Wasted $120 on a fancy router bit set that dulled in a week

I bought this 15-piece router bit set from an online place cause it looked good and had good reviews. First day cutting some oak for a shelf in my shop near Springfield, the bits started burning the wood after maybe 10 feet. Turns out they were cheap steel with a thin coating, not real carbide. I called the company and they basically said tough luck. Has anyone else fallen for one of those flashy sets and regretted it?

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alexj994mo ago

Bought a 20 piece set last year with gold colored bits that looked amazing in the pictures. First time I used them on some maple the coating started flaking off after about 15 minutes. I tell people my router bits are like my hairline, looks good from a distance but up close it's a disaster. Now I just buy individual Whiteside bits whenever I can afford them, which isn't often.

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leelewis4mo ago

Yeah I hear you, but honestly those cheap gold sets have their place. I've got a 20 piece from some random brand and it's been fine for the occasional project where I don't need it to be perfect. Not everything has to be Whiteside quality, sometimes you just need something for softwood or quick trim jobs that you won't cry over if they get dull.

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