Beginner router set

[onlinename]

Hello there,

I am going to buy some router bits tomorrow as in Monday morning. I am most likely going to buy these from toolstation.

http://www.toolstation.com/shop/Pow...+Bits/TCT+Router+Bit+Set+14/d80/sd2579/p45638

They are really cheap around 13 Pounds for 12 bits. For that I do not expect the quality to be good at all however I wanted to know if anyone had any strong opinions against buying these..

The alternative is buying these bosch ones for double the price

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/...act_title_1?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE

however I would have to wait till probably the end of the week for them to arrive and I would like to get them sooner.

Any thoughts?

I mostly cut sapele wood for little boxes and the odd humidor. I will most likely use the roundover & fat straight bit the most.

I do not do large joinery work if that helps.

Thanks (hammer)

 

[dm65]

If money is tight, just buy the cutters you need - don't waste it on cutters you don't need (hark at me with more than one cutter bought cos 'it looks good')

Better quality cutters will last longer and cut cleaner

Big auction site on 't web has good prices for single items and often no postage

I but Trend Pro, but people here rate Wealden highly

Finally, buy cheap, buy twice

Regards

Denis

 

[jaywhoopee]

If money is tight, just buy the cutters you need - don't waste it on cutters you don't need (hark at me with more than one cutter bought cos 'it looks good')

Better quality cutters will last longer and cut cleaner

Big auction site on 't web has good prices for single items and often no postage

I but Trend Pro, but people here rate Wealden highly

Finally, buy cheap, buy twice

Regards

Denis

+1

Ages ago I bought a set of about 20 bits from Axminster and in over 4 years I've only taken the rubbery covering off 4 of them!

I've used (in order of frequency, most used first):

Straight flush cut
3/8" straight
1/2" straight
1/4" Slot cutter

The bits aren't the best quality and I have already started "buying twice", replacing the most used ones with Wealden and Axcaliber equivalents.

In some ways it's nice to have all those options and I'm sure I'll find a use for some of the others, particularly the v-grooving, round nose, dovetail and mortising bits once I start a few more projects, but I could have bought much better quality versions of the 4 bits I've actually used for what I spent on that kit.

John

 

[JakeS]

To provide a contrasting opinion: I ended up with that set accompanying an eBay router purchase, and there's nothing incredibly wrong with it. It cuts its profiles fine, I'm sure it won't stay sharp as long as Wealden bits might, but if I needed a couple of profiles right now I wouldn't let that bother me too much.

The reason I wouldn't buy it is that I'm pretty sure I've seen the same bit set going for half that price on eBay!

 

[Graham Orm]

I have 2 sets. One I bought ages ago from Trend with about 12 in it, another with about 30 in it that came with a 2nd hand router table I bought. I've probably used 25% of them.

+1 To what others have said. Work out what you might need, maybe just what you need for the current project and buy a quality version of them. You get what you pay for remember.

Not read all other posts so forgive me if I'm repeating.

TCT means Tungsten Carbide Tipped. These are good enough and will last.

Solid Tungsten Carbide are more expensive but are more durable.

Have a look here http://www.wealdentool.com/acatalog/Router_Cutters_1.html

 

[Richard S]

There is a lot to be said for buying quality bits one at a time as you need them, however if you are relatively new to routing it is often hard to know exactly what bits you will need. For the cost of this set it is a very cheap way of experimenting and finding out which buts you use most frequently, you can then change those one at a time for better quality. I was desperate for a 5mm straight cutter recently, bought a Silverline one ( bought two actually, just in case) from Toolstation, its in the bin now but it did the job and got me out of a hole. So as long as you don't expect too much give it a go, your not gambling much.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

+ 1 Richard S ---- that's exactly what I was about to post.

 

[carlb40]

If you only want a few bits and need them now? You can get Trend cutters at b&q

 

[dm65]

ok, time to fess up now after offering my worldly advice (snigger)

I own a umpty piece set of 1/4" cutters bought from screwfix when I got my first router - PowerPro jobby which I got cheap

I have used 20% of these cutters over the years

I also recently bought a 15 piece 1/2" Trend set when I got my first 1/2" router - so far, used one of them

But they do look nice

B&Q Trend is T-Tech which seemingly are cheap rebranded cutters - I have two that so far, I haven't used

 

[onlinename]

thanks for all your replies guys! I will get the tct version temporarily since it's available. I will report back to let you know about the quality

 

[Newbie_Neil]

Hi there,

If your router has an 8mm collet, I would strongly recommend that you buy 8mm bits. They are, typically, the same price as 1/4" but you get a lot more steel for your money.

