Best Wood Boring Bits Tested: Spade, Auger and Self-Feed Bits Compared

Introduction

When it comes to bits designed for drilling wood, there is a huge difference in cost. The least expensive brand tested here comes in under two dollars, and the most expensive runs over thirty. So the question is simple: is that thirty-dollar bit really that much better than the two-dollar bit?

This comparison pits twelve wood boring bits against each other in four tests: fastest drilling through a two-by-four, fastest through oak, durability after 100 holes, and how well each survives a nail strike.

How the Testing Worked

To keep the comparison fair, every bit was run on a drill press with identical downward force. A wheel attached to the lever arms, a rope, and 7.5 pounds of weight delivered roughly 54 pounds of downward pressure on the bit. With one-inch bits in play, the speed was set to 250 RPM, and a torque adapter tracked peak torque throughout.

Peak torque averaged 87 inch-pounds through the two-by-fours and 120 inch-pounds through oak, so every brand faced exactly the same conditions.

Speed Round: Two-by-Four Times

Comer Spade Bit

At $10.79 for six bits, or about $1.80 each, the Comer is a carbon steel bit with a titanium coating, a sharp cutting edge, and a flat paddle design. It also handles soft metals like aluminum. In practice, it struggled badly: 34.1 seconds on the first two-by-four hole, 41 seconds on the second, and 34.8 seconds on the third.

DeWalt Extreme Speed Spade Bit

The DeWalt Extreme Speed costs $11 for six bits and features a patented extended life corner and a heavy-duty shank. It made quick work of the two-by-four in 7.2 seconds, followed by 8.9 and 7.4 seconds, averaging 7.8 seconds.

Diablo Spade Bit

Diablo also costs $11 for six bits, with an optimized curved paddle design and a Speed Tip for faster, less effortful holes. It posted 7.6, 7.8, and 7.5 seconds, taking the fastest spade bit average at 7.6 seconds.

Bauer Spade Bit

Bauer matches the DeWalt and Diablo pricing at $11 for six bits and advertises up to seven times faster drilling thanks to a fully threaded tip, plus a grooved hex shank and an impact-resistant shaft. Its times were 8.0, 7.9, and 7.9 seconds, averaging 7.9 seconds.

Irwin Speed Blue-Groove Spade Bit

The Irwin Blue-Groove runs $17 for six bits and uses a patented parabolic scoop for faster chip removal, chamfered cutting edges, and double cutting spurs to reduce breakout. It lacks a self-feeding center point and was slower: 9.1, 9.2, and 8.3 seconds for an 8.9-second average.

Bosch Daredevil Spade Bit

At $15 for five bits, or $3 each, the Bosch Daredevil has a full cone threaded tip and contoured paddles, with claims of ten times the speed. It delivered 7.7, 7.9, and 8.0 seconds. The self-feeding threaded center point clearly helps consistency.

Milwaukee Spade Bit

Milwaukee costs $22 for six bits and uses heat-treated high carbon steel with double wing spurs to reduce vibration and breakout. It was slower than the leaders at 10.4, 10.1, and 9.2 seconds, averaging 9.9 seconds.

Bosch Nail Strike Wood Boring Bit

The Bosch Nail Strike costs $35 for six bits and is specifically designed to cut through nails, with a reinforced reamer cutting edge and a fully threaded cone tip. Through clean wood it managed 9.5, 9.6, and 9.4 seconds.

Hilti Spade Bit

The Hilti costs $39 for six bits and uses a self-feeding screw point with wing tips and a cup spade. It was consistent and quick: 8.1, 8.1, and 8.0 seconds.

Irwin Max Speed Auger Bit

At $27 for six bits, the Irwin Max Speed is an auger-style bit with three cutting spurs and a short length ideal for tight spaces. It set a new benchmark in this round at 6.9, 6.6, and 6.8 seconds, taking the overall lead.

Bosch Auger Bit

The Bosch auger bit costs $39, roughly $13 each, and claims up to two times more holes per charge with reinforced tips for longer life. It was slower than the Irwin auger at 10.0, 9.8, and 9.9 seconds.

