Wood River router bits

[Dave Zellers]

Anyone with experience with Wood River bits?

This seems like a reasonable deal. (http://www.woodcraft.com/product/2004091/8645/woodriver-20-piece-antikickback-router-router-bit-set-12-shank.aspx)

[Alan Bienlein]

I've used them and they work just fine. Just got done doing 3-1/2" deep mortise and tenons with their 1/2" shank straight bit and I also have their raised ogee raised panel bit with back cutter and a set of their stile and rail bits along with other assorted bits.

[Eduard Nemirovsky]

Woodriver on the cheap side of router bits, but it's workiing fine for hobby ww like me.
Ed.

[Julie Moriarty]

I have one Wood River router bit. Just one. The other 50+ bits I own and frequently use are CMT, Amana and Freud

[Bruce Wrenn]

Several years back, when they were featured as Woodcraft $5 router bits, I bought a bunch. Bought a couple of the rabbeting bits just get bearings for use on another bit. Ground the center stud off and use bits as "planer" bits. Using a 1/4" straight bit on router and trammel, I cut the neatest half moon in a drywall screw head. Bit still cuts great. Based on my experience with these in the past, five bucks a bit is a great deal.

[Curt Harms]

I have a few of the $5 bargains. I think they're on a par with MLCS and other Asian bits. I know the blurb says German carbide but I'd be surprised if the bit isn't fabricated on the Pacific Rim. I'm not going to compare bit for bit but I suspect the Wood River set is similar to this MLCS set:

http://www.mlcswoodworking.com/shopsite_sc/store/html/smarthtml/pages/set30piece.html

I think Eduard has it right, they're a good hobby/occasional use bit
(http://www.mlcswoodworking.com/shopsite_sc/store/html/smarthtml/pages/set30piece.html)

(http://www.mlcswoodworking.com/shopsite_sc/store/html/smarthtml/pages/set30piece.html)

[scott spencer]

I have a few of the $5 bargains. I think they're on a par with MLCS and other Asian bits. I know the blurb says German carbide but I'd be surprised if the bit isn't fabricated on the Pacific Rim. I'm not going to compare bit for bit but I suspect the Wood River set is similar to this MLCS set:

http://www.mlcswoodworking.com/shopsite_sc/store/html/smarthtml/pages/set30piece.html

I think Eduard has it right, they're a good hobby/occasional use bit
(http://www.mlcswoodworking.com/shopsite_sc/store/html/smarthtml/pages/set30piece.html)

(http://www.mlcswoodworking.com/shopsite_sc/store/html/smarthtml/pages/set30piece.html)

Ditto Curt's comments and experiences with them, but it seems like the price has gone up, and they offer the $5 deals less often and on fewer profiles, so I haven't bothered with them in a while.

[glenn bradley]

I too pick some generic profiles up when they have their $5 bit sales. That way I don't feel bad using my better cutters on ply and composites. They work fine till they're done. At $5 I just toss them when they wear out. For comparison's sake, I have comparable profiles in inexpensive bits and better quality bits like Whiteside, Freud and Amana. The life of a usable edge more than covers the cost of the better bits if your use runs that high. Combine that with the inexpensive sharpening service Whiteside offers and after the first sharpening, your savings multiply. This is meaningless if you don't run your bits enough to require sharpening/replacement at a reasonable interval. That is; if a $5 bit last you for a year, rock on. If it lasts you for a month, consider better quality ;-)

[Chris Hachet]

I have one Wood River router bit. Just one. The other 50+ bits I own and frequently use are CMT, Amana and Freud

I am rapidly becoming more hand tool oriented, but strongly prefer the Amana and Whiteside bits to the Wood river. I actually like Whiteside better than Amana, although the Amana bits are near flawless in how they work!

[Chris Hachet]

I too pick some generic profiles up when they have their $5 bit sales. That way I don't feel bad using my better cutters on ply and composites. They work fine till they're done. At $5 I just toss them when they wear out. For comparison's sake, I have comparable profiles in inexpensive bits and better quality bits like Whiteside, Freud and Amana. The life of a usable edge more than covers the cost of the better bits if your use runs that high. Combine that with the inexpensive sharpening service Whiteside offers and after the first sharpening, your savings multiply. This is meaningless if you don't run your bits enough to require sharpening/replacement at a reasonable interval. That is; if a $5 bit last you for a year, rock on. If it lasts you for a month, consider better quality ;-)

For me, I am really picky about stupid things like how smooth the bottom of a dado is...I find that y work is just that much better with better bits.