Forstner 16 Piece Bit Set Item #147067 WoodRiver

[Robert Baker36]

Does anyone have any experience with these bits? Are they worth the money?

Buy Forstner 16 Piece Bit Set at Woodcraft.com (http://www.woodcraft.com/product/147067/forstner-16-piece-bit-set.aspx)
346892

[Dave Zellers]

I bought that set a few years ago, probably on a sale like this one, and they are ok. They are useable. They are worth what you are paying for them. They work best in a drill press. The speed you use them at is important-follow the guide. The larger ones can be sharpened which does help.

You are paying two and a half bucks per bit. You can easily go online and pay 8-10 bucks for one bit- more if you want. The best advice I've read was here on previous threads, if you have a need for a set to have on hand, buy something like this then as you wear one out or you need a cleaner hole in a specific size, buy that bit in a higher quality.

As as I said, these are ok and get the job done but the difference between these and a quality Forstner bit is night and day. Having said that, I'm glad I have them and use them all the time.

[Mike Henderson]

Depends on how much you'll use them. If you don't use Forstner bits much, this is a good set. If you use them a lot, there are higher quality (and higher priced) options.

Famag makes very good bits but at a higher price.

Mike

[lowell holmes]

The first forstner bits I bought years ago look like that. I don't favor them. I'm using Freud bits now.

[Mike Cutler]

They're fine, nothing wrong with them. In a home/garage shop they'd be worth the $$$$.
The problem with Forstner bits is having a drill press that can be set low enough to use them correctly.
Those larger sizes will require speeds less than 100rpm. Even the smaller ones aren't suitable for use in a hand held drill. Half the sizes in that set will need to operate at less than 300rpm, the other half will fall between 300 and 450 rpm.
Forstner bits are slow moving bits.

[lowell holmes]

I don't know the speed of my drill press, but I've never had problems using Forstner bits, even large diameters.
Can't you change the rpm of a drill press with the belts?

[Marc Burt]

Yes but there are only so many steps on the pulley therefore you can only get the speed down so low. Usually benchtop model don't go as low as floor models.

[Van Huskey]

I don't know the speed of my drill press, but I've never had problems using Forstner bits, even large diameters.
Can't you change the rpm of a drill press with the belts?

While you can get away with higher than recommended speed the bits will dull quicker and in general the quality of the hole will suffer.

[Frederick Skelly]

I bought a different but similarly priced set 10 years ago. Most are still sharp and I use them regularly.

I agree with what Dave Zellers said here: "The best advice I've read was here on previous threads, if you have a need for a set to have on hand, buy something like this then as you wear one out or you need a cleaner hole in a specific size, buy that bit in a higher quality. "

[Larry Frank]

I think the Woodriver set is about $60 right now and a good buy. Would love to have the colt st but a little too expensive for me.