Forstner Bit Set Recommendation Request

[Jeff Wright]

I am equipping my new shop and need to buy drill bit sets. I plan to order Lee Valley's High Speed Steel set of 28 brad point drills, but I need your suggestion for some good quality forstner bits. I will be building furniture, cabinetry and maybe some small boat building. Quality is more important than price. Bits will be used with the new Delta 20" drill press due out in March. Thanks.

[Rick Lizek]

Get the Lee Valley ones. The hybrid sawtooth ones are excellent. I also used to buy forstners and still do on occasion from WL Fuller. Good quality but no better quality than the Lee Valley but triple the price.

[Alan Berezin]

I have the Freud 7 piece carbide set and love it. The only thing I have to compare is a cheapo bit for euro hinges that I had bought at the Borg. It was terrible. Drilling maple seemed like it created more smoke than chips. The carbide cut beautifly. They aren't cheap but seem well worth it to me.

[Don Bullock]

Great question. I've been thinking along the same lines and will keep checking back to see what people saw. The Lee Valley set looked good to me too.

[Chris Friesen]

I need your suggestion for some good quality forstner bits. I will be building furniture, cabinetry and maybe some small boat building. ...Quality is more important than price.

I originally bought the Lee Valley set, but returned it due to chipped rims on most of the bits. Looking at the other sets they had at the store, they all had chipped rims as well.

Some time later I saw a different returned set on their discount shelves, so I checked them out. Looked in good shape, decent discount, so I bought them. They work just fine.

Anyways, check out whatever bits you end up getting and make sure they're in good shape. Even good manufacturers slip up sometimes.

[Dave Falkenstein]

Please be cautious about buying a set of Forstner bits. If you feel the need to buy a set, buy a small set. Large sets, especially those with lots of large diameter bits, can get really expensive. In practice, many folks use a few bits, and the others gather dust. Ask yourself what sizes you will use, and buy a small set with those sizes included. Then buy other large diameter bits as you need them.

ps - I have heard good things about Bormax bits from Woodcraft. Pricey though. I'll try them the next time I need a new Forstner.

[Cliff Rohrabacher]

I recently picked up the Porter Cable box set at just under $50.00
They are OK. I'm not leaping for joy over them .
I can sharpen them with a file which is a plus.

Carbide might have been a better way to go. Then again maybe not.

[Jeff Wright]

. . . Ask yourself what sizes you will use, and buy a small set with those sizes included. Then buy other large diameter bits as you need them.

Dave,

Good advice, except I always struggle determining ahead of time what tools/bits I will need. Maybe I should buy them one at a time as needed and forego getting a set!

[Mark Singer]

I have an old Tiawan set...I think they were from Grizzly and they are fine...inexpensive and I sharpen them once in a while by hand...the rpm is critical...big bits slower...I also have a gold titanium coated ebay special and they are good too. I have drilled many doors for locks etc...

[Marc Casebolt]

I have a small set, and buy larger ones as needed. Two days ago I got a 1.25" Freud bit, and it cut like butter into end grain ash. I think I'll stick with them for a while.
Marc

[Al Willits]

I picked up the 9 (?) piece set that Woodcraft has on sale, figure they should be good for basic stuff and if I find I'm wearing out a paticular size I can upgrade to a better bit.
I have used these several times and they make nice cuts, not sure how long they'll last though.

Al

[Doug Mason]

Try WL Fuller. I tried Lee Valley--wasn't too impressed considering the price. I have a set of good fosstners and a set of Lee Valley Fostners--and I can definately tell the diference.

[Jeff Wright]

I have a small set, and buy larger ones as needed. Two days ago I got a 1.25" Freud bit, and it cut like butter into end grain ash. I think I'll stick with them for a while.
Marc

Marc, what size bits do you find yourself using most? Any recommendations for what bit set (sizes, shaft lengths, etc) to get at first. Your suggestion could be a great compromise to buying bits one-by-one and going with a larger bit set.

[Marc Casebolt]

Jeff,
Based on my recent experience with the Freud bit, if I were to buy a set now it they would be the ones. I have a 7 or 8 bit set, and they seem to work for 90% of my needs. I think they are .25" to 1' in size. May have about 5 or 6 larger ones purchased over the years as needed, a mixed bag of brands. Shaft size / length? As far as I know they seem not to vary much. Hope this helps.
Marc

[Steven Wilson]

CMT - great bits

[JayStPeter]

I got a cheap set (MLCS I think). They've been great. I have recently started to replace the ones I use the most. I got a couple of Rockler carbide bits as replacements for two that I had burned out doing a bunch of MDF work. I haven't used the carbides yet, so can't comment on wether they will become my official replacement bits or not. I do know they have much longer shafts and won't fit into the holder I had built :rolleyes: .

[Jeff Cybulski]

I bought a 16 pcs. set from Hickory on eBay. Paid about $27 for them. They are great. Lifetime warranty and run out is fine. I've also heard the Grizzley set is good.

jeff

[Brian Hale]

I like the ones i got from Lee Valley. I also suggest you not buy a set, rather get a few of the basic sizes - 1, 1 1/4, 1 3/8, etc- and order the rest on an as need basis.

