Step bit vs. hole saw... Discuss...

Trying to decide if I should just break down and buy a step bit for 70 bucks and drill my kegs correctly, or if I should chance it with a hole saw...

Whats everyone's thoughts?!

If you are only going to be using them for the keggle conversion, goto harbor freight and get their step bits. They are cheap and make sure to use oil in order to save your drill. They aren't the best quality but if your only doing a few holes why waste the money.

Squeeky

Squeeky said:

If you are only going to be using them for the keggle conversion, goto harbor freight and get their step bits. They are cheap and make sure to use oil in order to save your drill. They aren't the best quality but if your only doing a few holes why waste the money.

Squeeky

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+1...my thoughts exactly

Squeeky said:

If you are only going to be using them for the keggle conversion, go to harbor freight and get their step bits. They are cheap and make sure to use oil in order to save your drill. They aren't the best quality but if your only doing a few holes why waste the money.

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I completely agree. There will undoubtedly be a few people who chime in here to say they prefer the hole saw, but I HATE drilling sheet metal with a hole saw. Step drills make very clean holes with minimal effort. You can use vegetable oil as a cheap alternative to cutting oil.

Harbor Freight STEP DRILL... never do something like this with a hole saw...

Yes on the step bit.

Ever break your wrist with a hole saw? Well me neither(but heard of it being done), but I sure bet it would suck.

I agree with the previous posters. Harbor Freight is the way to do it. Made in Taiwan baby! They're throw away bits, but you're only using them for a few holes anyway...and if they do last beyond the keggle conversion the all the better. The step bit will make for a cleaner hole too.

Ditto on the veggie oil, too. It'll work just fine for what you're doing.

They both do a great job. If you need to go out and buy them +1 on harbor freight just drill slow and use cutting oil, they do a killer job, they wont last very long drilling stainless but they will get the job done. I like the carbide hole saws from GREENLEE they are expensive but worth it IMO.
JJ

personaly im a tool guy so i like the step bit just bc it can be used multiple times for different size holes. but i do build alot of junk, but if its only for kegs... cheap hole saw.

I was completely against the idea of using a hole saw but eventually decided to give it a try. It was so unbelievably easy! I bought a bimetal 1" holesaw blade for $9 at Lowes. Then I made a jig by simply drilling a hole in a 2"x4" piece of wood and then just clamped that down onto the keg on both ends. Finally I oiled up the area of interest and I was able to drill a hole in under half a minute. Then I just cleaned up the hole and surrounding area using some coarse sandpaper. The jig helped a lot because it prevented the holesaw from roaming around roughing up the area.

I originally started off using a step bit I bought from harbor freight. Maybe it was my POS craftsman drill, but for some reason I could only drill until about 7/8" diameter before my step bit would slow down to stop. However, the step bit definitely made a cleaner hole that didn't even need to be deburred.

step bit

the one i used for my keggle was purchased from lowe's and cost around $30. worked awesome.

I'll be one to chime in.. I've drilled 14 holes in various kegs with a 7/8th" bimetal hole saw. It's not a clean cut and yeah, you want to hold the drill very tightly to keep it from jerking on you. It also requires a bit of cleanup after, but it goes like butter. Notice I drilled an 1/8th smaller than necessary because it's a bit of a sloppy hole *that's what she said.

+1 step bit.

Harbor Freight has one for $14. It makes VERY clean holes with little if any deburring needed. It'll make the process much easier on you.

While I agree that step drills are great in general, I'm going to have to disagree in this case based on personal experience. I tried a step drill (a cheap one, exactly like harbor freight carries), just for shiggles, on the cut-out top of the keg, and it was obnoxiously loud and slow and was heating up a lot (and yes, I was using oil). I wouldn't be at all surprised if the cheapo step drill bit would have been all but destroyed after drilling it all the way out to 7/8" or so - a high-quality step drill would probably do great, but I wasn't looking to spend $30+ on one.

I drilled my valve hole with a 3/4" Ridgid holesaw (from home depot). I can hardly express how easily it went through - the pilot bit took a while but the holesaw itself went through like a hot knife through butter, and didn't 'grab' at the end like holesaws often do in thin materials. It left sharp edges, sure, but didn't tear or otherwise deform the metal - 5 minutes with a dremel with grinding stone and I had a hole that was exactly the right size so that the 1/2" NPT pipe nipple I had was a friction fit. (I was doing a weldless valve install).

If you've got the cash and can write off the cost of a quality step drill as a bit that you'd like to add to your tool arsenal anyway, then it's not such a bad option, but a holesaw is a fine option that will likely cost you less than half as much but do the job just fine, and do it quickly and easily.

Just outta curiousity, why are you guys saying 7/8" bits. The coupler from mcmaster that I'm looking at is 1 and 1/16" OD.

