Are DeWalt Drill Bits Universal?

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Perusing the drill bit section of any home improvement store, such as The Home Depot, reveals an array of DeWalt drill bits that can cause one to lose track of time trying to make the correct choice. Variables for selecting the correct drill bit include the size hole you need to produce, the maximum depth the hole needs to be (or thickness of material you're drilling through), and the type of material you'll be drilling. Fortunately, most DeWalt drill bits are universal in that they'll work with whatever drill motor you have, up to a point.

The caveat here is that some drill chucks are limited in their maximum (and minimum) capacity. While some older drills had chucks that could only accept drill bits with shanks up to ¼-inch, modern battery-powered drills, such as the 20V MAX* XR Brushless Cordless 3-Speed Drill/Driver Kit (one of the best cordless drills you can buy), can accept drill shanks up to ½-inch diameter.

The majority of drill bit sizes used by DIYers have a round shank, the part of the drill bit held by the drill chuck, the same diameter as the drill bit. Some of DeWalt's larger drill bits feature an anti-spin design, with three-flats 120-degrees apart, and reduced diameter shanks, allowing them to fit into smaller capacity drill chucks.

Other drill bit shanks, like the ones pictured above, have hexagonal shanks attached to the ends. These are designed to work with impact drivers and make quick work out of swapping between a drill bit and any of an assortment of screw or nut drivers. If you don't have an impact driver but find yourself with this type of drill bit, don't worry, you can still use them in your drill.

One word of caution, whether you're using impact-driver drill bits or the type with the three-flat anti-spin design, is to make sure the three jaws of your drill chuck are firmly seated on three of the flats. Once the chuck is tight, give the drill trigger a little squeeze with the bit safely away from any part of your body or your workpiece and make sure it runs true before you start drilling.

While there's little argument that DeWalt's drill bit sets are good based on consumer reviews, using a drill bit made to cut material other than what you're cutting is going to end poorly in most cases. Sure, you can use a drill bit made for cutting metal on wood, but don't try using one designed specifically for wood to drill a hole in steel. The cutting tip of a drill bit, and the spiral flutes leading away from the cutting edges (or absence of), are often designed specifically for cutting one type of material. For example, the drill bit shown in the center of the above picture is a spade bit. Its main purpose is drilling large holes in wood. It will not work in masonry or metal.

A typical drill bit set, like this DeWalt 21-piece set priced at $24.99 on Amazon, includes a variety of common sizes starting at 1/16th of an inch, all the way up to 1/2-inch. These bits have pilot-points on the larger sizes, which reduce the need to drill pilot holes in some cases and helps the drill follow pre-drilled pilot holes in thicker material. The titanium nitride coating provides additional protection against wear and helps them stay sharp longer. They will perform well drilling wood and a variety of ferrous and nonferrous metals but are not designed to drill concrete or masonry.