Spot Drill vs Center Drill: Which One Should You Buy?

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Spot drill: what it does

A spot drill is a short, rigid drill with a pointed tip, made to open a starting seat before the twist drill follows. The angled seat gives the twist drill a centered starting point instead of letting it skate across the surface. The listings in this guide both state a 90 degree point, and both are sold for spotting work: the BestParts set for general purpose milling, and the Geevorks set for positioning and chamfering finished in a single pass.

Spot drills suit CNC work because the short, stiff body resists deflection better than a long twist drill used to start a hole. The BestParts listing states compatibility with CNC machines and general purpose milling in most materials of medium hardness, naming steel, brass, iron and nonferrous materials. The Geevorks listing states M42 high speed steel with high temperature and abrasion resistance, and a long service life. Neither listing states a center hole for lathe work, which is the center drill job, not the spot drill job.

Center drill: what it does

A center drill is a combination tool: a small drill point with a countersink body, made to drill a center hole that a lathe center can seat into. The countersink part of the tool shapes the seat, and the drill part opens the hole, so the work can run between centers. That combination shape is the whole point of a center drill, and it is different from a spot drill, which only opens a starting seat and does not shape a lathe center seat.

This guide features 2 spot drill listings and no center drill listing, so center drill sizes, angles and materials are Not stated here. A buyer who needs a center drill should check a center drill listing directly, such as our best center drill countersink set guide, rather than sizing one from the spot drill figures below.

Spot drill vs center drill: side by side

Tool	Job	Point	Materials stated
Spot drill	Open a starting seat for a twist drill	90 degree, per both listings	BestParts listing only: steel, brass, iron, nonferrous materials
Center drill	Drill a center hole for work between centers	Not stated	Not stated

The table keeps the two jobs apart on purpose. A spot drill seat and a lathe center hole look similar at a glance, but the center drill also shapes the countersink seat that the lathe center rides in, while the spot drill only starts the hole. The two seats are not interchangeable: a 90 degree spot seat is not a lathe center seat, so a spot drill cannot stand in for a center drill on lathe center work.

The gear: two spot drill sets

The BestParts set is a 5-piece set of solid carbide spot drills, AlTiN coated, with a 90 degree point. Each drill measures 1/8 inch cutting diameter by 1/8 inch shank diameter by 5/8 inch flute length by 2 inch overall length, with 2 flutes. The listing states premium 10% micrograin carbide, precision ground, with high strength and hardness and abrasion resistance, and it states that carbide can run at higher speeds than high-speed or cobalt steel while resisting wear and high cutting temperatures. It is sold for general purpose milling in most materials of medium hardness, naming steel, brass, iron and nonferrous materials, and it states compatibility with CNC machines.

The Geevorks set is a 7-piece set of M42 high speed steel spotting drills, also with a 90 degree angle. The drill diameters in the set are 3mm, 4mm, 5mm, 6mm, 8mm, 10mm and 12mm. The listing states high temperature and abrasion resistance with a long service life, and it states that positioning and chamfering can be finished in a single pass. The set suits a shop that wants a range of spotting sizes in one box, while the BestParts set suits a shop that wants one size, 1/8 inch, in carbide across 5 pieces.

Neither set is a center drill, so neither set covers lathe center work. For center drill options, see our best center drill for stainless and best extra long center drills guides.

Which one should you buy?

Buy a spot drill when the job is starting holes on a mill or a drill press, especially on a CNC machine where the twist drill needs a true seat. Buy a center drill when the job is drilling a center hole for work held between centers on a lathe. When the choice is between the 2 sets in this guide, pick the BestParts set for a single carbide size across 5 pieces, and pick the Geevorks set for a spread of 7 sizes in M42 high speed steel.

FAQ: lasers and CNC

Can a spot drill replace a center drill?

Not for lathe center work. A spot drill opens a starting seat, while a center drill also shapes the countersink seat that a lathe center rides in.

What angle are the spot drills in this guide?

Both listings state a 90 degree point: the BestParts set and the Geevorks set.

What sizes do the two spot drill sets cover?

The BestParts set covers one size, 1/8 inch, across 5 pieces. The Geevorks set covers 3mm, 4mm, 5mm, 6mm, 8mm, 10mm and 12mm across 7 pieces.

What materials do these spot drills suit?

The BestParts listing names steel, brass, iron and nonferrous materials of medium hardness for general purpose milling. The Geevorks listing states no workpiece materials; it states only its own M42 high speed steel with high temperature and abrasion resistance.

Does this guide feature a center drill?

No. Both gear listings here are spot drills, so center drill sizes are Not stated in this guide. See our best center drill countersink set guide for center drill options.

Related: best center drill countersink set, best center drill for stainless, best extra long center drills and carbide insert vs solid carbide end mill.