Discovered MLCS: are others using them?

[Bob Jones 5443]

I needed a 1-1/16" Forstner bit –– a little hard to find –– and my search led me to MLCS. Are these folks for real? Low price, carbide-tipped, no shipping, no tax. What am I missing? How have I never heard of them?

Who else has bought from them, and what has been your experience?

They also carry a full line of router bits, and I've always been a semi-purist with Whiteside or Freud (although I just picked up a very nice Rockler router bit and was pleasantly surprised with the quality). But I digress. How are the MLCS bits?

[Mark Godlesky]

MLCS has been around since 1980. I have bought a few items from them but have not used their bits. My experience has been positive.They bought Eagle America in 2011. Eagle America sells US made bits and MLCS are imports. I have seen good reviews of the MLCS bits, especially their Katana line.

[Jim Becker]

Yes, they have been around for a long time. Like Mike mentioned, their higher end stuff is very decent.

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Mike...nice avatar. "We are!"

[Prashun Patel]

I've purchased from them. Their bits are IMHO not as nice as Whiteside or Amana - even Freud, but for one-offs, they're clutch - and fast.

Caveat emptor: I ordered some small dovetail bits and a keyhole slotting bit and a 1/8" spiral bit for inlays. ALL snapped. Now, that may be user error, as these cuts need to be made gently gently - from any manufacturer. But it was enough to make me go to Whiteside for those.

You can also check out CMT. I've had good luck with their mortising and Domino cutter bits as an economy alternative to 'better' bits.

[Orlando Gonzalez]

Like Prashun, I use them as one-offs or for stuff like MDF and plywood. For quality wood I primarily use Whiteside and CMT although I have some Amana, Infinity, and Freud. I do have a MLCS Katana lock-miter bit that looks good but I have yet to use it. For drilling I have HF brad points for bad material and W. L. Fuller for good stuff. My forstners are a mix of CMT for good woods and Chinese for the rest.

[Alex Zeller]

I've bought a few things from them. Often it's bits that I can't seam to find made by higher end brands. The last one was a classic oval furniture makers bit. The Eagle brand versions all had a tighter radius than the MLCS brand. Since it's not a bit that I plan on using all that often I bought it. So far it's worked just fine. I can't answer if it will stay sharp but at less than half the cost if it lasts 1/3 as long as a high quality bit it's paid for itself.

[glenn bradley]

They are great for things you want to try out, rare profile use (one-offs) and so forth. In tests out of 18 brands tested by Fine Woodworking under controlled conditions they came in last just behind Woodline. The $25 (at that time) MLCS profile was last and the $31 (at that time) Whiteside bit was first. Good cutters are not more expensive than cheap ones if you plan to use them very much. For a Forstner bit you need to get through a special project and may never use again, perfect. They were bought by Eagle a few years back. Eagle bits are made by Whiteside and test the same (duh). Eagle carries MLCS as a separate brand at a lower price point and as a replacement for the bargain brand they used to carry IIRC..

[Mel Fulks]

I like MLCS, bought one bit that had a defect and they sent a replacement quickly. Only complaint I have with their
selection is they don't sell "single flute" straight bits, which cut several times faster than two flute bits.

[Jim Dwight]

I have used them for years buying panel raising bits and cope and stick bits and a lot of simple round over and straight bits. I would elsewhere for something like a dovetail bit with a 1/4 shank that necks down before the cutters but for most bits I think their quality is fine.

[Bruce Wrenn]

Have used them for years. Have one 1/2" straight bit that cut several hundred feet of cuts in plywood, making ribs for a curved front reception desk. Only bits I was disappointed in were their solid spiral router bits. They just aren't sharp out of the box. MLCS bought Eagle America, not the other way around.

[Curt Harms]

Have used them for years. Have one 1/2" straight bit that cut several hundred feet of cuts in plywood, making ribs for a curved front reception desk. Only bits I was disappointed in were their solid spiral router bits. They just aren't sharp out of the box. MLCS bought Eagle America, not the other way around.

Sharp is one of the differences between their regular bit and their Katana bits, the Katana seem sharper. I stop in their store if I'm in the neighborhood, I live about 45 minutes from there. They spot check batches of router bits, pick one out of a batch and make a cut with it then sell it in their store at a discount. Those are not available online. I've bought quite a few bits like that.

[Bill Winter]

I bought their drill press table several years ago. For the most part I'm happy with it. I did have to cut part of the fence away in order to use the quill handles. I also had to modify the center insert because it didn't sit flush with the rest of the table (too thin.)

[Mike Henderson]

I've bought a number of their router bits. Been satisfied.

Mike

[Bob Potter]

I have used the bits for some time with no complaints. Have the Katana door making set that is probably 20 yrs old and still going strong.
Low prices and free shipping is hard to turn down.
Bob

[Ken Fitzgerald]

I buy a lot of my bits from MLCS but typically I buy their Katana series. More expensive but they have been great for me.

[Ben Rivel]

Bought a couple random items from them, never had a problem. Stand up company as far as I can tell.

[Richard Coers]

MLCS is celebrating it's 40th anniversary in business this year.

[Curt Harms]

They used to sell some tools and machines. I have a Penn State dust collector which has been reliable, they also sold cyclones. They seem to have reduced their goods to turning, pen making and router bits. It appears Penn State and MLCS are sister companies, they're in the same building.

[Jerry Olexa]

AS stated above, good medium quality........Dependable service.

[Gordon Stump]

Use them. Like them as a good value proposition. For limited production stuff I will use a high end company. Their hss fostner bit are quite good.

[Bruce Wrenn]

Request a printed catalogue. It's easier to find desired bits. On web site, I couldn't locate any reverse helix (shear bits,) but on back page of catalogue is reference to page they are found on. They have the size I need for my pocket hole cutter that I'm building. At $9.95 shipped, it sure beats the heck out of $63.00 for stock bit from Castle or others.

[Osvaldo Cristo]

My raised panel bit set, a couple of molding and a few more are from MLCS. Actually they were my first 1/2 shank bit I purchased along the first years of 1990s.

I do not use them professionally but some of them has seem serious punctual uses and always performed as expected.

They were followed by Amana, Freud and Whiteside and for my level of uses they perform almost equally...

[Dave Lehnert]

Good place to order from. Never had a problem with the bits I have ordered.
Sometimes all you need is something inexpensive for one project.

[William Chain]

Perhaps I'm spoiled being two counties over from their place in PA, but they're alright. Shipping is fast (when I use it), support is good (again, two counties over so it's easy to get a hold of them). I have stuck to their higher end offerings (Katana or some such), and it's been ok. I'm a Whiteside fan for bits though, but I have a few of the MLCS ones in the rack. I tend to spend the extra cash for something spinning at 25k rpm near my body but in a pinch they're ok.