# Working out bit quality



## istracpsboss (Sep 14, 2008)

I ran a search for this as I thought someone is bound to have asked it before, but I couldn't find anything.

Once upon a time you bought the best you could find and it lasted a lifetime.
Buying cheap tools was utter folly. It was dependant often on the skills of a single individual who knew exactly how long to leave a tool to heat treat and temper it. These days it is mostly all computer controlled heat treating and mass production, resulting in lots of perfectly usable tools costing less than they did 30 years ago. Are router cutters in the same boat?

I see router cutters advertised at all sorts of prices. There are many brand names like CMT and Trend as well as many local manufacturers available in particular markets like North America and Australia. I'm in Croatia and limited to European manufacturers or importers. 

Clearly, you pay for reputation when you buy a brand name. On the other hand, I suspect that a lot of products are possibly coming out of the same factories in China and may actually be no different. I've picked up a set of raised panel bits on ebay this week #310085405465 for the crazy price of Eur6.50. They may be rubbish, but for that price, I'm willing to find out. I saw similar sets in different colours on British ebay for four times that, with claims that they were identical to ones being retailed at UKP69 by Screwfix. They certainly looked like ones being retailed by Rutlands at UKP39, which they say is a special offer. 
When I see the same thing suddenly crop up a lot I tend to think of a production line churning out millions, that has probably been stripped down and is producing something else even before the boats delivering have arrived at their destination. There is no repeatability, of course, but the manufacturer turns them out at rock bottom prices to people taking a minimum of a container load, who then deal them on in smaller quantities to others, who then offer them at a variety of prices, distorting any chance of equating price with quality. Grab them while you can?

How do I determine quality when buying? Are the best known names significantly better, apart from offering a wider choice of profiles, or are dearer sources just dearer? Are they buying in quantity from the same places and checking them and dumping the rejects and is that what makes what they offer dearer? Some manufacturers offer more than one quality. Are their cheaper ones just the same as a lot of unbranded stuff with a premium for their name?

Can one buy cheaper bits and fettle them with a diamond lap on the back to get a better cutting edge?

What is members' experience with cheaper bits? Are they invariably rubbish or is it a bit of a lottery, which if cheap enough is worth looking at?

Incidentally, I'm speaking from a hobbyist standpoint. I'm not going to be using these bits all day professionally. I fully understand that if someone is earning their living off their tools they will pay the premium for industry standard stuff as the potential downside could be completely uneconomical. It's effectively an insurance premium!

Cheers

Peter


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## bobj3 (Jan 17, 2006)

Hi Peter

I think the keys words are " hobbyist standpoint " lets get down to brass tacks ,you will use the bit maybe 1 or 2 times maybe more but it's hobby not a job..
How many cabinets can one make after all.. 

Now if it comes to saw blades for the table saw you want the best because it will be used over and over all the time unlike the router bits..

I like the cheap ones also and use them all the time, I do have the high end ones also (CMT) but I use them all the time..not every day but I know I will use them over and over .

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## istracpsboss (Sep 14, 2008)

Hi Bob

I take your point re saw blades, many of which are still manufactured locally, but what of router bits? Does quality solely relate to price?

Cheers

Peter


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## rstermer (Apr 22, 2008)

I bought a large set of Chinese imported bits from Peachtree and they seem to be holding up ok, but they don't get all that much use as I am a hobbyist also. The cost was not great, less than $3 per bit and I'm reasonably satisfied with the quality of the cuts I get from them. Bobj3 has a source for bits on e-bay (Supercarbide?) which he indicates provides bits of an acceptable quality. It seems to me that purchasing from a bit supplier without either a recommendation from someone you trust or without test data is a crapshoot, you may be pleased with your selection or not, there's no way to tell in advance. Further, as you don't know if a subsequent purchase came from the same manufacturer as an initial satisfactory purchase, you have no guaranty of continuing quality. Fortunately, the cost of the imported bits is low, so if they don't work out, no large loss. Just make sure to try some test cuts on some scrap stock before you run the good stuff. 

That said, if a bit is going to get a lot of use, take a look at Whiteside bits. They are expensive, but have come out on top in every head to head comparison test I've seen.

Best of luck.
rstermer


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## bobj3 (Jan 17, 2006)

Hi Peter

" Does quality solely relate to price?" 
well yes and no , I got some bits from HD ( Oldham brand ) high price and real junk ( painted yellow) I got some from Rockler , high price ( no paint) junk also.....I got some Grizzly ( green paint ) not to high in price but not the best bits , I also got some purble bits from Grizzly ( med.high price ) great bits 
The ones I like best are the ones that have a teflon plastic coat stuff on them they are the high prices the norm..not to sure why same carb.steel.

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istracpsboss said:


> Hi Bob
> 
> I take your point re saw blades, many of which are still manufactured locally, but what of router bits? Does quality solely relate to price?
> 
> ...


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## Mike (Nov 22, 2004)

Peter, you are not alone in your quest to find the best bits for the price. Magazines run testing every other year or so with the best methods they can think of to show how well the different brands perform. To date, Whiteside bits have always been #1 in these tests. Very close in the competitions have been Amana, CMT and Freud. These are the premium bits which cut cleaner, last longer and can be resharpened more than other brands. Other brand name bits that did not perform well were Porter Cable and Bosch. With made in China bits you may get a real value or a lemon, perhaps from the same production run. Some of the made in China bits have excellent oversight and quality control such as the bits sold by Oak Park, Rockler and Woodcraft. Even so, the quality will not match up to that of the top four brands. The best solution is to buy the 10 most commonly used bits from one of the top four, and gamble on other bits you will not use as often. At least this is my common sense approach.


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## bobj3 (Jan 17, 2006)

Hi Peter

Talking about saw blades, I came across a blade *Sharpener* at HF I'm going to get and try out,,, I have many blades that need to be resharpen 

The price is right if it works and I don't see why not....it should 

PART Number 96687-1aa
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?function=Search

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istracpsboss said:


> Hi Bob
> 
> I take your point re saw blades, many of which are still manufactured locally, but what of router bits? Does quality solely relate to price?
> 
> ...


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