For drilling 18 holes in A36 steel 1/4" thick. I didn't use a pilot hole or a pre-drilled hole. I used cutting fluid and stopped 6-8 times per hole to add cutting fluid. The last hole is still drilled as normal. I don't know how many holes There was still some left of the chisel but that was all I needed for the project. The bit and hole diameter was only .687". This is a quality tool. Thank you