The best countersinks, compared.
Top pick: TMBMLPP 5-size adjustable set Best value: Makita D-73455 4-piece set – About £7.92 for four combination bits, No. 6 to No. 12, with 4.5 from 247 reviews, after snapped pilots and a missing angle are already on the record. Updated October 2026.
A countersink cuts the conical seat that lets a countersunk screw sit flush. In the UK you mostly buy one for wood screws in timber, plywood or furniture, and sometimes to deburr aluminium or light steel. Two tools share the name. A plain chamfer works after the hole already exists. A combination countersink drill bit drills a small pilot and cuts the cone in one pass. You match the cutter to the screw. The included angle should follow the head: 90° for metric countersunk screws and for much British inch practice, and 82° for many inch flat heads. A mismatch leaves the head rocking on a ring. That split is set out in the [82° or 90° countersink](/hub/drilling-and-accessories/countersink/sub/countersink-82-or-90) guide. The pilot should suit the screw shank rather than a clearance hole, and a gauge number is not the drilled diameter. A 1/4 inch hex fits most cordless drills. Carbon steel and ordinary HSS suit wood, plastic and light non-ferrous cuts. A listing that forbids hand drills, or limits the cutter to softer stock, is a limit you keep.
A countersink cuts the conical seat that lets a countersunk screw sit flush. In the UK you mostly buy one for wood screws in timber, plywood or furniture, and sometimes to deburr aluminium or light steel.
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Personal buying guide
Question 1 of 2
Does the hole already exist?
The TMBMLPP set, listed at £9.19, is five adjustable combination countersinks with pilots of 2.8, 3.0, 3.2, 3.5 and 4.0 mm, plus five spare pilots and five hex keys. The body is 45# carbon steel with an alloy tip, two flutes, 170 g, on a 1/4 inch hex. The title says 5 pieces; the bullets and the unit count say 15. The surface line is wood, particle board, plastic and MDF, and the angle is not stated. It is 5.0 from 8 reviews. The two UK texts praise sharp holes so a class did not swap bits, a hex that did not slip, and an Allen key on each size. One of those texts reads as a classroom first impression. There is no written criticism in those two texts, and reviews describe separate small boxes rather than one case. Eight ratings are too small a sample to move the top pick.
Pros
Cons
Best for: A first adjustable set in the 2.8–4.0 mm pilot range, if you treat 5.0 from 8 reviews as a first impression.
Less suitable: You want a large review sample, a stated angle, or one fitted case.
Specifications
Common questions
Why do the piece counts disagree?
The title says 5 pcs. The bullets and the unit count say 15 pieces: five countersinks, five replaceable pilots and five hex wrenches.
What materials are stated?
The surface line is wood, particle board, plastic and MDF. The body is described as 45# carbon steel with an alloy drill tip. Metal is only an unanswered question on the page.
How solid is the 5.0 rating?
The listing shows 5.0 from 8 ratings. The review notes have two UK reviews, one of them a classroom first use. That is a small sample.
The Makita D-73455, listed at £7.92, is four alloy-steel combination bits for short wood screws, No. 6 to No. 12, on a 1/4 inch hex. The listing pairs No. 6 with a 3 mm pilot, No. 8 with 4 mm, No. 10 with 5 mm and No. 12 with 6 mm, and it prints depth windows from 18–38 mm up to 26–45 mm, with the No. 6 line typed as 11m–31 mm. It is 4.5 from 247 reviews and weighs 60 g. Reviewers like not swapping from a twist drill to a separate cone, and some still call the edge sharp after heavy use. A reviewer found the size marked 6 mm drilled about 4 mm, which suits a wood screw cutting its thread rather than a 6 mm clearance hole. Small pilots snap, including on the second hole in 4 mm ply, and the pilot can run off centre or slip out. One review says the edge was blunt after about a dozen holes in treated timber, or about 30 in chipboard. There is an L-wrench and no case, and the angle is not stated. It is the best value here for short wood screws if you accept snapped tips.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You are fitting short wood screws from No. 6 to No. 12 and you want a low branded price.
Less suitable: You need a stated 90° seat, a storage case, or a pilot that will not snap in thin ply.
Specifications
Common questions
Is the marked size the hole diameter?
