Replies

1. 
   user-221516 | Apr 29, 2005 08:50pm | #1

   I learned the hard way on E-Bay CHEAP Router Bits. I ordered two sets. One was ok and useable but the other was pitiful. Poorly made and very dull. I returned them and got my purchase price back but had to pay shipping both ways. You live and learn at least you better learn or go broke.

1. 
   forestgirl | Apr 29, 2005 09:48pm | #2

   Yep.  I've tried to talk folks out of buying no-name bits on eBay, but it's a toughie.  Am throwing them this "bone" -- at least you get a case out of the deal, and some of the bits are bound to work.  Here's Lee Valley's disclaimer:  "Not the quality of our usual bits, but they are good value simply for problem-solving potential." forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)Another proud member of the  "I Rocked With ToolDoc Club" .... :>) 

1. 
   wchips | May 02, 2005 08:40pm | #9

      I have bought cheap router bits on E Bay and elsewhere I havc come to the conclusion that they are not worth the cost of shipping most of the time.

                                   Have a nice day Lee

2. 
   nikkiwood | Apr 30, 2005 09:28am | #3

   Ordinarily, I would say cheap bits are worth what you pay for them.But I saw this blurb in the LV catalog too, and it was intriguing. These folks are pretty conscientious in their product selections, so I would think the bits are not complete crap.And they are carbide."I would never die for my beliefs because I might be wrong."
   -- Bertrand Russell

1. 
   forestgirl | Apr 30, 2005 05:19pm | #6

   I was tempted, but even the case won't help me out much since I buy 90% 1/2" shank bits.  Darn.forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)Another proud member of the  "I Rocked With ToolDoc Club" .... :>) 

1. 
   nikkiwood | Apr 30, 2005 05:40pm | #7

   I didn't see that in the blurb (about the 1/4" shank). Still, I'm sorely tempted -- mainly because of LV, but also, at that price, you can treat them like throw-aways. I don't buy into cowtown's argument about ruining expensive wood. If a whole piece was depending on a $2 bit, I don't think I would reach for one of these. On the other hand, you might want to get out your helmet and body armor in case one of them shatters <g> ......................"I would never die for my beliefs because I might be wrong."
   -- Bertrand Russell

   Edited 4/30/2005 7:30 pm ET by nikkiwood

2. 
   user-221516 | May 02, 2005 03:20pm | #8

   I'm through with cheap bits. From now on I will look for bargains from those companies that have proven to me to have quality products. If a person is patient bargains can be found.

2. 
   cowtown | Apr 30, 2005 10:02am | #4

   hey Forest girl...

   Cheap router bits cetrainly exist and are offered to us with all kinds of incentives...

   the bearings that they glide upon are also almost certain to resemble bearings, but whether they do next week, well that remains a question to be answered,. . You can indeed save a buck or two by buying cheap cutters.

   But when the bearing seizes up prematurely and runs little brown marks all over a hundred and fifty dollar sheet of laminate, why, you too will get to wondering if yer few dollar cost saving was really an effective excercise in pragmatic economics.

   I learned that lesson the hard way, then realized that I wasn't finished "getting screwed"

   What is really scarey, is if you got a set of the "bargain" bits and perhaps put them into your tray of router bits, well, come the next week, you, like me maybe . ain't gonna have a clue which is the cheap bits, (which put your work at risk) and which are reliable, in other words, the cheap bits have perverted yer router bit gene pool.

   might be next month, or it might be next year, or the year after, or even three or four years down the road. .... when you inadvertently chuck a cheapo bit left over from the "good deal" into the router only to have the bearing fail quickly. I suspect you will hardly be shouting out about what a good deal you got on the bits. Or will you?

   It all depends on how much damage the failure does.

   And a failure of a bearing can indeed be costly.

   I suspect the air will be blue indeed.

   If you want piece of mind, in tune with Pye's concept of the craftsman's "workmanship of risk" ethic , quality in tooling is one way to help achieve the woodworkers equivalent of that, OTOH, if you thrive on "high anxiety", buy and use them tools that come from wherever it is cheapest to make em.

   I couldn't really tell from yer post whether you was in agreement with my perspective, or not, or just fishin.....

   Cowtown Eric.

1. 
   forestgirl | Apr 30, 2005 05:18pm | #5

   "I couldn't really tell from yer post whether you was in agreement with my perspective, or not...."   How could you be in doubt? -- see "Yep.  I've tried to talk folks out of buying no-name bits on eBay, but it's a toughie." [foresgirl, 4/29/05, 11:48 am]forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)Another proud member of the  "I Rocked With ToolDoc Club" .... :>)