Lenox Self-Feed Bit

The Lenox is the priciest bit tested at $220 for seven bits, or about $31.43 each. Unlike the others, it is a self-feed bit with a high-speed steel cutting edge and claims of up to two times the life. It was the fastest of everything, at 5.7, 6.0, and 6.1 seconds, averaging just 5.9 seconds.

Two-by-Four Standings

The Lenox self-feed leads at 5.9 seconds, the Irwin auger follows at 6.8, and Diablo is the fastest spade bit at 7.6, with DeWalt at 7.8 and Bosch and Bauer at 7.9.

Oak Times

Drilling through softwood is one thing, but oak is a much harder test. With one hole per brand in half-inch oak, the Comer struggled again at 44 seconds. DeWalt came out on top at just 5 seconds, followed by Diablo at 5.2 and the Lenox at 5.3. The Irwin auger was the surprise laggard at 15.1 seconds, despite its clean entrance and exit.

In terms of hole quality, the Milwaukee and Hilti produced clean entrances and exits, while the Irwin Blue-Groove and the Lenox showed noticeable tear-out on the exit side.

After 100 Holes: Durability

Each bit was then put through 100 holes in half-inch particle board, 1,200 holes total across the lineup, and retested on the two-by-four. The DeWalt looked nearly as sharp as new and repeated its 7.8-second average exactly. Diablo stayed sharp and slipped only slightly to 8 seconds. Bosch Daredevil was nearly unchanged at 8.1, and Hilti held at 8.4.

The biggest decliners were the Comer, which went from 36 to 43 seconds on average with visible wear, and the Irwin Blue-Groove, which slowed from 8.9 to 10.5 seconds. The Irwin auger was remarkably consistent, holding its 6.8-second time exactly. The Lenox showed wear and kept clogging with wood chips, stalling before it could make progress.

Durability standings after the abuse test: Irwin auger 6.8 seconds, DeWalt 7.8, Diablo 8.0, Bosch spade bit 8.1, and Hilti 8.4.

Nail Strike Test

Only one brand here is designed to cut through nails, but each bit was driven into a six-penny nail set into the side of a two-by-four to see how they handled the worst case. Results were dramatic. The Comer and Bauer both bent spurs. The Milwaukee blade broke outright. The Irwin Blue-Groove suffered significant spur damage, and the DeWalt showed blade damage even though it nearly removed the nail. The Lenox came away dull.

On the resilient side, the Bosch Daredevil held up really well and looked as good as new. The Hilti showed no apparent damage, and the Bosch auger had only minor damage.

After the Nail Strike

Retesting on the two-by-four revealed the real story. The Bosch Nail Strike lived up to its name, drilling through at 9.7 seconds, essentially as fast as before, and it had been the first bit to cut clean through the nail board with no visible damage. The Hilti matched that resilience at 8.3 seconds, just as fast as before. The Irwin auger was actually slightly faster after the nail strike at 6.3 seconds, and the Bosch Daredevil held its 8.1-second time.

The Comer slowed to 143 seconds, the Milwaukee needed 139 seconds after its blade broke, and the Bauer and Irwin Blue-Groove both lost roughly eight to ten seconds. The Lenox clogged and stalled again.

Post-nail-strike leaders: Irwin auger at 6.3 seconds, Diablo at 8.0, Bosch spade bit at 8.1, and Hilti at 8.3.

Recommendations

If you are looking for a wood bit that does a great job in nail-free wood, the DeWalt and Diablo are both very affordable and performed very well throughout. The Bosch Daredevil costs a little more but also performed extremely well, especially in the durability testing. If there is any chance of hidden nails in the wood, the Bosch Nail Strike is the standout: it held up really well and kept cutting at nearly full speed after hitting one.

Conclusion

Price and performance do not correlate the way you might expect in this category. The $1.83 Diablo matched or beat bits costing several times more, and only the purpose-built Bosch Nail Strike reliably survived a nail strike. Match the bit to the job: DeWalt or Diablo for clean framing work, the Bosch Daredevil for extra durability, and the Bosch Nail Strike when nails might be in the wood.