The listing pairs No. 12 with a 6 mm pilot and No. 6 with a 3 mm pilot. A reviewer found the size marked 6 mm drilled about 4 mm, which suits a wood screw cutting its thread rather than a 6 mm clearance hole.
Does it come with a case?
No. The included-components line is the D-73455 set, and the bullets add an L-wrench. Reviewers ask for a case.
Can it be used on metal?
The listing does not state a metal use. It says the set is for short wood screws and for carpentry, wood construction, furniture work and DIY.
The YXIING six-piece set, listed at £6.39, is two each of 12, 16 and 19 mm plain chamfers, two flutes, 170 g. The title gives a 1/4 inch shank; the spec table does not confirm the shank type, and the angle is not stated. Surfaces listed are wood, fibreboard, plastic, particle board, plywood and aluminium. It is 4.5 from 21 reviews. Buyers praise sharp cuts in wood and a pair of each size. One review describes a lumpy, flower-shaped seat in an aluminium router plate. Several reviews are only a few words, so how long the edge lasts is thinly described. A case is not stated, and there is no pilot. The cutting-diameter line prints 12 mm, which is the smallest size in the set, not a single cutter. It is a spare-pair chamfer set for wood, with that aluminium complaint on the record.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want a spare of each common chamfer size for wood and board.
Less suitable: You need a stated angle, a pilot, or a clean seat in an aluminium plate.
Specifications
Common questions
How many of each size are included?
The title lists 12 mm, 16 mm and 19 mm. A review says there are two of each of those three sizes, six bits in total.
Can they countersink aluminium?
Aluminium is on the surface list, and the bullets mention soft metals. One review of an aluminium router plate reported lumpy, flower-shaped seats. Wood reviews describe a clean cut.
Is a case included?
The page asks whether a case is included and does not answer. Included components are listed as NO.
The Torveen set, listed at £4.19, is three plain bits at 12, 16 and 19 mm, one flute, high-carbon steel, 80 g, on a 1/4 inch hex. It does not include a pilot. The spec line says aluminium; the bullets also name wood, plastic and soft metals. The title and bullets say 90 degrees, while the spec string prints 9E+1 Degrees, so the usable angle claim is the title. It is 4.5 from 15 reviews, and the four short UK texts are all positive: handy for finishing a hole that already exists, and sharp enough to drop in the drill. There is no written criticism in those four texts. Included components are listed as NO, so a case is not stated. Fifteen ratings are a thin sample next to the Gasea set at a similar price and a much larger review count. Treat it as a spare chamfer, not as proof that one flute outlasts a five-flute bit.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want a cheap second 12/16/19 mm chamfer and you accept a small review count.
Less suitable: You want a large UK review sample, a pilot, or a fitted case.
Specifications
Common questions
What angle are these bits?
The title and bullets say 90 degrees for countersunk screws. The specification string is printed as 9E+1 Degrees, which is not a second angle.
Do they include a pilot drill?
No. The set is three chamfer bits, 12 mm, 16 mm and 19 mm. Reviews describe fitting one in a drill and countersinking an existing hole.
How many reviews are there?
The listing shows 4.5 out of 5 from 15 ratings. The notes have four short UK reviews, all positive, which is a small sample.
The NORTOOLS 18-piece set, listed at £26.99, is an 82° combination kit in HSS 4341, four flutes, 490 g, with a case, plug cutters, depth collars and screwdriver bits. Reviews say it covers No. 4 to No. 12; the bullet list is truncated after No. 8, so that full range is a review statement, not a complete spec table. It is 4.5 from 9 reviews, and the sample includes non-UK texts. Those texts praise a matched pilot, pilots longer than on a previous set, and a hex shank that swaps easily. There is little written criticism, which means the failure modes are not described. Nine ratings are not a durability sample. The surface line is wood, and metal is not the recommendation. It is a full-looking case at a price close to the LIBRATON set, with far fewer reviews.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want flutes, collars and plugs in one wood case and you accept nine reviews.
Less suitable: You want the review volume of the EZARC 12-piece set or the Makita set.
Specifications
Common questions
Which screw sizes are covered?
Written reviews say No. 4 to No. 12. The bullet is truncated after No. 8, so the full size list is not on the bullet text itself.
