The Bosch Davedevil Standard Spade Bit Set (10-Piece) comes with bits sized 1/4” to 1-1/4” in 1/8” increments.
*This post is sponsored by The Home Depot
Links below are affiliate links, clicking on them helps me keep this site going at no extra cost to you . Thank you for supporting my site.
I recently partnered with The Home Depot for the 2019-2020 year and one of the major benefits is the ability to test and use tools that I normally wouldn’t give any consideration to. When it comes to drill bits, twist bits, brad point bits, and Forstner bits are what I most commonly use when it comes to furniture and cabinet making. However, spade bits are a great option for the DIYer and carpenter, and have their place in furniture making. We’ll talk more about that later.
A visual comparison between a spade bit, twist bit, brad point bit, and Forstner bit (left to right).
The Home Depot sent me a set of the Bosch Davedevil Standard Spade Bit Set to test and review. The 10-piece set comes with bits sized 1/4” to 1-1/4” in 1/8” increments.
The Home Depot sent me a set of the Bosch Davedevil Standard Spade Bit Set to test and review. The 10-piece set comes with bits sized 1/4” to 1-1/4” in 1/8” increments.
Spade bits are less expensive than other kinds of wood boring bits, making them a much more affordable option particularly when it comes to boring larger holes (1/2” or greater). At $9.88 for the Bosch Davedevil set, they’re very affordable. They also bore holes much faster and therefore are a great option for DIY and home improvement projects.
However, spade bits cause splintering and tear-out when drilling all the way through a wooden workpiece. This can be prevented by using a backer board on the exit side of a hole. They also leaves the inside of the hole somewhat rough. Lastly, spade bits are most effective in softwoods. You can still use spade bits in hardwoods but the resistance and tight grain of hardwoods results in an even rougher cut.
The Bosch Davedevil bits are advertised as cutting 10x faster than its competitor. They also boast a patented self feed tip, and spur tips that pre-cut the wood for easier breakthrough. Something else I noticed was the serpentine curve of the cutting edge and the blue Teflon coating.
Self feed tip, and serpentine curve of the cutting edge on the Bosch Davedevil spade bit.
I tested out the 1-1/4” bit (largest in the set) on a block of 2x4. This is something I would commonly do to run Romex, conduit, or PEX/PVC plumbing. You can see that the entrance hole is slightly rough but bit started fast and cut quickly.
The entrance of the hole was a little rough but the bit cut fast though 2x4 select pine.
The exit hole was equally as rough, but much cleaner than spade bits I’ve used in the past. Again, this could be eliminated by using a backer board. However, such a technique may be difficult in an old construction application since the back of a board isn’t always accessible in a renovation/remodel situation.
Exit hole is equally as rough as the entrance hole.
While spade bits are often regarded as a “roughing” tool, they also have their place fine furniture. In a Popular Woodworking article, Chris Schwarz explains why they are great to use for boring holes for round tenons. The key to success is making sure your drill spinning at full speed to start the cut and to advance the bit slowly to ensure the spurs engage the wood at the beginning of the cut. Another great things about spade bits is that they are infinitely adjustable by using a grinder to make the bit the perfect size for a round tenon.
The Bosch Davedevil spade bits performed better than spade bits that I’ve used in the past.
While spade bits are not my typical drill bit of choice, they are an excellent choice for the DIYer and carpenter. However, I will definitely be using spade bits for times when I need to bore holes for round tenons in furniture pieces like a Windsor chair.