Replies

1. 
   Frank Vucolo | Mar 13, 2012 08:54am | #1

   Grizzly Forstner Bits

    Hi Joe,

   I'd never considered Grizzly for Forstners until I read that article in 2008. I was happy to see they were highly rated because I was having trouble finding that value balance between quality and price. A generous assortment could run from around $50 at a place like Harbor Freight to more than $1,000 for something like a set of Bormax. 

   I opted for the 31 piece set in HSS with everyhing from 1/4" to 2-1/8" in 1/16 increments. (I just found my order on Grizzly - nice "Your Account" section that holds my old order information.)

    (1) H7956 - HSS 31 pc. Forstner Bit Set w/ Hex Shank 

   In 3+ years of use I have no complaints and am completely satisfied. I would strongly recommend this set. I paid $129 back in 2008 but see that they are now up to $144. Still a good value for that many quality bits. 

   Like with all the forstners I've tried,  the smallest diameters tend to clog. There's just not enough space for the shavings to get out of the hole. You get a clean cut, but have to retract frequently to clear the bit. Having a small nylon bristle brush (Like a toothbrush) handy to coax the debris from the spinning bit upon retraction helps. This mostly occurs in the 1/4 to 3/8 range.

   I take good care of this set. Sawdust and chips hold moisture, so I clean each bit with a soft brush before returning it to the set, hit it with compressed air to blow off any dust and give it a wipe with a ligtly oiled rag. Going on 4 years now and the set looks like it just came off the shelf. 

   Hope this helps. Good luck!

   Frank

   
2. 
   Troy | Mar 15, 2012 01:38pm | #2

   I have not used the Grizzly bits but have been very pleased with the HSS fortner bits from Lee Valley, they seem to run true to size and have longer shanks than some of the other lower priced bits.  I think they are a good compromise between the very inexpensive bits and the pricy ones like boremax.

   FWW the HSS brad point bits from lee valley are good as well.

   Good luck