coleman.gray•1mo agoTop Commenter

PSA: Used a 12-inch spade bit for a 3-inch hole through a joist last week

My old 3/4-inch bit took forever and wobbled, but the big one went straight through in one clean shot. Anyone else find that sometimes the bigger tool is actually the right tool for a small, tough job?

3 comments

3 Comments

robinf511mo ago

Totally get the stability thing. Last year I was trying to put a screw into some old, hard oak with a little cordless driver. It was just chattering and stripping. Grabbed my big, heavy corded drill, the kind that almost knocks you over, and it sank that screw like it was butter. That extra mass just eats vibration.

drew_reed621mo ago

Ever try to use a tiny flathead screwdriver on a Phillips head screw? That was me with a 3/8 inch drill and a 2 inch hole saw. Looked like a woodpecker on espresso had a go at my wall. Sometimes the right tool is just the one that doesn't make you look like a complete hack.

the_miles1mo ago

Oh man, that makes total sense! A bigger bit has way more stability, so it just plows through without all that awful wobble and chatter. I've had the same thing happen trying to use a tiny drill for a big lag bolt, it just fights you the whole time. Sometimes you just gotta go big to get it done clean.