Dewalt 1/4In Bi Metal Mandrel

There’s not much to say about a mandrel, but as far as mandrels go, this one is very well made. I bought it for a DeWalt 1 inch hole saw and it worked very well. The only thing I didn’t like about the mandrel is really a matter of personal preference and not a reflection on the quality. I’m speaking of DeWalt’s often typical habit of adding a kind of “pilot drill tip” grind to their drill bits.I have several DeWalt drill sets and in the latest ones, they all have that little pilot drill grind on them. As a machinist for over 24 years, I can say that this feature is unnecessary if the drill point is properly ground and has a good web relief. I use an automatic center punch on most of my projects which reduces drill walk and slip but the pilot drill grind makes it very difficult for me to find the center punch point without having to look ‘low and close’ to the workpiece so I can see where the point of the pilot drill is positioned.Yes, I can feel it as well as I slide the drill tip around searching for my center punch mark, but if the drill had a normal point, I wouldn’t have to search for anything, (and I never had to do that in 24 years in the trade).Still, I feel this is a personal preference more than anything else and can’t see removing a star over that single point, (pardon the pun).The setscrew used to adjust the length of the drill within the mandrel is unusual. It requires a straight bladed screwdriver for tightening and/or loosening. Typically, I prefer the more reliable Allen wrench screw socket, but they did make the straight blade slot deep and wide enough to reduce slipping when tightening or loosening.I particularly liked the fact that the drill shank is ground flat in 3 places at 120° which means my 3 jaw chuck will have a good solid grip and no slipping issues will develop. All in all, I think this mandrel is very well made and it worked very well for the 1 inch hole saw I attached it to.