# Router Bits to get Started



## tripleal (Feb 6, 2018)

Hi

I am a new on Woodworking and I just bought a Bosch Router with Shank capacity of 1/4 and 1/2
I am looking for the best value I can get on router bit's, my budget it's limited by less than $100 for my initial router bits.
I am looking for a good quality set that I can begging with
there are so many option that I am don't know what sizes and types to look for.
looking forward for your opinion.


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## Jim Frye (Aug 24, 2016)

When I started with routers, I bought whatever bits I needed for a particular project. The variety of shapes available is vast, but if you must blow money right away, I'd start with 1/4", 1/2", and 3/4" roundover bits. 1/4", 1/2", and 3/4" straight bits for rabbits and dados would be useful. A plywood bit (23/32"?) for fitting plywood into carcasses is also useful. Piloted bits for edging and moldings came when I needed them. My first bits were inexpensive carbide bits from TrendLines (a mail order house). I found Woodline Arizona bits to be good quality at a fair price. Didn't like Viper bits. Have a few Bosch bits that I bought locally that are quite good, but not cheap. l also purchased some diamond hones for dressing bits between uses and a small bottle of PTFE oil for lubricating bit bearings.


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## andr0id (Jan 11, 2018)

I was where you are about a year ago. 

I would tell you to skip the sets and buy the better bits you will need for what you are doing. The Diablo bits at Home Depot are pretty good. They are made by Freud.

I did get a few Ryobi sets of round over and straight bits, but once you use them, you will realize they are dull and have a lot of tear out compared to the Diablos.

I also bought replacements for the crappy dovetail bits that came with my dovetail jig. They are made by Amana and I got them on Tools Today. They are a huge improvement over the Porter Cable bits in sharpness and cleanness of cut.

https://www.toolstoday.com/router-bits.html


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## Sawdustmaker99 (Feb 1, 2018)

Buy good bits as you need them. Unless you like burned edges and tearout cheap bits have no use. Good bits are too expensive to just buy a huge set of them.


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## sanchez (Feb 18, 2010)

Buy the bit you need when you need it.

Do you have a Rockler or Woodcraft nearby? Their prices on Freud are competitive with the box stores, and the selection is vastly superior. Their store brand bits are very good for the price.

Amazon generally has good prices on CMT bits, but it takes some digging since the details aren't always described consistently.


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## retfr8flyr (Aug 7, 2013)

As recommended just buy quality bits for the job at hand. 80% of the bits in the sets will hardly ever be used.


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## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

You might go ahead and get a straight cut bit but I wouldn't going out buying bits at random. Instead buy bits that you need for projects you are working on.


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## Brian T. (Dec 19, 2012)

HA! Exactly the same argument that's used among wood carvers = DON'T buy sets of gouges.
There' will always be 1-3 of them that you will never find a use for.

For all I've done with my router, 3/4" was the first then 1/4" then 5/8". A couple of 1/4-rounders.
I got a big set in a garage sale for $5. So help me, I don't think I've used any of those.

The beast is not an oversize Dremel for carving shotgun stocks, either.


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## Tool Agnostic (Aug 13, 2017)

I agree with the others. Buy the bits as you need them. Get high quality carbide tipped bits.

I was given an old 1980s router with a box of loose bits from one of those large sets. They were awful. They did not cut well and burned the wood. I do not recommend them.

One thing to think about is whether you want bits with a 1/2 inch or 1/4 inch shanks. For most bits, you want the 1/2 inch type. They are much better in every way. 

If you plan to buy a small handheld router in the future for edges, etc., think about buying 1/4 inch router bits, but only for those types (e.g., small decorative edging) that would be used in that future small 1/4-inch-only router.


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## Sawdustmaker99 (Feb 1, 2018)

I’m not anti buying a bit set, just not the big 50 piece or whatever sets. I’ve got a Freud 5 piece round over set and a Freud 6 piece straight bit set and and a flush trim bit plus a handful of Grizzly bits that my dad bought. I got to learn that cheap router bits and table saw blades suck at his expense. Sure only about 4 bits out of my 2 sets see common use but the rest will occasionally get used. I’ve got an 8 piece set of lathe tools from PSI that was like $80. I’d recommend that set to any beginner. Only 2 tools from that set still get used but I learned a lot about sharpening with it. I also learned a lot about what works and what doesn’t work with it. Buying individual tools is a daunting task for a beginner.


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## hawkeye10 (Feb 18, 2015)

tripleal said:


> Hi
> 
> I am a new on Woodworking and I just bought a Bosch Router with Shank capacity of 1/4 and 1/2
> I am looking for the best value I can get on router bit's, my budget it's limited by less than $100 for my initial router bits.
> ...


I buy my router bits as needed even if it's only one. Shipping is always free and Whiteside bits are very good. I have been buying from them for a while and always got good service.

https://www.hartvilletool.com/


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## Terry Q (Jul 28, 2016)

I’d like to give a different viewpoint. I think for a novice, getting a set of inexpensive router bits can be a good investment.

For $100 you can buy 5, maybe six quality bits from Freud, or Whiteside, or even Rockler. Starting out, which bits should you spend your money on? You know you need straight bits, but which ones? Do you need to buy them with a bearing? How about roundover bits, everyone says you need some, but which size? 1/8, 1/4, 3/8? I find them all useful. For that same $100 you can get 30 commonly used router bits from someone like MCLS.