What steel is stated?
The bullets say HSS 4341, with a four-flute chamfer at 82 degrees and a 1/4 inch hex shank. The surface recommendation is wood.
How many people have reviewed it?
The listing shows 4.5 out of 5 from 9 ratings. The written comments describe clean timber seats. That is a small sample.
The Gasea three-piece set, listed at £4.99, is a plain 90° chamfer in 12, 16 and 19 mm, five flutes, heat-treated carbon steel, 90 g, on a 1/4 inch hex. It does not drill the pilot. Across 1,122 reviews at 4.4 stars, buyers report a clean seat in marine plywood and oak, and in timber, MDF, ply and aluminium door bar or sheet. The listing says not to use the bits on high-hardness metal, and a review found them poor in glass-fibre laminate. Softwood and kiln-dried timber can look untidy unless the speed is high, and one buyer said the larger bit was blunt or uneven. Another reported wear after about half a dozen holes. They arrive in plastic bags, not a case. The smallest size is still large if you sink a screw of up to 4 mm too deep. It is the high-volume chamfer in this set, for a hole you have already drilled.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You already have the hole and want a 90° chamfer in wood, board or aluminium sheet.
Less suitable: You need a pilot, a case, or a cutter for hard steel or glass-fibre laminate.
Specifications
Common questions
Does this set drill the pilot hole?
No. These are chamfer countersinks for a hole you have already drilled. Sizes on the listing are 12 mm, 16 mm and 19 mm at 90 degrees.
Can it be used on metal?
The bullets name aluminium sheet and say not to use the bits on high-hardness metal. The surface line is plastic and wood. Reviews describe use in timber and in aluminium, and poor results in glass-fibre laminate.
Is there a storage case?
The listing does not include a case. Reviews mention plastic bags.
The LIBRATON 19-piece set, listed at £29.99, is a tapered 82° combination kit in nitride-treated HSS, four flutes, 408 g, for wood. Sizes run two No. 4 bits plus No. 6 to No. 12, with a 3/8 inch countersink on No. 4 to No. 10 and 1/2 inch on No. 12. The box adds 3/8 inch and 1/2 inch plug cutters, two depth rings, seven driver bits, a magnetic holder and a case. It is 4.4 from 377 reviews. Buyers describe a neater finish than driving screws bare, and 18 mm plywood worked with light pressure if they cleared the flutes. Depth stops helped on doors and windows. Fine pilots snap, including when hot and in 18 mm MFC board, and two bits broke on a small job for one reviewer. There is no Pozidriv bit; a Phillips-style bit slipped. A non-UK review said the plug did not match an 8 mm dowel, and the listing says the plug cutters are best in a bench drill. The blue collar is described as tape that lifts when hot.
Pros
Cons
Best for: Cabinet and furniture screws where you want depth rings and you have a bench drill for the plugs.
Less suitable: You only need a chamfer, you will cut plugs with a cordless drill, or you need Pozidriv bits.
Specifications
Common questions
What is in the 19-piece count?
Six tapered bits (two of No. 4, then No. 6, 8, 10 and 12), two plug cutters, a hex wrench, two depth rings, seven screwdriver bits and a magnetic holder. Driver bits are part of the count.
Where should the plug cutters be used?
The listing says wood plug cutters are best on a bench drill. The countersink bits are listed for hand, bench and power drills in hard and soft wood.
Do buyers report broken pilots?
Yes. UK reviews include snapped fine drills, two small bits broken in 18 mm furniture board, and a note that the sizes are screw gauges rather than large millimetre drills.
The EZARC 12-piece set, listed at £17.99, cuts a pilot and an 82° seat in one pass for No. 4 to No. 12 wood screws, with pilots of 2 mm, 2.4 mm, 2.8 mm, 3.2 mm and 3.6 mm. Across 1,306 amazon.co.uk reviews at 4.3 stars, buyers describe a guided cone that looks neater than driving the screw into a bare hole, and they set the depth with the Allen key. The box holds five countersinks, five spare pilots, a 60 mm magnetic holder and a case, at 205 g. The listing limits the surface line to wood, so it is not a metal cutter on that page. Reviewers who read the gauge numbers as large millimetre drills found the set smaller than they expected, and some say the three smaller bodies look alike. Grub screws strip or fail to hold the pilot, and the countersink can blunt after about 40 holes in chipboard. One UK review says the 1/4 inch hex looks as if it should clip into a Trend Snappy chuck and does not. It is the top pick here on review volume and spare pilots, with that chipboard limit stated.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want one wood set for No. 4 to No. 12 screws and you will tighten the grub screw fully.
