Amana Tool - 55229 Carbide Tipped 82° Countersink with Adjustable Depth Stop & No-

This tool makes counter sinking screws completely controllable. Have it sit a bit proud? No problem! Flush set! Easy to do! Countersunk slightly, or deeply is not a problem. Pre-set it and go make multiple screws, set the way you want it!

A bit pricey, but it does work, It functions as a depth stop. A valuable addition to your tool box for hard woods. you will have to adjust the way you use it on softwoods, simply because it is a softwood.

I build a lot of painted desks out of MDF and securing them with brads and screws are just the quickest assembly process. But its always been such a pain to work quick but ensure that I dont countersink the screw hole too deep, because then it takes too much work and time to fill, dry, sand, possibly fill again, and repeat. At least on MDF, the no marring feature worked perfectly and setting the countersink to only leave 1/16 of depth when the screw is fully seated is perfect. I can now countersink everything quickly and be sure that Im hitting the perfect depth. Will buy some more of these for the #8 screw as well.

Ive only used this for a few holes, but thought I would share my initial opinion. Ive used several countersinks on wood screws and Im primarily concerned with how smooth the outer edge of the hole is and how repeatable the countersink depth is. I have tried the Snappy, the cheap Ryobi, and a few others. The best I have found until now are sold by Lee Valley and made by an Israeli company. With this product I obtained clean holes with no edge breakout on pine plywood. I looked at the package and it says made in Israel. I suppose Amana has a deal with the same company. I did not test counterboring as you would for a plug covering the screw. No scratching of the surface as the collar does not rotate. If you adjust the depth stop, you have a perfect hole that just fits the screw head every time. The only downside to this product is that the collar completely blocks your view of the progress of the countersink. You are drilling blind at this stage unless you can move your head down to see under the workpiece. Just takes some getting used to. The depth is controlled by the collar, so you dont really need to see whats happening. You do need to really slow down the drill as the countersink portion is engaged. In general, countersinks like to cut slow if you want a smooth edge. I try for about 200 RPM for a countersink of this size. If you dont want to spend the money on this, a pretty good hole can be obtained with the Ryobi set AFTER you hone both sides of all the cutting edges. An Ez-lap or similar DMT tool or small sharpening card is good for that. (and they are diamond grit, so they will also sharpen this countersink if you drill enough holes to dull it) This countersink product series includes several drill diameters. This one will clearance drill for the threads on a #8 modern wood or deck screw. Consider the screws you are going to use and whether they have a relieved shank that will extend through the top workpiece. I will probably buy a 1/8 one for that case. Also, I learned that wood screws, at least the GRK brand, are 90 degree heads. Sheet metal screws and machine screws to imperial (U.S.) standards are 82 degrees. Machine screws for very thin parts (aircraft or electronics sheet metal) are sometimes 100 degrees. Amana offers 82 and 90 degree versions. If you are using a drill press, very good results in wood can be obtained with a machinists zero-flute Weldon countersink set. They are HSS and must be sharpened occasionally with a small stone in a moto-tool or die grinder. Those will not counterbore for a plug, only countersink. Machinery suppliers also sell one-flute countersinks that will do pretty good, and solid carbide countersinks. Hand drilling with the common six-flute hardware-store countersinks either leads to burning through the wood since they are not sharp, or more commonly wobbling in the hole and chattering. If youve read this far, you are now a countersink expert... Edit: If your collar is turning after contact, try light machine oil under the retaining ring. Made a difference for me.

Love this product. Wish I bought it a long time ago. Makes drilling countersink holes fast and easy. No more over-drilling holes or starting and stopping to get just the right depth. With this little device, it is always right the first time.

Nice clean cut on countersink, no discernable wobbling, and no marks. As a carpenter of 25+ years, I wish Id bought it long ago. The cheaper countersink bits either fall apart, are not depth adjustable, dont leave clean cuts, or leave marks. Those can be fine for occasional use, but I just finished a project with hundreds of holes and this bit was worth the investment.

I have wanted this Amana Tool 55227 countersink bit for a long time. I started using it right after it was delivered. This is exactly what I expected. My first few holes were perfect. I know I am going to enjoy adding this to my toolbox. If you need a countersink bit this is the one.

Im so impressed! It drills and recesses a perfect hole every time and has not marred a single surface Ive drilled into. Stained wood painted wood unstained or unpainted wood has not left even a small indention! Now, of course, if you push down really hard, the catch collar will mark your workpiece slightly, but its pretty obvious that you shouldnt do that, but you wont find the need either. LOVE that its impact driver ready, too. It IS a tad pricey for sure, but man, is it fantastic. Still very sharp after 100s of holes drilled. 100% recommended. Hope this was helpful!

Pros: Wiiorks well as a depth stop. Cuts fairly clean. Cons: The stop collar will mar your work and particularly for softer woods and particularly if youre not drilling perfectly perpendicular to your surface. While some have complained about the bit longevity I havent used it long enough to assess that. My biggest gripe with the bit is its too short. In my opinion youll need a longer bit for screws over 1.25 to 1.5. You could hold the collar to eliminate the initial spin that can cause marring but that concerns me somewhat for finger safety should the collar suddenly seize.

The mechanism is high quality. The thrust bearing is a little cheap. As it ships, it (may) scuff your wood. This is easily fixed by placing painters tape before drilling. The tape adds enough friction to engage the thrust bearing. Problem solved. The friction bearing may loosen up in time. Aside from that minor problem, it works flawlessly. I would buy it again.