Brad point or twist bit — which should I use in wood?
Two bits that make holes of the same size and completely different quality, and the three situations where the cheaper one is actually correct.
- Difficulty
- beginner
- Time
- 10 min
- Read
- 3 min
Short answer
A brad point has a centre spur and two outer spurs that score the fibres before the bit lifts them, so it starts exactly where you put it and leaves a clean-rimmed hole. Use it for anything visible or accurate. A twist bit wanders on start and tears the rim, but it is the right choice in mixed material, in end grain and where you will follow with a screw anyway.
Both bits have the same spiral body and remove waste the same way. Everything that differs is in the last few millimetres at the tip, and the diagram shows the shapes side by side. Understanding the difference is what stops people using the wrong one for cabinet work and then blaming their technique for the ragged hole.
Step by step
- Look at the tips.A twist bit ends in a simple cone with two cutting lips. A brad point has a sharp central point standing proud, and two raised spurs at the outside diameter which reach the wood before the lips do.
- Understand what the spurs do.They sever the wood fibres in a clean circle before the lips lift the waste out. That is why a brad point leaves a crisp rim and a twist bit leaves a torn one — the twist bit is tearing fibres it never cut.
- Understand what the centre point does.It locates the bit exactly on your mark and holds it there while it starts. A twist bit's cone has no such feature, so it walks across the surface until the lips engage, usually a millimetre or two from where you wanted.
- Use a brad point for anything that shows.Dowel holes, shelf pins, cabinet hardware, anything where the hole itself is visible, and anything that has to be in exactly the right place.
- Use a twist bit in mixed material.If the hole passes through a screw, a nail, a metal plate or an unknown, a brad point's fine spurs will be destroyed. A twist bit is more tolerant and cheaper to sacrifice.
- Use a twist bit in end grain.Brad point spurs work by cutting across fibres. In end grain there is nothing to sever, so the advantage evaporates and the fine spurs are more easily damaged.
- Use a twist bit for pilot holes.A pilot hole is going to be filled with a screw and hidden. The rim quality is irrelevant, and twist bits are cheaper and available in every small size.
- Back up the exit face either way.Neither bit prevents breakout on its own. A sacrificial board clamped behind the workpiece is what gives a clean hole on both sides.
Tips
- Brad point bits are worth buying individually in the sizes you actually use rather than as a cheap set. The spurs are the whole tool and cheap sets grind them badly.
- Do not use a brad point in a hammer drill with percussion on, even briefly. The spurs are fine and the hammer will break them off.
- For a hole that must be flat-bottomed, neither bit will do — that is a Forstner job.
Common mistakes
- Using a twist bit for dowel holes — It wanders on entry, so the two halves of the joint do not line up, and the torn rim keeps the joint from closing.
- Using a brad point through an old painted board with hidden nails — One touch on a nail destroys the spurs, and a brad point with damaged spurs is worse than a twist bit.
Questions people ask
Can I use a brad point in metal?
No. The centre point and spurs are fine and unsupported, and metal will break them immediately. Metal is a twist bit or cobalt job.
Is a brad point the same as a lip and spur bit?
Yes, the same bit under two names. Lip and spur is the more descriptive term and appears more often on UK packaging.
Why does my brad point still wander?
Almost always because the drill is not perpendicular at the moment of entry, or because it has been started at speed. Start slowly with the point in a punched or knife-marked dimple.