Less suitable: You need a 12 mm chamfer, a metal cutter, or a Trend Snappy quick chuck.
Specifications
Common questions
What screw sizes does this set cover?
The listing gives five countersinks, No. 4, No. 6, No. 8, No. 10 and No. 12, with pilot diameters of 2 mm, 2.4 mm, 2.8 mm, 3.2 mm and 3.6 mm. Reviewers who expected large millimetre drills found the set smaller than that reading.
Does it include spare pilots and a case?
Yes. The listing includes five replacement drill bits, a 60 mm magnetic extension and a storage case. Reviewers also mention an Allen key for the grub screw.
Will the bits click into a Trend Snappy chuck?
One UK review says they look as if they should clip into a Trend Snappy quick chuck and do not. The listing only claims a 1/4 inch hex shank for drills and impact drivers.
The EZARC 25-piece kit, listed at £31.97, adds self-centring bits to the same No. 4 to No. 12 range at 82°. The highlight calls the countersink bits M2 HSS; spare pilots are titanium-coated, and the spec finish is titanium. The box holds five countersinks, five spare pilots, three self-centring bits for No. 6, No. 8 and No. 10 plus three spares, two plug cutters, five S2 driver bits, a magnetic holder, a hex key and a case, at 449 g. It is 4.3 from 23 reviews. The long review texts are from the United States, plus one German return after 10 holes, so they are not UK reviews. Those texts praise hinge pilots that stayed put and a clean dual-flute recess. The piece count includes drivers and spares, which one reviewer separated from the cutting tools. The surface line is wood. At £31.97 it costs more than the 12-piece EZARC in this comparison, with a much smaller rating count.
Pros
Cons
Best for: Hinge pilots and a case, if you read 23 reviews as a small sample and not as UK texts.
Less suitable: You want UK review texts, or the 12-piece EZARC set already covers your screws.
Specifications
Common questions
How is this different from the 12-piece EZARC set?
This listing adds three self-centring bits and three spares, two plug cutters and five screwdriver bits, and it costs £31.97 against £17.99 for the 12-piece set. The countersink sizes are the same No. 4 to No. 12 range at 82 degrees.
Are the written reviews from the UK?
The star line is 4.3 from 23 ratings on amazon.co.uk. The long texts are from the United States, plus one German note that the set was returned after 10 holes. Those texts are not UK reviews.
What are the self-centring bits for?
The listing says a spring-loaded guide for hinge and hardware holes, including cabinets, drawer slides and doors. They are a separate tool from the countersink bits.
The ATOPLEE bit, listed at £7.99, is a single HSS 4241 cutter with a 10–15 mm range, a 10 mm round shank, a 21 mm head and a spiral flute, at 54 g. The title says 90 degrees; the spec string reads 9E+1 Degrees. The listing says hand drills are not allowed, and it names drilling machines, table drills, machining centres and milling machines. It is not for opening a hole from solid, and the hardness note limits it to softer stock, thin iron plate, insulating plate and PVC, not thick or hard material. It is 3.7 from 96 reviews. Some buyers report a clean countersink in wood and a sharp finish in 10 mm aluminium plate; others say the edge was gone after one lubricated cut in metal, or that it only burred mild steel. Two of four bits bought for a school worked and two did not, with an uneven grind. There is no case. It belongs in a machine chuck, not in a cordless drill.
Pros
Cons
Best for: A pillar drill or machining centre and softer stock in the 10–15 mm range.
Less suitable: A cordless drill, hardened steel, or a set of wood-screw sizes.
Specifications
Common questions
Can this be used in a hand drill?
The listing says it suits drilling machines, table drills, machining centres and milling machines, and that hand drills are not allowed.
Will it cut steel?
The page names steel among possible materials and then limits the cutter to softer stock below 25 degrees, including thin iron plate. Reviews disagree: some report a clean seat in aluminium, others say it only burrs mild steel or arrives blunt.
