Customer Reviews

Grizzly H7694 Master Forstner Bit 31 pc. Set

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I set my expectations pretty low with this set. However I have been pleasantly surprised. I have owned it for 6 months now, and I have yet to be dissapointed. If I do manage to wear one out, I'll replace it with a higher quality bit. But this is a great way to start out. Should be most any bit I'll need for awhile.

The bits came in a relatively nice wooden box and the outer cardboard box was stuck to that as if the finish on the inner wooden box had not fully dried before it was put into the cardboard box and so left a bit of torn cardboard pieces stuck to the box after peeling the cardboard off. This is only a minor strike against this product, as I would imagine that this could have been a fluke.
Each of the bits has a soft plastic cover that protects the business end of the bit and that is a nice touch for keeping them in good condition over the long term. Each bit has a hex shaft for a better grip in your drill's chuck and each one comes marked with its size and proper turning speed. These bits aren't super precise or super sharp like some WAY more expensive brands, but they are good enough for almost everything you might need them for, and it's not easy to find an affordable set, like this one, that has 31 bits in 1/16 inch increments. After receiving these bits and using them for a few weeks on some minor projects, I think I can recommend them as a great buy. I don't know how long they will last but at the price I paid and the variety of sizes, it seems to me that this is a pretty good deal.

The Forstner bits from Grizzly were rated as a best buy by Wood Magazine. I am very pleased with them. I have only used a couple of them, and they did what they are supposed to do. Perfect for furniture building and general woodwork.

I can't speak definitively about durability as mine arrived yesterday, but I can speak about my impressions so far. (I may update / add an updated review later on if my impression changes).

The box that the bits shipped in appeared well made, however the bumper gizmos that the bits rest on weren't all lined up quite right, and several of the bits on the top right corner don't quite have enough room, where the bits on the bottom right have too much room... Aside from that, and it doesn't really matter with the lid closed anyway as the foam blocks hold everything tight... all was well. My box did not stick to the cardboard like others have mentioned theirs did. With the type of finish that is on this box, I can see how it could stick if not 100% cured. If they get in a rush to run an order out the door, well curing time gets rushed...

The bits measured up accurately, or close enough for my purposes. The 1/2" was only shy by .001" which is no big deal. I used the 1-1/16" bit, and 3/4" bit which measured 1.0625 and .75 respectively. (Right on the money).

I am replacing a 7 piece Porter Cable set, along with a couple of Freud single bits. The Grizzly bits center point takes a bit more work getting the bit down into the wood, but not anything that would impact accuracy, and most likely would NOT be noticed using these in a drill press instead of a hand drill...

Once the bit is started, material removal was fast, and efficient, with shavings coming out of the back side of the bit in nearly hand plane like thin wispy curls.

I am happy this set shipped with the plastic protective covers for the heads of the bits. The little extra distance they went to protect the bits is well appreciated.

The hex drive bit shanks insure solid, slip free engagement with the drill, or drill press chuck. It would take some work to mess up chucking these up tightly...

These bits are typical of Asian produced tools as they are shipped coated in cosmoline, which is easy enough to get off of the bits simply with mineral spirits and a clean rag. I did not read the country of origin statement, but from the quality of the construction, and machining, I would guess these are Taiwan made and not mainland China.

This is item #2 from Grizzly for me, and I was hesitant to try them a second time due to the low quality of the first item (a drill press table). But I see so many people that have Grizzly this or that, and are very happy with it. If this bit set quality lives up to my initial impressions, then the drill press table is just a fluke... These appear every bit as good as the Porter Cables, and nicer than the Freuds... And I hate to say that because I have been overjoyed by every bit and blade I have gotten from them...

Fair price and fast shipping. It's not the greatest set in the world but it has various sizes and for a basic home user its fine. If you are into a home shop you might want something better. If you are running a business defiantly go with higher quality.

This set is a great value for the "occasional craftsman." About once a year I need a Forstner bit. Until now, I have found some way to work around the lack of them--usually sub-optimally. The Grizzly set meets just about every need at a very reasonable price. There are better, professional bits on the market, but if your need falls in the "every once in awhile" category, you can't beat the value of the Grizzly set.

I recently bought a router bit set, and when I needed a new size of forstner bit, decided to get a set for that as well. I am extremely impressed with this product. It has every size bit you could possibly need, and the box keeps them neatly organized. The quality of these is as good as any of the individual bits I have, and they cut smoothly and easily. It happened that right after getting these, I needed to drill a number of variously-sized holes for a couple of different projects, so I gave them a good workout. They worked flawlessly. The only downside - and this is only a quibble - is the box can't be wall-mounted, you need to sit it flat on a table when you open it. The price is ridiculously low for what you get. Highly recommended.

An excellent value in a large set of bits. Be prepared to spend some time cleaning the cosmoline off all the bits!

I bought this set after it was recommended in one of my magazines as a top value tool. Honestly, I have not owned any forstner bits before, so I have nothing to compare them with. I am quite pleased with them so far. I've used several of the bits, including the largest in the set, a couple of the smallest, and a few in the middle. Most of the work I've done with them has been in hard maple or MDF. They all cut a very nice clean hole, don't burn, and push the removed material out of the way well.

I did have the same issue that someone else mentioned where the cardboard outer sleeve was stuck to the wooden case.

Overall, I recommend these, especially if you're like me and needed a decent set to get started.

I recently ordered the Grizzly H7694 Master Forstner Bit 31 pc. Set. At first glance the cutters looked a bit rough/chingered up, but fine, it's an inexpensive set. They cut fine - at least as well or better than some older Grizzly and Porter Cable bits that I've been bumming off of friends. Unfortunately, the first time I used the set I found that the bits (at least the first 3-4 that I tried) were not true to size. I was making wood dutchmans (or plugs) to repair some antique doors and found that I couldn't get a tight fitting plug after doing some test pieces (plug was loose within the hole I had drilled with the Grizzly forstner bit). I tried an older Porter Cable set of forstners and the plugs fit well. I compared the Grizzly forstner to the plug cutter and found that it would not fit inside the plug cutter, clearly meaning that I was always going to get a bigger hole than plug. The Porter Cable forstner fit nicely inside the plug cutter. I tried with at least 3 different sizes of forstners and plug cutters and got the same results with each. I know the Grizzly set is fairly inexpensive, so I'm not extremely upset, but it's disappointing at the least. What's up? Quality control issues? Made in China? I can't say I would recommend these to anyone, unless they didn't car exactly how big the holes are.