MLCS 66-pc router bit set sale

[LCHIEN]

Now thru March 23 (Monday after Easter), MLCS has their 66 pc boxed set of router bit assortment for only $159.95
http://www.mlcswoodworking.com/shops.../ec080318.html
only $2.42 a bit. If you're one of those poeple who prefer a set for the selection and oveall low price, this is a pretty good deal, so don't put off.


free shipping, too.

[jovani]

MLCS router bits

Sounds like a great deal. How would you compare MLCS to the quality of let's say, Freud, Whiteside or MTD?

I was just looking at Jointech Router Bits on sale, by price cutters. Have you or anyone else know about Jointech router bits?

[LCHIEN]

Sounds like a great deal. How would you compare MLCS to the quality of let's say, Freud, Whiteside or MTD?

I was just looking at Jointech Router Bits on sale, by price cutters. Have you or anyone else know about Jointech router bits?

Whitesides by reputation and price and magazine ratings are resputed to be excellent bits. I'd say that the MLCS by comparison are probably good to very good. MLCS also has a premium line but these are not them.
Familiar with Freud saw blades, but not familiar with Freud router bits or MTDs by usage.

Still, for an average price of under $2.50, its a good arsenal to have at your beck and call.

[jovani]

Mlcs

Thank you. You are right for that price, you can't go wrong.

[sweensdv]

Thank you. You are right for that price, you can't go wrong.

Yes you can. Especially if in a year or two from now when you've only used a small percentage of those 66 bits.

I'm not saying that this isn't a good deal, for some it probably is. On the other hand, every bit that you don't use raises the price on the ones that you do use. Bits that just sit around collecting dust, especially fair to good quality bits, in the long run are not a bargin IMO. As you can tell, I'm more in favor of buying better quality bits one at a time as your projects demand.

[agent511]

Interesting. Two opposite approaches to looking at something, and both are valid arguments. I don't know which to agree with!

[Knottscott]

This is a good price for this set, but not necessarily a great choice IMHO. I know it's personal choice that's oft debated, but I tend to agree with sweensdv. $150 is "premium" money for router bits that happen to be "value" level quality in this case....I tend to suggest smaller sets of this quality level so that the investment remains smaller, and when it makes sense, I suggest spending more per bit and getting fewer bits of higher quality...like the Whiteside 7pc set for $80 shipped from Holbren. My 15 pc MLCS set was good to get started but the bits that got used often failed faster than my Freud's, Whitesides, Infinity, and CMTs. There's not necessarily a right or a wrong answer here, but in hindsight I would buy better quality for common profiles, and go with bargain lines like MLCS, Holbren, Grizzly, Woodline for more seldom used or specialty profiles.

Jovani - I haven't tried the Jointech bits, but do have several of the black Price Cutter bits and find them to a be a step up the quality ladder...more on par with MLCS' "Katana" line. Price Cutter's regular price is high, but they have frequent sale prices, and when combined with their rare free s/h offers, they can be pretty attractive.

For those interested, here's FWW's 2007 bit ratings:

[Gator95]

MLCS bits are good quality, solid bits. Nothing wrong with them. Probably not up with whitesides, freud, or bosch. Out of the box they cut fine, might not hold an edge as long as others. A 66 pc. set seems like total overkill- doubt you'll use 'em all.

I'm in the "buy the 15pc set to futz around with, but after that buy the ones you need as you need them" camp.

[JR]

Actually, I'd like to have a set like this. I often read articles suggesting the use of several bits on a single piece of molding in order to make a pleasing profile. As it stands, I usually end up using one or two of my bits to make a profile I can live with.

