage style teardrop campers. The majority of the construction is Russian Birch plywood which is easy to fray and splinter when cutting or drilling if the correct equipment and care is not taken.

I’ve used many other cheaper bits and countersinks with frustrating results. This Fuller set is absolutely fantastic. The tapered bits give a precise, smooth bore with no tear out and no need to use a backer.

The countersinks give a perfectly smooth and symmetrical countersink for a smooth wood and screw transition.

I have used Fuller products before and they work like a charm saving a lot of time! Also, I received them the day after I placed the order! Thank you Jamestown Distributors!

I use this 212PC pump to remove “dregs” at the bottom of my rain barrels when I am winterizing the barrels before after growing season. This pump sucks out all of the algae-laden dregs at the bottom of the barrels – ZERO clogging of this pump.

My barrels are white and a considerable amount of algae accumulated in the barrels over the growing season. (My 7 barrels are all connected they cannot be inverted for storage over winter. ) One other thing – this pump requires a medium amount of strength to pump/suck more than a small amount of liquid.

So, if you have to pump a lot, you may need to rest every few minutes while pumping.

TranslateShow in original languageGrundsätzlich gutes Produkt, aber leider quietscht der Senker recht. Das kommt vermutlich daher dass keine Freiwinkel geschliffen sind und der Kegel daher an der geschnittenen Fläche reibt.

TranslateShow in original languagegroer HSS Kegelsenker mit 25 mm in hervorragender Qualitt zu einem erstklassigen Preis

TranslateShow in original languageDer kegelsenker ist super,nur musste ich den Schaft von 15mm auf 13mm an meiner Drehmaschine abdrehen

Some of these reviewers don’t know what they’re doing. This type of bit is going to chatter if you aren’t using a drill press (and even then if you try to go too fast), it’s not the bit’s fault. At the very least you’d need one with a pilot, but then you’re looking at a whole set with one for each size hole.

I set the press to the lowest speed and it shaved a bunch of deep countersinks in aluminum L-track like it was cheese and left a nice shiny perfectly round hole for some 3/8” countersunk bolts. For drilling you usually go high speed low pressure on aluminum, but in this case that was just very loud and hot (the countersink still came out nice and round but looked rough from the million tiny cuts instead of one steady slice).

It’s HSS, so I’m only expecting it to last for this one project, and so far so good after a dozen 3/4” holes. Great value for the money. If you’re doing this all the time, get a single flute cobalt set for like $200, otherwise you can’t complain.

As advertised, works fine in hardwood , you just need to pay attention to speed and pressure. I have used this in hickory, oak and ash, all came out clean with no splintering, or burning. There may be higher quality Countersink bits available, but for the price, this meets my needs just fine.

I bought this to clean up the primer pocket 9n 300 blackout. Doesn’t take much to take out that box crimp and carry on. Works like a champ and casings work flawlessly. Just a light touch and a little deburring.

I just purchased 5 of these adjustable combination drill/countersink sets from Rockler. Let the buyer be aware. it is only the pilot drill that is adjustable for various length screws. The clearance drill is of a fixed length that will produce a clearance hole no greater than 1/2 inch.

Using this with a board thicker than 1/2 inch will result in the screw threads being form in any portion of the board greater than 1/2 inch. Having screw threads in the thick board will prevent the board to which it’s being attached from being drawn in tight.

To compensate for this you would have to perform a secondary operation of drilling a clearance hole through the thick board. In some cases you’d need a drill bit stop to keep the clearance bit from removing any of the pilot hole in the board that you are trying to attach to.

The combination drill/countersink that I previously owned allowed for independent adjustment of both the length of the pilot drill and the length of the clearance drill.

So many of these products on the market feature a tapered drill bit that you can adjust the length on, but those designs are a cheap compromise with reduced grip when the screw is inserted. With a tapered drill bit you’ll loose usable threads that will only get partially cut.

But this manufacturer also offers a kit that has the proper pilot drill and shank cutter sizes for each of these major wood screw sizes. And guess what? They’re made in the USA!.

