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The DeWalt black oxide drill bit set uses the same bit in every kit — high-speed steel with a black oxide finish and a 135° split-point tip — so choosing between the 14-piece (DW1162), 20-piece (DW1177), and 21-piece (DW1181) versions comes down to which diameter index you need, not which bits are “better.” Below is the exact size lineup of each kit, what that geometry does in wood, plastic, and light metal, and which box matches your situation.
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What we cover
Every bit size in the 14-, 20-, and 21-piece kits
All three kits are fractional-inch indexes covering 1/16 inch and up. The 14-piece is the sparse index, the 21-piece is the complete 1/64-inch step index from 1/16 to 3/8, and the 20-piece trades three mid-range 64ths to make room for 7/16 and 1/2 — which matter if you’re boring clearance holes for lag bolts or deck hardware. (Contents below reflect the common DW1162/DW1177/DW1181 case indexes; DeWalt occasionally revises case packing, so confirm the printed index card.)
| Size (in) | Decimal | 14-pc | 20-pc | 21-pc |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1/16 | 0.0625 | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| 5/64 | 0.0781 | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| 3/32 | 0.0938 | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| 7/64 | 0.1094 | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| 1/8 | 0.1250 | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| 9/64 | 0.1406 | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| 5/32 | 0.1563 | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| 11/64 | 0.1719 | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| 3/16 | 0.1875 | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| 13/64 | 0.2031 | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| 7/32 | 0.2188 | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| 15/64 | 0.2344 | — | ✔ | ✔ |
| 1/4 | 0.2500 | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| 17/64 | 0.2656 | — | ✔ | ✔ |
| 9/32 | 0.2813 | — | ✔ | ✔ |
| 19/64 | 0.2969 | — | — | ✔ |
| 5/16 | 0.3125 | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| 21/64 | 0.3281 | — | — | ✔ |
| 11/32 | 0.3438 | — | ✔ | ✔ |
| 23/64 | 0.3594 | — | — | ✔ |
| 3/8 | 0.3750 | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| 7/16 | 0.4375 | — | ✔ | — |
| 1/2 | 0.5000 | — | ✔ | — |
One detail worth knowing before you buy the 20-piece: the 7/16 and 1/2 bits use reduced 3/8-inch shanks, so they still fit a standard 3/8-chuck drill. And if your shopping search also turned up a DeWalt drill bit set with 100 pieces, note that those large kits are drilling and driving combos — most of the count is screwdriver bits, nut drivers, and a few specialty bits, not a hundred drill sizes. Similarly, DeWalt’s Impact Ready line sells 1/4-inch hex-shank drill bits separately; the black oxide sets above are all round shank.
What the 135° split point actually does
A conventional 118° bit has a chisel edge that must be pushed through material before the cutting lips engage — that’s what makes bits skate across smooth or curved surfaces. The 135° split point grinds the web into two extra cutting edges, so the bit starts cutting the instant it touches. In practice: no center punch needed on thin sheet metal, noticeably less walking when you start a hole in a pipe or on a finished surface, and lower feed pressure required overall. For a woodworker using a handheld drill rather than a press, that self-centering behavior is the single biggest practical benefit of this set.
How it performs in wood, plastic, and light metal
Black oxide is a thin magnetite surface treatment — it reduces friction, resists chip welding, and adds mild corrosion resistance. It is not a hardness upgrade like cobalt alloy or a heavy TiN coating, and that’s the key to setting expectations per material.
Wood
Perfectly serviceable, but understand it’s a metal-cutting geometry. The 135° point centers well on flat stock, yet the cutting lips still shear across grain rather than scoring it first, so expect some exit tear-out in hardwood, plywood faces, and veneer. For pilot holes, pocket-hole-adjacent work, framing, and rough joinery these are ideal. For show-face holes in furniture, a brad-point set still wins. Always back up the exit side.
Plastic
Fine on soft plastics (PVC, HDPE, nylon) at moderate speed. The risk is brittle plastics — acrylic and polycarbonate — where the aggressive split point can grab and crack the workpiece at breakthrough. Reduce RPM, ease feed pressure near the exit, and clamp rather than hand-hold small stock.