Does it drill the hole as well?
No. The bullets say it is not for opening a hole from solid, and not for tile, concrete, walls or stone.
The Fentar 14-piece set, listed at £11.99, packs five 82° combination bits for No. 5, No. 6, No. 8, No. 10 and No. 12, plus eight plug cutters and an L-wrench, at 324 g. The bullets say titanium-coated HSS and the spec table says high-carbon steel, so the steel grade is not settled on the listing. It is 3.5 from 35 reviews. Reviewers who used a drill press on a clamped board found it more controllable. A 6 mm dowel cutter made 4 mm dowels, so the plug did not match the hole. Plug cutters arrived blunt and would not cut pine for one buyer, and a countersink edge was dull after about a dozen holes. Bits came in bags in a cardboard box, not a fitted case. The listing’s claim of twice the life of standard bits is not measured here. Check a plug on scrap before you rely on the printed size.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You already own a drill press and you will check the plug diameter on scrap.
Less suitable: You need plugs that match the stated size, or one clear steel grade.
Specifications
Common questions
Do the plug cutters match the holes?
UK reviews say they do not. One buyer found a 6 mm dowel cutter making 4 mm dowels, and another said the plug cutters were blunt in pine. The listing still claims eight plug cutters in two shapes.
What is the cutter made of?
The bullets say titanium-coated HSS. The specification table says high-carbon steel, with finish types titanium and black oxide. Both are on the listing.
Is a case included?
The page asks and does not answer. A review says the bits arrived in small bags inside a cardboard box.
The ColumPRO five-piece set, listed at £23.99, is a plain chamfer from 1/4 inch to 3/4 inch at 82°, spiral flute, 239 g. The listing Q&A says M35 with 5% cobalt, and the surface line is metal, with stainless, hard steel, copper, aluminium, wood and board named in that Q&A. There is no customer-review line and no review text, so there is no star rating. A case is not confirmed, and the shank type is not stated. It does not include a pilot. At this price you are buying the cobalt claim and the inch sizes with no UK review trail in this comparison. The first hole is your test, not a substitute for the missing reviews. The stainless claim is not confirmed by a review line.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You need inch chamfer sizes and you will judge the edge yourself on the first hole.
Less suitable: You want review evidence before you spend £23.99, or you need a pilot for wood screws.
Specifications
Common questions
What sizes are in the set?
The listing Q&A lists five SAE sizes: 1/4 inch, 3/8 inch, 1/2 inch, 5/8 inch and 3/4 inch, for chamfering, deburring and countersunk holes.
Is it cobalt?
The material line says cobalt. The Q&A says M35 with 5% cobalt and names stainless and hard steel as well as wood. There is no customer-review line.
Does it include a pilot or a case?
Included components are the countersink bits only. A case is asked on the page and not answered.
Twelve countersink listings on amazon.co.uk were scored from shelf price, stars, review count and what the page actually states. There is no lab test. Stars, sample size, fit for the job and value in this set are weighted 40, 20, 25 and 15. A score of 100 from eight reviews does not move the top pick. No rating line scores 0 on stars and on sample size. Each star line stays the amazon.co.uk figure. The 0–100 score is not the stars times 20.
Stars
40%Amazon rating divided by 5, times 40, rounded. A listing with no rating line scores 0.
Sample
20%1,000 or more reviews score 20. 200–499 score 12. 50–199 score 8. 1–49 score 4. No rating line scores 0.
Fit for the job
25%Start at 10 when the listing states an angle and a shank. Add 5 for a combination pilot on wood-screw gauges, 4 for a stated 90° plain chamfer, 3 for a case and 3 for spare pilots. Subtract 6 if hand drills are forbidden, 5 if the material lines conflict, and 8 if there is no review line.
Value in this set
15%Under £8 with 200 or more reviews scores 15. Under £6 with 1,000 or more reviews scores 14. Around £18 with 1,000 or more reviews and spare pilots scores 12. Around £9 with fewer than 10 reviews scores 8. Around £24–£32 with a thin sample scores 6.
Start with the job shape, then the angle, then the material and the shank. Spare pilots and a case come after those. The notes below follow that order for these 12 amazon.co.uk listings. None of the scores is a cutting test.