Brian.

[JayStPeter]

I like the ones i got from Lee Valley. I also suggest you not buy a set, rather get a few of the basic sizes - 1, 1 1/4, 1 3/8, etc- and order the rest on an as need basis.

Brian.

I rarely plan well enough to know exactly which size drill bits I'll need until I'm setting up to drill. ;) :) Thus my "cheap set, replace most used with good stuff" strategy.

I agree with your strategy for router bits though. I usually have a pretty good idea which profiles I'll need for a project, so there's rarely a delay caused by having to wait for delivery.

[Tom Majewski]

I'm happy with the Grizzly's. My Harbor Freight forstners are a joke. The angle-of-attack is 0....flush. They bore a hole by brute force burnishing.

[Gary Keedwell]

I agree with the guys that said to purchase the ones you really need and spend the money on quality bits. Forstner bits generate alot of heat by virtue of their design. Heat dulls the steel very quickly. High carbon steel has a tendency to generate heat very rapidly. I always spend a few more bucks and get the HSS (high speed steel) bits.
When I have a tough job I'll upgrade my bits to carbide, like when I put all those dog holes in my solid maple workbench. Where the retailers get you..is that they put a bunch of high-carbon steel bits in a bunch and offer it cheap, and it is tempting. I say resist the temptation of buying a set and accumulate good quality bits...one at a time.
Gary K.;)

[Bill Simmeth]

They're not cheap but I swear by the bits from Connecticut Valley Mfg (www.convalco.com (http://www.convalco.com)). Excellent machining to the original forstner design and still made in the good ole US of A.

[Rick Cabot]

I have the Fisch 16 piece set in 1/8th inch increments http://us.st11.yimg.com/us.st.yimg.com/I/right-tool_1930_49712829
and have found their quality and performance to be exceptional. They are pricey but well worth the initial expense. They are on sale at:
http://www.right-tool.com/forstnerbits.html
Much less than I paid when they were on sale at Woodcraft. Hope this is helpful.
Rick Cabot

[Mike Monroe]

Highland Hardware has a set on sale for $19.99. Probably, not the best out there, but then how often do you use Forstners.

I own the Freud set, 1/4 - 1", and they perform just fine. I also have a larger set from someone else (Woodworkers Warehouse?), but I rarely use the larger size bits, so I can't really comment on their quality.

-Mike

[Jeff Wright]

I have the Fisch 16 piece set in 1/8th inch increments http://us.st11.yimg.com/us.st.yimg.com/I/right-tool_1930_49712829
and have found their quality and performance to be exceptional. They are pricey but well worth the initial expense. They are on sale at:
http://www.right-tool.com/forstnerbits.html
Much less than I paid when they were on sale at Woodcraft. Hope this is helpful.
Rick Cabot

Rick, the Fisch bits look interesting. The right-tool website only says they are forged steel. Do you know if they are high speed steel (HSS)?

[Rick Cabot]

They are HSS
Rick Cabot

[glenn bradley]

I'm with Mark and Jay. I'm still using a set I bought on sale at Woodcraft for about $12; 1/4 thru 1". I added a set of 6 for the in between 16th's for about $18 a few months ago. I'm sure the big dollar ones are better but these have met my needs for quite some time for not much money. MLCS has sets for about the same prices. If you find you wear one or two sizes out, buy good ones of those. Just an idea for an approach to spend less till you see what you really need. I don't need an $18 bit that I'll only use a couple times a year.

[Thomas Canfield]

Unless you are doing production work, I recommend buying an inexpensive set from 1/4" to 2 1/4" by 1/8" increments to have and use until you know what better bits you might need. I initially purchased a couple of bits individually to do a project and paid more than for a cheap set from 1/4" to 1", and later upgraded to the larger set. I also have not used the expensive bits after buying the cheap set. The inexpensive set (Hickory) I am using now was picked up at a woodworking show and has done well. I also recommend buying an inexpensive set of brad point bits from 1/8" to 1/2" by 1/64" to have on hand. There are often times that the 1/8" increment is just to large such as for dowels that never match the listed diameter and the 1/64" increment makes for a better fit.
Tom Canfield

[Jeff Wright]

I recommend buying an inexpensive set from 1/4" to 2 1/4" by 1/8" increments to have and use until you know what better bits you might need . . . I also recommend buying an inexpensive set of brad point bits from 1/8" to 1/2" by 1/64" to have on hand.
Tom Canfield

Thanks Tom. If you have a moment, check out the forstner set found at this link and let me know if you consider them inexpensive.

http://www.right-tool.com/16piecforbit.html

[Ron Fritz]

Jeff, I bought a 16 piece Tin coated set from Harbor Freight last year. They come in a wood box. I have been very impressed at how well they have cut and held their edge through many cuts in hard wood. Definitely worth the $34 that I paid for them. Ron