If you buy the commercial homebrewing parts, they are smaller and only require a 7/8" hole. The step drill is also great because once you have the hole through (cut really easily for me using a Chicago Electric drill) you can continue for a few seconds to use the next higher diameter to debur the hole. The key with step drills in SS is to apply firm, constant pessure and turn the bit SLOWLY, do not gun your drill or you will just burn up the bit.

NoClueBrewMaster said:

Just outta curiousity, why are you guys saying 7/8" bits. The coupler from mcmaster that I'm looking at is 1 and 1/16" OD.

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I bought a SS coupler from NB (but similar to that picture) for my keggle which measures 1.1" in diameter. I used the Harbor Freight step bit to make a 1" whole (which it did beautifully) and then ground the hole out with a dremel until the coupler fit snuggly in the hole. I hope to have it welded in very soon.

I would guess that the folks drilling 7/8" holes are either doing weldless kits or welding in a nipple instead of a coupler.

I get a kick out of this every time it comes up. All the DIYers vote for the Unibit, while the those of us that do stuff like this for a living vote for the Holesaws. Unibits are for when there is already a hole there and you need to make it bigger. Get the holesaw. You're not "chancing" anything with a holesaw.

I used a hole saw with no problems whatsover. Drilled a small pilot hole and let the bit do most of the work, didn't put too much pressure on it. Easy-peazy. I've also used them to drill all of my holes in my kegerator (gotta imagine that's a much bigger PITA to do with a step bit).

I've said it before, I'll keep saying it... I just don't think I can do the Harbor Freight thing. There's nothing that pisses me off more than when a tool that I need - whether a physical tool like a drill bit, or a tool like a computer - fails when I need it. If I'm, for example, drilling out a hole on a keg and the bit breaks, it's a hour-long round trip to get to the Depot and drop the coin on a REAL tool. I'm of the opinion that saving $15 on a cheap tool (where are you seeing step bits for $70?) is, at least in large part, a false economy; I'm fleshing out my shop, to the extent I can, with tools that I hope to use for years and years and years.

MrFebtober said:

I would guess that the folks drilling 7/8" holes are either doing weldless kits or welding in a nipple instead of a coupler.

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Nah, it really depends on the pressure rating of the coupling. Some are larger in diameter than others. I had to open the hole to 1.063" to get it snug but the 7/8" hole saw actually makes closer to a 1" hole after you clean it up.

I don't understand having to "clean up" after the hole saw; I don't remember having to do much at all. Cut pretty cleanly for me.

Maybe it depends on the exact bit you have. I think the teeth on mine was made for wood and metal so the bit does a little dancing by slightly wearing the pilot hole as it goes.

Was it a cheap-ass Harbor Freight hole saw?

SO the bottom line is, do whatever you want, obviously it doesnt matter whatsoever. We have all used both, and we have all made holes in SS... yippee.

the_bird said:

I've said it before, I'll keep saying it... I just don't think I can do the Harbor Freight thing. There's nothing that pisses me off more than when a tool that I need - whether a physical tool like a drill bit, or a tool like a computer - fails when I need it. If I'm, for example, drilling out a hole on a keg and the bit breaks, it's a hour-long round trip to get to the Depot and drop the coin on a REAL tool. I'm of the opinion that saving $15 on a cheap tool (where are you seeing step bits for $70?) is, at least in large part, a false economy; I'm fleshing out my shop, to the extent I can, with tools that I hope to use for years and years and years.

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It depends on the tool and my planned frequency of use. I don't regularly drill huge holes in sheet metal, so I went for the cheapy step drill bit (actually I have a nicer one but it wasn't large enough). On the other hand, I would never buy a cheapy cordless drill or torque wrench. I use those items with more regularity, and quality is more important, and they are expensive enough that I really would like a lifetime of use out of them.

For what it's worth, my harbor freight bit showed no noticeable wear/dulling after putting a 1" hole in a keg, which was actually kinda surprising. Also, my $20 Big Lots angle grinder worked flawlessly for cutting off the top of the keg. Why spend $70 - $100 on a tool that I'm only going to use very occasionally?

I used a Harbor Freight step bit for my kegs. It did a pretty good job. Just remember to go slow with lots of pressure and oil. I used a punch to give myself a starting point so the bit didn't dance around before it started cutting.

If you get an american made step bit from 1/4" to 1 3/8" with 1/8" increments, you are looking at 75 bucks from McMaster. That was the only place I could find a good bit for my needs.



If I can source some good couplings with a 7/8" OD I can save a good bit of money on the bit. I will be drilling about 10 kegs with anywhere between 1 and 3 holes per keg, so I want a good tool, not something I'll buy 4 times.

