Best Drill Bit Sets in Australia (2026)

The first time you hang a shelf in a new place, you find out that the six bits rattling around the toolbox are not a drill bit set. One is blunt, two are the same size, and none will go through the brick behind the plasterboard.

Buying a proper set here is trickier than it looks, for a reason almost nobody mentions. A large share of the highest rated sets sold in Australia are American designs sized in imperial fractions, so you get 1/16 inch and 5/32 inch when the wall plug packet in your hand asks for 6 mm. That mismatch is the main reason a set gets used twice and then shoved in a drawer.

So that is how we ranked these. We looked at eight sets on Amazon Australia and judged whether the sizes they hold match the jobs Australian homes throw at you: wall plugs in brick, clearance holes in flat pack timber, and the odd stainless bolt seized solid. Shank shape, coating, point angle and owner ratings did the rest.

What is the best drill bit set in Australia?

For most first home buyers the answer is the DEWALT DW1361 Titanium Pilot Point Drill Bit Set. Twenty one titanium nitride coated bits, a tip that bites instead of skating across steel, and the largest owner rating base on this page. It is an imperial set, which we will come back to, but it is the one you reach for on a Saturday morning without thinking.

If you drill a few times a year rather than a few times a week, the DEWALT DW1354 14-Piece Titanium Drill Bit Set gives you the same pilot point tip and coating in a smaller case. It shares the top star rating here with the DW1361, both at 4.8.

And to spend as little as possible while still covering all three materials, the Bosch 15-Piece Mini-X-Line Mixed Drill Bit Set is the cheapest of our eight picks and splits itself evenly across wood, masonry and metal in metric sizes from 3 mm to 8 mm. For a picture hook, a curtain rod and a couple of shelf brackets, it is all you need.

How do our eight drill bit sets compare?

The shortlist side by side. Piece counts come from each listing, and the price column is a starting point rather than a promise.

How did we choose these drill bit sets?

NestPath does not run a workshop. We read the listings properly and will not recommend anything we cannot describe accurately.

• Every size range, coating, shank shape and point angle here came from the manufacturer specification on the product page, not a marketing headline.
• Star ratings and rating counts were checked fresh on the day this guide was written, and nothing with a thin rating history made the list.
• We spread the picks across the four jobs Australian homes need: general metal and timber, metric metal, masonry, and hardened steel.
• Anything that turned out to be a screwdriver bit kit wearing a drill bit label was cut, however good the rating looked.

Which drill bit set should most Australian homes start with?

The DEWALT DW1361 is the set we would put in a new home the week the keys arrive. It carries 21 titanium nitride coated high speed steel bits with DEWALT's pilot point tip, a tiny brad shaped spur ground into the end. In practice the bit starts where you put it instead of wandering across the surface for the first two seconds, which is exactly when a drill ruins the finish on a cabinet door or a splashback.

The shanks use DEWALT's no-spin design, flattened so the chuck jaws have something to grip. If you have ever had a bit spin uselessly inside a keyless chuck halfway through a hole in steel, you know why that matters. The set is rated for metal, wood and plastic, and titanium nitride outlasts a plain black oxide finish in metal.

It is the most reviewed product in this guide, and it shares the top star rating with its smaller sibling. That many owners and still 4.8 stars is not a gamble.

The honest caveat is sizing. This is a US specified set, so the bits step through imperial fractions with the largest at 1/2 inch. For timber and general metal that is fine, because half a millimetre either way does not matter on a clearance hole. Where the size is specified in millimetres, use one of the metric sets below. Pair it with a driver from our cordless drill guide and you have covered most of what a house asks of you.

Flaws but not dealbreakers

Imperial sizing is a genuine limitation in a metric country. The case is the usual plastic clamshell, so the hinge fails first. And at 21 pieces you get sizes you will use once a decade next to the four you will wear out.

Which set is the best value if you only drill occasionally?

