Customer Reviews

Grizzly H5677 Forstner Bit 16 pc. Set Hex Shank

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Let me preface this review by saying that I'm a novice woodworker with very low standards. In buying this set, I expected to get a basic, entry level set of Forstner bits.

Let's start with the good. The set arrived promptly. I ordered on a Saturday afternoon and had them by Tuesday morning. The bits come as pictured in a solid wooden case. The bits are covered in plastic wrap and the cutting heads are protected by a light plastic cap, and were tightly in place within the case.

Now with the bad. The bits were dull. Without exaggeration, it would be difficult to cut skin with any of the edges or points on any of the bits straight out of the box. I have regular spiral and spade drill bits that you might pick up on clearance at Target or Sears and they are infinitely sharper. The bits are poorly milled; the larger bits are saw-toothed and many of the teeth were blunted by 1/8" or more. Many of the bits are slightly lop-sided and/or misshapen. The center cutter on each bit is little more than a square pyramid (think of the shape of the Great Pyramids). This means that the center of the bit ends up basically just pushing wood aside rather than doing any real cutting. The most puzzling thing was that--despite the apparently careful packaging--roughly one third of the bits were badly damaged in addition to the poor workmanship. There were many scratches (not a big deal) and a pile of chips and dents as large as 1/8" in the cutting edges (a very big deal). The only possible explanation I can come up with is that the bits are stored loose in big bins at the warehouse where they bang around a lot before being put into the various sets before shipment.

Update: When I wrote the original review, I hadn't even used the bits, but wanted to warn people of their poor quality. My initial worries were confirmed when I tried them out. Even on dry spruce, the holes were rough and the bits burned wood in no time. As well, there was massive tearout on the bottom of the holes. If you're using these bits, put some scrap wood on the bottom to prevent tearout.