Freud Diablo Forstner Bits

[leehljp]

For Christmas/Birthday, I got a 16 piece set of Freud Diablo Forstner bits. I used them this morning for the first time. I can't believe how great and smoothly they "cut". http://www.amazon.com/Freud-FB-100-1...+forstner+bits

My first set of Forstners were purchased in the mid-90s and I learned real quick that you needed a drill press and then a fair amount of pressure to cut. It was a name brand, forget what it was but I passed it on to my son in law, who has lost them. Then I bought two more sets - HF TiN type. They were just like the first set. They would cut a few holes easily and shortly after that, pressure was needed. I think they were not sharpened well. (I purchased a set to use in the USA and a set to use in Japan while there.)

Anyway, I knew that I was going to need some and kept reading and reading about the Freud Diablo. I could not bring myself to depart with that kind of money for something I already had. Now I wish I had purchased the Diablo first!.

I had to cut 40 - 5/8 inch holes in a 1 inch block of pine this morning. WOW, smooth and the last one was as easy as the first one. There is a world of difference in the Diablo bits versus the HF TiN bits. The HF bits (and the other name brand that I had years ago) make you want to get the project over and even make you think twice about wanting to do that project! (You can do the project and you have the tools, but it is a PAIN with not so adequate tools0.) On the other hand, with the right tools or quality tools, as with the Diablo - using them is just another simple step in the process of making a project. THAT is what good tools do!

[poolhound]

Nice set of bits there Hank. Jealous from the desert :-(

[LCHIEN]

Hank,
What kind of shanks do these have... are they reduced to 1/4" diameter, reduced to 3/8" diameter, mixed 1/4 and 3/8 depending on size, or hex shanks (best because the don't slip - easy for the chuck to grab).

And I have the 16-piece HF Drill master set which has served me pretty well for many years. The Diablo set will move from Carbon steel to HSS which is an improvement. But, will it be that much better?
I think the HF set is $40 now, long since amortized for me, the Diablo is $172, I've often considered upgrading but not sure if it will be that much better. The HF set seems to still cut well and the diameters are spot on. About 1% of the time I think maybe its not cutting perfectly but 99% of the time in most work its still extremely satisfying to use.

Once in a while it will be hard to chuck up a large diameter bit that won't slip. Maybe that's resolved by hex shanks (the new HF sets have that) or maybe the bits are dull... but you are hogging out 2" so its not necessarily dull just doing a lot of work.

And they can be really tough to drill end-grain. Are the Diablos good on end grain?

I guess in the end, the MAIN difference between the $172 Diablo and the $40 HF set, and even the $40 MLCSwoodworking set is that the expensive one is HSS and the other two are carbon steel. Which means that the main difference is the longevity of the sharpening. They should both take a reasonably good edge.