The DEWALT DW1354 is the same idea in a smaller box. Fourteen titanium coated bits running from 1/16 inch up to 1/2 inch, the same pilot point tip that starts on contact, the same no-spin shanks, and a tapered web through the body that makes the bit less likely to snap when you lean on it. The set weighs 227 g, so it lives in a kitchen drawer rather than a shed.

DEWALT quotes twice the life from the titanium coating compared with a black oxide bit, and the listing names wood as the material application. In practice this is a general purpose set that handles softwood, hardwood, MDF, plastic and mild steel. What it will not do is masonry, so if the wall behind your plasterboard is brick, it leaves you stuck.

It is the joint highest rated set on this page, tied with the DW1361 at 4.8 stars, with a substantial rating history behind it. For a household that drills a handful of holes a year, the seven missing sizes from the larger set are ones you were never going to reach for.

Flaws but not dealbreakers

Imperial again, so the same mismatch with metric fixings. There is no masonry bit anywhere in the set. And with fourteen bits the jumps between sizes are wider, so a hole that lands between two of them takes two passes.

What is the cheapest set that still covers wood, metal and masonry?

The Bosch 15-Piece Mini-X-Line is the cheapest of our eight picks and the only one deliberately split into thirds: five brad point wood bits with a centring tip, five masonry bits with an impact resistant carbide tip, and five high speed steel bits for metal. Diameters run 3 mm to 8 mm, which is the band almost every household job lands in.

That range is the quiet reason it works. Most wall plug packets ask for a masonry hole between 5 mm and 8 mm, and most timber screws in flat pack furniture want a pilot hole between 3 mm and 5 mm. The Mini-X-Line covers both. It weighs 300 g in a case measuring 14.6 by 15.4 by 2.2 cm, carries a two year Bosch limited warranty, and the plain cylindrical shanks suit any standard three jaw chuck.

The trade off is obvious once you say it out loud: fifteen bits split three ways means five of each, and five sizes is not many. Drill regularly and you will exhaust this set inside a year. As a starter kit for someone who has just moved in, it is very hard to beat.

Flaws but not dealbreakers

Five bits per material is thin coverage if you use them often. Nothing goes above 8 mm. And the metal bits are plain high speed steel with no coating, so they blunt faster than the titanium sets above if you push them into steel without slowing down.

Which set gives you every metric size for metal work?

If the imperial issue bothers you, the Bosch 19-Piece PointTeQ set is the direct answer. Nineteen high speed steel twist bits stepping through 1.0, 1.5, 2.0, 2.5, 3.0, 3.5, 4.0, 4.5, 5.0, 5.5, 6.0, 6.5, 7.0, 7.5, 8.0, 8.5, 9.0, 9.5 and 10.0 mm. Every half millimetre, no gaps, no fractions to convert.

That matters more than it sounds. Drilling a clearance hole for an M6 bolt, or opening a bracket hole to take a slightly fatter screw, the exact half millimetre step means one pass instead of guessing between two imperial sizes. Bosch's PointTeQ grind is a 118 degree tip with a guide point, and the bits carry a black oxide finish on round shanks, so they drop into any standard chuck.

It arrives in Bosch's ProBox case, a stackable hinged tray rather than a flimsy clamshell, and the set weighs 450 g. Bosch states the bits suit most brands of drill, which is a polite way of saying the shanks are ordinary. Treat this as the metal half of a two set toolbox: bench brackets, trailer repairs, mounting rails, anything specified in millimetres.

Flaws but not dealbreakers

Metal only, so you still need masonry bits for brick walls. Black oxide is a cheaper finish than titanium nitride and will not last as long in hard steel. And nothing goes above 10 mm, so larger holes need a step bit or a hole saw.

Which set do you want for brick, block and concrete?

The Bosch 7-Piece CYL-3 is the only pick here built purely for concrete and masonry, and it turns a frustrating afternoon into a five minute job. Seven carbide tipped bits at 4, 5, 5.5, 6, 7, 8 and 10 mm, precisely the span wall plugs and masonry anchors ask for in Australian homes.

