Buy Carbide Drill Bits Online in Australia
Solid Carbide Drill Bits for Hardened Steel, Stainless & Production Drilling
Solid carbide drill bits — often stamped "VHM" on the shank, short for the German Vollhartmetall ("full hard metal") — are machined entirely from tungsten carbide rather than high-speed steel (HSS). Carbide holds its cutting edge at far higher temperatures than HSS, so it keeps cutting cleanly in materials that would rapidly blunt a standard steel drill: hardened tool steel, stainless steel, cast iron and other abrasive or work-hardening alloys. The trade-off is brittleness — carbide has almost no flex, so it needs a rigid, well-supported setup rather than a hand drill. Our Tap & Drill Selector can also confirm the right size for your job and whether it suits the material you’re drilling.
Because carbide runs faster and lasts longer per hole in the right application, it's the standard specification in toolrooms, machine shops and production environments where tool-change downtime is expensive. You'll find solid carbide drills on drill presses, mag drills, lathes, milling machines and CNC machining centres — anywhere the workpiece and the tool are both held rigidly enough to handle carbide's lack of give.
This collection is AIMS Industrial's range of solid carbide (VHM) drill bits, supplied by Sutton Tools across a spread of diameters, coatings and flute geometries. Below we've summarised exactly what's in the range, how to pick the right one for your job, and where to go next if you need a different type of drill, chuck or accessory.
Quick Reference — What's in the Range
| Series | Format | Diameter range | Flute length | Coating | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| D300 | Metric & Imperial | 1.5–12 mm / 1/16–1/2 in | 3xD | Uncoated (bright VHM) | Straight flute |
| D304 | Metric | 1–9 mm | 3xD | Uncoated (bright VHM) | General-purpose jobber length |
| D306 | Metric & Imperial | 1.5–12 mm / 1/16–1/2 in | 3xD | TiCN | Straight flute |
| D310 | Metric & Imperial | 1–8.5 mm / 1/16–15/32 in | 3xD | TiCN | General-purpose jobber length |
| D323 | Metric | 1–2.9 mm | 3xD | AlCrN | Small-diameter range |
| D326 | Metric | 3–4.7 mm | 5xD | AlCrN | Extended flute length |
| D329 | Metric | 3–4.6 mm | 3xD | AlCrN | Includes imperial-equivalent sizes (e.g. 3.18, 3.57, 3.97 mm) |
| D332 | Metric | 3–4.6 mm | 5xD | AlCrN | Extended flute length |
| D335 | Metric | 3–6.1 mm | 8xD | AlCrN | Deep-hole drilling |
| D356 (Black Magic) | Metric | 3–4.6 mm | 3xD | Helica geometry | Sutton's helical-point flute design |
| D358 (Black Magic) | Metric | 3–4.6 mm | 5xD | Helica geometry | Sutton's helical-point flute design |
| D371 | Metric | 3–5 mm | 12xD | — | Deep-hole drilling |
All 15 products in this range are solid carbide (VHM) drills from Sutton Tools, available across metric and imperial diameters from 1/16 in (roughly 1.6 mm) up to 12 mm / 1/2 in. Flute length is expressed as a multiple of diameter (xD) — 3xD is the standard jobber-length format, while 5xD, 8xD and 12xD give progressively deeper drilling capacity for through-holes in thicker material.
How to Choose the Right Carbide Drill
Coated or uncoated?
Uncoated (bright) VHM carbide is the baseline option and suits general steel and non-ferrous work where extreme heat isn't the limiting factor. TiCN (titanium carbon nitride) is a hard, low-friction coating that improves wear resistance and chip flow in steady steel drilling. AlCrN (aluminium chromium nitride) is a high-temperature coating engineered for the heaviest going — hardened and abrasive materials where the cutting edge sees the most heat. If you're not sure which coating suits your job, our team can talk through your material and application before you order.
Standard length or deep-hole?
3xD covers the majority of jobbing and toolroom work. Step up to 5xD when you need extra flute length for slightly deeper holes, and to 8xD or 12xD (our D335 and D371 series) when you're drilling through thick sections or need a true deep-hole capability without switching to a specialist gun drill.
Metric or imperial?
Every series in this range is stocked in both metric (mm) and imperial (fractional inch) diameters, so you can match drawings or existing tooling either way. The range also includes a handful of "odd" metric sizes (3.18 mm, 3.57 mm, 3.97 mm) that line up with common imperial fractional callouts — useful when a job mixes both systems.
Straight flute or helical (Black Magic)?
D300 and D306 are straight-fluted for straightforward metric and imperial drilling. The Black Magic series (D356, D358) uses Sutton's Helica flute geometry, a helical-point design intended for smoother chip evacuation and cleaner hole entry in tougher material.
