Blew $150 on a cheap router bit set and regretted it

I bought a 20 piece router bit set off Amazon for $150 thinking I was saving big. First project with it was a simple dado for some shelving and the bit started smoking after three passes. The bearing on the flush trim bit fell off mid cut on my second job. I should have just spent the money on a couple of quality Whiteside bits instead. Has anyone else had a similar experience with those big cheap sets?

2 comments

2 Comments

stone.thomas8h ago

And here I thought I was being smart buying the big set. My very first cut with one of those bits, the thing wobbled so bad it carved a dado that looked like it was drawn by a toddler with a caffeine problem. Now I've got a drawer full of bits I'm scared to use and a couple good Whitesides I actually reach for. Guess I paid $150 to learn a lesson I could have gotten for free on YouTube.

umab3513h ago

Yeah that's the whole thing with those bundled sets. You're paying for a pile of bits that are all kinda crap instead of just buying the one or two you actually need at good quality. It's like buying a cheap toolbox set full of wrenches that strip bolts.

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