The tip is a carbide insert brazed into a two flute U shaped body, and the U shape is doing real work. It clears dust up and out of the hole while you drill, and dust packing down at the bottom of a masonry hole is why a bit stops making progress and starts making smoke. Bosch specifies these for masonry and limestone and confirms they suit impact drills, which is what you want on double brick.

The shanks are straight rather than SDS, the detail most people get wrong. A straight shank fits the ordinary keyless chuck on a cordless or hammer drill. An SDS shank does not, and buying an SDS set for a drill with no SDS chuck is the most common wasted purchase here. Seven bits, 215 g, slim case. If your walls are brick, block or rendered masonry, this and one general purpose set cover you completely.

Flaws but not dealbreakers

It does one job and nothing else, so it is a companion purchase rather than a standalone answer. Carbide tips chip if you hit reinforcing steel. And 10 mm is enough for wall anchors but not for larger dynabolts.

Which set gives the cleanest holes in timber?

The Bosch 8X PRO brad point set is what you want if the hole will be visible. Eight bits at 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10 mm, each with a sharp centring spur in the middle and two cutting spurs on the outside edge that slice the wood fibres before the flutes lift them out.

The difference between a brad point and an ordinary twist bit in timber is not subtle. A twist bit tears the rim of the hole and blows a splintered crater out the back. A brad point cuts a crisp circle and leaves the surface intact, which matters when you are drilling shelf pin holes into a bookcase. Bosch quotes a 90 degree cutting angle on a two flute spiral body with a chrome finish and plain cylindrical shanks.

Sizes are metric and complete across the useful band. The 3, 4 and 5 mm bits handle pilot holes and dowels, 6 and 8 mm cover shelf pins and cam fittings on flat pack furniture, and 10 mm suits most timber dowel joints. The set weighs 310 g in a case measuring 10.7 by 15.7 by 2.2 cm. It is a specialist set and that is the point: anyone assembling furniture will get more from these eight bits than from twenty general purpose ones.

Flaws but not dealbreakers

Wood only. Brad point spurs are fine and dull quickly in anything harder than timber, including a hidden nail. And eight bits is narrow, so a job needing 12 mm sends you shopping again.

Which set handles stainless steel and hardened fixings?

The STROTON M42 is the only cobalt set among our eight picks, and cobalt is the reason it exists. These are 19 bits made from M42 high speed steel with 8 per cent cobalt alloyed through the whole bit rather than plated on the surface, so the hardness survives the heat that builds up when you drill stainless.

Coated bits lose their coating and become ordinary bits. Cobalt bits do not, because there is no coating to lose. Sizes run 1 mm to 10 mm across 19 pieces, the tip is a 135 degree split point on a two flute spiral body, and the shanks are straight. That flatter split point is the second reason the set works on hard material: it spreads the cutting load and stops the bit walking, so you can start a hole in a curved stainless rail without a centre punch.

The jobs are the ones that defeat everything else in the toolbox. A stainless balustrade post. A seized trailer bolt that needs drilling out. Hardened brackets on a Colorbond fence. The listing also names hardwood, aluminium and plastic, and the set weighs 454 g. It carries the lowest star rating of our eight picks at 4.4, still solid, with thousands of ratings behind it. STROTON is not a name most Australians know, and if brand recognition matters, a Bosch or DEWALT set will feel safer.

Flaws but not dealbreakers

The lowest rating on this page, and an unfamiliar brand. Cobalt is harder but more brittle, so a bit that jams is more likely to snap than bend. And on everyday timber work it is overkill you have paid for.

Which kit covers drilling and driving in one case?

The Makita B-53811 is the maximalist option: 100 pieces covering drilling, driving and cutting in a single case, and the dearest set on this page. It suits the person who wants to stop owning separate boxes and just take one thing to the job.

