LV router bits any good?

[Rick Schubert]

LV router bits are cheaper than Whiteside which I've used in the past. Are they "just as good"? Or good enough?

Thanks, Rick

[Frank Pellow]

LV router bits are cheaper than Whiteside which I've used in the past. Are they "just as good"? Or good enough?

Thanks, Rick

I have a lot of the Lee Valley bits and I find them to be very good.

[Cliff Rohrabacher]

They are just fine.
Dunno who their manufacturer is but it's a sure guess it's a good company.

Whiteside is excellent too.

[Hoa Dinh]

Are they "just as good"?

No.

Or good enough?

Maybe.

I would rate them the same as bits from Woodline, which is one of the best among imports.

[Jim Becker]

I have a few and they are perfectly acceptable quality wise and cut wise.

[Greg Koch]

Where would WC bits fit in the group. As good as LV, WS, WL?

[Andy London]

I have about 60 of their bits which some see extreme use in the shop making hundreds of feet of picture frame molding in exotic woods. I rate them good to excellent. I have used all of the big name bits and settle for LV as their store is a 10 min drive from the shop. I would highly recommend them all exceot the S&R, The Frued wins that one hands down.

Andy

[Howard Rosenberg]

Such selection!
Such choices!
Such variety!

Such competition!

No cross-border cash grabs in the form of Federal and Provincial taxes....
No currency exhange-rate differential....
No UPS extortion for "handling and documentation".....

They're the only bits I use.
Everything else has to be ordered from the US.
I'm reluctant to do so because of the reasons I've listed above.

LV is a Canadian company. They've got three stores in Toronto which simplifies my life.

My only alternatives are various brands of cheapies and Freud at HD.
I've had nothing but disastrous results every time I've tried Freud router bits and don't want to even bother trying cheapies.

So, yes: I think LV bits are great.
They have a large selection.
You should be able to find a profile in a size that'll work for almost any project you can concieve.

HTH
Howard

[scott spencer]

[QUOTE=Hoa Dinh]Are they "just as good"?

No.

Or good enough?

Maybe.

[QUOTE]

Ditto...There are only a handful at the level of Whiteside IMO...Amana, Infinity, Freud, etc., and most are as expensive. LV bits are more along the lines of other decent value bits and should be fine for a hobbyist. For value bits, I'm kind of partial to the Holbren bits b/c they perform on the same level as others, prices are typically better, selection is good, and CS is excellent....hard to beat.

[Scott Thornton]

I have not used the LV bits. I have used Woodline, Amana, CMT and Whiteside. I like them best in reverse order of how I listed them, with CMT and Whiteside being very close...although for the hobbiest, I can't tell the difference between any of them. The results are all the same high quality, I don't run them for hours on end either though. I have read reviews that say the Whiteside is best...I don't think you could go wrong with any of them. Woodline bits aren't as "affordable" as they used to be though...so for a couple dollars more, I would recommend purchasing one of the big names...

[Bill White]

Not only are they pretty good bits, you get a GREAT company to stand behind them.
I use LV often, and have always been pleased with the product and service. To me, that's what its all about.
Bill