Does anyone one have an opinion on Porter Cable Forstner bits.
I have a chance to pick up a 12 piece set for $30, which normally sells for around $45. Appears only the 5/8" bit has ever been used and not very much. They are High Carbon Steel
I'm a only DIYer and they wouldn't receive heavy use.
You will probably get about $30 worth of use from them.
Personally, would not hit a dead dog in the ass with carbon steel bits, I use only carbide.
Lew
Depends on the hole. It's tough to make a blanket statement like that. For instance, once I tried Lee Valley's brad point bits (the ones they regrind from twist drills), I realized what I had been missing when drilling in wood.
On the other hand, have you ever compared a Whiteside router bit to a Bosch? It could be a shock.
Snag 'em. They will be fine for what you use them for.
asmurff wrote:
I agree. I have a set I got from Home Depot and they're fine. Maybe not for a production shop but for the average DIY'er they'll probably last a life time.
I'd grab them. As a DIYer you won't use them hard and having a selection of sizes on hand is a good thing. The few sizes you use on a regular basis can be replaced by good single bits as needed. Carbon steel can be sharpened with a file too.
Couldn't agree more.
To sharpen some of the smaller bits, drag out the Dremel and get to work on them with that using a white or pink fine stone cone shaped bit.. With careful sharpening you can get those bits sharper than new sometimes.
I have a set of Northern that I bought so I will have the index with all the sizes I need for occasional holes. For the ones I use more often, I bought about three different bits.
I have to say, outside of getting more dull a little faster, there doesn't seem to be much performance in the Northern Tools and the Freud bits.
Robert Robert
There's a roundup of Forstner bits on Fine Woodworking's web site, which looks to be in the next issue of the magazine. Porter Cable is listed there, and came out fine in the relative rankings; they were not the best nor the "best value", but seemed a little bit better in the quality than the Grizzly "best value" set that was $30 for a set of 16.
HomeOwnersHub website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.