A countersink cuts the conical seat that lets a countersunk screw sit flush or slightly below the surface. On amazon.co.uk the name covers two tools. A plain chamfer cutter is used after you have drilled the hole. A combination countersink drill bit drills a small pilot and cuts the cone in one pass. UK buyers are mostly fitting wood screws in timber, plywood and furniture. A smaller group is deburring aluminium or light steel.
A 12, 16 or 19 mm cone does not drill a No. 8 pilot. Gauge size is not the hole diameter. One reviewer found a size marked 6 mm drilled about 4 mm, which suits a wood screw cutting its thread rather than a clearance hole.
Metric countersunk heads, under ISO 10642 and BS EN ISO 10642, use 90°. Many US-style flat heads use 82°. A mismatch leaves the head rocking on a ring. If the listing does not state an angle, do not invent one.
A wood combination bit is not a stainless cutter. The HSS 4241 listing forbids hand drills and limits the cutter to softer stock. A cobalt claim with no reviews is not confirmation. Plug cutters grab, so clamp the work.
Start with the hole you already have. If it exists, buy a plain chamfer. In this set that is the 12, 16 and 19 mm cones, or the single 10–15 mm cutter, or the inch sizes from 1/4 inch to 3/4 inch. If you still need the pilot, buy a combination bit. Gauge pilots here run from No. 4 to No. 12, and in one adjustable set from 2.8 mm to 4.0 mm. A gauge number is the screw size, not a clearance hole.
Carbon steel and HSS 4241 are the wood, plastic and light non-ferrous rows. The Gasea listing names aluminium sheet and says not to use the bits on high-hardness metal. The ATOPLEE page names steel and then limits the cutter to softer stock, including thin iron plate, and it forbids hand drills. Reviews on that bit disagree about mild steel. The ColumPRO Q&A claims M35 with 5% cobalt for stainless and hard steel. This comparison has no star rating on that set, so the claim is not confirmed.
Three typical situations, each with a recommendation from this comparison.
You are fitting ordinary short wood screws and you will test the depth on scrap. The Makita D-73455 is about £7.92, four combination bits from No. 6 to No. 12, with 4.5 from 247 reviews. The angle is not stated, and small pilots snap.
You want a cased wood set with spare pilots for No. 4 to No. 12. The EZARC 12-piece set is about £17.99, 82°, with 4.3 from 1,306 reviews. The listing is wood only, and chipboard can blunt the edge after about 40 holes.
You already have the hole and want a 90° chamfer in wood, board or aluminium sheet. The Gasea three-piece set is about £4.99, 12, 16 and 19 mm, with 4.4 from 1,122 reviews. It has no pilot, and the listing says not to use it on high-hardness metal.
In this set of 12 amazon.co.uk listings, the top pick is the EZARC 12-piece countersink set, about £17.99, with 4.3 from 1,306 reviews. It cuts a pilot and an 82° seat for No. 4 to No. 12 wood screws, and the box includes spare pilots. Reviewers report grub screws that strip and an edge that can blunt after about 40 holes in chipboard. The listing limits the surface to wood. The best value is the Makita D-73455, about £7.92, with 4.5 from 247 reviews. It is four combination bits for short wood screws, No. 6 to No. 12. Small pilots snap, and the angle is not stated. The other ten have no award. None of these scores is a lab test.
Makita D-73455 4-piece set
About £7.92 for four combination bits, No. 6 to No. 12, with 4.5 from 247 reviews, after snapped pilots and a missing angle are already on the record.
Editorial
Peter F. is the editor for DIY & tools at productscompared.co.uk. Comparisons in this category are checked against amazon.co.uk listings, review evidence and public UK sources.
Guides on what to look for, how to use a product, and common mistakes.
Public UK sources from the research digest, last checked on 22 October 2026. Shelf prices and star lines are the amazon.co.uk figures in the display file.
Expert source (DIY & tools): Charlie White (Charlie DIYte) (external profile) – public expert commentary used as a research source, not as a contributor to our pages.
This page contains affiliate links to amazon.co.uk. If you buy through them, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Prices, stars and review counts are from the UK listings in this comparison, checked in October 2026. We did not lab-test these countersinks.
