Dowelmax owners: Drill bit proper name?

[Floyd Cox]

What is the proper name for the type of drill that comes with the dowelmax, it is different than a regular metal bit in that it has an offset sharp taper going up the spiral.

[Brian Penning]

They call it a brad point drill at the LV website.
You might want to be aware of this info...

The drill bit supplied with the Dowelmax® is 9.7mm/.382" (3/8" is .375"). The difference accommodates variations in dowel diameter and provides a small amount of play for multi-pin joints. For closer fit, use a Letter-V bit (.377"), or, for maximum tightness, 3/8". The bit supplied with the 1/4" guide bushing set is 6.5mm/.256". A tighter fit requires a 1/4"/.250" bit (there is no in-between size).

[Bill Huber]

My DowelMax just came with a regular HSS twist drill bit, not a brad point.

This is from the DowelMax web site.

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[William M Johnson]

Mine also came with the regular HSS drill bit, no brad point

[Prashun Patel]

I didn't realize the stock bit is a bit oversized. I swapped out the one from the kit with an HSS 3/8" brad point bit, and can't be happier. Requires less force to drill through harder woods, and never chews up the rim of the hole.

I'll get one that's a tad oversized when this one's seen it's last day, because the tightness can be a pain to work with.

[Chuck Tringo]

I actually like the tighter fit, and I never liked the way the bit supplied with the dowelmax drilled, it seemed to cut rather slowly and when I started using a 3/8 TiN Coated Dewalt twist bit, it seems to drill a lot cleaner and with less effort. If the dowels are too tight with this, try throwing them in the microwave for about 10 seconds prior to use, should remove any moisture that they may have absorbed from the environment.