Light metal
This is the set’s home turf: mild steel, aluminum, brass, and sheet goods. The split point starts cleanly on thin stock, and black oxide genuinely helps chips clear in aluminum. Use cutting oil on steel. What it will not do is stainless steel or hardened hardware — stainless work-hardens the moment you hesitate, and it will cook an oxide-coated HSS edge. That job wants cobalt bits.
| Material | 1/8-in bit RPM | 1/4-in bit RPM | Technique note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Softwood / hardwood | 2,000–3,000 | 1,500–2,500 | Backer board at exit; clear chips on deep holes |
| Soft plastic | 1,200–1,800 | 800–1,200 | Slow speed prevents melting the hole walls |
| Acrylic / brittle plastic | 800–1,200 | 500–800 | Feather feed pressure at breakthrough |
| Aluminum | 1,500–2,500 | 1,000–1,800 | Wax or light oil keeps flutes from loading |
| Mild steel | 1,000–1,400 | 600–900 | Cutting oil; steady pressure, no pecking |
Which kit fits your situation
| Your situation | Best pick | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Mostly woodworking: pilot holes, countersink clearance, hardware holes | 14-piece | Every common size under 3/8 in; cheapest index to replace |
| Furniture work needing exact fits — dowels, threaded inserts, tap-drill sizes | 21-piece | Full 1/64-in resolution; the missing 64ths in other kits are exactly the sizes precision fits need |
| Mixed DIY: wood, deck hardware, light metal; want 7/16 and 1/2 | 20-piece | Only kit reaching 1/2 in for lag-bolt clearance holes |
| Want one case for drilling and driving screws | A ~100-piece drill/drive combo instead | Drill bits plus driver bits and nut setters — not a full drill index |
| Drilling mostly with an impact driver | DeWalt Impact Ready hex-shank bits instead | Round-shank bits need a chuck adapter; hex shanks lock directly in the collet |
Ownership realities: what wears, what breaks, what it costs
What fails first: the small diameters. In handheld drilling, 1/16 through 3/32 bits snap from side load long before they dull. The bits that actually wear out are the most-used middle sizes — 1/8 and 3/16 — especially if you regularly drill metal. Expect the black coating to polish off the cutting edges within the first few metal sessions; that’s normal and the bit keeps working, but it tells you the coating is sacrificial, not a durability feature.
Cost math: the 14-piece typically sells in the $15–25 range, the 21-piece around $25–40, and the 20-piece similar. Buying single replacement bits at retail runs roughly $3–8 each, so even if you only ever use six sizes, a kit is cheaper per size — and a 1/8-inch bit that’s resharpened once or twice can put hundreds of holes in wood before it’s done, putting real cost per hole well under a cent.
Maintenance that matters: wipe bits after metal work, add a drop of oil, and keep the case dry — black oxide only mildly resists rust. The split-point tip is hard to hand-grind; most bench sharpeners will restore a conventional point, which still drills wood fine but loses the self-centering benefit in metal.
Common mistakes: running a 1/2-inch bit at full drill speed (heat kills edges in seconds on steel), drilling stainless with these, forcing a dull bit through plastic until it melts instead of cuts, and chucking them in an impact driver — impacts shatter HSS bits and produce ugly holes anyway.
FAQ
Is there a DeWalt hex shank drill bit set for impact drivers? Yes — DeWalt’s Impact Ready line offers 1/4-inch hex-shank drill bits (in black oxide and titanium variants) that lock directly into an impact collet. They’re for convenience drilling, not precision work.
Does the DeWalt 100-piece kit contain these same bits? Partially. Large ~100-piece kits are drill/drive combos: a fractional drill subset plus driver bits, nut setters, and accessories. Don’t buy one expecting 100 drill sizes.
Black oxide vs. titanium vs. cobalt DeWalt sets — which? Black oxide is the general-purpose, budget option. Titanium (gold-coated, often pilot-point) holds an edge longer in wood and light metal but is harder to resharpen. Cobalt (not coated — alloyed through) is the one for stainless and hardened steel.
Are these good enough for hardwood furniture work? For pilot and clearance holes, yes. For visible through-holes where tear-out shows, pair them with a brad-point set and a backer board.