# OERTLI-SWISS made?



## Sasa Minic (Aug 14, 2015)

Hi every one! 

I came across these products, and they're supposed to be very good...BUT?! Are they?Has ANYONE ever got in touch with something like that? They allegedly have everything. From router bits for portable routers to CNC router bits, and some other specialized tools...

I know About EU CMT, but they are from Italy, right? and i read here, that their quality has gone down a bit. So what's the deal with European manufacturers?

Thank you all in advance for your help?


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## Cherryville Chuck (Sep 28, 2010)

Welcome to the forum Sasa. I don't know of any EU manufacturer making junk. It's cheaper to have that made in China so no point in it. With that said, a Fine Woodworking router bit test from 2007 rated Whiteside and Eagle America as the best (both made by Whiteside). Lee Valley's bits came in second, Infinity was 3rd I think. Several others scored better than CMT, Freud, or Amana which are the most common "top quality" bits. There are several manufacturers that weren't in the test so no way of knowing how they stack up, such as Onsrud, Leitz, Festool, Precision Bits (Yonico), and Oertli.

There are very few really junk bits being made anymore because every manufacturer I suspect is now using CNC machining.


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## DaninVan (Jan 1, 2012)

Hey, Sasa; welcome!


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## OPG3 (Jan 9, 2011)

Another interesting thread, in my opinion. Charles, Do you know if Katana was in that test group? I've head good things about them, but have never used them personally!

Sasa, Welcome to the Router Forums! This is a super-nice and very helpful group of people that you should find very good to interact with. If you could give us more info in your profile, that will be super helpful on many of our responses. I also have a question for you: Who / where is the vendor of these router bits?

Take Care, Otis Guillebeau from Auburn, Georgia


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## Cherryville Chuck (Sep 28, 2010)

No it wasn't in there Otis. I believe that Katana is a higher quality line of MLCS and I also heard they were pretty good. I believe I remember BJ giving them a thumbs up quite a while back and I think he tried most of the brands available. The only criticism of the test that I've heard of is that a few brands were missing and more have come online since like Precision Bits but the tests are a bit of an eye opener brand wise. The brands that everyone tends to rely on didn't really do all that well. http://www.whitesiderouterbits.com/ToolTestRouterBits.pdf


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## gjackson52 (Jul 4, 2015)

I briefly looked at the Oertli website. Are these tooling pieces intended for handheld or table mounted routers or more for multi axis machining ?

Gary


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## DaninVan (Jan 1, 2012)

*Ancient*



Cherryville Chuck said:


> No it wasn't in there Otis. I believe that Katana is a higher quality line of MLCS and I also heard they were pretty good. I believe I remember BJ giving them a thumbs up quite a while back and I think he tried most of the brands available. The only criticism of the test that I've heard of is that a few brands were missing and more have come online since like Precision Bits but the tests are a bit of an eye opener brand wise. The brands that everyone tends to rely on didn't really do all that well. http://www.whitesiderouterbits.com/ToolTestRouterBits.pdf


Chuck; anything more recent? That test was from 8 years ago. A lot has changed in that time...not all of it good.
I noticed that neither Dimar nor CMT were represented then.

Speaking of DIMAR (you see how I did that segue thing?) I picked up a set of DIMAR 1/4" shank carbide bits a few months ago from KMS Tools..._they were virtually giving these sets away._
I bought it because
a) it was a red hot deal 
b) I wanted to get more versatility from my two old 1/4" routers
...a Craftsman and my old Ryobi laminate trimmer.

https://www.kmstools.com/dimar-24pc-1-4-carbide-router-bit-set-5362+Reg. price...$90
3 day sale price $40. It worked out to $1.66 per bit.
I finally got around to popping a couple of the bits into the trimmer and took them for a test drive; let me just say I'm _very_ pleased!!!


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## old coasty (Aug 15, 2014)

Just got an e-mail about "NEW Tools from the 2015 AWFS Show"

Does anyone know who is making them?


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## Cherryville Chuck (Sep 28, 2010)

Nothing newer that I know of Dan but it seems that Whiteside is still at the top of the list and you have to be careful to get Eagle America as opposed to offshore Eagle from what I hear as well as offshore Amana. Maybe CMT has followed them as some say the quality has gone down. It is time for a new test alright. Maybe I should suggest that to FWW. I believe Dimar is a top end brand. I have one that I had a plan for and still trying to get to it so I can't give a recommendation. Mike (mafoelfen) said something about about getting Dimar saw blades for his new saw. They aren't normally cheap. The bit I got from The Tool Place in Kelowna was a 1/4" shaft 45* chamfer with no bearing and it was $45 about 10 years ago. For some reason I couldn't open the link you gave.


