You got drills for wood , glass, masonry, tiles , steel and so on . Many different types for each . What do you want to drill ? how big of a hole ? How deep ? To explain all will confuse you and take too long .

Diamond bits are impregnated with Diamonds. HSS is a type of steel that is designed to cut at high speeds and they hold their temper at high temps. Cobalt is an additive to make steel Tougher

HSS (high speed steel) are the most basic and cheapest bit. They cut well through metal or wood, and are easy to sharpen if you desire (although the time it takes to do so usually isn’t worth it). Next up the ladder are titanium and cobalt bits. These are made from alloys, are harder, and last longer. The obvious downside is cost. They are often more than double the price of a HSS bit. Next are carbide tipped. These are for masonry, tile, glass, etc. These should not be used to drill metal or wood. You also mentioned diamond. These are frequently used in hole saws, for drilling through concrete. Very expensive, professional tool. If you get yourself a set of HSS bits, with a few extras of the common sizes (1/8″, 3/16″, 1/4″) you should be set. Good luck.

Diamond bits are for glass, Tile or other HARD products. Hss are for steal or wood as are cobalt.

If you are going to drill cement, brick, ect, use carbide bits.

The material you use depends on the surface you are drilling. The price increases as the bits’ material gets harder and more heat resistant.

The cheapest is Low Carbon Steel drill bits. Those are only for softwood, and they dull fast nevertheless. Slightly better option is High Carbon Steel. HSS, which stands for High Speed Steel drill bits are a significant improvement and can be used on hardwood and metals. They are the ones most commonly used in household projects.

Titanium Coated Drill Bits are more expensive and are significantly harder, since the coating is a hard ceramic material.

Then there are Carbide Tipped Drill Bits. These are extremely hard, and don’t heat as fast, but on the con side they are brittle and could chip.

Cobalt bits are most commonly used for stainless steel.

Diamond Drill Bits are in a league of their own. They contain diamond particles which makes them the hardest. Unlike other material, diamond drill bits grind as opposed to cutting through. They are used on glass, ceramics, stones, etc…

There are many charts online that outline material’s specifics. Here is one example: http://drill-bits. Blogspot.com/2008/04/drill-bits-material-from-carbon-steel.html

Hope this helps.

Good luck.

Difference is the material they are made from.

They are used in different materials,depending on how hard it is,what it is. Basic drill bit would be the “HSS” that stands for High Speed Steel. Diamond bits are expensive ,but cut through things that are hard to drill into. Glass, Masonry would fall into this category. Cobalt bits are made from harder steels,or put through a process that makes them harder.

They hold the edge allot longer. (stay sharper)They drill things , for example,like a really thick piece of metal,or steel,Stainless Steel.

Something that probably take longer to drill,so you want a bit to stay sharp.

Then there are Titanium ,which is treated with Titanium ,a very hard material.

They hold the sharpness,and are less likely to break.

Then you go into Masonry,Wood,spade or Butterfly,Auger, Glass and tile,Drill Sawing Bits. Those are speciality bits. Hope this helps. Byee