3/4 in. x 54 in. 1/4 in. shank Screw Point Flexible Bit

To all the electricians in the Home Depot universe: a sharp drill bit that chews through studs and makes clean passageways for wires is a must. Maybe it is just IDEAListic. Either way, with this flexible drill bit, you may be disappointed. Perhaps the 2X3 wood on my garage door was just made out of the hardest wood that ever was milled for use by man, or maybe this drill bit isn’t very sharp. I had a difficult time drilling through the wood to show how to use this bit, for demonstration purposes. I wanted to test this bit out before I used it on a larger project later this month, and I’m glad that I did. Here are a few issues that I have with the bit: 1.) The flexible drill bit is used in conjunction with a guide, which costs $20.00 separately. 2.) This drill bit is seemingly dull. 3.) The guide will strip the paint covering on the bit shaft, which leaves a mess that you don’t want in your work space. (Usually these are for old work, so someone’s house more than likely). However, this drill bit has some good features, and if you really need the tool, go for it buddy. The bit is 4’ and 6” long. The drill bit has holes on both ends to attach a fish tape. This thing can be very useful if you have the elbow grease required to force it through the wood. If that’s true for you, by all means this bit could even be a three star or a four star, but it will never be a five star. Never. But if I am being completely honest, I really love the IDEAL brand. I appreciate their dedication to bringing electricians tools at affordable prices, and that’s worth something too (not another star though for this review unfortunately).

I love these drill bits! I have been using them for years and just picked up this 3/4" screw point bit for a bathroom remodeling project we are doing. The 54" length is perfect for drilling through multiple bays when needed. I have used them to run wire, plumbing, and low voltage audio and security wiring. I have found that this bit drills best at lower speeds. A feature I love is that it has a hole at each end of the bit so you can attach wire to the bit an use it to pull the wire. There is also an accessory you can use to help bend the bit for drilling in tight spaces or to get a more vertical hole. For this project we drilled the hole and left the bit in the hole going down into the crawlspace which made it much easier to find the hole from the crawlspace.

As a remodeler, I use flex bits and fish rods a lot to get power where I need it without making too many holes in the drywall. This is a good bit to have on hand. It's flexible and cuts well. Pointy enough to dig in without a pilot bit, too. Some flex bits come too dull for that and it's a pain getting the bit started. I drilled through a half dozen rafters and it still cuts well, so I think that speaks to it's longevity.

The ideal flexible drill bit was exactly what I needed to run an Ethernet cable from my router in the living room, to the game room for my streaming box. I was able to go through the floor in the living room, and through the ceiling in my garage. I then attached the Ethernet cable to the end of the bit, and pulled it back up through the floor. It is a very long and strong bit, that is rather flexible for when you have the hard to reach areas. The tip of the pit is like a screw, and will grab on to whatever is in its way, and guide it right through. This bit is going to come in handy when I remodel the bathroom and install 2 outlets for the light up mirrors. I was worried I would have to rip down drywall, but now I feel confident that I will only have to make the holes for the box.

I needed to get some power into a basement closet. I had to drill next to the stairs at an angle to get the wire hole to the correct location in an upstairs pantry where my fuse box is located. This is the first time I've used a flexible drill bit and was somewhat amazed at how well it worked. The hardest part ended up being getting the drill chuck tight enough to hang onto this bugger when I really started potting some pressure on it to get it to bend to the right angle to get the tip pointing straight up, while the drill itself had to be slightly off center. Other than struggling with the drill chuck this thing worked great. The drill tip worked better than I expected in getting the hole started. I did have to apply some pressure to get the big part of the tip through once I was past the threaded part of the tip, but was able to push it on through. Once the tip was exposed in the upstairs pantry I simply threaded a 14 gauge three wire romex cable through the tip, went back downstairs, and it easily fed through the new hole into the basement closet. It's probably not a tool I will be using on a weekly basis, but when it is needed I know it will do the job!

The bit is long enough to get you deep into a wall cavity. The shaft is flexible enough to allow you to work it into a wall pocket, but stiff enough to push it hard when drilling. I had issues getting the drill chuck tight enough, as the base is round, and during tough drilling, it did slip. The next time I use it I plan to grind flats to match my drill chuck. The bit itself is aggressive and the screw point pulls it through nicely. Once the screw point pokes through though, you have to really press to force the bit to cut the small amount of remaining material. The hole in the bit is well placed, and I was able to easily poke a 12 gauge wire through in order to twist it and get ready to pull cable.

The IDEAL 3/4 in. x 54 in. 1/4 in. shank Screw Point Flexible Bit is fairly easy to use . It has a small treaded tip to start the drilling followed by the larger 3/4 thread to drill the larger hole to fish wires through. Once you drill through the stud the larger part of the drill bit has a small hole in it so you can attach the wire from below and pull the wire up to the outlet or switch you are installing. It has a round end that goes into your drill. I would have preferred a hex end like they put on screw driver bits to keep it more firmly in the drill. Because you have to bend the bit and push on it while drilling the drill bit moved around some at the point it was attached to the drill. Also I would have liked the drill bit rod to be a bit more flexible too. I found it kind of stiff. If they changed the end and made it a bit more flexible this could have been a great product. As it is this still seems to work well. Just make sure the drill bit is good and secure on the drill end.

Nice bit! Sharp and durable. Has the right amount of flexibility to get in there and do its job and get back out. The 54" gives me plenty of length to get down in those hard to reach spots. And with the backend cone shape, it should allow me to pull my wires right back up to where I need them. The threaded tip will totally help grab and dig into whatever I put in front of it.

Whether you are a DIYer or a professional who has ever pulled cables or wires you will appreciate this Ideal Flexible Drill Bit in your arsenal. The 54” reach and the ¾” diameter makes this bit multifunctional. It is great for drilling and then attaching cables through either end of the bit to pull wires in hard-to-reach locations. Sometimes a standard auger cable bit is great for drilling between studs but doesn’t reach through a grouping of joists or into a corner. This may solve those situations because the ¼” shaft provides flexibility and allows the user to extend the drilling range. Also, the screw point helps pull the bit into wood or sheetrock for precision drilling. Remember to drill responsibly.

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