Columbian 33107 7-Piece Titanium Coated Forstner Bit Set Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)These bits are very poor quality. I noticed straight out of the box that there were dings in the blades (mostly the larger ones), a bad sign to start with. I do not appreciate having to hone a new bit before using it- it should be usable right out of the box.
I researched a lot of bits before making my purchase. These bits are made in China. I had read other reviews here stating that bits made in China are lacking in quality. But then I discovered that these bits are associated with Jet, a company known for its high-quality. With this in mind, I decided to give them a try, and bought the 10-piece set from Lowes for $25 (the 7-piece set is $15).
Visually, they appeared inmpressive, with their golden titanium coating, and attractive box. After closer inspection though, I noticed that the titanium coating was bubbled up on a few bits. Truth be told, the box is much better quality than the blades!
As a test, I tried one bit of the set, the 1/2" one, on pine and oak. I set the speed of my drill press accordingly for the bit's size (a very important step, especially with larger bits).
The bit went through the pine at an adequate speed, but would not eject the chips, which consequently got stuck in the bit and had to be cleaned out manually. The bit also tore out a large chip out of the bottom of the piece when it exited. This typically won't happen on quality bits of this size- though I admit a backing board under the piece would (hopefully) have solved the problem. I attribute the tear-out to the dullness of the blades on the bit.
The bit was completely hopeless in the oak. Drilling was very slow the entire time, again attributed to the dullness of the blades. Again, the bit choked on the wood chips and clogged, in spite of raising the bit partially out of the wood from time to time in an attempt to clear the chips. Consequently, the entire hole was scarred with burn marks, and the wood became very hot.
I also own a 1-3/8" Freud steel bit and a 7/8" carbide-tipped bit from www.mlcswoodworking.com. Neither exibit these characteristics. Both work very well, and are worth the money.
My suggestion is to buy either a set of better bits, or to buy just the bits you need at the time from a quality company like Freud. You will find that they are definitely worth the money. Expect to pay $8 and up for individual quality bits.
If money is no object, I suggest investing in the Freud carbide-tipped 7-piece set. But then again, you probably didn't buy these bits if money was no object!

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