I want to upgrade my forestner bits, looking for input

[Dave Mcintire]

I,m looking to upgrade my forestner bits from a HF set to something better. Maybe to the set Rockler has on sale if they are any good.
The Hf set has some advantages, like all the smoke they make keeps the bugs out of the shop and the steel is so soft they are easy to sharpen.
Seriously I am looking for a mid priced set with a bit better steel that will cut better.

Any recommendations?

i might consider a gently used set.

thanks
dave

[Mike Henderson]

I've had good success with both Freud and Famag. The Famag are probably better.

Mike

[Matt Meiser]

I bought this set (http://www.woodcraft.com/Product/2000774/20866/Forstner-16-Piece-Bit-Set.aspx) a couple years ago and spent 45 minutes with a small diamond stone and a file sharpening the cutting edges and I'm satisfied for the price. Amana also makes a 15 piece set that runs in the $175 range that I'd have considered if I knew about it at the time. Next step up seems to be a big jump in price--about $300 for 16pc sets from Lee Valley, Freud, etc.

[Todd Davidson]

Believe it or not, 16 piece the set I have from Vermont American (made in Austria) - purchased from Cripe Distributing via ebay for $120 - from a recommendation from a friend - has been a remarkably good set (at least compared to the bits I have from Carb-Tech & Hickory Woodowrking).

[Dave Zellers]

I have the one Matt has and agree it is serviceable. Quality (sharpness) seems to vary from bit to bit a bit. :cool: I just used the 1 1/2" bit in some 3/4" UL plywood and got a perfect cut- the sides were smooooooooooooth.

Best advice I've heard here re this issue is to buy the quality bits as you need them to spread out the cost. Of course if you have to do that online, shipping costs will get out of control. Another good justification for Amazon Prime.

[Sam Murdoch]

I have a CMT set and they are very sharp, cut cleanly and seem to stay so. I think I bought the 7 piece set from McFeely's and have added a few bits. There is room in the case for more.

Here is the same set with 16 pieces much cheaper than the McF price - http://www.highlandwoodworking.com/cmtsetof16forstnerbits.aspx

[Tom Hartranft]

I've bought single Freud bits when I wanted a good carbide tipped forstner. You might consider only getting 'quality' bits of the diameters that you use regularly for your quality drilling. I have a 16-piece set of inexpensive Grizzly forstner bits that I bought eight years ago ... 1/8" increments from 1/4" up to 2". Over the years, I bought Freud carbide-tipped 3/4, 1, 1-1/2 for repetitive tasks and most recently a 15/16 and a 1-1/16 for pepper mills. Even a large 16-piece set doesn't have these 1/16" increments. Still use the other Grizzly bits for run-of-the-mill hole-making ... as Matt said, they are sharpenable.

Tom

[Cody Colston]

I think Famag are as good as it gets.

[Kent A Bathurst]

I think Famag are as good as it gets.

Agreed. I also have a set of Fisch. I was very happy with them - and still am - but then I got the Famags. Yeah, buddy!

Kind of falls under the heading of "cry once" though - not the low-priced spread.

[Robert Chapman]

I have used the Freud carbide bits for years. I work only with hardwoods and the Freuds seem to last indefinetly while the HSS bits dull rapidly with hardwoods.

[Bruce Wrenn]

I have a cheapie set from Northern Tool, and a couple sets of Columbian's from Woodcraft. The Columbian's were about $20 for a set of eight when I bought them. I have used the 1" to bore window holes in over 2000 Toys for Tot's cars made from 2 X 4's.

[Myk Rian]

I'm happy with my Freud bits.

[Bill ThompsonNM]

Best in the world: Look for Forstner bits made by Connecticut Valley Tool. Original Forstner design: NO point in the center and great steel besides.
I've been using mine for almost 30 years. You'll have to google a bit to find them, but worth the effort!

[John Piwaron]

I like the carbide tipped forstners from Rockler. They're not cheap so I only have the sizes I use most. The others - I buy Wood River or the like on an as needed basis. If it turns out I'm using those "lesser" forstners more or less regularly I'll replace them with a carbide tipped.

That said, I was not aware of some of the brands mentioned in other replies. I'll have to check 'em out. :)

[Tom Ewell]

I like the carbide tipped forstners from Rockler. . :)
If they are the blue ones I agree, same design as an old carbide 35mm hinge bit I've had for almost 30years, prefer them over the smaller( 1" down) bits in my Freud carbide kit. Like you say, not cheap, collect as you go.

[Jeff Duncan]

The problem with spending a lot on a full set of good bits is I may end up with some very expensive bits I never use:( Hence I have a set of inexpensive Forstner bits that aren't great, but certainly get the odd job done in a pinch. Then when I have a lot of a particular hole to drill I spend the money on a Famag Bormax bit, which really is a nice bit and cuts through hardwoods like butter;) Of course just one of those bits cost more than my entire set of Forstners!

good luck,
JeffD

[Ellen Benkin]

Of course it depends on how often you use them and in what kinds of wood. I've had a Rockler set for years and been happy with it but I don't drill forstner holes often. I like having all of them in one box that I can pick up and move easily. I might upgrade if I was doing some kind of production work.

[Prashun Patel]

Another set to consider is the Lee Valley Forstners. They're a good Honda Accord type set. They have a couple types of sets. I have the value-priced set.

A lot of these sets come in 1/4,3/8,5/8,1/2, 7/8, and 1". I use all of these sizes fairly regularly. I wouldn't fret buying the set.

[Kyle Iwamoto]

No recommendations for Colt bits? I'm thinking of upgrading also.