Just realized my "/" bits are costing me way more than I thought

I was adding up material costs for a job last week and noticed my spiral bits were burning through 3 times faster than the cheap straight ones I use for rough cuts. Found the stat on a tool wear study from a forestry site of all places. Has anyone else tracked bit lifespan vs. cost per cut?

3 comments

3 Comments

jenny_hall22d ago

Huh, "burning through 3 times faster" sounds a little extreme. I've used spiral bits for years and never noticed them wearing out that much quicker than straight ones. Maybe it's more about how you're using them or what you're cutting.

rubysingh21d ago

Had a buddy who swore by spirals for everything until he did a big run of cabinet doors made from MDF. By the time we were halfway through, @jenny_hall, his spirals were chattering and leaving rough edges while my straight bits just kept chugging. He swapped back to a straight bit for the rest and finished the job no problem. So yeah, material matters a ton. Old glue in plywood or particle board is like sandpaper for spirals.

annaw7322d ago

Wait, were you using them on the same material and same feed rate? I had a buddy who did some woodworking on the side and he swore his spiral bits were way better. Then one day he helped me with a big project and we both ran out of material fast. He noticed his spirals were getting dull way quicker than my straight bits. Turns out he was cutting a lot of plywood with old glue lines, like particle board grade stuff, and that glue was eating his spirals alive. He switched back to straight bits for those jobs and saved a ton.