Has anybody used viper drill bits

ChrisP · Apr 4, 2013

I have a very energetic salesperson trying to sell me a 29 pc (1/16" to 1/2") set of these bits. We started out at $299 for the set. We are now down to $199 plus a 1/2" hammer drill and a catalog. :Yawn:

These are supposed to be M-2 molybdenum tool steel, military spec and only available from this company in Burbank, Ca and the snap on man. They are bringing $499 off the truck. After some pushing and questioning, the mil spec was dropped and now I'm told they are just used by the military. I have asked repeatedly for a spec sheet or some information and just get more talk. They could be $100 for the set and I wouldn't buy them. Just curious.

Chris

Davis In SC · Apr 4, 2013

Much better off to order a good set of drills from Travers, MSC, etc. Years ago salesmen would go around selling those "Miracle" drill bits at 2 to 3 times what good commercial bits cost. I have used some to those type drills, and they were OK, but not worth buying at inflated prices.

rcoope · Apr 4, 2013

Were they coming to your shop? There's no way these are any good if they're proposing huge discounts on a set. They should only do that if they know your outfit goes through 400 1/2" drills a year or something.

R

Screwmachine · Apr 4, 2013

I like Snap-On tools, but would never buy drills from them, regardless of what sort of cute-tough hokey name they give them. And 'mil-spec' as a selling point has always cracked me up. M2 steel? I should hope at least that. Numerous 29pc sets at MSC and elsewhere under 200 bucks... I agree, these Vipers are likely not even worth 100.

JRIowa · Apr 5, 2013

For just over that, you can get a 115 pc set of drills from Precision Twist. I also like Snap-On hand tools, but wouldn't buy any cutting tools from them.
JR

tnmgcarbide · Apr 5, 2013

did they have a pair of "Acoustic Response" or "Klerpsch" speakers in the back of the van too? how about a Carolina bandsaw ?

i think snap-on sucks just as bad- they'd let you pay off that shitty $300 drill set for the next 2 years . i'll bet for an additional $100
you could buy the "deluxe titanium drill bit set" .

if you must buy local - go to the hardware store and get a 29 pc set from them . my local mom-n-pop sells Irwin or Vermont usa made
drill sets for less than $100 . the industrial supply store here sells a set of Champion "brute" (M-7 hss) for $125 .

never heard of "mil spec" cutting tools . only electrical components like IP67 switches , JAN tubes , and my Casio Boulder waterproof
phone . i suppose if the navy buys cutting tools to drill holes in a boat they become "to military spec" . but i'll bet you anything that
they're the same drills anyone else would use .

Ajc123 · Apr 5, 2013

is this the brand? If so it is just the main quality domestic brand (sutton)here in australia Drills

If so that salesman is full of crap,it lists michigan as their US office location,although they arent in the US product listing but I dont think they sell for anywhere close to $200 here.

BobRenz · Apr 5, 2013

I'm not sure that there is even a MIL spec for drill bits. There used to be MIL specs for darn near everything, from locomotives to canned cherries, but the military has figured out that a commercial product can be purchased under a GSA contract cheaper than under a MIL spec.

At any rate, buying from a salesman with a load of "tools" in the trunk is a good way to discover just how crummy something can really be. Buy from McMaster, Grainger, or a dealer who actually has an office and inventory.

As my grandfather used to say: "How much money can you afford to save"

ChrisP · Apr 5, 2013

To answer the comments and questions:
This company called me out of the blue, I had never heard of them before. They list Viper bits on their website, but no images, information, or prices. The closest set to what they described on the phone is the Magnum set made by Toledo Drill Company.
They have never been to my shop and I have never indicated my drill bit usage.
I won't buy snap-on, mac or any other overpriced tools at all. I'm all for buying American, but there needs to be a reasonable cost involved.
I have a mom and pop industrial supply store about 6 blocks from the shop. They are a little higher, but I can spend however long talking to either owner and leave with answers and no pressure to buy. Not to mention the tips and tricks and other tidbits of useful information I go away with.
I looked up viper drill bits and found the Australia company. The salesperson tells me these are USA made bits.

Chris

TFPace · Jul 14, 2014

I just got a call from the drill bit lady... what a sells pitch. I let her go through all the poop and let her down gently.
They'll send me a set out to try for 30 days blah, blah, blah. They background noise I heard was from many other young ladies pounding the pavement pushing the bits.

She started off confirming my ship to address for a catalog

stonehaven · Jul 14, 2014

get an aluminator tossed in

lazarus · Jul 14, 2014

This is funny. I'd never heard of these bits, but there was a set, brand new, in a pawn shop for 39 bucks. I'm sure they'd have taken 30 like every other thing I've picked up there. Never liked snapon bits, and they did remind me of them.

