Router Bit Sets

[Steven Briggs]

I sure many of you good DIYers and router fiddlers have bought various of the router bits sets on the market.

While of the opinion that cheap versions of supposedly precision cutting tools just don't cut the mustard so to speak, having a set of many different types is useful for occasional use. Better to have a cheap

3/8" ogee than none at all for a small job. But I expect to fork out for good branded stuff for the regularly used bits (i.e. a couple of straights, a good trimmer etc)

Anyway, few weeks ago I bought a 30 piece, 1/2" set from Silverline (at you local indy tool shop), for £50, which seemed reasonable at the time.

Total, utter crap. Nearly all the bearing guided ones (half the set) where unusable, with the bearings ~0.3mm off centre. Some also had cutting edges decidedly non-centric. Some of the bearings where also tiny (about 7mm dia), much smaller then I've see on other sets. So they got sent back.

So any experiences of decent (ish) cutter sets?

I note quite a few 35pc sets in aluminium cases go through ebay for £35-£45, anyone tried these?

Cheers

[Wellard]

What the wattage of your Router then.

I have no problems with those cheapo bits.

G

[John Rumm]

CPC do sets of Freud bits in a wooden cases - decent quality:

version:-

bought one a few years ago I came to realise the problem with most sets - i.e. a few of the bits you use heavily - the rest you hardly ever touch.

Hence you are probably far better off buying individual bits that you know you will use.

I tend to make most use of a selection of straight bits, round over (2 radii), Roman ogee, and dovetail.

[Andy Hall]

CMT (the only orange one) or Freud.

.andy

To email, substitute .nospam with .gl

[Steven Briggs]

In message , Andy Hall writes

I know, I know, thought you might suggest those Andy. But I'm looking at the lower cost stuff, a selection of bits that'll get used occasionally. I'll buy CMT / Freud / Trend for the few bits that do get used regularly.

As above, I've rejected one cheap set, but some of the ones out there may be adequately OK. e.g. Screwfix have cheap sets, "professional sets" and Freud sets. Axminster have various sets, "white" or "perform" brand.

What I'm trying to gather is various experiences with these sets, i.e. brand X is crap, but brand Y is pretty good & VFM.

[Andy Hall]

Sorry, that's what I really meant.

I find that I use various straight cutting, trimming and round over bits the most so go for good quality in those.

I've bought a few Trend ones and found them pretty good as well.

The cheap ones tend to be not bad in non-bearing guided although only seem to survive a small number of sharpenings - OTOH at the price, so what. I've never found bearing guided ones in the £1-2 per cutter range to be much good.

.andy

To email, substitute .nospam with .gl

[Nick Brooks]

Trend do two 12 piece sets:-

One at £60

the other at £20 phone their very good Technical Enquiries people on 01923 224681 who basically said that you get what you pay for.

In the end I bought the expensive set but as I don't do masses of routing some of the bits have hardly been used so I might have been better off with the cheaper set and a few relly good cutters

Nick

[Rick Dipper]

I got a set of 5 cutter from Screwfix for 40(ish) quid, not bad, not as good as my one 50 quid for a single bit ......... However I tend to care more for my expensive tools, which may be half of why they work better

Rick