20pcs/set 0.3mm-1.6mm Mini High Speed Steel Twist Drill Bit Set Micro HSS drill bit set with Case (WHL #110)
There’s this saying attributed to Albert Einstein:
The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.
So if I wanted to replace a mini drill bit set because many drills are already missing, and the replacement set is fake and only consists of a fraction of the advertised drill sizes – what do I do?
Exactly.
I order the very same thing again, just from a different seller, and expect a complete set of drill bits 
So, here’s what I ordered:
I own pretty much the same item, but with an orange base. Bought this like 10, maybe 15 years ago from a German supplier, and as I said, some drills are missing. It’s easy to snap them off, or even just lose them in battle (smallest size 0.3mm!). Recently, I needed known diameter needles in a couple of sizes to check PCB through-hole (via) sizes. So that looked like a pretty good replacement and much easier and cheaper than buying individual 0.xyz mm drills. Amazon once denied me sending a pack of 1.0mm drills to a pickup shop or some 24/7 pickup locker because it considered it hazardous freight…so they left it on my doorstep instead. Anyways.
First set cost me 1.58€ after all rebates (July 3rd), then I got back some crap (I’ll explain in a minute), and then I ordered an item advertised with the same set of pictures, just from a different seller. This time, at a cost of 1.98€ after rebates, on July 24th.
While I didn’t really check the first item (they look fine, at first glance), I only realized I got scammed when measuring the individual drills for the via test, and that was still in the dispute period. Pure coincidence that I needed them that quickly. So I of course immediately had a closer look at the second item upon arrival.
Here’s what I put in the Aliexpress dispute, which was, once again, immediately resolved in my favour and did not require me to send things back, even though I absolutely would:
The advertised drill bit sizes were 0.30mm up to 1.00mm in 0.05mm steps, as well as 1.2mm to 1.6mm in 0.10mm steps (not sure why 1.1 is missing…). So in total, 0.30, 0.35, 0.40, 0.45, 0.50, 0.55, 0.60, 0.65, 0.70, 0.75, 0.80, 0.85, 0.90, 0.95, 1.0 , 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 1.5 and 1.6mm
Instead, both sets contain 7x 0.65mm, 2x 0.75mm, 2x 0.85mm, 2x 0.95mm and probably the correct ones beyond that, I couldn’t be arsed to check as these do all look different from here. But the important small ones are all the same, which of course makes this useless for my intended purpose.
If you, however, have a dire need for 0.65mm drills and need a metric shitton of these – be sure to add one of these drill sets to each and every of your Aliexpress orders and then get your money back. Maybe some day in the future they’ll learn.
Bonus fun fact: The shop that I think sold me the original, correct orange drill set also still sells mini drill sets. But no longer in orange – they have switched to the exact same black case instead. And they also have a small review system on their website now. Guess the most recent review? Exactly right: Someone complained about all the small bits being 0.6 ones instead. So they’re now selling the very same crap the Chinese do, but they charge 4.95€ instead. Nah, thanks, I’ll pass.
