Hand Tool Reviews – Irwin Blue Groove 4X Flat Bit

Testing the Irwin Blue Groove 4X flat bit

The first thing that we noticed about the Irwin Blue Groove 4X flat bit in this tools review is the patented groove point and the scoop shape which has been cut out of both flat sides. Irwin claim that this unique cutting edge cuts the timber 4 times faster than standard flat bits cutting edge, and it doesn’t scrape the sides of the hole as it cuts it’s way down.

Removing Cut Timber from Hole

These scoop cut outs from the blade are called parabolic scoops. They optimise the way the blade scoops out the cut timber from the hole and for anyone who has ever used a flat bit this is a huge advantage.

Blade Cutting Angle

The relief angle (cutting angle of blades) on these bits has been increased from 12° up to 17°. The strong shank is 152mm in length and due to this is 10% larger in diameter than standard bits which makes it less prone to bending and increases durability.

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Special Features of the Irwin Blue Groove Flat Bit

Unlike traditional drill bits, this flat bit has a selection of special features, they are as follows:

• 4 times faster than other flat drill bits
• Patented parabolic scoops remove unwanted dust and debris allowing for a faster cut
• Very sharp producing a clean cut with no burrs or burns

I can tell you it works! We found these bits, as the video shows, incredibly fast, incredibly smooth and most importantly, incredibly sharp. The holes were clean and the bottom of the hole showed no burrs or burns.

We found these flat bits to be excellent. It is all too common for a flat bit to virtually plough up the timber while forcing through to make a hole. These bits flew through the timber, even up to the 32mm size when the increased angle of the relief really came into its own. Definitely worth the 5 stars we gave them.