Reply by knotscott

If you’re careful you can definitely get what you pay for. My best premium bits are mostly Whiteside, Infinity, and Eagle America. My best mid-price bits are Katana and Price Cutter. My best “value” bits are mostly MLCS, Grizzly, or Woodline.

It does make a difference, but some of the value bits are still good enough for good work, and can be a wise choice for a seldom used specialty profile. The premium bits tend to cut better for longer, and are a great choice for you most commonly used profiles, and most critical profiles…they have better steel, better carbide, better sharpening, and better bearings, etc. Router bits spin in excess of 20K rpm’s, and can hurt you if they come apart (it happens)....I’d suggest avoiding the cheapest no-name bits you can find.

-- Happiness is like wetting your pants...everyone can see it, but only you can feel the warmth....