Just received a catalog from MLCS. Does anyone know about the quality of their router bits? Are they US made? The prices seem OK.
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I don't know where there made, but they have their store on the outskirt of Phila.
I bought their stile and rail bit set about 5 years ago, and made about 100 doors with it and it still cuts like new. I also bought the upcut spiral bit (1/2") and it also has stood up to hard use. Bought the dovetail pattern set also, but never used it. Took the time to learn to cut them by hand, it wound up being faster.
I've been to their showroom and they have alot of general woodworking tools, jigs and fixtures. They also run classes at nights for the local people and don't mind showing you there current projects as you wander around their store. All in all I'd reccomend them.
P.s. I reurned something one time, i forget what, but they didn't give me a hard time.
Dan,
Thanks, I wanted to hear from users like you. That, I find, is the best way to assess the quality.
I started with some of their smaller bits and got good mileage out of them. I was also impressed that they had some unique patterns that I needed for a decent price.
That's the good part.
Then I started finding that the larger bits were often unbalanced even for slow speed work.
Then I had a carbide fly off the bit one morning when I fired it up in a router table. It nicked my earlobe. This was a new bit.
Another inch over and it would have made a pretty jaggedd tear in my carotid artery and I was on the job well before the crew so they could have found it hard to get paid that week -
or any other week.
I keep that bit hung up in a prominent place to remind me not to buy cheap bits.
Excellence is its own reward!
Wow! Bye the way, in Greek carotid means "to put to sleep" . It sounds like you almost had a permanent sleep. Thanks for the info.
There is a choke hold that places pressure on the carotid with that same effect of putting the recipient to sleep..
Excellence is its own reward!
A few years ago I used MLCS bits in a production process, and the first ones were okay, but later I found that they never held an edge for long. I got myself a 30 power lighted hand scope (made by Panasonic, very hard to find) and looked at the edge of a freshly sharpened one. It was perfect. I then formed a 4' long edge of oak and examined it again, and the carbide was badly micro-chipped. Bad metallurgy. I switched to CMT bits and never looked back. The life and safety were much greater, as was the cut quality. I never lost a carbide chunk, but that is enough to skip the poor quality control of the Chinese bits. What is your life worth?
Bill
Hi Kevin--If you are just starting to buy bits, try MLCS's 25th Anniversary Bit Set ($39.95) Their bits are very usable---but not quite up to Bosch, Freud and some of the more pricey brands. When I need a bit for a large run, I step up to MLCS'S Katana brand(in the same catalog)---I have found them to be worth the extra money
Much like what piffin said, the only friend I knew who used their bits had the same problem with carbide coming off in the middle of a cut. If you want inexpensive bits I suggest contacting woodline. There about the same price and warranty and I never had a problem with them. In fact there all I use anymore http://www.woodlinearizona.com (I think)
Darkworks: No Guns No Butter squilla and the bling bling.
I also bought several of their smaller bits, then bought a rail/stile set. It produced a very sloppy fit. I returned it, the next set must have been ground by the same fella, cause it was sloppy as well. Returned that one and bought a set from Jesada. Not as cheap, but not as sloppy, either. I haven't bought from them since, figuring you get what you pay for.