no problems with my cheap-o dremel and an old sloppy drill-press attachment using solid carbide bits. The only bits I've broken were because I carelessly snapped them off readjusting the press. At $8 ea, I'm really careful now

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Electronic Goldmine has boxes of 50 for $29 (sale). I got a box about a year ago ($40), broken 4 so far. Yeah, re-adjusting is a killer on bits...

 

A little bit of electrical tape and a small hose clamp will make a fine stop on the column to prevent the unit from accidently siding to far down and breaking the bit. Have to admit I have not got around to getting the hose clamp yet. Just the tape is doing fine for now.
Not perfect but far better than nothing.

 

I picked up a box on clearance and have not broken one with my OLD dremel.
They are a bargan, you just have to buy other items to justify the shipping.

 

Although I have used the carbide ones, Mostly I just use the Cheaper Steel Bits. When they get Dull, I sharpen them with a really fine grained Grinding wheel.
"Under a Good Magnifying Glass".

Overall, this works very well and when all is done, I get better than 10,000 holes per bit. Not bad for a $1.50 bit.

Another thing, Next time you go to the DENTIST, ask him for some of his worn out Bits.
There Great for Routing and Enlarging holes.

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electronicsgoldmine.com has steel ones for 60 cents as well (clearance when I picked them up as well, it was like 15-20 bits in a little metal case).
They flex but they work fine. With my bad eyes, I like the flex a little and I can choke up on the bit if I want to get rid of it, I have a far amount out of the chuck.

I have a steel one on there now. I save the good ones, but the cheap ones work fine, then bad I pitch them. Maybe I will send them to chemelec, but the price of a stamp will not make it worth it by the time I have enough to mail him. Chemelec is right, steels ones do work fine as well.

Not sure I could sharpen one though, they are small.

 

I bought a set of carbide bits on ebay for around $20 I believe. It was a carefully selected set (rather than just a bunch of random ones) and included several of each size, covering essentially every single size I've ever needed for drilling PCB's. It included about 30 bits total, with more of each of the more popular sizes.

I also bought a pack of 50 carbide bits that were resharpened industrial bits, I believe they were #71, but they're the right size for IC legs, and most small discrete component leads, and I paid about $20 for this set as well. I bought the extras of this size because I use it the most, and the bits are among the smallest I use so they're easier to break when I'm not being careful. At a cost of around 25 cents apiece, I don't even need to worry.

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