Extended Reach for Deep & Restricted-Access Drilling

Some holes aren't difficult because of their diameter; they're difficult because you can't get a standard drill far enough into the job. Sutton long series drills provide additional flute length & overall reach for deeper holes, thick components & drilling positions tucked behind brackets, flanges or surrounding machinery.

Built for extended-reach drilling, Sutton D110 Blue Bullet long series drills combine M2 high-speed steel with precision-ground flutes & a 118° general-purpose point. For fabricators, maintenance crews, metalworkers & workshop technicians, that extra length creates another option between conventional jobber drilling & reaching immediately for an extra-long cutter.

A useful rule is to give the drill enough length to reach the work without carrying unnecessary projection into the cut. Where standard reach already does the job, Sutton Tools | Drills - Jobber provides the more compact choice. At the opposite end of the length decision, Sutton Tools | Drills - Stub prioritises compactness & rigidity where extra reach offers no advantage.

What Are Sutton Long Series Drills?

Long-series drills extend the familiar twist-drill format by increasing flute length & overall tool length beyond conventional jobber dimensions. The result is a cutter capable of reaching further into a component or beyond surrounding features that prevent a shorter drill from reaching the required position.

Within Sutton's range, the D110 Blue Bullet is manufactured from M2 high-speed steel with precision-ground flutes & a 118° general-purpose point. Sutton also specifies a Blu surface finish above 3 mm, with the series intended for general-purpose drilling in suitable ferrous applications.

One specification deserves particular attention before choosing by length alone: Sutton rates the D110 for a maximum cutting depth of 8×D. In practical terms, usable cutting depth changes with drill diameter, so overall tool length shouldn't be mistaken for the amount of material the drill is intended to cut through.

Industrial Shed's collection also extends into Sutton extra-long drilling options for applications requiring considerably more reach. Long Series & Extra Long therefore belong to the same extended-reach conversation, but they shouldn't automatically be treated as interchangeable tools.

Why Choose Sutton Long Series Drills?

Reach Beyond the Limits of a Jobber Drill

Picture a hole sitting behind a flange or deep inside a fabricated section. The diameter may be straightforward, yet the chuck reaches the surrounding structure before a conventional drill reaches the work.

Long-series tooling solves that physical access problem by placing the cutting point further from the holder. That extra distance can also provide the flute length required for deeper holes through thicker material.

Add Length Only Where the Job Earns It

More reach comes with a practical compromise. Increasing the unsupported length of a drill can make the setup more sensitive to deflection, vibration & wandering than a shorter tool of the same diameter.

Rather than viewing Long Series as an upgrade from Jobber, treat the two as different solutions. Jobber length remains useful where standard reach is sufficient; Long Series becomes valuable when depth or surrounding geometry makes that standard length restrictive.

Give Deeper Holes Somewhere to Send the Chips

Material removed at the cutting point still has to leave the hole. As drilling depth increases, chips travel further through the flutes before reaching open air.

Precision-ground flutes support material evacuation, but deeper work still deserves active attention. Chip behaviour, heat & cutting load can reveal that the hole needs clearing before the drill progresses further.

Keep a Familiar HSS Cutting Platform

M2 high-speed steel gives the D110 a proven cutting-tool foundation for suitable general-purpose drilling. Sutton's Blu finish is intended to support performance in ferrous applications, particularly by reducing chip build-up & cutting friction.

Neither feature removes the need to identify the workpiece correctly. Material, diameter, depth, machine capability & operating conditions still determine how the drilling operation should be approached.

Common Applications

Deep Drilling Through Fabricated Sections

Heavy brackets, thicker plates, machine components & fabricated assemblies can put the far side of the work beyond ordinary jobber reach. A long-series HSS drill gives fabricators additional working depth while maintaining flute length for material removal.

Entry position becomes increasingly important as the distance through the component grows. A small angular error at the surface can translate into a much larger positional difference by the time the cutting point reaches the exit side.

Reaching Holes Hidden Behind Existing Components

Depth isn't always the reason a longer drill is required. A shallow hole positioned behind a guard, housing, flange or fixed bracket can be impossible to reach because the drill chuck physically collides with the surrounding assembly.

Extended overall length moves the holder further away from the cutting point, giving maintenance crews another way to approach awkward access without assuming the surrounding equipment can simply be dismantled.

Machinery Repairs With Limited Access

Repair work rarely offers the clean geometry of a fresh component sitting on the bench. Existing pipework, guards, brackets & machinery structures can dictate where the drill has to approach from.

