LV Bargain Router Bits?

[Maurice Ungaro]

Just got the Lee Valley flyer yesterday, and noticed a set of 1/4 " shaft router bits for around $45. Now, I'm one who likes to buy things once, and be able to depend on said things to last a while. The bit set is made by Columbian (made in China, of course), but may ACTUALLY be worth the more tham the asking price. Anyone got an opinion on this one?

Tried to find it on their website, but no go.

[Andy London]

Which Flyer are you looking at..?? I just went through the May flyer and couldn't find any router bit sets. There is a LV store about 5 min from my home and I am generally in there a couple of times a week, I can stop tomorrow and have a look.

Andy

[Maurice Ungaro]

Andy,
It's the one that has the grey totem-style animal heads on it. I'll get a number off of it when I leave the office.

[Andy London]

Maurice, I have the flyer in front of me and for the like of me, I don't see any router bit sets....

[Wes Bischel]

Andy,
Page 5 top of page.

These look a lot like a box I got a few years ago which I use exclusively for MDF. They work well, but I have never used them on real wood.

Wes

[Andy London]

Interesting, they must send a different flyer to US customers as page 5 in mine has a Flap Cleaner, Destaco Clamp, key rack tag and caring for your historic house......thought I was going blind :o

[Brent Smith]

The catalogue I have doesn't have any router bits either.Andy, you must be right and LV sends a different catalogue to the States.

Brent

[Ken Waag]

Maurice,

I doubt these are the top candidates in the "buy it once and having it last a while category". I like to have most of my tools meet those requirements as well. But I have another category, "buy it once, get your use out of it and throw it away". This set looks like a heck of deal from that persective. At $1.37/bit they're essentailly disposable. Gillette/Shick razor catridges are over a $1 a piece.

And a set like that may allow you to have some shapes on hand that one day you'll need out of the blue, and save you a trip to buy a single $25 bit that you'll use once?

So, I guess it depends on what you have, and what you'd like to have on hand. I'd have ordered it, but I own 2/3 of the bits in 1/2" shank, name brand.

So, I think its a great buy for what it is. I did a little checking and and these are made to Wiltons (Jet) specs. Generaly these low cost bits that are speced by a name brand company, are machined well, so they cut fine. The difference is in the grade and thickness of the carbide they use. So they will dull faster and can be sharpened a limited number of times (I say toss anyway so that is a mmot point.)

For comparison I saw this set is typically $89 (i.e. amazon and others). (Hartville did have it on sale for $59) So $49 is the best price I've seen, if the set fits a need.

Hope that helps,
Ken

[Maurice Ungaro]

Ken,
That's pretty much my reasoning on those bits as well. Was wondering if anyone else had similar thoughts, and/or had used them. I'm not a 1/4" shank fan, but at that price, I could tolerate them.

[Andy London]

Maurice, I was in LV at lunch and they confirmed some of the flyers sent to the US are different than those we receive. Some of the products up here, can't be sold in the US. The store doesn't have the sets nor were they in their computer so all I can say is LV has an outstanding reputation for quality products and a excellent no question return policy.

[JayStPeter]

I can't comment specifically on those bits. LV usually sells good stuff.

I was reminded again this weekend that you get what you pay for in router bits. I routed a couple of grooves for some t-track using a bit from the "free" set that came with my jointech. When I stuck the track in the groove, it only went in half way. I looked at the grooves and they had a lip in the middle and were thinner at the bottom. A quick check of the bit showed it had pretty much self destructed. I didn't hear anything strange and had done the grooves in multiple passes, never more than 1/4" per pass. Just a junk bit I guess. Got what I paid for. I'll be leary of opening that box of bits again.

Jay

[James Carmichael]

Hmm, I would trust LV not to sell junk. I see those same bits at Lowes, but don't recall the pricing.