Inside are six high speed steel metal bits at 2, 3, 3, 4, 5 and 6 mm, seven three point wood bits at 3, 3, 4, 5, 5, 6 and 8 mm, four masonry bits at 6, 6, 7 and 8 mm, two flat wood bits at 12 and 16 mm, a countersink, three wrench bits, twelve 50 mm screwdriver bits, a magnetic bit holder and a tic tac tub holding 25 short driver bits. It is also the only pick here that ships with hole saws, at 32 and 38 mm with an arbor.

Makita designed it for drill drivers, combi drills and impact drivers, and the tic tac tub pulls out so you can pocket the driver bits. The kit weighs 1 kg and holds a strong star rating with thousands of owners behind it. The drill bits inside are good rather than exceptional, and the duplicated sizes tell you where Makita expects breakage. What you are buying is breadth, and if your to do list runs to two pages, one case saves real time.

Flaws but not dealbreakers

The dearest of our picks, and a chunk of that 100 piece count is driver bits rather than drill bits. Metal coverage stops at 6 mm. And the case is bulky next to the slim boxes above.

Which drill bit set should you buy?

Match the job to the set built for it, and ignore the piece count on the box.

What should you look for in a drill bit set?

Five things decide whether a set gets used or forgotten, and only one is on the packaging.

Metric or imperial. Australian fixings, wall plugs and hardware are specified in millimetres, while American designed sets step through imperial fractions. Neither is wrong, but if you are drilling to a specified hole size you want metric. Check the size list on the listing before you buy.

Shank type. A round or cylindrical shank fits any standard three jaw chuck, which is what almost every cordless drill has. A 1/4 inch hex shank clicks straight into an impact driver. An SDS shank only fits a rotary hammer and will not go into an ordinary drill at all.

Material and coating. Plain high speed steel is the baseline and fine for timber and mild steel. Black oxide adds a little heat and corrosion resistance. Titanium nitride extends life in metal and wears off eventually because it is only a surface treatment. Cobalt is alloyed through the whole bit, so it keeps its hardness in stainless. Carbide tipped bits are for masonry and nothing else.

Point angle and tip. A 118 degree tip is the general purpose standard. A 135 degree split point spreads the cutting load and resists walking, which is why it turns up on cobalt sets. A brad point has a centring spur and outer cutting spurs and belongs in timber. A pilot point is DEWALT's variation on the same idea, aimed at starting cleanly on metal.

The case. A hinged tray with a slot per bit shows you at a glance what is missing. A blister pack means the bits are loose in the toolbox within a month, and that is the difference between a set you still own in five years and one you replace.

One safety point before you drill into any older wall. Asbestos was banned in Australia in 2003 and homes built after 1990 are unlikely to contain it, as healthdirect notes, but older walls and eave sheets can, and drilling, cutting, grinding or sanding material that contains asbestos releases fibres. If you are unsure what a wall or eave sheet is made of in an older place, have it identified before the drill comes out.

How do you care for drill bits so they last?

Drill bits do not wear out slowly. They are destroyed in a few seconds of heat, almost always for the same reasons.

Slow down in metal. Speed makes heat, heat draws the temper out of the cutting edge, and a blunt bit then polishes the hole instead of cutting it. Low speed with firm steady pressure produces a curling swarf ribbon, which is what a bit doing its job looks like. Fine dust means you are already too late.

Use cutting fluid on metal. A few drops of cutting oil in the hole carries heat away and keeps the edge sharp. Timber and masonry need nothing.

Let masonry bits clear. Pull the bit out every few seconds so the flutes can dump the dust. Dust packed at the bottom of a hole stops the carbide tip cutting and cooks it instead.

Put them back and dry them. Loose bits knocking together chip their own edges, and a chipped edge cuts crooked forever. Wipe bits that come out of damp timber or outdoor masonry before they go in the case, because surface rust finishes an edge that was otherwise fine.

You'll also want

A drill bit set is rarely the only thing missing. These are the small buys that make it work properly.

