Router Bit Brands ??? Bosch vs Freud

Hi ricktrue
Both the bit brands you posted (Bosch & Freud) are great bit sets BUT I do recommend the CMT router bit sets, because they come in a great box and they are coated with teflon
This will make your bits last longer and cut stock just like butter.
The 1st. time you use one you will also say WOW also.
Buying a good router bit set is like buying a new router and sometimes more than you paid for the router you have now so you want the best for your money and you want them to last a LONG,LONG time.

http://www.sommerfeldtools.com/products.asp?id=31
http://www.sommerfeldtools.com/products.asp?id=28
http://www.sommerfeldtools.com/products.asp?id=30

http://www.sommerfeldtools.com/category.asp?id=10


Bj

Check out this test...

Ricktrue,

You may want to take a look at a test of 17 brands of bits done by Taunton.

I tried to post the link here, but kept getting a bizarre error message saying "Could not find phrase 'x_contains_urls'". (VERY FRUSTRATING!!!) Since I can't post the link...

Search Google for "taunton router bit matchup". Click the link "Router-Bit Matchup" (should be the first link). When the page opens, go down the page about 1/2 way and you should see "Router-bit Scorecard". That shows the detailed results of the test.

As far as I know, this is the only quantitative review that is available. Virtually all of the other reviews that I've seen are either of a single brand or qualitative with comments like "Great bits", "I've been using xyz for 40 years...", etc. :-(

How some of the popular brands scored: Whiteside was 1st. Freud scored a respectable 4th, Amana was 5th, MLCS was 6th, CMT was 7th. Bosch was a rather poor 12th, and Rockler was a pitiful 16th and DNF (wore out before the test finished).

Regarding prices... I checked out current online prices for Whiteside, Amana, CMT and Freud. Prices were pretty comparable for the bits I've listed above - about $15-16.

Some people may want to pick nits with the test. That's OK with me as long as they provide good reasons why the ranking should be different.

Good luck with your choice,

Dan.

p.s., regarding my router bit preferences, I have a mild preference for Whiteside and Amana based on some recommendations by others and my own limited experience. While I still like Bosch tools, I wouldn't touch one of their bits now. I'll probably buy Whiteside bits unless they don't have a particular bit. Then maybe Amana or CMT.

I tend to classify my bits.

I started out by buying a large set of Holbren bits and used them as my "getting acquainted" bits. Still use them for many things.

My "first tier" bits would be Whiteside, CMT and Infinity. They all feel similar in quality to me. I use these for more important projects and finer woods. I keep these away from plywood and mdf if possible. When I'm looking to buy a new bit I typically look at Whiteside first but if one of my other favorites has a sale or special deal that's fine too.

I haven't tried MLCS yet although I recently found out they are local to me. I'd be curious to hear some opinions.

As for the original post, I have no experience with Bosch bits but my Freud experiences have always been favorable. I have several dozen Freud bits but they are all 1/4" shank so I don't use them as much anymore.

Thanks to Dan for the FWW link. Very interesting article.

Michael

"Rockler, woodcraft and eagle america slightly above harborfreight." ???
Woodcraft offers a 100% money back guarantee on their bits. Their quality is substantially above HF. They are not top of the line quality but are a great bit for beginners. They give excellent value for the price. When you are starting out you rarely need a production quality bit. Common sense tells you to buy some inexpensive decent quality bits to get started. These bits will give you good service for a couple of years. As you replace them go with higher quality bits based on what you actually use. There is no reason to buy a premium bit you will use only once or twice. By the same token there is no reason to ever buy the bits that cost $1 each. That is just throwing your money away. Given that the Woodcraft bits were not run in the Taunton test where bits ran from about $8 - $22 their $5 sale price for a medium quality bit is a great deal. Will they wear out faster than premium brands? Yes. Will they perform well for the price? Absolutely.

Alright Mike,
That is kind of harsh for me to give Rockler, woodcraft and eagle America slightly above rating to harborfreight or even worse eBay router bits where you get 60 bits for 9 dollars.

But value for the price definition can be different for each individual.

Inexperienced router user can take the best router bit in the world and turn it into screaming burnt out hunk of steel in less than 5 minutes of use.
A pro can make an average bit last for few jobs taking small passes at appropriate speed and watching the grain and all that pampering and depending on wood types or other material and routing style.

We all can agree that an excellent router bit will keep it’s edge/sharpness for a long time no matter what type of hard wood we run it through.aand has less kikcback, It will have the highest grade of carbide and steel. We don’t want bit’s breaking in the middle of a work and come flying at us not to mention screw up expensive lumber.

So, decision comes down to for me is it worth grabbing average bits for the sale price?
Even if I was just starting out, to me the answer would be no. Even the big boys brands make defective bits now and then. So as a rookie I would rather play it safe learning with better router bit. I rather spend little bit more and get a higher quality bit. I only buy premium when it’s absolutely necessary due to the fact where I can’t find the same type/profile of bit for less. :sold:

Charles M said:

How about the fact that the Taunton test is OLD news and doesn't reflect the current marketplace?

Click to expand...

Charles,

That's a general statement and there's a lot of general statements floating around. To be blunt, that's not good enough. Give me specifics:

- When was this test performed?

- What has changed since then?

- Why would any positioning change?

- What other factors should I consider?

- Since Whiteside was #1 and your company was #4, and the prices are roughly equivalent, what has changed since then that would make want to buy a Freud bit? (Freud is a fine company, but Whiteside bits were rated higher.)

I want clarity and specifics.

Thanks and regards,

Dan.