Replies

1. 
   Dustmight | Jun 21, 2005 04:13am | #1

   I have several. At $5 you can't go wrong....they're no Whitesides but at 1/3 to 1/4 the cost, they're a heck of a value for the basic profiles.

1. 
   WillGeorge | Jun 21, 2005 07:38pm | #5

   All my 'GOOD' bits are Whitesides .. Hard to beat them but cost a 'BIT'

   For basic profiles I usually use the cheep bits... You know.. A box of 20 bits fer about $30.00 or so...

   Every once in a while I get a bad bit but usually they are OK for most work..

   I usually use Poplar, Ash, Hickory or Purpleheart... Purpleheart will kill a bit in a few seconds!..  But if I could afford all those Whiteside profiles fer $30.00 I wouldn't get them cheepos...

2. 
   AlbionWood | Jun 21, 2005 04:18am | #2

   I have a couple of these. The 1/2" shank T&G set isn't bad. The 1/4" shank chamfer bit, however, is slightly eccentric - not good. Still, even that is probably worth $5 !!

   "Everything should be made as simple as possible, but no simpler."  A. Einstein

   http://www.albionworks.net

3. 
   JeffHeath | Jun 21, 2005 06:49am | #3

   tony

   Not to be difficult, but I disagree.  Spend your money on good bits, and you'll be happy in the long run.  Burning, chip out, etc... are what you'll get with the cheap stuff.  Whiteside bits are worth every penny.  They've outlasted every bit I've ever purchased, including CMT, which I am personally not too impressed with.

   Jeff

1. 
   Samson | Jun 21, 2005 05:03pm | #4

   I dunno about the bits, although I tend to always remember the old saying that if it's too good to be true, it almost certainly isn't.  So I would expect that $5 bits are not going to be of as high quality materials and well-machined etc. as top of the line bits.  There are lots of bit "deals out there.  You can get 36 bits in a case for a mere $50 from lee valley for example.  http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.aspx?c=2&p=51651&cat=1,44047&ap=2

   But LV is up front that these are not top quality bits.  Frankly, I only want top of the line chunks of metal spinning at thousands of RPMs near me.  But I'm more catious than most about that stuff. 

   A word of cation about one woodcraft router product:  I was buying something else and came across a "close out" offer on a 1/2" shank router storage case for a mere $11.99 (regular $25).  I thought that was a great deal even though I could have made one myself without much effort out of scrap.  Well, it's crap.  Larger and taller bits are either impossible or a pain to get in and out (the spacing is too short in every row) and the holes are lined with cheap plastic inserts that make putting bits in and out a pain.  Man, I hate getting burned on this kind of thing.  No wonder these cases were on sale, they probably got so many complaints they decided to dump their stock.

   Edited 6/21/2005 10:03 am ET by Samson

1. 
   Ricks503 | Jun 21, 2005 08:08pm | #6

   They and Rockler offer these deals on router bits generally as a loss leader  to get you into the store to spend money on others items where they make their money.  Come in to buy 2 $5 router bits and walk out with $50 worth of other stuff.1 - measure the board twice, 2 - cut it once, 3 - measure the space where it is supposed to go        4 - get a new board and go back to step 1