MLCS 45 bit set for $99.95 shipped

[Knottscott]

This is a 3 day sale only and expires on 12/8/08 @ midnight. That's the same price as their 30 pc set.

45 pc bit set

These are decent bits at a great price...not Whiteside or Infinity caliber but a great deal on lots of good performing bits.

[LCHIEN]

i agree...
scott forgot to mention the free shipping
and excellent cust service.

[geopilot]

And looks like all 1/2 in shafts, too.

[Knottscott]

And looks like all 1/2 in shafts, too.

Both 1/4" and 1/2" are available, but if you're router accepts 1/2", those are recommended whenever possible.

[themachine]

They also have a drill press table that seems like a good deal on sale for $60 plus ffree shipping.

[geopilot]

That table looks very similar to the Grizzly H7827 table for $30

http://grizzly.com/products/H7827

[Knottscott]

HF has a DP table that's similar in style and price too.

harborfreight.com/96395

[kevincan]

I have the MLCS 15 piece set. I bought it when I was starting out. It has been a great value for the money. I have not had any issues with using them.

I have had this set for 2 plus years and I think I have only used 5 or 6 out of the 15 bits in the set. I always wonder with these big sets if you only use a handful and the rest just sit in the box if it is that great of a value.

Kevin

[Knottscott]

I have the MLCS 15 piece set. I bought it when I was starting out. It has been a great value for the money. I have not had any issues with using them.

I have had this set for 2 plus years and I think I have only used 5 or 6 out of the 15 bits in the set. I always wonder with these big sets if you only use a handful and the rest just sit in the box if it is that great of a value.

Kevin

That's a good observation that offers logic in support of smaller sets, or smaller sets of higher quality for the same price. (ie: the Whiteside 7pc set for $80). But as with most choices, it's a matter of preference and how we approach various tasks. some folks will use more profiles than others. There's really no right or wrong, just different.

Most of the big sets offer more size choices of similar profiles than smaller sets, and only a few additional unique profiles...you might get 4 roundovers and 4 coves vs 1, etc. Many of the "specialty" bits I've purchased aren't included in the common bigger sets, but having additional sizes of basic profiles like coves and roundovers is handy.

I typically recommend against spending a lot of money on larger sets, but when you can get 45 decent quality bits for the same price as 30 decent bits (which is still considered a smaller set by many people), it's a fairly attractive offer for some folks. You often get what you pay for, but if "good" grade imports are what's best suited for your needs, this set offers a bit more for the money (pun intended! ) .

[jhart]

I've had very good luck with MCLS router bits. At a little over $2.20 per bit, it's tough to go wrong if you are just starting out and need some bits. Even if half of them just sit in the box, it's still a good buy. Thing is, you have some to try if the desire strikes you!!

[LCHIEN]

Buying bits one at a time will cost your $7-20 each at a place like MLCS.
In this set (or their 30-pc set) they'll cost you 2.20 to 3.33 per bit.
As far as I can tell, these are the same bits you buy individually - not cheap ones for a set.
So it's easy to do the math - even if you use 1/3 of the bits its cheaper to buy the sets. Honestly, it took me a few years but I've used more than half the bits in my set (I can tell because some of them still have the original rubber protective coating).

On top of that, here's some additional Pluses:
1. - organization - you don't have all these plastic cases and bags you have to search thru, you have a nice box that's organized and labeled.
2. selection - you have bits you can try on a whim, easily experiment with.
3. availability - you have them now, you don't have to run to three hardware stores for a specific profile and end up paying $30 for Bosch or wait 3-7 days for delivery from your favorite mail order store.

[Gator95]

I've got the MLCS 15 bit set, and think it's a great value to start out. One thing to point out is that the bits in the set may not be exactly identical to the ones bought individually. A friend of mine who bought the 45pc set ran 1000LF of MDF (yes, he really did) doing wainscotting had to replace a couple profiles and he told me that the ones ordered individually had longer shanks.

Still an awesome value.

[dbhost]

At least on 2 specific profiles, from the 66 piece set, I understand that the part # is the same as the individual orders...