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## Sasa Minic (Aug 14, 2015)

gjackson52 said:


> I briefly looked at the Oertli website. Are these tooling pieces intended for handheld or table mounted routers or more for multi axis machining ?
> 
> Gary


They have a lot of stuff, going on there. From usual router bits, like round over and roman ogee to very complex tool for CNC profiling, window and door making, to simple carbide drill bits for mechanical and manual feeds.


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## Sasa Minic (Aug 14, 2015)

OPG3 said:


> Another interesting thread, in my opinion. Charles, Do you know if Katana was in that test group? I've head good things about them, but have never used them personally!
> 
> Sasa, Welcome to the Router Forums! This is a super-nice and very helpful group of people that you should find very good to interact with. If you could give us more info in your profile, that will be super helpful on many of our responses. I also have a question for you: Who / where is the vendor of these router bits?
> 
> Take Care, Otis Guillebeau from Auburn, Georgia


thanks! The truth is i am supposed to recommend these tools to some people, but i can't really do that and have a good night sleep if i don't know if they are really good. Not just that. If they are among best. 

I know few things about bits for machining metal, but when it comes to wood... CMT and Leitz are among very few i have heard about. All this came from my great enthusiasm about woodworking since i found little interesting machining metal to be. 

My professional education is toward manufacturing technologies like, casting, metal forming, welding, surface management and so on. 

So my knowledge on wood is a bit thin. Currently i am reading a book: Introduction to wood and natural fiber composites. It turns out that what i thought to know about wood is really on primal level, so to say. Even though that composite part turned my attention, it turns out that wood is, as all natural material and coming from living being, very interesting in structure. Almost like someone engineered it. 

If you didn't know, it is all about sugar. Cellulose is polymer of glucose! AND DAMN, if you happen to get to know me, I LOVE SUGAR!!!    

I'll go and tune up my profile data as soon as i get some free time. Having that said, sorry for some time until i answer to everyone.


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## Sasa Minic (Aug 14, 2015)

Cherryville Chuck said:


> Welcome to the forum Sasa. I don't know of any EU manufacturer making junk. It's cheaper to have that made in China so no point in it. With that said, a Fine Woodworking router bit test from 2007 rated Whiteside and Eagle America as the best (both made by Whiteside). Lee Valley's bits came in second, Infinity was 3rd I think. Several others scored better than CMT, Freud, or Amana which are the most common "top quality" bits. There are several manufacturers that weren't in the test so no way of knowing how they stack up, such as Onsrud, Leitz, Festool, Precision Bits (Yonico), and Oertli.
> 
> There are very few really junk bits being made anymore because every manufacturer I suspect is now using CNC machining.


Since i'm in this position, and that would assume my job, I would relay all info on them as feed back comes in. They are supposed to be very good. WE/ I shall see.


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## Cherryville Chuck (Sep 28, 2010)

Sasa if they are a reasonable price I wouldn`t hesitate to try them. If everything you have read about them is positive then they should at the least prove to be satisfactory.


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## old coasty (Aug 15, 2014)

Cherryville Chuck said:


> . It is time for a new test alright. Maybe I should suggest that to FWW.


I second that idea. Could help sort out some of the confusion.

Bob


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## DaninVan (Jan 1, 2012)

"...Mike (mafoelfen) said something about about getting Dimar saw blades for his new saw. They aren't normally cheap. The bit I got from The Tool Place in Kelowna was a 1/4" shaft 45* chamfer with no bearing and it was $45 about 10 years ago. For some reason I couldn't open the link you gave."
-Charles

Sorry about that...no idea why(?).
Try here; it's the 24pce 1/4" shank set. 
https://www.kmstools.com/woodworking-23000000/router-bits-23180000/router-bit-sets-23180100/
KMS features DIMAR bits.


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## Cherryville Chuck (Sep 28, 2010)

At $4 a bit I wouldn`t hesitate to buy them.


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## DaninVan (Jan 1, 2012)

I discovered something about them yesterday that had me scratching my head.'The bearings aren't permanently sealed. The Allen screw retainer holds down a washer-like dust cover that lifts off when you remove the bearing retainer screw.
I guess that's a good thing? It would certainly make it easy to flush the bearing race and re-lube it.
I also noticed in the catalogue that DIMAR offers Delrin covered bearings that are _guaranteed_ not to mark the material surface!


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## Cherryville Chuck (Sep 28, 2010)

They also have RC bits and you don`t see them produced by the lower quality makers. BTW, that Dri-Cote that LV sells works on sticky bearings. I`ve had some on the verge of seizing and a spray of that stuff fixes them right up.


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