Sommerfeld Tools

[Mike Hill]

Just wondered if any of you have had any experience with Sommerfeld Tools? I am going to pick up a few items from them including some Rail and Stile and Panel bits. In addition I am waiting on a Triton 3+ HP Router. Any experience with the quality and longevity of these items?
Mike

[Jeff Wright]

I just got a set of his tongue and groove bits for cabinet making. I called them to ask if they have resolved the 1/32 inch issue of the tongue not completely filling the 1/4 inch groove and they say they have. I like the fact that their rail and style sets take the groove to a full 1/2 inch versus the industry standard 3/8 deep groove for the tongue. I like the extra strength that that deeper tenon should afford. Have not used his bits long enough to offer meaningful feedback. His bits are no longer made by CMT, but outsourced. I will build a small test cabinet using his system to see if that is what I want to use in building our new kitchen cabinets.

[Jack Ganssle]

Mike,

I got one of their dish cutting bits a few weeks ago. It arrived surprisingly quickly. So far I've only run it through about 20 feet of hard maple, but it does exactly what I wanted, with no burning.

Jack

[Corey Hallagan]

I have a buddy at another forum and he loves Sommerfield. Wow, that Triton is a nice router and congrats Mike.

Corey

[Scott Thornton]

I've bought about 20 bits from Marc Sommerfeld. He is very helpful. I only have one set of his new ones and they seem to be okay. I used to buy all of my CMT bits through him. I also have bought a router and router table from him.

He is a stand up guy and sells good stuff, good customer service too.

HTH.

[Mike Hill]

Thanks all, this is great feedback on Sommerfeld. I am glad I made the decision to go with them.
Mike

[glenn bradley]

Is this a bit question with a stealth router gloat? I haven't used their bits but that is supposed to be a fine router. Congrats.

[Mike Hill]

Glenn: I guess it is a stealth gloat. I purchased a deal they have on their 18 Piece Professional Series bit Set, pocket cutter set, Router Table System (table, fence, inserts) that fits the Triton, Triton 3 1/4 HP Router and five DVD's. They were back ordered on the large items, but should have it all by mid May. I suspect their recent success has them out of stock :-) I have heard nothing but good things so far from local woodworkers and here on SMC.
Mike

[Jim Dailey]

I have purchased a number of things from them over multiple orders... they have been both fast & helpful. The few times I've had back orders they arrived fast.

jim

[David Weaver]

A friend of mine and I have used them to buy bits, especially CMT, and were under the impression that the sommerfeld bits were still made by CMT until reading a press release after I was curious as to why the price difference between sommerfeld and CMT had become so great. I found a very obscure press release that said they changed production to China. Being that I don't use enough bits to take a risk, I only buy the CMT bits now. They may be as good of quality as CMT once they get their quality control in line, but I won't take the risk for a $10 savings on a bit when there are plenty of other chinese suppliers that offer decent quality more cheaply.

Page 2 on this link, right side. Kind of a heartbreaker for us :( :
http://www.digitalmarketing1.com/Images/pdf/Sommerfeld.pdf

[Pete Brown]

A friend of mine and I have used them to buy bits, especially CMT, and were under the impression that the sommerfeld bits were still made by CMT until reading a press release after I was curious as to why the price difference between sommerfeld and CMT had become so great. I found a very obscure press release that said they changed production to China. Being that I don't use enough bits to take a risk, I only buy the CMT bits now. They may be as good of quality as CMT once they get their quality control in line, but I won't take the risk for a $10 savings on a bit when there are plenty of other chinese suppliers that offer decent quality more cheaply.

Page 2 on this link, right side. Kind of a heartbreaker for us :( :
http://www.digitalmarketing1.com/Images/pdf/Sommerfeld.pdf

The press release (which is their published catalog, and hardly obscure) states that the carbide comes from Ceremetal in Luxembourg, the Teflon comes from Dupont in the US and the bits are manufactured in China with those materials and made with CNC production equipment.

With the exception of the bearing issue with the tongue & groove set (a design flaw, not a manufacturing flaw, and something which has since been corrected - please see the archives here) I have been extremely happy with the Sommerfeld bits and products. I wouldn't avoid them just because they do the manufacturing in China.

There have been recent articles and discussions about Chinese production. There is a HUGE spectrum of capabilities and techniques over there, starting at the usual harbor freight-type crap and moving on up to capabilities that surpass those in the US. It's not an issue of "Made in China" that should turn you off; it's when it is "Made by the lowest bidder" that quality really suffers.

Pete

[David Weaver]

I think there's probably a good chance that in many cases, they're as good as anything else. I'm a novice woodworker, but much more knowledgable about instrument making in china. They've made enormous strides just in the last ten years in terms of precision and quality control.

I'm just not willing to spend what sommerfeld bits cost, regardless of the quality of the inputs. There are dozens of directions the conversation could go from there, but I'm a "put your feet in last" kind of person after being a "put your feet in first" in the past. I'll need to see some taunton books or other reviews where they compare dozens of bits and the sommerfelds come out on top overall, regardless of cost.

The latest publications that I have still put the highest overall quality of the bits and the results on the italian, israeli and US made bits - I'm not saying that bits from those places are universally good, but the bits that rank the best in terms of quality of the bit and the quality of the cut invariably come from there.

That may change in the future, but I have to see it in writing somewhere in a comprehensive test - or in several.

My guess is that the change was made because of the exchange rate.

My comment about the obscurity of the text is that not all of us read every bit of text in every publication - especially when it's not instructional. It's my opinion, and only my opinion, that the statement in the text was written to de-emphasize that the production is done in China, by mentioning all of the component suppliers. Certainly not dishonest or misleading, but leaning toward the side of marketing rather than a plain statement that the components are the same and the production is moved to china. I would guess that the manufacturer would prefer that most people didn't read those pages, but he's between a rock and a hard place about bits showing up with "made in china" on the packaging somewhere - if he expects to keep his customers, he needs to disclose it before that so he can defend himself if they ask about it.

I may seem pessimistic about the whole situation, but it's more that I'm trying to be realistic from my point of view.

[Jason White]

Is that Sommerfeld as in Craig "KREG" Sommerfeld? The company that makes pocket hole jigs, etc?

JW

[Bob Wingard]

Nope .. . . it's his brother .. Marc ..

[Pete Brown]

Nope .. . . it's his brother .. Marc ..

They're brothers? That's funny. Given comments Marc makes about "his competition" when speaking about pocket hold jigs, they must not be close brothers :)

Pete

[Bob Wingard]

I can't confirm it, but I've read or heard it somewhere that they don't speak.