I use a mag drill all the time for cutting holes and wouldn’t trade it for anything. Very clean, square, and efficient cuts; plus you can put it anywhere ya got steel. Like someone said above, it’s nice to bring the drill to your work not your work to the drill sometimes. Can drill big holes upside down with ease and be a mobile drill press. The only time it is not great is on thin metal, tight spaces, and that aluminum stuff.
Evolution makes a good affordable one which I use most, and Hougen is a little nicer for the extra coin. The only thing that would keep me from buying a chepo one is if the magnet is not strong and it breaks loose, ouch… Mine once grabbed, broke free, twisted my hand and smashed my knee good. Lucky the plug got ripped out in the process…
If you pick up an old drill press with some umph, a small pilot hole and large twist bit does well too. Good luck and Happy New Year Everyone!
In this video I drilled a lot of 7/8" holes in 3/8 plate to “plug weld” the plate. If you need a portable solution then the mag drill is the tool. If your parts will be small enough to fit on a mill, then I’d put the money towards a mill. I wouldn’t cheap out on the cutters though.
I will not make you suffer through my whole video, I’ve qued up to where I drill the holes using a mag drill
Can be done on drill press. Remember… Turn it real slow with some lube. I mean real slow. Should be able to watch it going around.
Mag drill is already geared for annular cutters.
Would be a great investment.
Use my mag drill all the time. Great investment. Bought an Evolution brand one and am very happy with it for the money. Just use plenty of cutting fluid when drilling as the bits will last a lot longer.
There’s a cardinal number I keep in mind for drilling/machining: 50 surface feet per minute for HSS tool in mild steel: Which is an approximation from Machinery’s Handbook (a great reference for anything machine & machining related) This is about 200 rpm for a 1" twist drill, 800 rpm for 1/4". You can triple the speed for carbide cutters and triple for aluminum, but divide by 3 for hardened steel (70rpm for HSS and 1" drill, but good luck with HSS and hardened steel). This gives you a fair approximation and has served me well machining & drilling. When in doubt I’ve found slower is better for the tools.
The math if you’re interested: 1" bit is about 3.14" circumference, or about 4 turns for 1 foot, 4 turns * 50sfm to get to 200 rpm. The *3 and /3 are approximations that are close enough & easy to remember.
Note that Machinery’s Handbook is about maximum production speed, potentially at shorter tool life. I usually get the rough number and round down 10-20%, which keeps the smoke down & tools happy.
I have a Milwaukee that I have had for 35 years and an evolution EvoMag28 that I purchased last year. The reason for the EvoMag28 is I am old and it is easier to lift! With the advent of annular cutters the smaller drill is much improved.
I agree 100% with others on here about the value of a mag drill. This is a plate I was setting up for a fab table that has 135 holes drilled through 3/8 plate. I have the EvoMag42 and ran Bosch Cobalt bits for the holes and only used up one and a half bits. For larger holes I run the Evolution annular cutters. As others have mentioned they last a long time as long as you keep em wet and take your time. One thing that wasn’t pointed out above is the limitations of the EvoMag’s (and almost all entry mag drills) for what you are looking for when it comes to maximum bit size. The 28 limits at 1 1/8" and the 42 limits at 1 5/8" for annular cutter width. The 42 comes with a chuck that you could use that would allow you to have enough length to extend the bit below the base to allow for a larger hole saw. The main point is that with the mag drills shown above you still would not be able to run an annular for a 2" hole and they would require a bit of a work around for a hole saw bit. Another thing to consider beyond the cost of the drill is the cost of the cutter. A middle of the road cutter that is 2" will run you over $150 per bit. A drill press with adjustable speed and a hole saw bit or a mill are still likely your best options for occasional use. That being said the EvoMag42 is one of my best investments for fabrication for all the reasons listed by others above. It is a beast and the portability is great.
Another vote for the eVolution mag drill. I got one about 6 months ago and have used it several times. Works great. I also got an annular bit holder for the mill, but haven’t used it yet.
Thanks everyone. I’m feeling much more sure about investing in a mag drill with annular cutters. Looks like my limit will be about 1 1/2” holes but that will cover 99.99% off my needs.
Seems like the evolution drill is popular. If I decide to budget for the hougen am I going to get the benefit of the extra 500 bucks? I have been eye balling the hougen but it’s twice the price. Don’t mind that if it’s worth it.
I do like the idea of the carrier bearing on the hougen but again I have no idea if that’s worth the money.
I have a Dewalt Mag Drill and is a life saver, has the adapter chuck also for regular bits. just make sure you can fit the largest cutter in the one you want to buy… some are limited
For a mag drill, it’s pretty hard to beat a Fein holemaker III, I scored a brand new one for $400. Have used older milwaukees in the past along with Chinese cheapies. I borrowed a typhoon brand one off my old work, drilled 280 holes in my 3/4” top weld table to make a fixture table. The Fein is nice because if the material isn’t thick enough for the magnet to hold properly, it won’t turn on. Some will say that’s dumb, but I’d rather it not turn on, than have a $150 annular cutter halfway through some material and the magnet let go. The ways the motor slides on are way nicer in the Fein than the others I’ve used as well, it’s a well made piece of equipment. My philosophy with metalworking tools, if it’s getting used to make money, buy once cry once. Otherwise, you’ll chase problems.
I’ve been using rota broaches for well over a decade as well, they’re ideal in a drill press or mill. Just center pinch where you want the hole, line up the spring loaded pilot pin and go. They’re also carbide, so everything needs to be held tight, if you use them in a hand drill or the clamped part moves/tilts, cutter shatters.
End of the day, if you buy a mag drill, buy good bits and use lube. I’ve bought HSS cheapies off amazon and I’ve bought good ones from mcmaster. I use Zep Lubeze, it helps the HSS cutters last a little longer, but with coated bits, if you don’t abuse them, they’ll last a loooong time. I still have the coated 1/2” one I bought from mcmaster that I drilled the 280 holes in my 3/4” fixture table with, used it on another project that required 620 holes in 5/8” plate, still have it and it’s still sharp.
