Review: Woodpeckers Ultra-Shear bits
Woodpeckers debuts impressive line of router bitsWoodpeckers is now producing high-performance router bits at its Ohio manufacturing facility, and selling them factory-direct, which lets them edge out similar top-tier bits on price. I tried a wide range of these new “Ultra-Shear” bits, and each one cut very cleanly, with the shear-cutting action keeping tearout to an absolute minimum.
I started with the spiral upcut bits, made from solid carbide, a type I rely on for a host of tasks such as template routing and cutting dadoes, mortises, and tenons. In all of these situations, the Woodpecker bits worked equally as well as my previous favorites.
![Clean cuts ontricky woods.](https://images.finewoodworking.com/app/uploads/2024/02/09085810/011309018-2.jpg)
Woodpeckers also makes compression-style bits, which twist downward against a top edge and upward at the bottom, to reduce chipping on both. As promised, these did a great job routing plywood with no fuzzing or tearout on the top or bottom surfaces.
I also tried 1⁄2-in. and 1⁄4-in. flush-cutting bits with compression-cut spirals and bearings on top and bottom. Both cut flawlessly.
There are also a number of Woodpeckers bits made with carbide inserts, set at an angle for similar shear-cutting action. I got great cut quality from the rabbeting bit, and its large diameter gave it a very secure and smooth feel when cutting. Last but not least, I had my shop neighbor test out the new slab-flattening bit on his CNC, and it produced a very smooth surface, with minimal evidence of overlapping passes.
![Top-notch rabbeting bit.](https://images.finewoodworking.com/app/uploads/2024/02/09090131/011309018-3.jpg)
—Jeff Miller is a furniture maker and teacher in Chicago, and a frequent contributor.
Photos: Asa Christiana (top), Jeff Miller (bottom 2)
From Fine Woodworking #309
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