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Best step drill bit UK

Updated: 2026-10-23

You want one cone from the twelve step bits on our [step drill comparison](/hub/drilling-and-accessories/step-drill), and a 5.0 or a number 1 rank is being offered as if it were a test. The best step drill bit UK question, inside this basket, is which listing matches the hole and the metal. Star lines, review counts and stated limits were read on 22 October 2026. This was not a lab. The score weighs the star line, the review count, and whether the listing states a grade, a shank and a thickness or an exclusion. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

You want one cone from the twelve step bits on our step drill comparison, and a 5.0 or a number 1 rank is being offered as if it were a test.

Our top picks

YOKOCUT YOKOCUT M35 4–32 mm, 15 steps

Best overall

YOKOCUT YOKOCUT M35 4–32 mm, 15 steps
8.0/10about £27.50
View offer
YOKOCUT YOKOCUT 4–22 mm HSS 4241

Best value

YOKOCUT YOKOCUT 4–22 mm HSS 4241
8.6/10about £5.12
View offer
ss shovan ss shovan 3-piece, 2-flute

Rank 3

ss shovan ss shovan 3-piece, 2-flute
8.8/10about £11.99
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.What best can mean with these listings
  2. 2.A set for plastic and thin mild steel
  3. 3.A single cone when you only need small holes
  4. 4.When the listing actually says cobalt

What best can mean with these listings

A star rating is the amazon.co.uk average, not a measured life. The xiluuyou 4–20 mm bit is 5.0 from two reviews, and neither describes a metal hole. QWORK has no Customer Reviews line on this capture. The two ss shovan sets print the same best-seller line. The top pick is the ss shovan two-flute set at about £11.99: 4.4 from 5,620 reviews, 4–12, 4–20 and 4–32 mm, a 1/4 in hex, a fabric pouch and a line not thicker than 8 mm. Best value is the YOKOCUT 4–22 mm cone at about £5.12, 4.6 from 305 reviews, an 8 mm shank, a 4 mm metal cap and a stainless exclusion. The order of checks is the step drill bit buying guide.

A set for plastic and thin mild steel

For pattress boxes, cladding and the odd 2 mm steel cover, the two-flute ss shovan set is the row with the evidence. Reviewers describe electrical plastic, thin steel boxes, a wheel arch and a camper. You still need a pilot around 5 mm. Stainless is named in the bullets and cobalt is not, so leave this set for stainless. The about £5.12 YOKOCUT is best value up to 22 mm if your chuck takes 8 mm and you accept not for stainless. One review opened 3 mm steel from 6 mm to 15 mm. Others found the edge soft. DURI’s three cones at about £8.54 are 4.0 from 26 reviews, with no thickness cap, tips snapped in 5 mm mild steel and a set burnt out on 1 mm plate.
YOKOCUT YOKOCUT M35 4–32 mm, 15 steps

Testsieger

YOKOCUT YOKOCUT M35 4–32 mm, 15 steps
8.0/10about £27.50
View offer

A single cone when you only need small holes

DeWalt DT5026-QZ, about £19.89, is 4.7 from 126 reviews, titled 4–12 mm with a 1/4 in hex. Buyers report 1 mm steps. The bullets say a titanium coat and thin wall up to 3 mm. The specification table says high carbon steel, uncoated, a 4 cm minimum bore and six pieces. DeWalt’s UK page titles the model 6–12 mm. One review says the item was not a genuine DeWalt. A report of 5 mm steel is thicker than the 3 mm bullet, so it is not the rating. Up to 22 mm, the YOKOCUT at about £5.12 states HSS 4241, a titanium coat, stainless excluded and an 8 mm shank. The xiluuyou bit at about £3.79 is not a metal recommendation: two reviews cover a plastic socket and the price.

When the listing actually says cobalt

Rarapop, about £16.99, is two M35 cones, 4–12 mm in 1 mm steps and 4–20 mm, at 4.2 from 21 reviews, with no millimetre cap. QWORK, about £20.99, states M35 with 5% cobalt, a case and stainless under 1 mm, from 1/8 in to 7/8 in, with no star line. The YOKOCUT cobalt cone at about £27.50 is 4–32 mm, 4.6 from 309 reviews, on a 10 mm tri-flat that needs a 13 mm chuck. One review reports eight 30 mm holes in 4 mm galvanised plate with fluid and a pilot. Others report a bit finished after one hole in 2 mm stainless. The title says 6% cobalt and the bullet says 5%. For one large hole, or a panel full of cables, read step drill vs hole saw.

Common questions

Is the ss shovan set number one because of the rank?
No. The two-flute and four-flute sets share the same best-seller line. Prefer the two-flute set for the review count, the pouch, the 8 mm cap and reports on plastic and thin steel. The four-flute set is 4.4 from 413 reviews at about £14.99, with no millimetre cap.
Is the £3.79 bit the best because it has five stars?
No. That 5.0 is two reviews. One mentions a plastic socket that did not crack, and the other mentions the price. The listing names thin steel, but neither review reports a metal hole, and there is no thickness cap. A perfect-looking average with a tiny sample is the result to distrust.
Is the DeWalt the one to buy for thin metal?
Only for a small hole, and only after the page agrees with itself. Bullets say thin wall up to 3 mm and a titanium coat. The table says uncoated high carbon steel and a 4 cm bore. The Amazon title says 4–12 mm and DeWalt’s UK page says 6–12 mm. It is not the set for a 32 mm hole.
Which listing is for stainless?
Look for M35, then read the limit. QWORK says stainless under 1 mm and has no reviews here. Rarapop names stainless, has 21 reviews, and prints no cap. The about £27.50 YOKOCUT names stainless, has 309 reviews, and those reviews disagree about how long the edge lasts. HSS 4241 and M2 pages in this set that say they are not suitable for stainless are the rows to skip for that metal.
What if I need a trade cobalt set that is not in this list?
Leave this basket. A C.K Vorteck three-piece around £96 including VAT is a different spend from the about £27.50 cobalt cone here. Our labels only separate these twelve amazon.co.uk listings. They do not survey every step bit on sale in the UK.

Related pages

Step drill for sheet metal

How to use a step drill bit

Step drill

Step drill bit buying guide: hole, steel and shank

Step drill vs hole saw for thin sheet, plate or a box

Sources

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 saved listings for this comparison.

  1. HSE, PUWER overview (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  2. HSE, PPE types (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  3. HSE CN3, silica and concrete drilling (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  4. Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 9 (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  5. GOV.UK, General Product Safety Regulations 2005 (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  6. BSI, BS 328-1 twist drills (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  7. DeWalt UK, DT5026-QZ (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  8. Ultimate Handyman, drilling metal (retrieved 22 October 2026)