[Popeye]

I've lusted over this set for a long time. Probably not gonna get any less expensive. The more woodworking I do the more I wish I had more of a variety of profiles other than just roundovers, coves and ogees.
On the other side of the coin, if I were only an occasional woodworker then these big sets would as has been said before, way overkill.
I have a number of MLCS's specialty sets (Incra set) (drawer set) have had great luck with them. They probably not up to Whitesides standards but I'm not running a production shop so it doesn't matter. What I care about is a good clean cut and I get that with MLCS bits. Pat

[LarryG]

I agree, mostly, with Dave and Scott. I always advocate buying a set of budget bits containing perhaps 20 pieces, 30 at most, because a set that size will contain a lot of profiles that are worth having and will eventually (mostly) get used. The cost for such a set won't be much more than two or three quality bits, and you'll have a lot of genuinely useful profiles to complement your core stable of high-quality bits. A set this large, however, will be fleshed out with some oddball profiles that most people will never use.

[dkerfoot]

Interesting discussion here. It seems is that some people are concerned the quality may not be top shelf. Others are concerned about the bits you won't use.

I think it comes down to: What is the value of having every "regular" router bit you are likely to ever need in your woodworking life?

I'd say a pretty good indicator that it is worth paying more for a Whiteside bit is if you manage to wear out one of these. If you do, then it probably makes sense to go top shelf when replacing that bit.

The other side of the value equation is what is the cost of not having the necessary bit when you need it? Do you run down to the local big box and pay too much for an inferior bit? Do you go online and pay shipping and wait? How often does that have to happen until you have hit $150 worth of time, convenience AND actual money?

What is the bigger waste, to spend $150 on 66 bits, some that go unused and others that eventually wear out - or to spend $150 on a set of 5-8 top shelf bits that you may only use to 5-10% of their capacity and that often can't do what you need them to do?

I am not suggesting everyone should run out and get this set, but if you don't already have a big investment in bits and want to explore all the possibilities of your router, it certainly would be a reasonable approach.

[Luckbox]

I bought a smaller kit something like a 30 bit kit from mcls and have been very happy with them. I will admit I still have not used half of them and when I need a particular bit I will buy a higher quality bit. I have had 3 bits break, all my fault, was feeding the wood to fast and to deep, but as the bits wear down I find out which bits I use the most and buy a good quality bit to replace the worn ones. Not sure I would buy that large of a kit, but it has helped me with further bit purchases.

[Knottscott]

If you take a good look at the breakdown of actual profiles that are included with this and most large sets, there are very few unique or unusual profiles, but there are many near duplicates of various sizes....lots of coves, lots of roundovers, lots of straights, ogees, core box, vees, dovetails, and chamfers. There are really very few molding profiles, bullnose, thumbnails, picture frame bits, or complex profiles of any kind. IMO, you'll still end up with a fairly limited number of profiles, though with more size choices, but are still likely to end up purchasing specialty profiles as you go, or making your own out of the common basic profiles.

My strategy would lean more toward spending $80 for the 7 pc basic Whiteside set, then spend another $80 for unique profiles from Holbren or MLCS that'll likely see less action. Contradicting myself some, I do think a choice of a few roundovers is useful....Woodcraft $20.

[LarryG]

If you take a good look at the breakdown of actual profiles that are included with this and most large sets, there are very few unique or unusual profiles, but there are many near duplicates of various sizes....lots of coves, lots of roundovers, lots of straights, ogees, core box, vees, dovetails, and chamfers.

Right. I used the term "oddball" when I perhaps should have said "rarely needed" in the sense that some other, near-identical size could be used instead.

But with that said ... within the last two weeks, I found myself in need of a 5/16" roundover. And I really needed that size; for my application, neither a 1/4" nor a 3/8" could be fudged to work. I opened the box of my 30pc Blades 'N Bits set (purchased three or four years ago) and there, still in the protective plastic, was a 5/16" RO.

One factor I don't think has been mentioned, and that people seem to have a tendency to overlook, is that router bits are consumables. It's true that a budget bit will likely wear out faster than a top-notch brand (assuming equal use), but even the top-notch brand will wear out, too -- and probably a whole lot sooner than most first-time bit buyers realize. That is why I consider virtually any decent-quality bit purchase a good investment. No matter how little or how much you pay, you will get your money's worth out of it.