[youngoldman]

Good morning!

I've been slowly doing more with my new Bosch router, and I plan to do occasional projects, but I want them to turn out well. I've picked up a Bosch tongue and groove bit, and a Rockler Wedge T&G bit arrived the other day. I've seen comments on here that neither of the above brands is desirable, but those comments are over a decade old. As I build my bits up, are there any suggestions? I am not going to be a professional, just a hobbyist who wants to do good work.
Thanks in advance!

 

[calabrese55]

Good morning!

I've been slowly doing more with my new Bosch router, and I plan to do occasional projects, but I want them to turn out well. I've picked up a Bosch tongue and groove bit, and a Rockler Wedge T&G bit arrived the other day. I've seen comments on here that neither of the above brands is desirable, but those comments are over a decade old. As I build my bits up, are there any suggestions? I am not going to be a professional, just a hobbyist who wants to do good work.
Thanks in advance!

I have over nearly 50 years used many brands of router bits including the junk ones you get from Sears to quality bits like Freud, Amana.
They all work naturally some are better than others, materials, quality of the design, but most important how you use them and what material you are cutting into.
Example it is highly advisable on a lot of cuts to take smaller bites over several passes. This is especially important on grain stromg wood like oak or soft woods like pine that have a bunch of pitch , sap etc that will rapidly foul even the best bits.
Skill and technique mostly makes any decent router bit functional.
here is some info that may assist in your ongoing router work. 8 Best Router Bits [Evaluated in 2023]
and from the big box guys........look here Reviews for DIABLO Router Bit Set (13-Piece) | Pg 1 - The Home Depot. Check the customer comments here is one on note from the box store site link above
I know this says Diablo but the set I received...
I know this says Diablo but the set I received was actually a Freud who owns Diablo. This is a nice starter set for woodworking. The storage cabinet it a nice addition too. Well made high quality bits that I expect to get many years of use from.

calabrese55

 

[DesertRatTom]

I do like Freud bits a lot. Very consistent quality, and they have some quadra cut bits and are really smooth.

 

[malb]

There are a lot of options out there, with a wide price range. One suggestion is to initially buy cheaper individual bits as you need them for projects, then if they get enough use to wear them out, replace with an equivalent high quality bit. Depending on what your interests are, buying top quality bits from the start could easily involve spending $1K or more and some bits might see minimal or no use.
On the other hand, buying low quality bits through ebay etc, particularly in fairly large sets can be a waste of money for a variety of reasons including the low quality, short lifespan, and the fact that a lot of the bits in a large set would probably never coincide with your needs for projects. There are lots of grades of carbide available, cheap bits tend to use cheap carbide, reputable brand bits use higher performing grades, and potentially better accuracy in grinding profiles, but you pay fairly dearly for it.
Top quality bit brands include Freud, CMT, Whiteside, Amana. Some of the top manufacturers also have a 'second string' brand producing good and more economical bits.

 

[ger21]

1) Never buy "Sets" of router bits. Chances are, you'll never use half of them.
2) There are a lot of decent inexpensive bits out there. I've had very good luck with Yonico bits from Amazon. At work we just finished a job with $250,000 of woodwork. We used Yonico bits for several hundred feet of custom trim profiles that we needed to make.
In addition to some of the big name brands above, I've been using Eagle America for over 25 years. Every bit as good as the big name bits.

 

[JIMMIEM]

Another premium brand to consider is Infinity. Most of my bits are Infinity and they are excellent.

 

[bob vaughan]

Another premium brand to consider is Infinity. Most of my bits are Infinity and they are excellent.

Unless I need a particular bit that day, Infinity is my preferred choice also.

 

[OldCurmudgeon]

I usually buy Whiteside or Amana for the heavily-used bits (for me, mostly straight and pattern bits, some round-over) and Yonico for less demanding or occasional work. I try to use 1/2"-shank spiral bits (both brands have them) if I can get the right sizes. I had some bad experience with Freud 1/4"-shank thin bits (they break very easily) so I stopped buying from them. Regardless of brand - make sure you keep the bits SHARP.