The guide drill bit gets loose and retracts after a few uses, requiring tightening of the retention nut with the provided allen key. Otherwise they are sharp enough to cut a countersink hole in oak and walnut.

Unlike every other countersink bit of this type that I own, the depth stop ring is NOT adjustable so although the length of drill below the countersink can be varied, the depth of counterbore is fixed.

I tried using a separate depth stop ring but there’s a ring jut above the countersink cone that’s wider than the counterbore shaft so a depth stop ring will NOT fit. There was also no Allen Key to adjust the drill length, nor any indication on the packaging of what size Allen key is needed.

I have telephoned the manufacturer to discuss these issues and a very helpful chap at Trend sent me, free of charge, an Allen key – but that doesn’t overcome the major problem. I have now done the job for which I purchased this tool.

I have other similar countersink tools (but none this small). the pack of which cost less than this.

Total game changer best thing since the last counter sink I bought. Last time I drilled something as much as this it was next doors wife when he was working away

The difference between this and a cheap countersink is crazy. Hopefully the cheap ones I bought will cut after sharpening them, but the Trend one is awesome right out of the box.

I usually just use a larger drill bit to countersink a hole for a flat head screw, but got tired of not getting it right. This bit was good, but not as sharp as I hoped. The SS or Carbide were a little out of my price range.

But it works OK if your careful.

Good for drilling holes in homemade holds for rock climbing walls

Bought to chamfer sharp edged holes in non ferrous metals. Bit works great, came sharp, does the job.

Purchased to finish flame cut metal that needed cobalt drill to break through surface hardness for flat head screws. After first few cuts the bit showed wear. These are high speed steel, high quality cutters but cannot work well for my application.

Let me first mention that this is NOT Cobalt as the listing describes but M2 steel. Although it is strong and shaves into metal with ease, the countersink makes choppy cuts that leave an ugly finish.

I tried changing the RPM settings to see if it would make a difference on various metals and it was is very disappointing. Though I really like the aluminum case that comes with the countersinks ;). I.

Works well but feels somewhat dull but it is still quite usable out of the box but a bit hard to get going. You will get faster and better results if you use a drill press, but it can get the job done with a hand drill if you are on a pinch or your piece is not easy to move to drill press.

Comes in a nice box and the sizes are relevant for most jobs.

Use this tool when driving screws into soft wood to make the screw heads flush with the wood surface without risking stripping the wood threads. Fits any standard hand drill.

Works just fine. Takes out the swage that prevents the primer from proper insertion in my cartridge cases. I use the 60 degree one half inch chatterless. 250 shank countersink. The 6 flute was a good choice as it makes quick work of a difficult challenge.

The price $9. 00 plus shipping was well worth it.

I bought this to countersink 1/2 inch holes in 1/4 inch steel plate. The bolt heads were 7/8 inch diameter with an 82 degree shoulder. Bit worked very well and was still sharp after 10 holes. Bolt heads laid flush with the surface for a nice clean look.

These work great but I was unfamiliar with how sizing works. The widest part of the head is how they size it. So if you need a 3/8″ hole countersunk you’ll need a 1/2″-3/4″ bit

Very nice quality at an excellent price. Made short work of drilling precise countersinks with my drill press. My order arrived promptly and nicely packaged. As a hobbyist I find I use the same size drill bits or may need to bore slightly oversize and can find solutions for that too.

I like your website. I find it easy and intuitive to navigate.

I will use it in the morning to spot drill for a precise hole I need in the bolt of a Remington 700 rifle action as part of the installation of a M-16 extractor on the bolt. I have no doubt it will be just fine as are the two mills (1/4″ and 1/8″ carbide) that I used today, both came from you.

I have told a good friend to check out your wares. Will Gray.

Drilling mild steel (auto body – 18 Ga. Drill bit worked fine, the counter sink portion of the tool did not work so well (new tool) – it seemed by the way it was cotting that the tool was not sharpened with adequate clearance angle.

I did get the hole made, but required more than expected pressure.