Brad Point Bits-Anyone Own These?

[Jim Eller]

Does anyone own or have used these Woodworker's Supply bits?

http://woodworker.com/5mm-hss-bradpoint-bit-mssu-120-341.asp?utm_source=promo&utm_medium=email&utm_content=120341&utm_campaign=IRW12H

And are they worth the price?

Alternatives would be??

Thanks,
Jim

[Josh Reet]

I've got these:

http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?page=10627&filter=brad%20point%20bit

I'm going to guess that they are from the same factory or are at least similar in quality. I find them to be worth the money I paid. Probably would have been worth the $40 regular price. But I like the $25 a lot better.

[Jim Eller]

I think I like them too Josh. I just read the reviews. Seven of them and they were all positive. Usually out of that many somebody is PO'd are will rate the product a zero.

Good alternative.

Thanks,
Jim

[David Keller NC]

Does anyone own or have used these Woodworker's Supply bits?

http://woodworker.com/5mm-hss-bradpoint-bit-mssu-120-341.asp?utm_source=promo&utm_medium=email&utm_content=120341&utm_campaign=IRW12H

And are they worth the price?

Alternatives would be??

Thanks,
Jim

Yes, I had them. Gave them away - the geometry of the bit led to more tearing than I would like, and they weren't nearly as sharp as these (which I replaced the Woodtek set with):

http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.aspx?c=2&p=42247&cat=1,180,42240

[Gary Venable]

I would second the set from Lee Valley. Excellent and well worth the money.

-Gary

[Jim Laberge]

I would second the set from Lee Valley. Excellent and well worth the money.

-Gary


I'd "third" that ( if there is such a thing ). I have been very satisfied with my LV bits.

[Prashun Patel]

Jim-
I own this set:

http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?page=10627&filter=bradpoint%20bits (http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?page=10627&filter=bradpoint%20bits)

For the price and for medium use, I think they're wonderful. I think Rockler has free shipping now too...

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Woodcraft has a 170pc set that they periodically discount to under $40. One of these days, I might grab it as a 'disposable' set of smaller bits

[URL]http://www.woodcraft.com/Family/2020268/2020268.aspx (http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?page=10627&filter=bradpoint%20bits)

[Phil Thien]

The Rockler bits are just okay, IMHO. The brad points could be better centered on some of them.

[Leo Vogel]

The Lee Valley bits referenced above are the best I ever used. Just super bits and dead on accurate.

[Jeremy Brant]

I've been looking to pick some up. The LV ones are always very highly recommended. Has anyone used Norseman brad point bits? I've got a set of their mechanics length bits for drilling metal and they're the best I've used to date.

[Wayne Cannon]

Make that a "fourth". The Lee Valley bits run very true -- well-centered brad and minimal run-out -- unlike many sets I've owned.

[Josh Reet]

At aprox 7 times the price of the Rockler ones, I would sure hope the LV ones are better. $175...ouch.

[Jim Eller]

Shawn,

I had the Woodcraft 170 piece set. I thought it would be good enough for drill a few holes and through them away.

I couldn't even drill a few holes with the set I had. I tried four different size bits and they all made oval shaped holes. You could roll them on a table saw top and see they were not straight.

Jim


Jim-
I own this set:

http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?page=10627&filter=bradpoint%20bits (http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?page=10627&filter=bradpoint%20bits)

For the price and for medium use, I think they're wonderful. I think Rockler has free shipping now too...




Woodcraft has a 170pc set that they periodically discount to under $40. One of these days, I might grab it as a 'disposable' set of smaller bits

http://www.woodcraft.com/Family/2020268/2020268.aspx

[Rod Sheridan]

I only purchase the brad point bits as I need a particular size.

I have the Lee Valley bits, and they cut extremely cleanly with no tear out.

It's a cutting tool, you get what you pay for...........Rod.

[John Coloccia]

Shawn,

I had the Woodcraft 170 piece set. I thought it would be good enough for drill a few holes and through them away.

I couldn't even drill a few holes with the set I had. I tried four different size bits and they all made oval shaped holes. You could roll them on a table saw top and see they were not straight.

Jim

Same experience here. Nearly every one is warped. Thanks for reminding me, by the way. I need to return those.

-John

[Prashun Patel]

Ooooh, thanks for that....$30 saved!

[David Keller NC]

At aprox 7 times the price of the Rockler ones, I would sure hope the LV ones are better. $175...ouch.

Yes, but the issue is that the Lee Valley bits are expensive, it's that Rockler et. al. sell bits that are too cheap. The Lee Valley's are well in line with what a craftsman would pay for a set of high-quality twist bits in the 1920's and 1930's (the golden age of American Tool Manufacturing) after accounting for time value of money.

The WoodTek bits are simply "drill bit shaped objects", not actual drill bits. Sort of like a Stanley $12 "dovetail saw" in the big box store is simply a saw-shaped object; it's not actually a functional dovetail saw.:D

[tyler mckenzie]

i own the LV set, there only 2 weeks old so time will tell. So far very happy with the quality.

http://tealandgold.blogspot.com/

[Gary Herrmann]

Bump for the LV set. I think they're made by Fuller.

[Rod Sheridan]

Yes, but the issue is that the Lee Valley bits are expensive, it's that Rockler et. al. sell bits that are too cheap. The Lee Valley's are well in line with what a craftsman would pay for a set of high-quality twist bits in the 1920's and 1930's (the golden age of American Tool Manufacturing) after accounting for time value of money.

The WoodTek bits are simply "drill bit shaped objects", not actual drill bits. Sort of like a Stanley $12 "dovetail saw" in the big box store is simply a saw-shaped object; it's not actually a functional dovetail saw.:D


Well said David.

Our parents understood value, it meant paying good money to obtain a quality product that was less expensive in the long term, rather than our current fascination with cheap.

Our parents also understood cheap to mean inferior or substandard. The definition hasn't changed, our ability to have term goals and outlooks however seems to have changed.

Regards, Rod.

[Josh Reet]

Yes, but the issue is that the Lee Valley bits are expensive, it's that Rockler et. al. sell bits that are too cheap. The Lee Valley's are well in line with what a craftsman would pay for a set of high-quality twist bits in the 1920's and 1930's (the golden age of American Tool Manufacturing) after accounting for time value of money.

The WoodTek bits are simply "drill bit shaped objects", not actual drill bits. Sort of like a Stanley $12 "dovetail saw" in the big box store is simply a saw-shaped object; it's not actually a functional dovetail saw.:D

Nothing wrong with buying high quality stuff if you can. But for $25, the Rockler ones do what I need them to. Perhaps in the future that will change. But the Rocklers are a fine deal in my book, even if it isn't top notch quality.

There is such a thing as overpaying for a tool. It all depends on what you are going to do with it, what your needs are, and how much money you have in your pocket. A lot of great things have been built by people who didn't have the best of tools.

[Jim Eller]

The Lee Valley looks great but the 7x the price puts a damper on it at the moment. I'll have to give it some thought.

I paid that much for the LV medium shoulder plane but I put that in a different category.

[David Keller NC]

"There is such a thing as overpaying for a tool."

Indeed there is, but this is not an example. But of course there's an assumption - just about any twist drill bit will bore a few holes into drywall for putting up picture frames. Presumably, the OP didn't have this sort of job in mind.