• Tap Magic Industrial Pro cutting fluid for any hole in steel or stainless. A few drops extends the working life of a bit considerably.
• An automatic centre punch to dimple the surface first, so the bit starts exactly where you want it on metal and tile.
• A titanium countersink bit set so screw heads sit flush in timber instead of proud and catching on everything.
• A magnetic bit holder if your drill doubles as a driver and you are tired of dropping screws.
• Depth stop collars for when the hole must not go all the way through, which is every shelf pin and every hollow door.
• A bench drill bit sharpener if you drill often enough that replacing blunt bits has started to annoy you.

The competition

Plenty of well known sets missed the list. Here is why.

The Bosch 91-piece V-Line and the Bosch MS4091 are large mixed drilling and driving kits with strong ratings. We kept one mixed kit on the page, the Makita, for its hole saws and flat bits, and gave the remaining slots to sets that are drill bits first.

The Hi-Spec 99-piece and 130-piece titanium sets look like enormous value at first glance, but the same pattern appears in the contents: a modest number of drill bits surrounded by driver bits, sockets and adaptors. They rate lower than the sets we picked, and the TOPEX 246-piece kits share the problem with a thinner rating base.

The DEWALT DWA1184 covers a similar size span to the DW1354 with a strong rating, but it uses a black oxide finish rather than a titanium nitride coating, and for a general household set we would rather have the coating.

Sutton Tools comes up constantly in Australian renovation forums, deservedly. The catch is distribution: Sutton sells largely through Australian trade and specialist retailers rather than deep online listings, so it is hard to point you at a set with a meaningful rating history.

Drill bit set FAQs

Which drill bit set is considered the best quality?

Quality comes down to the steel and the tip grind rather than the badge. Cobalt bits such as the STROTON M42 set keep their hardness in stainless because the cobalt runs through the whole bit. Titanium nitride coated sets such as the DEWALT DW1361 outlast plain high speed steel in general use, though the coating eventually wears away. For household use a titanium coated set from a known brand is the sensible balance.

Do you need metric or imperial drill bits in Australia?

Metric, for anything where the hole size is specified. Australian wall plugs, bolts, dowels and hardware are all sized in millimetres, so a metric set lets you match the number on the packet exactly. Imperial sets remain useful for general clearance holes in timber and metal where a fraction of a millimetre makes no difference, which is why two of our picks are imperial and still earn their place.

What size drill bit do you need for a wall plug?

Match the drill bit diameter to the number printed on the wall plug packet, which for common household plugs sits between 5 mm and 8 mm. Always read the packet rather than guessing, and drill slightly deeper than the plug is long so it seats fully. A masonry bit with a carbide tip is required for brick or concrete.

Can you use metal drill bits on wood?

Yes, and most people do. A high speed steel twist bit cuts timber perfectly well, it just leaves a rougher hole with more tear out around the rim than a brad point bit would. If the hole is hidden inside a joint or behind a bracket, use the metal bits you already own. If it will be visible, a brad point set like the Bosch 8X PRO is worth the extra outlay.

Which guides should you read next?

A drill bit set is one piece of the kit. These guides cover the rest of the drilling and fixing setup for an Australian home.

• Best cordless drills in Australia for the tool the bits go into.
• Best power drills in Australia if you want corded power for masonry.
• Best impact drivers in Australia for driving screws without stripping heads.
• Best drill presses in Australia for perfectly perpendicular holes on a bench.
• Best stud finders in Australia so you know what is behind the plasterboard first.
• Best screwdriver sets in Australia for everything the drill cannot reach.
• The home tool kit checklist for what else belongs in the drawer.

About the author

Anish Puri founded NestPath in 2026 after going through the Australian first-home-buyer process himself. NestPath focuses on Australian first-home buyers because the existing review sites are American, generic, or both. Anish handles editorial selection across the homeowner hub. Reach out: hello@nestpath.com.au