Sommerfeld's booth at the Phoenix area WW Show

[Dave Falkenstein]

I stopped at the Sommerfeld booth at The Woodworking Show in Scottsdale yesterday. I bought four square drive bits for $1 each, admittedly a bargain. I joked with the guy selling them that they better be good quality bits if Sommerfeld was selling them. Well, the joke is on me! I used one bit today, driving 1-1/2" screws into white oak that was predrilled. I drove less than a dozen screws and the bit snapped off in the screw head. Sommerfeld - shame on you for selling such crap!!!

BTW, the Show was all small stuff - I called it a "doo dad show". There was not one single booth with floor mounted tools. Not one of the major big-tool manufacturers was there. The Show was fun, but not nearly as exciting as in past years. Maybe next year will be back to "normal"???

[C Scott McDonald]

If that show was anything like the one in Denver a few weeks ago I thought the same thing. About half the vendors as have been in the past.

[Russell Tribby]

Dave, you're too nice. I thought the show was terrible. I shouldn't have gone and I could've walked out after 15 minutes but I went with a buddy of mine so we just walked past everything about 5 times. Last year's wasn't over the top but it was certainly better.

[glenn bradley]

Hope your work wasn't damaged when it snapped. I just don't get how these companies think they're doing themselves any favors by carrying poor product, even if they're give-aways.

I have had good luck with MLCS and so tried some of their brad point bits. They were so hideous that when I arranged to return them, they just said keep them. They offered to swap out the bad bits but there were only a few that were even close size-wise or straight-wise. Moral to MLCS is: I am now very iffy about buying stuff from them.

[Dave Falkenstein]

Hope your work wasn't damaged when it snapped...

No damage - the screw was driven in just below the countersink hole when the bit end broke off. And the end is stuck in the screw head. Luckily, the screw is driven home to stay. I have not had real good luck with the drive bits by Dewalt from HD either, but at least they don't break right away. I'll stick with McFeely's for drive bits from now on.

[Jim Kountz]

Hey Dave, is it possible your pilot hole is the wrong size? You should be able, although wouldnt want to alot, drive a screw by hand if the hole is sized properly. If you're stripping bits and/or breaking them often it could be you need a larger pilot hole. Food for thought.

[Fred Voorhees]

This is a bit dissapointing to say the least. I have dealt with Marc Sommerfeld in the past while he was associated with CMT bits and have met and talked with him in the past and he seemed like a true gentleman and to be honest, this experience doesn't necessarily change that perception. But I have to wonder if this is an indication of the quality of his current Sommerfeld bits and sets?

[Dave Falkenstein]

Hey Dave, is it possible your pilot hole is the wrong size? You should be able, although wouldnt want to alot, drive a screw by hand if the hole is sized properly. If you're stripping bits and/or breaking them often it could be you need a larger pilot hole. Food for thought.

Jim - The pilot hole was drilled with the proper size bit - I used a #8 countersink pilot drill bit. The bit broke off using an impact driver, something that should never happen with a decent quality driver bit. I am not "stripping bits and/or breaking them often" - this is the first square drive bit I have EVER broken driving a 1-1/2" screw into a pilot drilled hole.

The comment I made above about Dewalt square drive bits is a different problem. I do a lot of deck building in the summer months. The Dewalt bits tend to get stuck in the screw head and pull out of the bit extender too easily. I cannot recall breaking other square drive bits, especially after driving just a few screws. I suspect the bits I bought were "show specials", but you would expect a quality outfit like Sommerfeld not to be selling junk. Oh well.