Spade bit buying guide
Updated: 2026-10-23
You are about to order a flat wood bit for a cable hole, a door lock or hidden holes in board, and the amazon.co.uk page does not agree with itself. This checklist comes before any brand: the diameter you will drill, the shank the chuck will hold, the timber the listing names, and whether a pouch or a case is in the box. The twelve rows, from about £4.95 to about £22.50 on 19 October 2026, are in the [spade bit comparison](/hub/drilling-and-accessories/spade-bit). If the title, the components line and the size bullet do not name the same hole, you are looking at a return.
You are about to order a flat wood bit for a cable hole, a door lock or hidden holes in board, and the amazon.co.uk page does not agree with itself.
You are about to order a flat wood bit for a cable hole, a door lock or hidden holes in board, and the amazon.co.uk page does not agree with itself. This checklist comes before any brand: the diameter you will drill, the shank the chuck will hold, the timber the listing names, and whether a pouch or a case is in the box. The twelve rows, from about £4.95 to about £22.50 on 19 October 2026, are in the spade bit comparison. If the title, the components line and the size bullet do not name the same hole, you are looking at a return.
Our top picks
| Badge | Product | Stated diameters | Stated materials | Storage | Note | Price | Offer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall |  SHALL SHALL 8-piece spade bit set | 6, 10, 13, 16, 19, 22, 25, 32 mm | Wood | Storage bag | 8.1 | about £10.99 | View offer |
| Alternative |  WORKPRO WORKPRO 8-piece flat wood bit set | 12, 16, 18, 20, 22, 25, 28, 32 mm | Wood. Bullets also say cork, hardwood, PVC and plastic. | Organiser case | 8.0 | about £19.99 | View offer |
| Best value |  Gunpla Gunpla 6-piece spade bit set | 10, 12, 16, 18, 20, 25 mm | Plywood, plastics and chipboard in the title. Surface cell: Metal, Wood. | Double blister, not a pouch | 7.3 | about £6.98 | View offer |
On this page
Diameter, then shank
Start with the hole, not the star rating. A spade bit is a flat blade with a centre point, usually about 150 mm or 152 mm overall. That length is not the depth you can bore. A lock and a cable hole are different purchases, and 32 mm in the pouch is not automatically the right hole.
The title, the components line and the size bullet should all print that diameter. The Bosch single at about £4.95 says 25 mm in the scope line and 40 mm in the cutting-diameter field. One review measured about 39 mm. The haierr bullet says one 45 mm bit, while the title says a set and some reviews say 55 mm.
Nearly every set here is a 1/4 inch hex. DeWalt DT70751 says 1/4 inch in the bullets and Straight in the table. A hex is not an impact rating. Bosch prints impact-rated, which means an impact driver, not hammer mode. Silence is the specification.
Timber the listing actually names
Softwood, chipboard, plywood and a hidden hole are the ordinary job. Hardwood only where that listing prints it. WORKPRO’s bullets name hardwood. YIWONFU’s bullets name softwood and hardwood. Both Bosch Expert listings say softwood and particleboard, and not suitable for hardwood. A label on some other Bosch sets is not these two rows.
Silence is not a yes. SHALL, EZUVITA and Berkiin say wood, or wood plus board and plastic, and stop there. The Gunpla six-piece surface cell says Metal, Wood, while the bullets describe plywood, plastics and chipboard. YIWONFU’s table says stainless steel and the bullets say heat-treated high carbon steel. Quote both, or neither. Titanium or an HRC48 bullet is a claim, not a certificate.
Count the bits, not the pieces cell
The Number of Pieces cell says 1 on sets that clearly contain more. Both Gunpla listings do this. DeWalt’s cell says 1 and the components line says nine bits. Count the diameters in the size bullet. If that list and the components line agree, ignore the pieces cell.
SHALL, EZUVITA, the Gunpla 13-piece set and YIWONFU name a pouch. One WORKPRO review had two 18 mm bits and no 22 mm. The Gunpla six-piece set is a blister. Berkiin’s bullets say a tube and the highlight says a box.
An extension counts only when the title or the components line says so. The Bosch set includes a 152 mm bar. BULLITT’s title names one. A question on the EZUVITA page does not put a bar in the pouch.
What to leave for another page
A 32 mm bit is already over a quarter of the depth of a joist shallower than 128 mm. Where that hole may sit is on the joist cable holes page. Clamp, scrap at the exit and a threaded tip that grabs are on how to use a spade bit.
Stop if the diameter fields disagree, if the title says a set and the bullet says one bit, or if two material lines contradict. Stars are not a count of holes, and a pieces cell that says 1 is not the set.
Common questions
Which diameter should I buy for a cable or a door lock?
Buy the diameter the cable or the lock needs, then confirm the title, the components line and the size bullet all print it. Cable holes often sit around 16–25 mm, but the joist rule can be tighter. If the fields disagree, measure the blade before you drill.
Why does the specification cell say one piece when the title lists a set?
On several pages the Number of Pieces cell says 1 while the bullets list six, nine or thirteen bits. Count the diameters in the size bullet and the components line. If the title says a set and the bullet says one bit, as on haierr, believe the bullet.
Is a 1/4 inch hex the same as impact-rated?
No. A 1/4 inch hex is a shank shape. Impact-rated is a separate sentence on the Bosch Expert rows, and the DeWalt bullets say impact-ready. Neither phrase means hammer mode. A spade bit is a rotary cutter.
Can I use a spade bit in hardwood if the listing is silent?
Not from silence. WORKPRO and YIWONFU name hardwood. Bosch’s two listings say they are not suitable for hardwood. SHALL, EZUVITA and Berkiin stop at wood, or wood plus board and plastic.
Does Metal, Wood on a Gunpla row mean it drills steel?
No. That cell is on the six-piece Gunpla set. The bullets describe plywood, plastics and chipboard. One review that mentions metal does not turn the lips into a metal bit.
When is a pouch included, and when is an extension included?
When the bullets or the components line name it. SHALL, EZUVITA, Gunpla’s 13-piece set and YIWONFU name a pouch. WORKPRO names an organiser. The six-piece Gunpla set is a blister. An extension is on the Bosch set and in the BULLITT title, not because EZUVITA asks about one.
Related pages
Sources
Public UK sources last checked on 19 October 2026. Shelf prices, stars and review counts are the amazon.co.uk listings read on that date.
- CMT Group UK, drill bits for construction materials (retrieved 19 October 2026)
- BuildWiz UK, drill bits (retrieved 19 October 2026)
- LABC, notches and holes in solid timber joists (retrieved 19 October 2026)
- East Lindsey Guidance Note 15, notches and holes (retrieved 19 October 2026)
- Professional Electrician, notches and holes in joists (retrieved 19 October 2026)
- HSE CIS65, concealed cables (retrieved 19 October 2026)
- HSE INDG291, PUWER and drilling machines (retrieved 19 October 2026)
- Bosch Professional GB, Expert SelfCut Speed spade bits (retrieved 19 October 2026)