Cheers,
Neil

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Neil, I've owned a 1/2" Bosch since 1991. I have an 8mm collet for it, that never occurred to me!

 

[Jonesy]

Can't comment on that particular set but I found the Silverline straight bits very poor. Using a 6mm bit and taking shallow passes in pine I had a number of them shear off, fortunately they tended to embed themselves in the work piece rather than fly off toward me. Since then I switched to Wealden and although more expensive they cut noticeably better and I've had no failures since, the bits last a lot long.

 

[Eric The Viking]

I've had dreadful problems with Silverline, to the extent I now won't buy them even on weekends. I've got one that's supposedly a rebate cutter which is the old American pattern, that's without the anti-kickback safety spurs. I *thought* they were illegal here now (it was bought in a rush - see above). The carbide they use chips really easily, and counter-intuitively also seems to blunt fast. As a consequence they burn the wood a lot, even if you slow them right down and try to move the stock through as fast as possilble.

Most of the retailers round here only sell Trend. They're OK, but expensive for what they are. Although I really like my T11 router, I don't rate Trend cutters as good value, especially over Wealden.

I've remembered: Wealden do good starter sets too, with the cutters you're most likely to *use* rather than look at, and, of course they're Wealden quality, too. They're not cheap, but they'll last and last, and you can replace individual ones from the Wealden range directly if you need to. Wealden ones have enough TCT on them to be reground too, if necessary, although that might change the size/profile slightly.

Oddly, I've seen good reviews of the Tornado range that Rutlands sell, but I've never used them myself. I have used Axminster though, and they're pretty good. I find I'm collecting more of their specialist cutters, as they seem to be good value for money, for example their rail and stile sets, and mitre lock cutters.

Why not jump in with the el-cheapo set? Because if it's bad, it may give you a really unpleasant experience of routing, whereas good cutters will be a delight to use. I had that happen with a 1/2" router I bought from B+Q years ago. some of the cutters were so badly made I simply threw them away. There was a V-groover with the point about 1.5mm off-centre!

If you do get the set, and they do turn out to be nasty, reserve judgement until you've tried out some quality ones instead!

 

[onlinename]

Thanks for all your replies guys,

Fortunately, I forgot about bank holiday Monday and when I went by the store it was closed
The good thing is that after reading all of your replies I decided not to go with the TCT cheap set.

Instead I reckon like you mentioned Eric to go with the Axminster set for a start.

I bought some silverline bits from tool station once and for 2 pounds per bit or so you literally get what you pay for. So I assume a whole set of them wouldn't be a good idea.

I will very likely go with this set. Anyone have any first hand experience with this?

http://www.axminster.co.uk/axminster-24-piece-value-router-cutter-set-prod22803/

It's the value set from Axminster.

 

[jaywhoopee]

I will very likely go with this set. Anyone have any first hand experience with this?

http://www.axminster.co.uk/axminster-24-piece-value-router-cutter-set-prod22803/

It's the value set from Axminster.

I think that's the current version of the set I have.

It's not bad, but one of my most used bits now has a sizeable chip missing (hence me starting the rolling Wealden and Axcaliber replacement programme ).

My philosophy is to buy every conceivable tool in case I find I need it in the middle of a project during a bank holiday weekend, so I must admit that it's nice to have all those bits just in case, but with the benefit of 20:20 hindsight I would have been better off spending a similar amount on the 4 bits I actually use.

Of course figuring out which those were would have been tricky without a set, so you're probably right to get one, despite my earlier advice!

Now I know flush cutting is one of my main uses I've spent about the same as I did on the set on this up down shear trim bit from Wealden.

To have spent that sort of money on a single bit without knowing for certain that I'd use it a lot would have been silly.

John

 

[Eric The Viking]

As I said, I like Axminster cutters, but before you commit, have a look at this this Wealden set. I know it's "expensive" but it's a really good idea. The bits are ones you'll actually use a lot, and there's space for more cutters in a decent box. They have another small 1/4" set on clearance (only £17.00 I think), but the selection isn't nearly as useful. I like the simple idea of starting with a decent box to which you can add extra cutters, too. There's even a solid carbide 6.3 (1/4") cutter - you won't find that in any other starter set! Wealden give the normal part numbers, so you can price them up individually too.

E.

PS: those 'third blade' plunging bits are really good. I only have one - 15mm - bought for modifying Ikea pack-flat furniture, but the cut is superb - absolutely no tearing plunged into melamine faced chipboard. If you groove with it, or use it to make recesses, the bottom finish is astonishing compared to any 2-flute cutter with a gap. They say all the usual 'straights' in that kit are to that design!