Where the component can be stabilised before drilling, Clamps & Vises can help control the workpiece while the extended cutter is engaged.

Fabrication Around Channels, Frames & Assemblies

Channels, frames & built-up fabrications can create clearance problems even when the required hole itself is relatively ordinary. Selecting a longer drill allows the cutter to reach past surrounding structure while keeping the intended drilling position accessible.

Instead of relying on the long drill to find its own path, establish the hole centre first. Measuring & Layout Tools support accurate marking, spacing & reference measurements before the cutter commits the component.

Precision Starts Before Extended-Reach Drilling

The further the cutting point sits from the chuck, the more valuable a controlled starting position becomes. Where positional accuracy warrants a dedicated starting operation, Sutton Tools | Drills - Spotting TiNite can establish the location before the long-series drill produces the required hole.

That sequence is particularly useful where a wandering start could affect alignment with a mating component or the expected exit position on the opposite side of the work.

Product Selection Guide

Work Out What the Extra Length Has to Achieve

Before comparing product dimensions, identify the obstacle. A physically deep hole needs enough flute & cutting depth to complete the operation, whereas a recessed drilling position may only need additional overall length to place the cutting point beyond an obstruction.

Separating those two requirements prevents overall drill length from becoming the only specification considered.

Use the 8×D Figure Properly

Sutton specifies a maximum cutting depth of 8×D for D110. Because “D” represents drill diameter, the allowable numerical depth changes as diameter changes.

A 5 mm drill & a 10 mm drill therefore don't share the same numerical 8×D depth. Check the individual size against the required hole instead of treating “Long Series” as an unlimited deep-hole designation.

Compare Reach Before Moving Beyond Jobber Length

Take a measurement from the intended holder position to the start of the hole, then account for the required cutting depth. That simple check can reveal whether Long Series is genuinely required or whether a conventional jobber drill already provides sufficient reach.

Choosing the shorter suitable format can keep the setup more compact while still completing the operation.

Keep Diameter & Length as Separate Decisions

Reach solves access. Diameter determines hole size.

Choose the required diameter from the drawing, fastener, tapping specification, mating component or machining allowance first. Once the hole size is established, select the drill format that provides sufficient reach to produce it.

Make Chip Clearance Part of the Plan

A long flute doesn't guarantee that chips will clear themselves under every drilling condition. As depth increases, monitor how material is moving out of the hole & whether cutting resistance begins to change.

For operations where suitable cutting fluid is appropriate, Alpha | Lubricants & Cutting Fluids provides related metalworking consumables.

Look at the Whole Machine Setup

An extended drill can fit the chuck yet still create an unsuitable arrangement. Machine clearance, chuck capacity, workpiece support, available speed range, spindle alignment & exposed drill length all deserve consideration.

Supporting equipment can be just as important as the cutter itself. Drill Accessories provides a related pathway when the wider drilling setup needs attention.

Expert Tips

Measure From the Holder, Not From Memory

A long drill often gets ordered because somebody remembers the last bit being “just a little short”. Measure the actual access distance instead. Knowing how far the cutting point needs to sit from the holder makes it easier to choose useful reach without paying for unnecessary length.

Treat the Entry Point Like It Controls the Exit

Over a deeper drilling distance, small alignment errors have room to grow. Establish the starting position carefully, keep the drill aligned with the intended axis & consider where the point is expected to emerge before committing to the full depth.

Let Chip Behaviour Set the Pace

A drill cutting cleanly near the surface may behave differently once the flutes are carrying material from deeper inside the component. Changes in chip flow, heat or resistance are reasons to reassess the operation rather than simply increasing feed pressure.

Keep Side Pressure Out of the Equation

Extra drill length can make side loading more noticeable at the cutting point. Trying to steer an engaged long drill with the machine or handheld tool can encourage deflection instead of correcting the hole.

Alignment should come from the setup before the drill enters the work.

Give Awkward Components Better Workholding, Not More Confidence

Large frames, repaired assemblies & irregular components are often the jobs that call for extra reach. Their awkward shape doesn't make secure workholding less important; it makes it more important.

Control the component before relying on an extended cutter to remain on line.

Check the Entire Drill After a Difficult Job

Cutting-edge wear is only part of the inspection. Long drills deserve a look along the body as well, particularly after an operation involving vibration, poor access or accidental side loading.

Straight, clean & undamaged tooling is easier to trust on the next deep hole. How To Clean Your Gear Without Ruining It covers practical workshop maintenance habits between jobs.