VICK TOOL CO 3-Piece Vix Bit Set (3, 5, 9) Hex Shank by S.E. Vick Tool Co.

Keith Jones: I finally brought these for a project. They work perfectly. I don’t know. Why I waited so long to do so. What a time saver!

United States on Sep 25, 2023

Leo R Graywacz: Of course the first thing I did with these is try to put them into my hex drill driver. They didn't fit it because they were too tight. I put a caliper to them and they were slightly over .250", but only on the very end. I measured my Snappy version and it was .245" and fits into the drill nice. Another thing is the VIX didn't lock into the hex chuck.

All it took was about 5 strokes on some 220 grit on each of the six sides of the hex shank and it now fit into the hex chuck nicely. Which lead to the next issue of the VIX bit not locking into the chuck. I used a Dremel to mill the indent on the hex a bit deeper and the VIX bit now locked into the chuck.

Even though the fix was simple and only took a minute or two for each pc this shouldn't happen. The bits are $13ea where a snappy is $13 for 3 and they all fit and lock properly without adjustment.

Before I put any self centering bit into operation I take it apart and apply a small amount of grease to the top and bottom of the springs, washer and base. I've learned over the decades that if you use them to do lots of holes in a row the spring gets hot and loses it's temper and the spring becomes weak. Ever since...

United States on Jul 12, 2023

Howard Roark: Of the many self-centering bits that I investigated, this brand is the only one with a tapered tip. That means it is the only self-centering bit. The blunt tip on all of the others fails to center the bit. This brand is the most expensive but the others are a waste of money. The sleeve spins with the bit; I do not know if this action would scratch a hinge with a chamfered hole because I used it with a jig that had a sharp edge on a hole (so it touched just the edge). It worked well for me.

These bits came without instructions. The manufacturer does not have a website and does not answer its telephone. The seller says instructions exist but did not give them to me. After loosening the set screw, I found the bit is loose and comes out the back for cleaning and depth adjustment. Depth is limited. The spring keeping the sleeve out is strong but I do not know how to buy and install a replacement of it.

United States on Mar 28, 2023

lgduch: la qualité est au rendez vous.

Canada on Mar 27, 2023

Pixel_dude: Super handy for mounting hardware. For example, for a caster with four mounting holes, use the right size Vix bit for one corner, then screw in a mounting screw. Do the same for the hole in the opposite corner, after lining up the caster, of course. Then finish the remaining holes. Only buy these, from Vix- I tried others, and they don't drill an accurately centered pilot hole. My only complaint is it's difficult to find a replacement drill bit if one breaks - they're a bit longer than standard bits.

United States on Nov 10, 2022

SCS: Self-centering function works well enough, but still found it useful to use a center-punch first, as my eyes lack depth perception. Insert screws that lock the drill bit to the shank were very hard to turn the first time; a bit of oil or grease is needed here. Minor problems 1) This was the first time I'd used this particular tool. No instructions for use were included, so had to experiment to find out self-centering sleeve is spring-loaded. 2) Clearance between the bits and the self-centering sleeves is narrow, so the area between the bits and sleeves becomes clogged with wood shavings fairly quickly. Does not interfere with the function of the device, but found it necessary to remove bits fairly often to get wood shavings out of the bits and self-centering sleeves. Note: I only used these self-centering bits on a regular drill press, not a hand-held electric drill.

United States on Aug 08, 2021

Alan: The bits are of excellent manufacture and work very well.

Australia on May 04, 2021