March 21, 2022 Benchmark Abrasives

What is a Spade bit Used For

A spade bit is a wood-boring drill bit designed in 1968 by the Irvine Tools Company. Because of its shape, spade bits are also known as paddle bits. This flat drill bit has two sharp-edged lips for fast removal of wood shavings, dust, and other waste material from the borehole. The spade bit also has spurs on the sides of the lips to make a clean cut.

Here in this article, you will learn two of the most important things about spade bits. Firstly, what is a spade bit used for? And second, why choose a spade bit? You will also know about spade bit sizes.

What is a Spade drill bit Used For?

The primary purpose of spade bits is to drill rough holes in wood quickly and to drill several holes at once.

A spade bit is primarily used to make quick holes in wood. Because spade bits make rough holes, they are commonly used to drill in areas that will later be covered or not visible by the naked eye.

Spade drill bits are mostly used by electricians and plumbers to drill through wood poles and plastic pipes, as they need to put cables or pipes through that hole. Spade bits are perfect to drill through any type of wood, whether it is softwood or hardwood, such as chipboard, fiberboard (MDF), plasterboard, acrylic, and plastic-laminated wood.

A spade bit is a power drill or impact driver attachment for drilling holes in tree stumps or thick, solid timber. Some DIYers even mix paint with old, worn-out spade bits.

If you want to drill through soft metals, you can have our top-rated spade bit for metal.

Common Spade Bit Applications and Tips

Electricians use spade bits to drill through wall studs for electrical wires and cables.
Plumbers use spade bits to drill through wall studs and wall top plates to install copper and PVC pipes.
Used to drill through floor joists for wiring.
Used to drill treated plates for foundations.
Drill the treated deck to attach a deck ledger board to the wood frame.

Why Choose a Spade Bit?

Choose spade bits or paddle bits for drilling large diameter holes up to 1-1/2 inches with a handheld drill.

Common Material to Drill with Spade Bits-

Spade bits are designed to drill holes in common construction lumber, whether treated or untreated. They are also perfect for drilling through sheet goods such as plywood, OSB, and forming plywood.

Choose a spade drill bit if you are looking for:

For the fastest drilling through wood
For drilling multiple types of holes
For drilling large-diameter holes
For drilling flat bottom holes
For drilling several holes in a short time
For drilling rough holes
Less expensive wood boring drill bit
Multipurpose drill bit

Benefits of Choosing a Spade Drill bit

Spade bits are versatile and can drill wood, plastic, and soft metals.
Capable of drilling multiple holes required for framing, plumbing, electrical, and woodworking jobs.
It can make large diameter holes.
Fastest drill bit compared to other wood drill bits.
Cheapest wood drill bit.

Why choose a spade bit over other drill bits? In answer to this question read our article spade bit vs drill bit.

What Sizes of Spade Bits are Available?

Spade bits are commonly available in several sizes ranging from 6mm to 36mm (metric size) and 1/4" to 1 1/2" (imperial size). For easy identification, the shape of the spade is often engraved on the body of the spade. To get the best drill bit set for wood and metal, visit our store.

You should know the length of the drill bit shank in addition to the metric and imperial sizes of the spade bits. Standard shank sizes range from 150 mm (6″) to 400 mm (16″) long. A long-shanked spade bit is used to drill deep holes in walls and wood frames.

Additional Factors To Consider While Using A Spade Bit

Following are some of the factors to consider while using spade bits:

Bit size: Selecting the right bit size is crucial in working with spade bits. A bit size that is too small can be inefficient or not provide desired holes; on the other hand, selecting a bit size that is too large can damage the workpiece.
Type of wood: the type of wood you are drilling also plays a significant role while working with spade bits. Harder woods require low speed to drill effectively; softer woods, on the other hand, are easy to drill and require high speed to cut effectively.
Use pilot holes: For drilling larger holes, ensure that a pilot drill or pre-drill is used as a small hole that acts as a guide to the spade bit for further drilling. This prevents the bit from wandering.

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