Stone Mountain Router Bits - any good?

[Tony Giroux]

Peachtree is running a sale on Stone Mountain straight router bits. I've never used that brand - any opinions - good, bad, fair, partly cloudy ???

http://www.ptreeusa.com/edirect_073115_stonemountain_bits.htm

[Matt Day]

I was wondering the same thing.
Note that the Peachtree sale is for 6 or more bits.

[Cliff Polubinsky]

Actually, it's not. I just put in an order for 4 different bits and after putting in the code they each rang up at 8.99.

The 6 or more is for the free shipping.

Cliff

[Brad O'Malley]

Stone Mountain router bits are Peachtree's "house" brand. Stone Mountain is a city (and kind of a mountain) in the Atlanta suburbs which Peachtree's owner has named his line after. They are carbide tipped bits made in Asia, but are mid level. I live a few miles from their store where they sell individual bits for $9.99. I think their website doubles that price. I would not buy them at the regular website price. If they are bought in store or through this $8.99 promotion, they are a decent value.

I go through streaks where the projects and jobs I'm working on require lots of routing. Other times I rarely need to use a router. Just to see how these bits perform I have taken the time to switch between Freud bits and Stone Mountain. Usually the Freud gives a better cut and longer lasting sharpness over repeated uses. Once in awhile the Stone Mountain bit would cut better after repeated uses, but not often.

If you don't do much routing the Stone Mountain bits would be an easy way to have access to decent bits at a good price. Same if you don't use a particular profile often. If you do a lot of routing they would be good backups so you wouldn't lose build time sharpening.

I'm kind of in the middle. I cut tenons, rabbits, dadoes, and chamfers on my table saw. My routers are mostly used for flush trimming and roundovers. When I need to do heavy routing or a profile on a piece, what bit I use or buy if I don't have it on hand depends on what day or time it is. Peachtree closes at 5 and isnt open Sunday's. If i need it when Peachtree is closed I have no problem driving a few extra miles to the Atlanta Rockler or Woodcraft to get a Freud. If it's when Peachtree is open I will consider the Stone Mountain bits.

[Curt Harms]

I wonder if they come from the same sources as MLCS? I wouldn't be surprised.

[glenn bradley]

As others have stated, I pick up a few at the shows when they are at a very reduced price. They do not cut like a Freud or a Whiteside but, they are a third the price. They also lack staying power so consider your use patterns. If you will use the bit a lot, the Whiteside will cut just like new on cut number 30 whereas the lesser bits will start to fray or burn profiles.

So if I am going to use a profile once or twice (like making concrete cap molds for a friend of mine . . . not something I have ever done twice) the lower priced bit will get you through the project. If I am buying a profile that I will use often or always (like a rabbet, classic table edge or straight bits for dados) I go with a quality bit as it is actually much less expensive over time.