M.B. Naegle · Jul 14, 2014

I get the feeling that the guys designing these tools are trying to make them indestructible. Bad design practice IMO.
No matter how well designed a mechanical system is, there is always going to be a wear point or replaceable part in it. You can build that part to be simpler, easy to replace, and better quality, but to try to eliminate the possibility of it to wear is only going to chase the wear into a near-buy part. This applies to cutting metal as well. They've chased the wearable point right down to the tip of the tool nowadays with replaceable carbide inserts, but no one has to my knowledge succeeded in building an indestructible cutting tool. I'm doubtful of the ones that act like they have.

snocat_trf · Jul 14, 2014

http://www.acetools.com/pdfs/Drill_bits.pdf

lots of claims here... they even have a chromed set... :rolleyes5:

cash register · Jul 14, 2014

Try Max at Winter's Drill Bit City in MN. You can google the number and he answers the phone. He sells only USA made bits and the prices are good, not Chinese cheap, but a fair price for what you get. I would recommend the drilling oil he sell too. I have no association with him, other than I use his drill bits exclusively. MArk

SAG 180 · Jul 14, 2014

I was under the impression that "Viper" drill bits are a product of Sutton Tools Australia. Sutton is a well respected brand here, the 29 piece set 1/16" to 1/2" with 1/64" increments retails for $134 in the shops. Viper bits just have the tip sharpened in such a way that they don't wander as much when starting and should require less force to drill a hole as even the web area at the tip is cutting efficiently. One prang and a resharpen later and you've lost the effect but it's great while it lasts.

Sutton do have test data for their drills in the form of a wall chart showing expected life (distance drilled) while drilling various materials which may be on their website somewhere.

HEAD OFFICE
USA: 855-788-8277

Zonko · Jul 14, 2014

SAG 180 said:
I was under the impression that "Viper" drill bits are a product of Sutton Tools Australia. Sutton is a well respected brand here, the 29 piece set 1/16" to 1/2" with 1/64" increments retails for $134 in the shops. Viper bits just have the tip sharpened in such a way that they don't wander as much when starting and should require less force to drill a hole as even the web area at the tip is cutting efficiently. One prang and a resharpen later and you've lost the effect but it's great while it lasts.

Sutton do have test data for their drills in the form of a wall chart showing expected life (distance drilled) while drilling various materials which may be on their website somewhere.

HEAD OFFICE
USA: 855-788-8277

Sounds like a properly done high quality split point. Hardly worth calling it a viper or doing some other nonsense branding. Its just a feature that any proper Drill Mfg will sell you at the appropriate price

Pete F · Jul 14, 2014

SAG 180 said:
I was under the impression that "Viper" drill bits are a product of Sutton Tools Australia. Sutton is a well respected brand here, the 29 piece set 1/16" to 1/2" with 1/64" increments retails for $134 in the shops. Viper bits just have the tip sharpened in such a way that they don't wander as much when starting and should require less force to drill a hole as even the web area at the tip is cutting efficiently. One prang and a resharpen later and you've lost the effect but it's great while it lasts.

Sutton do have test data for their drills in the form of a wall chart showing expected life (distance drilled) while drilling various materials which may be on their website somewhere.

HEAD OFFICE
USA: 855-788-8277

While I've found an increasing amount of Sutton tools "variable" in quality, I too have found the Sutton "Viper" drill bits to be excellent. I do like the split point and don't think it's a gimmick at all. It is their own interpretation of the geometry and they're entitled to call it whatever they want to!

While it's probably not associated with the OP's question at all, hopefully it removes any possible confusion for Aussie members. I really hope Sutton doesn't go the way of so many others and allow their accountants to run the show too much, cash in on their name, and simply become a rebranding of Chinese crap.

Krovvax · Jul 14, 2014

Se recently bought 2 of these set from ours local distributor fort 89.99 each set ( the 29 pcs one on the black box with the screw top ). Guys use them on job site in manual hand held drill on stainless and resist a lot longer to the abuse of running toi fast and dry in sheet métal.

I would not buy them at 300$ thats sure.

DMF_TomB · Jul 15, 2014

probably somebody who just got hired as a salesman and get to keep a % of profit so the higher he sells to you the more he keeps.
.
i once went to a industrial plumbing supply and asked how much for a certain pipe fitting. $50 then he asks who do you work for. i say who i work for. then price is $15
....... a lot of things can vary in price 300% or more
.
for a drill bit i would just buy one drill bit and try it. what does one drill bit cost $5 to $10 ??

Has anybody used viper drill bits

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