Am I the only one who tried using a 3/8 inch drill bit for a wall fish and it actually worked better?

Honestly, I was on a job in Charlotte last month and my 1/2 inch bit was just not getting through a double top plate. Out of pure frustration, I grabbed my smaller 3/8 inch bit from my bag and gave it a shot. Ngl, it went through like butter and the cable pulled through just fine, no snags. I've done it on three more jobs since then and it's saved me a ton of time and effort. I always thought you needed the bigger hole for the connector, but the smaller one seems to grip it tighter. Has anyone else tried downsizing their drill bit for tough spots, or am I just getting lucky?

2 comments

2 Comments

black.laura1mo ago

You said it went through like butter and I've had the same thing happen. That smaller bit just seems to bind up less in tough wood. I still use the half inch for most things, but I keep the 3/8 handy for those stubborn spots now. What kind of walls were you running into on those other jobs?

park.tara1mo ago

Yeah @black.laura, that's exactly it. The smaller bit just doesn't fight the wood grain as much. Last week I hit a wall full of old, knotted pine that would have snapped a bigger bit. Having the right tool for the nasty stuff saves so much headache.