Best budget 1/2" router bits

[Sloydwoodcraft]

I've just bought myself a Trend T7 Router. The power is what attracted me to it as I'm going to be using it to flatten live edge slabs using a router sled. I've got a number of Wealden surfacing bits specifically for this but I'd like to buy a budget set of bits that will allow me to do moulding etc. If required. The question is what budget sets are reliable and good value for money?
Thanks in advance.

 

[Sandyn]

I use Yonico bits from this company, sold on Amazon. They are excellent value. I'm sure they wouldn't last as long as the classic manufacturers, but for occasional use, they are very good value. Precision bits are a US company, but the bits are made in the China. They are a very responsive company if you have any queries. They have a great selection of moulding bits. I search the US site for the bit, then look for the part number on Amazon.

 

[Rorton]

I bought the trend 15 piece set - it contains:

Single-flute 4.8 x 11mm, 3 x double-flute (6.35 x 19, 12.7 x 25 and 19 x 25mm), dovetail 12.7 x 104°, 2 x guided round-over (9.5 and 12.7mm), guided chamfer 45°, guided rebater 11.1mm, guided flush trimmer 12.7 x 25mm, 2 x guided cove cutters (6.35 and 12.7mm), guided roman ogee 4mm, V-groove 45° and core box 6.35mm.

Ive used most of them so it was good value for me at £40 - people do suggest buying just what you need - but when I totalled these up it seemed like a decent offer to buy this kit.

 

[pcb1962]

Trend 15 piece set £27.85 on eBay, don't think you'll do better than that even from China.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/TREND-SS9-X-1-2-TCT-15PCE-ROUTER-CUTTER-BIT-SET-SS9X1-2TC/392072864895

 

[Spectric]

Don't cut corners on cutting tools, spend a little bit more on decent cutters and they will repay you many times over. Wealdon and Infinity are both really good, look at the wealdon six wing cutter.

 

[Droogs]

+1 ☝

 

[Lonsdale73]

I have the Trend 1/4" set which are much better than any other set - 1/4" or 1/2" - that I've ever owned. For individual cutters at a sensible price, I like Axminster's offerings. I had an 'urgent' need for a 1/4" shank, 3mm cutter so picked up an Erbauer from Screwfix. Have to say it cut brilliantly!

 

[Chippymint]

Having bought sets of Trend cutters some years ago, I can honestly say don't. Many of them have not been used.

What I should have done is work out what type of work I was going to do and buy cutters for those purposes, and overtime just add cutters as needed.

I would also say that individual ones are a much better quality and some are larger in comparison and have longer shanks and cutter profiles.

 

[Sloydwoodcraft]

Thank you for the fantastic input.

I like the sound of buying a quality bit as it's needed, as opposed to just buying a generic kit. I'll buy myself a good quality chamfer bit, roundover bit and rebate bit just now and build on that as required. I like Wealden and Titman surfacing bits but think I'll try out some of the other companies that have been recommended here such as Infinity and Axminster for moulding bits.

Thanks again,

Johnny

 

[gcusick]

Wealden. Good quality bits, sensible prices and fast (free) delivery. I have a set (Axminster) 1/2” router. Two thirds of the bits still have the anti-corrosion goo on them.

Buy bits as you need them, buy good quality, and thus build a set that suits your needs.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Most of my stuff is Wealden, but both Trend sets are great value for decent enough kit (I have both). You won't use a few of them? So what?

 

[TRITON]

Im going to say Axminster, as i was looking at their catalog today at cutters and thought the 1/2" stuff was a very good price, and at about 1/2 the price of Trend ,especially the larger or specialist bits.

I'd avoid cheap as you can find given its running speed, and you really do need them to be accurate.

 

[billw]

The thing I don't understand about Trend sets is that I had a look at one earlier and the average price of a bit was £1.68 incl VAT. You go look at individual bits and they're £12 for something similar. The set says it's TCT cutters? What am I missing?

 

[PeteHB]

Don't buy sets buy individual cutters as and when you require them. That way you can buy individual better quality bits that will last.

 

[billw]

Don't buy sets buy individual cutters as and when you require them. That way you can buy individual better quality bits that will last.

OK my obvious question is when people say "last" how long are they talking about?

Some people (namely me) might do so little routing in the course of even ten years that a relatively alright bit would survive. These upper end bits costing £50 upwards would probably outlast me, and I don't have kids so there's literally no point factoring that in.

 

[Droogs]

It's not just the lastability Bill, it's the safety aspect too. There is a good chance that with the "low cost" bits that the TCT can very often come off at high speed, they also tend to chip far more easily due to being much thinner than a quality bit and therefore weaker. Esp if you are working in knotty/gnarly material.
I've had tips come off and go through cabinet sides in the past and now will only buy what I know to be a decent bit.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

I've been using the Trend 1/2" set for thirty years.

 

[Essex Barn Workshop]

Don't want to totally hijack a thread, but was about to post asking for people's opinions on 45% mitre router bits. Massive difference in price, and how easy/difficult is it to set them up please?

 

[pcb1962]

I've been using the Trend 1/2" set for thirty years.

If the OP has just bought his first router and wants to explore the possibilities then he can't really go wrong with buying the Trend set for less than 30 quid . Even if most of them never get used again he'll get a good idea of what bits he does want to spend good money on in the future. I know they aren't the best but I don't think that Trend would put their name on anything that was dangerously cheap and nasty.

 

[porker]

I have a couple of cheap sets. One 1/2" and one 1/4" with about 10 bits in each from Trend. I've had them for years and they have been OK for occasional use. Probably £20 per set when I bought them. I supplement with better quality cutters from Wealdon and Axminster. I have also bought some Yonico?? cutters from Amazon which I've found OK.

The more expensive cutters are definately better quality. They leave a better finish, seem sharper and cut more easily. But some are £50 each so it can get expensive. On the cheap set I have enough common cutters to make a range of profiles cheaply. I personally would not buy one of the massive sets as I don't think I would use most of them but having a few of the common profiles is useful.