Cobalt vs Titanium Drill Bits?
By Nate Sawyer, Editor · Updated July 2026
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DeWalt Industrial Cobalt Alloy Steel Set DWA1240 (14-Piece)
A metal-drilling workhorse: solid M35 cobalt (not just a coating) means the hardness goes all the way through, making it the pick for stainless, angle iron, and other hard metals that eat cheaper bits.
| Material | Cobalt (M35, 8% cobalt) |
|---|---|
| Sizes | 1/16 - 3/8 in (14 bits) |
| Shank | Round straight |
| Point | 135 deg split point (Pilot Point) |
| Best for | Stainless, angle iron, I-beams |
Bosch TI14 Titanium-Coated Metal Drill Bit Set (14-Piece)
A 14-piece HSS drill set (1/16-1/2 in.) with a titanium-nitride coating, a low-cost all-rounder for wood, plastic, and light-gauge steel. Split-point tips start without skating, and the 3-flat shank resists spinning in a keyless chuck. The TiN coating is only surface-deep, so bits dull fast in metal; they're not for stainless or hardened steel.
| Material | HSS with titanium nitride (TiN) coating |
|---|---|
| Sizes | 1/16 - 1/2 in (14 bits) |
| Shank | Round with 3-flat above 3/16 in |
| Point | Split point |
| Best for | Wood, plastic, light-gauge steel |
Our verdict
The difference is depth versus surface. Cobalt (M35) is an alloy that's hard all the way through, so it keeps cutting hard and stainless steel even as it wears, and it can be resharpened. Titanium bits are just HSS with a thin TiN coating - great value and bite for wood, plastic and light steel, but once the coating wears off they dull like plain HSS. Buy the DeWalt cobalt if you regularly drill stainless or hardened metal; buy the Bosch titanium set as an affordable everyday all-rounder. Many shops keep both.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Are titanium drill bits stronger than cobalt?
- No, and this is the most common misunderstanding. Titanium bits are ordinary HSS with a thin titanium nitride coating on the surface. Cobalt bits are an M35 alloy that is hard all the way through. The coating wears off; the alloy does not.
- Which should you buy for drilling stainless or hardened steel?
- Cobalt. The DeWalt DWA1240 set runs cooler and holds an edge in stainless, angle iron and I-beams, where a titanium-coated bit dulls fast once the coating is gone. The Bosch titanium set is explicitly not suited to stainless.
- Can you resharpen either type?
- Cobalt bits can be resharpened multiple times because the hardness runs through the whole bit. Coated titanium bits cannot meaningfully be resharpened, since sharpening removes the coating that made them bite.
- Which set covers a wider range of hole sizes?
- The Bosch titanium set, which runs 1/16 to 1/2 inch. The DeWalt cobalt set stops at 3/8 inch, so you need a separate answer for larger holes. Cobalt is also more brittle - flex it or drill at an angle and the tip can snap.