# Just curious....



## Gene Howe (Jul 10, 2007)

Yesterday I bought a Vermont American 1/4" shank carbide tipped round over bit at the local ACE. It came with 2 sizes of bearings and a hex tool. It was $16.00. I didn't think I got raped, considering costs on line + shipping or costs at HD and the 50 mile R/T. Haven't used it yet, though. Will be cutting some small pieces of oak.
I've used a few Vermont American hole cutters and jig saw blades. IIRC, I once had a VA circular saw blade. All were fairly decent tools, though not truly exceptional.
So has anyone here used any VA router bits? If so, what do you think of them? 
ACE has a decent display and can order almost any profile I might need. I'd really rather spend $$ closer to home. But, I want a bit that does the job and lasts a while.

EDIT: I just saw that Bosch owns VA.


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## vikingcraftsman (Mar 31, 2006)

Dose that mean any thing Gene that Busch owns the tool company? If I was a high end company I might invest in the other end just to cover my bets. Just I thought from a poor country boy.


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## KenBee (Jan 1, 2011)

Hi Gene...I have two round over VA bits from Heleta I used to make a few wooden hinges as well as rounding off box edges and they worked very well. I am not sure off the top of my head but I do know they only cost around $5.00 each and were still in the original packaging. The kind that takes a lot of swearing and turning the air blue to get open. 

I was in the Heleta site a few days ago and noticed they are now selling their own brand of bits now rather than overstock items like they were, but they are still less than $5.00 per bit. The quality is questionable but at $5.00 or less a bit they may be worth trying.


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## Gene Howe (Jul 10, 2007)

vikingcraftsman said:


> Dose that mean any thing Gene that Busch owns the tool company? If I was a high end company I might invest in the other end just to cover my bets. Just I thought from a poor country boy.


Probably not, John. But, who knows? It was a surprise to me, though. 
I'm still curious about the what other's experience with VA bits have been. 
I used it yesterday in a palm router. Not bad.


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## Gene Howe (Jul 10, 2007)

Thanks Ken. Might give those Heleta bits a try. I didn't see their overstocks, though. Is that a different site?


Ken Bee said:


> Hi Gene...I have two round over VA bits from Heleta I used to make a few wooden hinges as well as rounding off box edges and they worked very well. I am not sure off the top of my head but I do know they only cost around $5.00 each and were still in the original packaging. The kind that takes a lot of swearing and turning the air blue to get open.
> 
> I was in the Heleta site a few days ago and noticed they are now selling their own brand of bits now rather than overstock items like they were, but they are still less than $5.00 per bit. The quality is questionable but at $5.00 or less a bit they may be worth trying.


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## bobj3 (Jan 17, 2006)

Hi

I have had good luck with the VM bits at one time I could get them at HD but they did drop them , the BEST key hole bit I have is a VM bit it's now a little burnt on the tip because I used it all the time to put in Tee Slots in MDF but still cuts like champ, it's just the right size, I have tried to find one like it by buying other brands , but no luck yet..


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Gene Howe said:


> Yesterday I bought a Vermont American 1/4" shank carbide tipped round over bit at the local ACE. It came with 2 sizes of bearings and a hex tool. It was $16.00. I didn't think I got raped, considering costs on line + shipping or costs at HD and the 50 mile R/T. Haven't used it yet, though. Will be cutting some small pieces of oak.
> I've used a few Vermont American hole cutters and jig saw blades. IIRC, I once had a VA circular saw blade. All were fairly decent tools, though not truly exceptional.
> So has anyone here used any VA router bits? If so, what do you think of them?
> ACE has a decent display and can order almost any profile I might need. I'd really rather spend $$ closer to home. But, I want a bit that does the job and lasts a while.
> ...


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## jschaben (Jun 21, 2009)

I've got several VA spiral bits from Cripe distributing. 
Spiral Bits - Router Bits
I didn't know Heleta carried VA. All the bits I ever got from them has had their own name on them. There bits seem pretty decent for the money. I did wear out a couple of their finger pull edge bits but took a couple of hundred feet of MDF to do it and at $2 or so per bit, not a biggy.:yes4:


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## KenBee (Jan 1, 2011)

jschaben said:


> I've got several VA spiral bits from Cripe distributing.
> Spiral Bits - Router Bits
> I didn't know Heleta carried VA. All the bits I ever got from them has had their own name on them. There bits seem pretty decent for the money. I did wear out a couple of their finger pull edge bits but took a couple of hundred feet of MDF to do it and at $2 or so per bit, not a biggy.:yes4:


My bad folks...Some time today I will wake up and smell the toast burning, but then again I ain't gonna bet the farm on that happening. 

I meant Cripes when I was talking about the VA bits. I did order some 90 degree V bits from Heleta recently though and they also work very well. About the only bits I use on a consistent basis are Spiral, straight and dovetail so the cheap bits from dealers like Cripes and Heleta may last a year or more. Unlike a 1/4 inch straight bit I set on fire a couple weeks ago routing some Hickory.


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