Remember: rigid setups only
Solid carbide is hard but brittle. It has almost no ability to flex under side-load, run-out or vibration, so it should only be run in a rigid machine — a drill press, mag drill, lathe, mill or CNC machining centre with the workpiece properly clamped. Using a solid carbide drill in a hand drill risks snapping the tool.
Verified Brand in This Range
Sutton Tools is the sole brand behind every product currently listed in this collection — all 15 solid carbide drill bits across the D300–D371 series come from Sutton. If you're after a different drill format or a different brand, the companion collections below cover the rest of AIMS's drilling range.
Where to Next — Related AIMS Collections
- Drilling — the full drilling range at AIMS, covering every drill bit format we stock
- Jobber Drill Bits — standard HSS jobber drills for general workshop use
- Cobalt Drill Bits — a step up from HSS for stainless and tough alloys, below carbide
- Step Drill Bits — stepped bits for sheet metal and thin-gauge work
- Centre Drill Bit Sets — for spotting and starting holes accurately before drilling
- Reduced Shank Drill Bits — larger-diameter drills with a reduced shank to suit a standard chuck
- Drill Chucks — chucks and holders for your drill press, mill or machine
- Drill Accessories & Adaptors — sleeves, adaptors and related drilling accessories
Common Applications
- Drilling hardened and tool steel that would rapidly dull a standard HSS drill
- Stainless steel production drilling, where tool life and cutting speed both matter
- Cast iron machining, where hard abrasive phases in the material wear ordinary drills quickly
- Toolroom and machine shop work on CNC machining centres, mills, lathes and mag drills
- Precision hole-making where metric and imperial sizing both need to be catered for
- Deep-hole drilling using the extended-length 5xD, 8xD and 12xD formats
Frequently Asked Questions
What does "VHM" mean on a Sutton drill bit?
VHM stands for Vollhartmetall, German for "full hard metal" — it's the standard industry marking for solid tungsten carbide, meaning the entire drill body is carbide rather than a steel body with a carbide tip.
When should I use a solid carbide drill instead of HSS?
Reach for solid carbide when you're drilling hardened steel, stainless steel in production volumes, cast iron, or other abrasive or heat-generating materials where an HSS drill would blunt quickly. For mild steel, aluminium and general workshop drilling, standard HSS is usually the more practical and economical choice.
What's the difference between AlCrN and TiCN coatings?
Both are hard, low-friction coatings applied to the carbide substrate to improve wear resistance. TiCN (titanium carbon nitride) suits steady, general steel drilling. AlCrN (aluminium chromium nitride) is built for higher cutting temperatures, making it the pick for the more demanding and abrasive materials in this range. Uncoated (bright) VHM remains a solid baseline option where extreme heat isn't the deciding factor.
What do 3xD, 5xD, 8xD and 12xD mean?
These describe the drill's flute length as a multiple of its own diameter. A 3xD drill can cut a hole roughly three times as deep as its diameter; 5xD, 8xD and 12xD extend that depth capacity for thicker material and deep-hole work, using the same solid carbide construction.
Can I use a solid carbide drill bit in a hand drill?
No. Solid carbide is brittle and has very little tolerance for the flex, run-out and side-loading that comes with hand-held drilling — it can snap. Carbide drills need a rigid machine setup: a drill press, mag drill, lathe, mill or CNC machining centre with the work properly clamped.
Are these drill bits available in both metric and imperial sizes?
Yes. Most series in this range — including D300, D306 and D310 — are stocked in both metric (mm) and imperial (fractional inch) diameters, and several sizes align with common imperial-equivalent measurements for jobs that mix both systems.
What's the Sutton Black Magic / Helica range?
Black Magic (D356 and D358) is Sutton's solid carbide range using their Helica flute geometry — a helical-point design aimed at smoother chip evacuation and cleaner hole entry, available in 3xD and 5xD flute lengths.
Can carbide drill bits be resharpened?
Carbide is too hard for standard workshop sharpening equipment and needs specialist diamond-wheel regrinding. For high-volume production use, sending bits to a tooling regrinder can be worthwhile; for occasional workshop use, replacement is usually the more practical option, particularly on smaller diameters.
What's the difference between D335/D371 and the standard 3xD drills?
D335 (8xD) and D371 (12xD) are AIMS's deep-hole solid carbide options, built with extended flute length to drill further into thick material than a standard 3xD jobber-length drill can reach, without switching to a specialist gun-drilling setup.
Which brand does AIMS stock for solid carbide drill bits?
Every product currently in this collection is from Sutton Tools, spanning the D300 through D371 series across uncoated, TiCN and AlCrN options.