Forstner Bits

[Warren Johnson]

Looking to buy a set. Rockler has a 16 piece set for around $59.00 and Woodcraft has a 16 piece set for $46.00. The sizes are the same diameters.
Do any of you have either of these sets? Sorry, but I didn't know how to add links to this message.
Thanks, Warren

[Carl Carew]

I don't have either of these sets but from the price range they would both be what I would call lower quality imports. I bought my first Forstner bits about 30 years ago when I was carving decoys and used them to hollow out the bodies. At the time they cost me 20 to 30 bucks each in the 3/4 to 1.5 inch range. They got quite a workout and held up very well. I currently still have them as well as two sets in the price range you describe. To my surprise these sets perform very well, much better than most lower priced cutting tools. They are not used in a productio environment but for a hobby workshop I think either set would be fine.

Regards
Carl

[Matt Meiser]

I have this set and I'm pretty satisfied with it after a year or two. http://www.woodcraft.com/product/2000774/20866/forstner-16-piece-bit-set.aspx I'm assuming that's the $46 set you are talking about. I did spend about an hour cleaning up the cutting edges with a small diamond stone--made a big difference. Will they hold up forever--probably not but they seem to be a decent value, especially at the current sale price.

[Bill Huber]

I have the 16 piece Rockler set and they are ok, I have found that if I sharpen them first they cut a lot better. Some look really bad when you look at them before you sharpen them. I just use a small diamond homing set that I have and it takes no time at all to sharpen them up just that little bit.
Would I buy them again, yes for the price they are fine.

[Warren Johnson]

Matt,


That is the same set, marked down from $91.00. They won't get a lot of heavy use, but I think I'll p/u a set while on sale.

Warren

[ian maybury]

The hard part seems to be to find a cheap set that's also well made. There's so far as i can tell a lot of inconsistency, even from one set to the next of a given brand.

Any of the cheaper ones that I've had have had problems with inconsistent sharpening - one cuts properly, the next badly, the next not at all and so on. Which doesn't mean that it's not possible to happen on a good set at decent money.

Good quality items like the German made Colts or Famag Bormax that perform consistently are still expensive - but judging by the performance and lasting of the set of the latter i eventually bit the bullet and bought are night and day different in terms of quality.

ian

[Alan Bienlein]

I bought that set from Rockler early last year for $49 and have been very satisfied with it. Yes you need to touch up the cutting edges but I have so far drilled maple oak and phenolic with them. Personally they cut no different than the Freud forstner bit I have for euro hinges.

[Mike Henderson]

Ian has some good suggestions. I'll add the Freud forstner bits (http://www.amazon.com/Freud-FB-100-16-Piece-Diablo-Forstner/dp/B0000225ZN/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1357059642&sr=8-1&keywords=freud+forstner+bit+set) to the list. I also have some Famag bits and they're excellent, also. I realize you may not want to spend that much money but buying cheap Forstner bits is a waste of money if you're going to use them a fair amount. You'll find that you'll have to sharpen the cheap ones fairly often and they won't cut as well as the better brands, even when they're sharp.

If you use Forstner bits often, you'll save money in the long run by buying the Freud or Famag bits. If you only need to drill a few holes, then the cheap ones will do.

Mike

[Jon Shank]

I have that set from Woodcraft. I did do a little cleanup sharpening with a diamond hone on each to remove some minor burrs before I used them. Not really sharpening per se, but just a little cleanup, a minute per bit maybe. Light hobby use, but they have cut pretty well and kept their edges reasonably well. There are definitely better sets out there for more money, but overall, I'd say a pretty good value.

Jon

[Jim Foster]

It's probably nice to have a whole set of Forstner's, but I've ended up buying specific sizes as I need them. As a result, I don't have too many and I try to get a reasonable quality one when I do.

[Val Kosmider]

My Forstner bit 'collection' includes a little of everything....Craftsman (bought as a small set), Freud, Makita, Porter Cable and who knows what else. I recently needed an 'odd' size and i picked it up at Woodcraft. The owner of the store explained to me that the Woodcraft Bits (at a fraction of the cost) are every bit as good as the higher end German bits they carry. The difference really has to do with durability of the underlying steel. If you are using the bits for casual woodworking, you will be fine with the Woodcraft. If you are using the bits for commercial production you need to spend the additional money and get the higher quality bits.

I used my Woodcraft 'single' to run about 25 holes in poplar and it worked fine. Clean cuts, no excessive heat build up, and no excessive dulling of the bit in those few holes.

[Bruce Wrenn]

Looking at the Woodcraft set, they RESEMBLE the Columbians they used to carry. The Columbians were T.I.N. plated. I have used the 1" to bore hundreds of window holes for my Toys for Tots cars. I always recommend buying a less expensive set of forstener bits. Put an index card in box with each size listed. Each time you use a bit record it. Then buy quality replacements for the most used sizes. For my use they are 1/2, 5/8. 3/4, and 1".

[jim gossage]

I have had the Freud set for 10-15 yr and they are excellent

[Biff Johnson]

I have the Woodcraft set and have been pleased with it. The case is nice and I love the little protective caps that come on each of the bits, very handy for sizing holes for dowels, pipe, etc.

[jared herbert]

I have a set of the woodcraft bits. They were dull when I got them so had to sharpen each one of them before it could be used. Then, if you are drilling in any sort of hard wood, oak, hard maple or birch, they have to be resharpened very regularly. The holes are the right diameter, they just have to be sharpened all of the time if they are used very much. The price is reasonable and if they are not going to be used much go for it, other wise buy some higher quality bits. Jared

[James Ayars]

I have a set of Columbian bits and they look like the Woodcraft set including the box. Fine Woodworking's 2010 tool review gave high marks to both the Woodcraft and Grizzly line of bits.

[Cody Colston]

I also have some Famag bits and they're excellent, also.

Plus 1 on the Famag bits. I'm replacing my bargain brand Forstner bits with Famag one or two at a time. It costs more doing it that way but the pain is spread out.

[glenn bradley]

I had run a set of Woodcraft high carbon steel bits for 7 years prior to getting a HSS set for Christmas. I had sharpened most of them quite a few times during that period but, with the softer steels that is really quick and easy. For the price I had no complaints. Do they cut as good as one bit that costs nearly the price of that whole set? No, of course not. If they did, the better ones wouldn't sell. I had no regrets. I also got the Rockler 16 piece set but, it was an impulse buy when they were on sale for $24.99; how could I pass that up? The Rocklers were quite a few steps below the Woodcrafts of 2005 but now? I can't say.

[ian maybury]

The Colt brand from Germany made a big splash as they blew through the mag world a few years ago. We don't get them here in ireland, at least not without ordering from the UK and paying very high prices.

Has anybody had both the Famag Bormaxes and the Colts - or indeed any other high quality types as well?? If so how did they compare?

How do the cheaper Eastern made carbide bits tend to do in terms of manufacturing quality, life and consistency of performance versus the above?

ian

[Bill ThompsonNM]

If you want to look at some serious Forstner bits with the traditional design, no point in the center, look at Connecticut Vlley mfg co bits (CONVALCO, now owned by Morris Tool Company). I bought some from Woodcraft more than 20 years ago, Smile everyone I chuck one in the drill press. Absolutely flat bottom hole!