So inexpensive bits have don’t leave as clean a cut as most of us expect. As a novice you are still proud of what you’ve accomplished.

If you are reading a plan calling for a particular type of bit you will probably have it, only if you use it once and make six feet of trim it’s only $3. Heck, if you don’t use half the bits you still found a use for 15 bits for $100 and are still ahead. I bought a set 20 years ago and over the years I’m sure I’ve used everyone. 

I also think that if you buy an inexpensive set of bits they should be 1/4 inch shank instead of 1/2. The reason the bits cost only $3 is because they are small bits and have little carbide. Most of the bits are appropriate for use with a trim router which often work with only 1/4 inch shanks. Why would you want to restrict yourself to a larger router to use these small bits with 1/2 inch shanks.

If you buy a set and find that you use a certain bit on a regular basis, then go spend $20 for a quality bit, but how will you know unless you try?


In woodworking there is always more then one way to accomplish something.


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## GeorgeC (Jul 30, 2008)

Y our best bet for a starter is to buy one of those cheaper sets. As your projects and your knowledge grow you can buy specific better bets to fit your particular needs. The multitude of cheaper bits is a very good learning point.

George


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## gj13us (Apr 19, 2016)

Wow--very divergent advice here. I was fully on board with "buy the bits you need as you need them," which is what I've been doing myself. (and probably why, after "buying" bits for about ten years, I have a 1/4" straight bit and a 3/4" straight (rabbets and dadoes) 

That being said, there's something to be said for buying an inexpensive set so you have a variety of bits to play with and learn from so that when you're ready to buy higher quality bits for particular projects where higher quality bits make a difference, you'll know what you're doing.


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## ORBlackFZ1 (Dec 25, 2013)

Interesting discussion. 

I started in about 2000 with buying only the router bit I needed for a particular project. I first purchased router bits from Sears (Craftsman crap), Home Depot (Freud junk & Porter Cable junk). I got tired of the junk bits and over the next few years, I purchased individual bits from Rockler, Woodcraft (Woodriver brand), Peachtree Woodworking (Stone Mountain brand), Woodline, MCLS and others. All of the bits were of pretty good quality and some better than others. 

The most expensive set that I had purchased was a Woodriver tongue & groove set. I was installing a oak floor with designs made from black walnut lumber in the center. I used the tongue & groove set on the black walnut that I had cut from planks. It was a lot of work, but the finished floor was worth it.

I quickly learned that purchasing an expensive quality router bit that I used for one project, was becoming expensive. So, I started watching for some of the smaller router bit sets in the brands that I liked (Stone Mountain and Rockler). Over the next couple of years, I purchased a five (5) bit roundover set, a five (5) bit straight set, a six (6) set of trimming bits, etc. They were less expensive per bit and most of the different sizes I eventually used on a project. The best part was not having to stop in the middle of a project because I didn't have the correct size router bit. 

I then started looking for larger router bit sets with all kinds of bits. I had no idea what I would use most of the bits for but I thought it might help me be more creative with my designs. Around 2010, Peachtree had a blowout on the 1/2" shank Stone Mountain Master Router Bit collection. 66 bits for $75+shipping. About $1.30 per bit. I purchased the set. All my previous Stone Mountain router bits were sharp when the arrived and stayed sharp after hours of use, so I had the same expectation with the Master Set. So, after eight (8) years, I have used about 22 of the bits for different projects. Not one of the bits has let me down. They have kept their sharp edges even on oak and maple. Every once in a while, when I am looking for a new decorative edge, I open the Master Router Bit box and find a new bit to use.

Do I purchase individual bits still? Absolutely, when they are needed for a project. I usually look at the price of purchasing one bit vs getting a set of five for double the price. I am usually ahead to purchase the set.

I don't have any of my junk bits left from Craftsman, Home Depot and Porter Cable. They have all been recycled. 

Anyways, just another humble woodworkers experience.

Eric


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## tripleal (Feb 6, 2018)

I am surprise for the amount of response I got on this question
I decided to purchase some freud bits (2 Straight, 1 Trim, 1 Roundover, 1 Romman Oge)
I also get one 1 1/2 straight bit for planning purposes, I don't have the space or the money for a planner 
I am just a fan of woodworkers starting his path to become one.

Thanks a lot for all the contributions, you really give a lot to thought and happy to know that when I am in trouble
there is a community eager to jump

thanks


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## AltcarBob (Jan 20, 2018)

Avoid the cheap no name bits you can buy on fleabay they really arent worth the money. The Carbide teeth will be blunt or wrongly angled and the bearings will be horrible, crunchy and likely to seize. Cannot fault Whiteside bits they are the only ones I have used.


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## Toolman50 (Mar 22, 2015)

Many of the brand name blades and bits are now made overseas in factories in Vietnam, China or India. 
They make products according to specifications. They are capable of making high quality but we still have to be careful because there is still junk on the market. Modern plants use robots to install the carbide tips and do the final grinds. These are precision made products regardless of what name goes on them. A name brand blade might come off the same line as a generic. 
Find a blade or bit you like and trust to be quality.


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