Router bit brand selection

[Elliott Cameron]

There are quite a few options when it comes to router bits indeed. I own a set of the Lee Valley and am quite happy with them.

On the other hand , if I could do the purchase over , I'd get the set that Pat Warner , the "RouterMan" uses and recommends. You can read about them here...

http://patwarner.com/starter_bits.html


Elliott

[Tom Williams]

For heavy use bits I buy Whiteside, Eagle America and Freud. For the "cheap" or one project bits I buy PriceCutter, Woodcraft and Rockler bits. Some the bits at the box stores are OK but it seems they are priced closer to the premium bits without the same quality.

[Doug Jones]

Another Holbren fan here. Great bits at a great price.

https://holbren.com/index.php

[jim capozzi]

hi doug

i use a few diffrent brands right now and i like them all so far. i am not an all day everyday user, so my original set is still going strong. they are hickory brand from the borg. i have a few rockler bits that have been fine also. just recently i scored the deal of the century on 33 amana bits (about $3.00 each) so this is what it looks like now...

[Mike Pung]

I use a lot of plunge bits from Magnate http://www.magnate.net/ These types of bits are easy to re-sharpen yourself. If there is a bearing on the bit it can be removed and sharpened as well using the duo fold diamond wet stone http://legacywoodworking.com/products.cfm?product=22 I touch up all the bits I am useing to eliminate burning and reduce sanding. If you are willing to sharpen them yourself, the cheaper ones will work longer for you.

Mike

[Frank Pellow]

After experimenting with about 5 different brands, I settled upon the bits from Lee Valley and they now make up about 95% of the bits that I own. I can certainlt recommend them.

Also, I see that they are the third highest rated brand in the test refered to by Jim Bergstrom in post #4 in this thread. I have not tried the brands rated 1 and 2.

[tod evans]

doug, here`s a coupla pics of one of the disposa-bits that i run, this one finally got a small chip in one flute after cutting 20-25 radiuses. the cuts where made in a single pass in 3/4" mdf....the bit still cuts fine.

MVC-621S.JPG

MVC-622S.JPG

MVC-623S.JPG

[Frank Fusco]

Most of my bits came from the close-out/scratch and dent room of....here I go again....Grizzly. It was a discounted, already inexpensive, set that came to about $1.00 each. After buying them, I read one of those reports and learned mine should tear rough edges. Well, they did a little. But now, before using one for the first time, I smooth the flat to the cutting edge first with a diamond stone. They cut just fine and smooth. For specialty bits, I have had good luck with MLCS. They now carry some four-wing bits that are really nice and catch-free (that doesn't mean you can get careless).

[Charles McCracken]

Originally Posted by Frank Fusco

They now carry some four-wing bits that are really nice and catch-free (that doesn't mean you can get careless).

More cutting wings is not necessarily a benefit (in the same way that more teeth on a saw blade is not always better). The key to cutter design and selection is chip load, or how thick is the chip that is produced. If the chip is too thick the cut will be rough and if it is too thin burning and shorter cutter life result. If you double the number of cutting wings you effectively would have to double the feed rate or reduce the rotational speed by half to maintain the same chip load. So, unless you are power feeding, the extra wings are not effective. Also, it is more difficult to grind all of the wings precisely. Add in some runout and you end up with only one wing doing most of the work anyway. This design achieves a smoother cut without affecting the chip load because the two smaller wings cut a different part of the profile from the larger wings:

Quadra-Cut Bits:

[tod evans]

charles,
chip load is a science unto itself and it`s really the one relevent factor that affects all cutters whether it`s a routerbit, shaper cutter or drill bit....
how about expanding on the subject?
thanks! tod