Those Forstner-style bits with a worm screw in the center that all the plumbers use for their holes are also nice for larger holes in wood, and they will fit on those hole hawg extensions. They are way more stable and easier to conrol than paddle bits and cut pretty good when they are dull, GREAT when they are sharp, and are substantial enough to snap a few nails if need be. They're easy to resharpen with a few passes from a file. They don't go as small as paddles, but the sizes on the small end will probably do the trick in most cases. The one problem with all of it is getting these things extended 6 feet.. 6 feet of holehawg extensions would get expensive quick if cost is even an issue, but on the other hand, you would have a variable extension you could lengthen or shorten in 18" segments as needed- nice when you are in a 2' crawl space and need to get a 6' extension down a hole. You might need to tap extra set screws into the standard extension to help control the wobble inherent in a shaft with so many junctions in it. On the "pro" side, however, forstner bits operate great at lower speeds than paddles which seem to like to spin as fast as possible. I agree with you totally on the flex bits.. junk. Never found a place to use them where something else wouldn't work better and with less trouble.