If you're set on using McMaster, check out part #4146A19. You'll need to purchase an arbor for it as well, for a total tool cost of about $24 + shipping. The same page in the McMaster catalog has some really nice hole saws as well. If you want quality tools, skip Harbor Freight and Home Depot/Lowes. Either buy online (like you're suggesting), or find a local tool supply shop. The local places probably won't be cheap, but you won't have to pay for shipping.

Bernie Brewer said:

I get a kick out of this every time it comes up. All the DIYers vote for the Unibit, while the those of us that do stuff like this for a living vote for the Holesaws. Unibits are for when there is already a hole there and you need to make it bigger. Get the holesaw. You're not "chancing" anything with a holesaw.

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Let's take it easy on the disparaging comments. I use step bits at the suggestion of my father, a seasoned aircraft mechanic and inspector, who often deals with sheet metal fab. We've both had similar irritating experiences with hole saws and prefer to use step drills for most sheet metal applications. While hole saws may have served you well, they are not necessarily the panacea of sheet metal hole making in the "professional" world.

Who would have thunk the step vs. hole saw discussion would go the way of fly vs. batch? I SHOULD own a nice step set by now since I have just about every other cutting impliment.

Bobby_M said:

Who would have thunk the step vs. hole saw discussion would go the way of fly vs. batch? I SHOULD own a nice step set by now since I have just about every other cutting implement.

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No kidding! Even the outcome is the same: both are viable solutions, so do what works for you.

Thanks much guys... I don't really like hole saws, however I'm sure some people do. I got what I wanted out of this discussion. I'll check out that part number. Thanks!

Yuri_Rage said:

Let's take it easy on the disparaging comments. I use step bits at the suggestion of my father, a seasoned aircraft mechanic and inspector, who often deals with sheet metal fab. We've both had similar irritating experiences with hole saws and prefer to use step drills for most sheet metal applications. While hole saws may have served you well, they are not necessarily the panacea of sheet metal hole making in the "professional" world.

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Easy there big fella. I wasn't trying to dis anyone. Honest. I have no experience whatsoever with the applications that you describe, and if the Unibit works better for those apps, great. And I apologize for that. I will say, though, that 90% of the time, an electrician or plumber is going to grab the holesaw before the Unibit. I love Unibits. I own a couple. But they have their applications, and so do holesaws. As far as the average homeowner goes, they're not going to use them very often, so why recommend spending upwards of $50 for a tool you're probably never going to use again when a holesaw will do the job for less than $10? To each their own. Sorry if I ruffled your feathers.

Wouldn't it be like totally cool if someone could invent a step hole-saw? I can't believe you guys have spent this much time arguing about the best way to drill a hole. Shouldn't some of you be at work right now? (McKBrew looks over shoulder to see if boss is lurking).

I like my step bit, only because my hole saws are all too big for homebrew related DIY, and I haven't found it necessary to buy smaller ones yet.

Bernie Brewer said:

Easy there big fella.
...
so why recommend spending upwards of $50 for a tool you're probably never going to use again when a holesaw will do the job for less than $10?

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No worries...I just want to make sure we get all the info out there without creating a rift between professionals and so-called "DIY-ers."

With regard to recommending an expensive step bit, I was actually recommending the cheap Harbor Freight bits until the OP mentioned wanting quality, reusable equipment. For a few uses, the HF step bits or Home Depot hole saws are fine. For repeated use and abuse, you can't get away with either of those options.

NoClueBrewMaster said:

Just outta curiousity, why are you guys saying 7/8" bits. The coupler from mcmaster that I'm looking at is 1 and 1/16" OD.

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No worries, I bought the same couplers and they will work fine. We just have to drill a bigger diameter holes. I suggest picking up the 1" bimetal holesaw blade from lowes. Then drill a hole in a 2"x4" and clamp that down on the keg on both sides so the hole aligns with where you plan to drill. Then just spray a little oil drill slowly and you should be good to go.

yea step bit - like $30 at lowes

Just a note on using food grade oil as your drilling lubricant....
Rapeseed oil, which is most commonly known as canola oil (or close enough for our purposes) was not very heavily used until engines were invented. It's use as an industrial lubricant far superceded it's culinary attributes. And I'd rather see you drill metal with it than cook with it....but when it comes to food I'm a bit of an EAC

from what I saw from Lowe's website the biggest step bit they sell goes to 7/8".
Obviously, that may vary instore. Since the 7/8" OD couplers are available, where'd you guys source them from? Most homebrew websites don't list an OD for the 1/2" NPT couplers.

NoClueBrewMaster said:

from what I saw from Lowe's website the biggest step bit they sell goes to 7/8".
Obviously, that may vary instore. Since the 7/8" OD couplers are available, where'd you guys source them from? Most homebrew websites don't list an OD for the 1/2" NPT couplers.

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Are you looking for something like this?

It calls for a 7/8'' hole. This thread had me looking around too.

cool... i'll have to check around tomorrow. Thanks for the link