Technical Foundation
What Is a Jobber Drill Bit Set?
Jobber length is the standard twist drill length proportion — roughly midway between the shorter screw-machine length and the longer taper-length or extra-length bits — and covers the vast majority of general-purpose drilling in metal, wood and plastic. A jobber set bundles a graduated range of diameters, most commonly in an indexed case, covering fractional inch, wire gauge number, letter, or metric sizing systems, or combinations of these for a shop that needs full size coverage.
Bit material determines what can be drilled and at what speed: standard HSS (high-speed steel) handles general steel, aluminum and plastic; cobalt-alloyed HSS (M35/M42) resists the heat generated drilling stainless steel and other tough alloys, holding its edge where standard HSS would soften and dull; titanium nitride (TiN) coating on an HSS base adds surface hardness and reduces friction, extending life in general-purpose use but wearing through faster than cobalt's through-hardened heat resistance under continuous stainless drilling.
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| Spec | What It Means | Why It Matters |
|---|---|---|
| Material | HSS, cobalt (M35/M42), TiN-coated HSS, carbide-tipped | Cobalt sustains cutting heat in stainless/tough alloys better than standard HSS or coatings alone |
| Size System | Fractional inch, number/letter, metric, or combination | Matched to the drawing callouts and tap drill charts used in the shop |
| Set Size | 13-piece to 115+ piece indexed sets | Larger sets provide finer size increments across the full range |
| Point Angle | 118° standard, 135° split point common | 135° split point starts on contact without walking, especially on curved or hard surfaces |
| Shank Type | Straight (round) shank standard on jobber bits | Reduced/step shanks used only on larger diameters to fit standard drill chucks |
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Applications
Where Jobber Drill Bit Sets Get Used
Jobber drill bit sets are specified anywhere general-purpose hole drilling across a range of diameters is a routine shop or field task.
General Machine Shop Drilling
Full-range jobber drill sets covering the fractional and letter sizes needed for everyday shop drilling and tapping prep.
Stainless Steel Fabrication
Cobalt jobber sets specified where standard HSS bits would dull quickly from stainless's work-hardening tendency.
Maintenance & Field Service
Compact indexed jobber sets kept in service trucks and toolboxes for on-site repair drilling.
Sheet Metal & HVAC Fabrication
Titanium-coated jobber bits for repetitive drilling in mild steel and aluminum ductwork and enclosures.
Metric Equipment Servicing
Metric jobber drill sets specified for tap drill sizing on imported machinery and metric fastener hardware.
FAQ
Jobber Drill Bit Sets Questions, Answered
What's the difference between HSS and cobalt jobber drill bits?
Standard HSS (high-speed steel) handles general drilling in mild steel, aluminum and plastic well and is the most economical choice. Cobalt bits (M35 or M42 alloy) hold their hardness at higher temperatures, which matters because drilling stainless steel and other tough alloys generates more heat and work-hardens the material as the bit cuts — cobalt resists dulling in that heat where standard HSS would soften and lose its edge quickly.
Do I need a 135° split point or is 118° standard point fine?
A 135° split point is self-centering and starts cutting on contact without walking or wandering across the surface first, which matters most on hard, curved, or coated surfaces. A 118° standard point is adequate for softer materials and flat surfaces where starting accuracy is less critical, and is still common on economy-grade sets.
What size system should my drill set cover — fractional, number/letter, or metric?
That depends on what your shop's drawings and tap drill charts specify: US-standard fastener work commonly uses fractional and number/letter tap drill sizes, while metric fastener and imported equipment work uses metric sizes. Many shops keep both a fractional/letter set and a metric set rather than trying to cover both ranges from a single set.
Is titanium coating worth it over an uncoated HSS bit?
TiN coating reduces friction and adds surface hardness, which extends tool life and allows somewhat faster cutting speeds in general-purpose materials, but the coating is thin and wears through with heavy use — it doesn't provide the same sustained heat resistance as cobalt for continuous stainless steel drilling. For general shop use across mixed materials, TiN-coated HSS is a solid mid-tier choice; for dedicated stainless work, cobalt is the better long-term investment.
How do I keep track of which sizes are used up in a large indexed set?
Most indexed cases label each slot with its size, making it easy to spot a missing or short bit at a glance, and reordering individual replacement bits by size (rather than a whole new set) is usually available once you know which sizes see the most wear in your shop's typical work.
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