Timberline Bits and Blades how good..
Astrain
| Posted in Power Tools and Machinery on
Hi, the dealer in my city only carries Timberline bits and saw blades. I know that Timberline is the afordable line from Amana but wonder how are they
Anyone have some experience with them?, How do they compare to the bits and blades from Amana, Whiteside, etc.
Thanks.
Edited 10/12/2006 5:54 pm ET by Astrain
Replies
They just aren't in the same league, Astrain.
Beat it to fit / Paint it to match
Astrain
With router bits, as with everything else, you get what you pay for. I purchased Whiteside almost exclusively for many years. About 4 years ago, I tried CMT cause they were cheaper. HUGE MISTAKE. I have cope and stick sets that needed to be reground because the profiles didn't mate. Also, if the carbides aren't ground correctly, burning will become an issue sooner than later.
However, if you're gonna use the bit(s) 2 or 3 times a year, than who cares.
Jeff
Thanks, that is just want I needed to know.What about Amana vs Whiteside? Thanks!
My personal review is that Whiteside bits are not such a good quality product. I think the cheap blue bits that Rockler sells are better. I only buy Whiteside to get some of the odd profiles that they have available when I need them, plus the place that sells them is the closest to my shop.
But Freud bits actually have the best carbide, a true micrograin carbide. Bosch router bits are the sharpest initially, but the carbide is softer so they dull a bit faster. Wisconsin Knife Works (WKW) makes really great industrial quality bits but don't offer all of the profiles. Amana router bits are similar in quality to WKW. Good tough bits that last. They don't seem incredibly sharp when brand new, but they continue to cut the same for a long time.
Are Timberline bits the green ones that are sold at Woodcraft Supply? I have purchased a few of these for half the price of anyone else's, and I think they are a really great value. I use their largest pattern bits, I think they are about 1 1/4" diameter, and they do a really great job. Very precisely made and finished.
Oh sorry if I didn't help with your question. I probably have, without exaggeration, at least 200 router bits, maybe more. I find that most of them work pretty well, some better than others. I think you need to justify the price you pay based on the quality of cut you want and how much use you need to get from the cutter. Almost all cutters cut well initially. It's not like "the good old days" when any other than the industrial cutters were junk.
Hal
http://www.rivercitywoodworks.com
What kind of experience did you have to lead to the conclusion that Rockler bits, of all things, are better than Whiteside? That's just beyond comprehension to me (at this point, anyway).forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
Forestgirl,
I use a lot of router bits. Those cheap blue Rockler bits are made in China, on precision machinery that's probably as good as what they use for Whiteside. The carbide is good quality, the workmanship is good quality. I have used many of both brand. Just buy one of each, try them both, and see for yourself. There isn't much difference.
You should also buy an Amana bit to compare. Or a Freud with its microcarbide. You will see the difference, especially in the durability.
I have never had the Rockler bits chip on the cutting edge. I have never lost any carbide. I have never bent one. I've been using routers a lot since about 1975, before there were all the profiles we have today. I used to buy 4 or 5 a month. And when I get a straight bit with a guide bearing, it doesn't bother me as much if the bearing is not exactly the correct size as it does when I pay more and it's not right.
Plus, there is probably more runout in the average router than you will ever find in a router bit. I don't use the really poorly made ones from the woodworking conventions though. They look cheap! They make me afraid!
I will admit that I'm not a metallurgist. I just don't see the difference. They both work okay, and I really appreciate the incredible variety of cutters that Whiteside has available.
It's only an opinion, you know.
So the bottom line is that I should not have stated that the Rockler bits are better. But I think they are a better bargain, based on the price and similar quality.
Hal
http://www.rivercitywoodworks.com
Edited 10/15/2006 3:38 pm ET by Hal J
To Everyone,
This is sort of like a debate over who makes the best saw blade. Everyone has an opinion, which often is influenced by the price.
Hal
I have had a Rockler bit fail on me -- 1/4" straight bit, the carbide just sheared right off. Although I'm a light user at this point, I've used Amana, Freud, Rockler, Lee Valley, Woodcraft, Woodline, and Anonymous bits. A CMT is waiting in the wings, just bought it. Want to try some Whiteside, but haven't yet. Rockler is by far my least favorite.forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
So my question is why do you use all of those different brands? Are you doing some sort of research project?
My excuse is that I've been doing it a long time and I usually buy the one that has the shape I need for a particular project, or the one that is closest to home.
Sorry to hear that you broke one. I've had it happen too. Never with a Rockler though. It always seems to be the straight bits. I think we work them hardest.
What's really cool is if you drop a brand new solid carbide spiral bit off the workbench onto a concrete floor just as you are ready to put it in the router. Most of it ends up so small you can't find the parts! I don't think it matters what brand.
Hal
http://www.rivercitywoodworks.com
I haven't tried any Amana bits yet, but of the brands I have, Whiteside always impress. My Asian bargain bits are Holbren, Woodcraft, Price Cutter's green Bargain Bits, MLCS, Lee Valley, and Grizzly's green, and all seem to be roughly comparable to each other...safe, clean enough, but not the most durable.My best bits are Whiteside, Freud, and CMT...all are very well made, cut a little better than my imports, and stay sharp longer. The CMT have thinner carbide than the Freud and WS. Because of the cost, I haven't done side by side comparisons of the same profiles so it's hard to definitively say that one is better than the other, but I have more Whitesides than the others and they're all top notch. Holbren.com offers some really good deals on the Whitesides, and if I just need a cheap bit, I'll buy his Holbren brand...free shipping and top notch service - http://holbren.com/home.php
I have had good results and performance from Amana bits and blades. I clean the pitch from them regularly and they seem to do their assigned tasks.
Buy the best - Freud - you're only disappointed once! Also, buy them on Amazon.com. There is usually some kind of a deal in progress and their prices simply can't be beat!
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