Replies

1. 
   forestgirl | Jan 02, 2003 10:55pm | #1

   To answer the question in your discussion title, uh, Yes!  There is a difference in router bits.  You'll get many different opinions on which brand is best.  The quality of the carbide, how thick it is, how long it will last are all important.  The hidden (to me, anyway) engineering that makes one bit less likely to fracture (Yikes, been there, done that!) is very important.  With complex bits such as matching rail and stile sets, if they aren't dimensioned perfectly, they won't match and your work is for naught.

   forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl   ;-)

1. 
   tdtracy | Jan 03, 2003 02:00am | #3

   Thanks for your replybut,not having a engineering background how can I chose the best for my needs? Is there a chart or something to go by to be able to compare brands?   Thanks Terry

1. 
   forestgirl | Jan 03, 2003 05:32am | #9

   The router bit review mentioned above has some useful information.  I seem to recall, however, that there was a great deal of controversy following its publication.  My eyes glaze over when the engineering talk starts, so I'm no help there, LOL.

   The bits I've heard consistently the best reports on are CMT and Whiteside.  Amana seems to do pretty well also.  I have 3 or 4 Freud bits, and a Jesada rabbeting set, but none have had heavy enough work to base anty testimonials on.

   IMO, staying away from the cheapo sets is the first step in the right direction.  Buy the higher quality, search various forums for user's reports, and you'll start to see patterns in which bits get the most consistent recommendations.forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl   ;-)

1. 
   locallabor | Jan 03, 2003 08:17am | #10

   any one have anything to say about rocklers router bits?

1. 
   forestgirl | Jan 05, 2003 08:04pm | #13

   My experience with Rockler hasn't been great, but it's also been very limited.  I ran a thread several months ago when one shattered on me.  At least one person posted that they'd not been happy with them.  Don't recall getting any rave reviews on them.forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl   ;-)

2. 
   LeeEschen | Jan 05, 2003 10:28am | #11

   What experience has anybody had with the Lee Valley router bits? I like LV's quality in general, but have yet to try their bits. The prices seem pretty reasonable, but I don't want to shop price alone.

   Thanks!

   --

   Lee in Cave Junction, Oregon

   On the Redwood Highway

1. 
   stancalow | Jan 05, 2003 06:34pm | #12

   Lee

   I have several LV bits that I got because I saw profiles that I didn't think Whiteside, Amana or CMT has.  They seem to have a lot of smaller profiles, which I have needed.  They work fine, but they are not used that often. 

   However, I always wondered if there were only actually only two or three manufacturers in China that make everyone's bits.  It seems that everyone at the low end has either green, blue or grey bits that make me think they all come from the same place. 

   stan

2. 
   forestgirl | Jan 05, 2003 08:05pm | #14

   This past week, it seems to me there was a thread dedicated to this question.  Check around.  They got good reviews from people who had used them.  That made me interested fer sure.forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl   ;-)

2. 
   AKwoodworker | Jan 02, 2003 11:19pm | #2

   Fine Woodworking just did a review on router bits. From their tests Whiteside came in first and Jeseda was last. You can read the article on the Fine Woodworking web site.

   AKwoodworker

1. 
   LeeEschen | Jan 03, 2003 02:20am | #4

   Which issue? I can't seem to locate it on FWW website.

   --

   Lee in Cave Junction, Oregon

   On the Redwood Highway

1. 
   AKwoodworker | Jan 03, 2003 03:12am | #5

   Lee, go to their main page, http://www.taunton.com/finewoodworking/index.asp

   Do a search for router bits. The name of the article is

   Router Bit Matchup or this address may take you right there

   http://www.taunton.com/finewoodworking/pages/w00045.asp

1. 
   LeeEschen | Jan 03, 2003 03:28am | #6

   Thanks! I found it with your help. I had searched "router bit review" and got 246 responses. None of those I checked were the right one.

   I appreciate your help.

   --

   Lee in Cave Junction, Oregon

   On the Redwood Highway

3. 
   mrbird90 | Jan 03, 2003 03:45am | #7

   The article you may want to read is in the #137 issue of Fine woodworking, page 88

4. 
   PlaneWood | Jan 03, 2003 05:01am | #8

   My experience has been that the better quality, more expensive, bits are far more cost effective in the long run considering that you are able to get them resharpened.  The cheaper bits usually get nicked or break and have to be thrown away before resharpening.

   I use Amana brand.    I pay something like $38 for a 1/2" quarter round bit with bearing.  Most I have now have been sharpened at least 4 times.  I think sharpening is $7.  I get maybe 75-80 linear feet of routing of Cocobolo before they need to be resharpened.

   With the yellow bits available at HD, I get maybe 2' per sharpening.  Total waste of money.

   PlaneWood by Mike_in_Katy
   PlaneWood

5. 
   ScottWhiting | Jan 05, 2003 08:21pm | #15

   There is quite a bit of difference in router bit quality. One thing is the better bits will be more consistant from one bit to the next. There are several different grades of carbide used. Comparison testing does not always show the best bits overall. Because each router bit is engineered to appeal to the largest cross section of a companies customers even if the body and carbide makeup is the same variations in shear angle and hook angle will make one or the other perform better in different materials. Another topic that has arison lately is paint. Some manufactureres use paint color as a product identity while others use it to mask that the bit is ground from a casting rather that a solid billet. While not necessarily inferior if done right, bits ground from castings will have a higher incidence of inbalance and under the right circumstances may fracture easier. While inexpensive bits may be fine in the smaller sizes and for short runs, in general it is definetly a get what you pay for scenario.

   Scott

   Scott's Sharpening Service

   Glendale, Az.

1. 
   Phil_Twiss | Jan 06, 2003 05:42pm | #16

   Hi ya,

   Have you ever heard of carbitool, their bits can be found at an Aussie site called http://www.aptoolparts.com, these are really good bits made by true hairy Australians in a sophisticated factory, not by five year olds in some dodgy sweatshop in downtown Beijing. Considering the value of our dollar against the US$ it may just be worth your while checking it out. I would say most Australian furniture makers who use good quality bits would us Carbitool.

   I have no vested interest here apart from seeing a great company do well so they can make more interesting and useful bits for me to use.

   Cheers

   Phil