DEWALT DW1602-1/8-Inch by 12-Inch Extra Long Black Oxide Drill Bit

I got this DEWALT Drill Bit, Black Oxide, 3/8-Inch x 12-Inch (DW1610) because of the high ratings. I was disappointed. I think I got only 1 or 2 good holes threw metal with it. But after that it would just spin and never go through metal studs again. Garbage. Not worth the money. I purchased a cobalt drill bit that was only half the length of this one but it has lasted thru a dozen drill holes and it's still sharp.

It's DeWalt, and I'm inclined instinctively to trust the brand, which is historically one of the finest in America. Haven't taken it to the woodshed yet, but am at present not expecting the best performance. I cannot overstate my dismay at discovering that it's DISTRIBUTED by DeWalt. Wait - red flag - that means it's not made by them. Sure enough, it's made in China (where else?) I cannot fully suppress a sense of betrayal.As an industrial technical consultant, I've done enough work in China and with other engineers having the same exposure to state that Chinese standards for performance are literally "whatever we can get away with." In general, but not in every case, the result is product that in one way or another doesn't at best quite meet all of its stated standards - e.g., precise chromium or vanadium content in steel, or its tempering, or perhaps the chemical origin of some dyes, colorants, coatings, etc.Also, Chinese manufacturers often "pay lip service" in their zeal to out-compete at any cost. As a "down home" example, there was a return to the export of lead-based paint on toys even after they'd poisoned some of our kids with it. They subscribe to the "looks like" philosophy, which mandates that any product that looks like the intended target for replication is indeed equal in every way. Optics are insufficient as a sole measure, and I'm highly disappointed to see that DeWalt has gone the way of the once-unmatched but now soiled majority of American industry.Much of Chinese industrial technology is derived or directly but inaccurately copied from American or European developments, yet the Chinese generally haven't the widespread experiential expertise required to support the kind of precision which we take for granted in virtually every American product, no matter whether targeted for industry or consumer.Some things about the Good Old Days honestly were significantly superior to their modern descendants.EDITING:I now see that the reviewer prior to myself had a miserable experience with the product. It probably is fine for wood (a misapplication), plastics, and some softer metals, but not up-to-snuff in the big-boy world. Makes me feel wholly justified in my suspicions, and even more so in the sense of betrayal and disappointment. What happened to DeWalt's standards? And how can such a price be justified for inferior product?(I did look around a bit and discovered that there are American bits available in the same size but costing three times as much. No surprise. Ya gets what ya pays fer. Caveat emptor - a phrase which one would in the past never have dreamt of applying to DeWalt products.)Even if the bit works perfectly and defies all of the apparently justifiable negative suspicions, I will henceforward and with sorrow think hard before purchasing another DeWalt product.

Typically I love DeWALT products, but this time I was let down both by the product and their customer service. I purchased this drill bit to drill a hole into a door frame to insert an alarm system sensor. The shank on the drill bit bent during the first use and nearly ripped my hand off when the drill flung around. Things happen, DeWALT has great warranties, so no issue, WRONG. I called DeWALT and after speaking to their representative I was told I would have to pay to ship this $15 drill bit to their warranty department for evaluation. A power tool I understand, but a drill bit? I kindly told them no thanks and that I would contact Amazon since they are so good at taking care of customers, and guess what, they DID, as they always do. Might be time to rethink my brand loyalty as I hunt for a new replacement power tool kit set. Notice in the photo that the bit was used to go through thin wood and sheetrock. The shank should not have bent in this material!Thank you to Amazon for solving the issue and sending me a replacement drill bit, and shame on you DeWALT for not taking care of your customers.

I used this bit to drill through wood out the side of my house to run some Cat6 cables from the router to the basement. Bit worked good, good length for what I needed. I didn't try it on metal so I can't speak to how durable it holds up to metal, but in wood it was still going strong after a few holes I drilled with it

Great pilot drilling bit. I use this to drill through walls and determine where The hole will be made on the opposite side it is the right length and the right diameter even if you make a bad hole by mistake it is easy to cover it does not bend easily and it’s very sharp dewalt quality. Great for pilot drilling.

Not happy. Needed the length, but useless after the 6 holes it did drill. Very surprised at DEWALT putting their name on this poor quality bit. Terrible performance.

I do a lot of guitar work and building. I used this to make pilot holes in guitar bodies. Issue was this broke in half one of the times. But they are so cheap, I bought another one and its been working fine.Pros:1)Works well with long length holes to drill for guitar building2)Good PriceCons:1)Broke in half after 4 uses

I accidentally bought the wrong size drill bit, I wanted to feed some cable through into another room but the cable was thicker than a quarter inch. While the diameter wasn't correct, this extra long drill bit helped me determine the distance between the walls of two rooms and worked great as a pilot hole. I ended up using a 5/16 drill bit on both sides of the wall to enlarge the hole. I had no issues drilling through plaster and wood, with plaster it goes through like butter, for wood it goes through with a bit of force. The extra length ensures that the hole you're drilling remains straight, which eases a cable pulling job.

Make sure you understand the product measurement details. YES it does say 1/8 x 12in Drill Bit, but I was fooled by the "product Information" which has the product dimensions as 37.4 x 4.7 x 0.5Seems that this is the size of the card it is packed on! And not the overall length, drill section and diameter.

I'm an alarm installer and use this drill bit several times a week doing installs.On average I get about 3 months use out of this bit. The best feature is that it works on Wood or Metal.Before finding these Black Oxide bits I would use Wood Bits however if I hit a steel stud or metal beam with a wood bit it would just dull the bit point and render it useless. No so with this Black Oxide Bit. It's stronger than a wood bit and will drill through light gauge steel without dulling the point.The point on this bit seems to stay put better and doesn't walk or chatter like some other bits I've used.Overall this bit is my favorite multi-use Long Drill bit and Amazon had the best price I've found so far.I've purchased 3 of these bits so far and I will continue to be a repeat buyer.

Produit de bonne qualité mais l'image ne correspond pas à une mèche en oxide noir. Mais surtout et contrairement à ce qui est écrit, et sur l'emballage de l'image et dans la description, la tige de la méche reçue n'est pas de 3/8'' mais de 1/2". Comme j'en avais un besoin urgent, je n'ai pas retourné cette mèche et j'ai du réduire le diamètre de la tige avec une meuleuse d'établi avec des résultats passables, afin de pouvoir l'utiliser malgré tout. Tout de même décevant et non incitant à commender à nouveau sur Amazon.

Got to install a peephole in my front door. Works good but had to be careful and start with a smaller drill. Used on a foam filled door and almost bent the thing metal.

I have not used it enough to comment on durability, but do far it had been very useful to drill pilot holes through walls for running wires, as well as drilling drainage holes in plastic planters after they have been planted by someone else, and rain accumulated afterwards.