These drill bits chip easier than I expected, although I usually use cobalt bits. I only needed this size for a job so I went with these because they were so much cheaper. It was just metallic steel, but the problem was probably that the holes in the HAZ were near some of the welds. However, I've done the same thing with Precision Twist cobalt bits with no chipping. They did their job and the price was ok but I would look for something else in the future.