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The biggest difference I've seen in cable drops over 5 years isn't tech, it's the walls
I've been doing installs in the same older neighborhood outside Portland since 2019, and the before and after on wall material is wild. These new builds use some hardboard composite that chews up my drill bits way faster than the old drywall and plaster I used to deal with. Anyone else notice a major shift in how newer homes are built making your job harder?
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lilyg832mo ago
My #6 masonry bit actually caught fire on a hardie board install last month, so now I just keep a dedicated set of cheap bits for those new builds and switch back to my good ones for the old stuff.
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taylor6682mo ago
I gotta push back on "caught fire" being something you want to avoid though. I've had cheap bits smoke and spark on me more times than I can count, especially on new Hardie plank. The real trick is to treat your bits like they're disposable anyway - I buy mid-range ones in bulk and just expect to replace them after a few big jobs. You're actually spending more money in the long run with the good bits if you're swapping them out all the time, not to mention the hassle of keeping track of two sets. Plus, a little heat is fine as long as you're not melting the shank - that's just the carbide doing its job, you know?
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