Star-M 601 Bits: Borers from Another Planet

The 601s work great in a hand drill or electric drill.

The thing about the Wood Owl and Star-M bits is that they do incredible tricks that no other regular drill bit can do.

But they all have a dark side.

Wood Owl auger bits are the best augers I’ve ever used. They last a long time. Can you sharpen them? I haven’t had much luck.

The Star-M F Type bits cut through wood without needing a backing board. Exit holes and entry holes are as clean as ravioli through a toddler. But the second they get a little dull, everything goes to hell – tear-out, blow-out and all get-out. And they cut sideways, so you can turn a round hole into an oval hole with just one burp.

Can you resharpen them? Nope.

So today let’s consider the Star-M 601 bits. These bits are designed to cut clean entry holes in difficult materials, such as bamboo and resin.

And they do that. The entry holes are shockingly clean, with no burrs or other mess on the rim. I was amazed.

You can use them in a hand drill or an electric drill. So I tested them up against the no-name bits we let students use (we buy these by the gross). And against the super-premium Lee Valley bits that the company custom grinds (these we hide from students.)

The results speak for themselves. These bits – even the teeny-tiny ones – have four cutting lips. Even the best brand-point bits have only two. So that gives you that clean hole that we all dream of (yes, I am on my second beer tonight).