# Router Cutters - You get what you pay for!!



## toolgle (Sep 21, 2010)

Hi from a newbe

Right here goes

I used to work for a company in the UK that manufactured router bits titman tip tools ltd (have moved on to better things) and here is the truth

Titman and Demar (i think you can buy them under the Trend machinery brand) and are basically neck and neck with quality.
Titman will last that little longer but you will suffer with finish as it has a harder grade of carbide.

CMT,Freud Bosch (who now own Freud) are all mid range, ok if you have the odd job

Onsrud in the US are a very good brand and excel with spirals.

Everybody else follows behind.(though they are some other High Quality brands up and coming in the US)

In this game you get what you pay for.

Why are router bits so expensive? it is because 75% of carbide ore is mined from China and they dictate the price worldwide.

Normly cheaper bits are made by unskilled worker, low quality carbide and very poor knowledge of grinding angles. (many of the tips of cheap imports are not even brazed on straight)

I hope this has enlightened and not been too boring

Steve


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## CanuckGal (Nov 26, 2008)

Thanks for the information Steve! Welcome aboard!


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## Swallow (Jan 13, 2010)

What I'd like to know is . Did that UK company hand out hats with the company name on them?


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## toolgle (Sep 21, 2010)

We did have some baseball caps but that was about 15 years ago!


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## allthunbs (Jun 22, 2008)

Hi Steve:

Thanks for the info. Go to Whiteside, Wiha, Bondhus, Tenryu, SystiMatic, Southeast, Vortex, Woodpecker and take a look at what Tom is saying there. Then, please comment, add and expand as you see fit. 

This is not to undermine what Tom is saying but when restated, rephrased or examined from another angle, much more becomes clear. I constantly re-read his stuff and, although excellent information, I still feel that I have lots of room for understanding. 

I can never get all the information that I need from a single author. It always seems to require a collection of authors.

Is there some way that router bits are organized, other than by size? I've got router philosophies pretty much organized but bits still remain a cloud.

Thanks for the help and the info. I look forward to your comments.


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## 01stairguy (Apr 18, 2010)

toolgle said:


> Hi from a newbe
> 
> Right here goes
> 
> ...


what are your thoughts on mlcs brand, just wondering, Thanks


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## toolgle (Sep 21, 2010)

In my humble opinion - Websites that sell and even independent woodworking magazines are at the mercy of the manufacturers. We all know the term “don’t bite the hand that feeds you:sold:” so I am not going comment on any website or magazines personally. I'm sure that some like the one you mention can give valuble info.

Advertisements in the magazines are the main income of the magazines. How many times have you read in a “specialist magazine” that the tool advertised on the following 2 pages are rubbish.

Forums are the best way to find out anything – you have to learn to believe the users and not the people that rely on the product for income.


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