Hey friends, Maruf here from ToolsEngineers. Welcome back to my Florida workshop. Today, we are looking at a very common tool question. Many of you ask me: are milwaukee drill bits any good? I have used these bits for years on many tough jobs. I want to share my honest thoughts with you today.
It is easy to get confused by shiny tool marketing. Every brand claims they make the absolute best extra parts. I decided to put these red bits to the real test. I used them on soft wood, hard metal, and thick plastic. Let us see if they hold up to the big hype.
Why I Decided to Test Milwaukee Bits
Working in a hot shop means you need really tough tools. Cheap drill bits break or melt way too fast. I got tired of wasting my cash on bad starter sets. I bought a Milwaukee set to see if they were better. The bright red case looked very nice on my tool shelf.
Good looks do not drive screws or drill a clean hole. I needed to know how they performed under heavy stress. I started grabbing them for my daily shop projects. Soon, I had a good idea of their true real value. I learned exactly what they do well and where they fail.
Types of Milwaukee Drill Bits I Use
Milwaukee makes many different neat styles of drill bits today. You can find strong options for wood, metal, and hard brick. I mostly use their heavy Shockwave impact duty bits. These handle the heavy force of an impact driver very well. They twist a little bit instead of snapping right away.
I also use their sharp titanium and heavy cobalt drill bits. Titanium is great for fast general work around your house. Cobalt is what you truly need for thick, hard steel metal. Choosing the exact right bit for the job is very important.
Milwaukee Bit Options Explained
| Bit Type | Best Used For | My Rating |
| Shockwave Impact | Soft wood and plastic | 4 out of 5 |
| Titanium Coated | General light sheet metal | 3 out of 5 |
| Cobalt Metal | Hard steel and thick metal | 5 out of 5 |
| Wood Brad Point | Custom wood furniture | 4 out of 5 |
This table shows my basic thoughts on each bit type. As you can clearly see, cobalt is my top favorite choice. The basic titanium bits are just okay in my honest opinion. They seem to wear out much faster than I would like.
My Experience with Milwaukee Shockwave Bits
The neat Shockwave line is very popular right now everywhere. You can find them at almost any local big box store. I like that the tips grab metal screws very tightly. This stops the bit from slipping and ruining the screw head. A bad stripped screw head is a huge pain to try and fix.
However, the dark black coating wears off very fast sadly. After one long day of hard work, they look very old. This does not ruin the bit, but it does look bad. They also snap fast if you push them way too hard. You must let the power tool do all the heavy work.
Drilling into Metal: Cobalt vs Titanium
Drilling into metal is the absolute hardest test for a bit. Metal creates a whole lot of high heat very quickly. High heat will melt a cheap metal bit in just seconds. This is why you must pick the best strong material. I tested both the titanium and the cobalt options myself.
Titanium bits are just coated, so the inside is very soft. Once the top coating burns off, the bit is basically useless. Cobalt bits have strong mixed metal all the way through them. You can sharpen them fast and use them again later. This makes cobalt a much better long term deal over time.
Cobalt and Titanium Comparison
| Feature | Titanium Bits | Cobalt Bits |
| Heat Defense | Good for short quick jobs | Great for long hard jobs |
| Life Span | Very average total lifespan | Very long total lifespan |
| Best Material | Thin light sheet metal | Thick hard steel plates |
| Sharpening | Cannot be sharpened at all | Can be sharpened fast |
I always keep a very good set of cobalt bits nearby. They save the day when I hit a tough hard spot. You must use dark cutting oil to keep them nice and cool. Cool oil helps them last for many long years of heavy use.
Using Milwaukee Bits on Wood Projects
Woodworking is a huge part of my daily shop life. I build nice shelves, heavy tables, and wood cabinets very often. Milwaukee drill bits shine when working with soft clear pine. They cut fast and leave a very smooth clean hole. Clean holes make your final wood project look much better.
Hardwoods like heavy oak are a bit tougher to drill right. The sharp brad point bits grab the hard wood right away. This stops the drill from walking across your nice work piece. I really enjoy using them for nice custom furniture jobs. They make my hard work look like a true pro did it.
The Good and The Bad: Pros and Cons
No tool brand makes perfect items every single time. Milwaukee gets a lot of great things right for sure. Their cases are very strong and very easy to close tight. The bits lock into place fast so they never fall out. I love how deeply organized my tool bag stays right now.
But there are a few small things I do not like. Sometimes the smaller drill bits bend fully out of shape. The smaller sizes seem a tiny bit weak to me honestly. You have to buy a whole new set sometimes to fix this. Buying single small bits is often hard to do locally.
Milwaukee Pros and Cons List
| Feature Tested | The Good Side | The Bad Side |
| Storage Case | Very strong and organized | Plastic pins are hard to pull |
| Bit Fit | Grabs screw heads tightly | Sometimes sticks inside tool |
| Bit Strength | Large bits are very tough | Small bits can bend fast |
| Price Point | Very fair for the quality | Single bits cost a lot |
You have to weigh these points for your own home needs. If you do light work, the bad points do not really matter. If you build heavy things daily, they might bug you somewhat. I find the good points win out most days for me.
How Long Do They Actually Last?
Many readers ask me how long these bits stay sharp. It really depends on how you treat your own shop tools. If you use the right tool speed, they last for months. If you push too hard, they will break in just hours. You must learn the correct drill speed for each material.
I have a nice red set that is two whole years old. Most of the parts still work just fine for me today. I only had to replace the tiny cross head driver bits. Those take the most raw abuse in any busy wood shop. Overall, I am very happy with their total life span.
Are They Worth Your Money?
Tools cost a whole lot of hard money these modern days. We all want to find the best tool value possible. So, are milwaukee drill bits any good for your wallet? I think they offer a very fair middle ground for buyers. They cost more than cheap brands but work so much better.
They are cheaper than super premium pro tool brands too. For a normal home owner or a basic worker, they rock. You get a solid strong tool that will finish the job. You will not have to replace them every single working week.
Value for Money Breakdown
| Bit Set Size | Cost Estimate | Value Score |
| Small Set | Around twenty total dollars | Good for new starters |
| Medium Set | Around forty total dollars | Best total value buy |
| Large Set | Around eighty total dollars | Good for big pro shops |
| Single Bits | Price varies by the bit size | Not a great value deal |
I highly suggest buying the medium set to start out fast. It has all the basic hole sizes you will ever really need. You can always buy extra strong cobalt bits later on. This smart move saves you cash right out of the gate.
Final Thoughts on Milwaukee Bits
Let us wrap up this tool review right now. We asked deeply, are milwaukee drill bits any good? Yes, they are very good for most normal shop jobs. They are tough, very reliable, and come in super nice cases. I gladly use them in my shop almost every single day.
They are not perfect magic tools, of course. Small bits bend, and titanium burns out on thick steel. But if you use them right, they will serve you very well. Thanks for reading my review on ToolsEngineers today. Stay safe in your shop and always keep on building!