Thread: Are Fisch drill bits worth getting?

I would say that the Forster bits and Brad point drill bits would be superior to a lot of other products on the market. As for twist drill bits, I would think that there are comparable options that offer better value.
I currently use Amos cobalt, bought them as a complete drill set for around $100.

Standard jobber bits are 118degrees, Fisch might do a split point geometry, I don’t really know.

Originally Posted by 419

I got a promotional email today from Timbecon extolling the virtues of Fisch drill bits.

I don't know anything about them.

Are they significantly better than Sutton products?

Not sure, and I really don't think many hobbyists are in a position to test them with any confidence. Sutton have off shored quite a bit of their manufacturing as many of us discussed in another thread.

I love the Sutton Viper bits for the work I do and have reground them and other standard twist bits using the Tormek system. I also use Carbitool carbide forstner bits and the Famag standard Bormax forstner bits. Carbitool are much much cheaper and do a better job in end grain for pepper mills etc. though hole tolerances can be a bit hit and miss in some timbers. The Famag Bormax's produce a tighter tolerance hole in face grain applications. I can't complain about the Bormax's though as they handled a genuine Ebony blank for a pepper mill with Crushgrind mechanism, slowly does it to prevent checking in the ebony.

Originally Posted by Mobyturns

I love the Sutton Viper bits for the work I do

They do everything I want.

That's why I was asking about the Fisch bits as I doubt there could be much of an improvement on Viper twist bits.

Thanks for your comments on the other brands.

I picked up a set of Fisch drill bits and Wave Cutter Forstner bits when they were cheap on Amazon. I had read and seen alot of positive reviews about Fisch and wanted to see what the fuss was about. I'll never use sutton again after using the Austrian brand, Fisch is a superior brand but you do pay for the quality. Check Amazon to compare prices...

One thing to be mindful of is that the FISCH Shark Pro are only available in true metric sizes i.e. 5 mm increments whilst the Wave Cutter offer a more extensive range and have imperial conversion sizes i.e. 19, 38 mm etc. Not a lot of difference in pricing between equivalent sizes in each range.

Fisch normal Timbecon prices on the Wave Cutter range are about 10% below the FAMAG Bormax range, but the FAMAG range is available here locally so no shipping to account for.

I think I will stick with local (& smaller vendors / businesses) as they are building a good range of quality tools in stock where one can actually handle the product and assess quality etc - Narex, Veritas, FAMAG, FESTOOL, TORMEK, etc plus a good range of consumables. High Quality Woodworking Tools Queensland - Studio Dubbeld

Originally Posted by Mobyturns

I think I will stick with local (& smaller vendors / businesses) as they are building a good range of quality tools in stock where one can actually handle the product and assess quality etc - Narex, Veritas, FAMAG, FESTOOL, TORMEK, etc plus a good range of consumables. High Quality Woodworking Tools Queensland - Studio Dubbeld

Good point, unless there's a huge price difference I'll stay with local businesses like Timbecon.

I'm another fan of the Fisch Wave Cutter Forstner's. I got two full sets from the The Wood Works Book & Tool Co Sydney, one set metric and one set imperial.

Previously I used the Carbatec sets in the red plastic boxes, the Imperial and Metric sets were identical sizes, with the metric set just being the equlivent size of the imperial. eg 13mm (but really 12.7mm) = 1/2", 16mm = 5/8", 22mm (but really 22.2mm) = 7/8", 25mm (but really 25.4mm) = 1", all the way up to 2" You get the picture! I only really needed to purchase one set as they were both exactly the same size, at lease I had a spare for each size, which turned out to be useful because they blunted so fast. The Carbatec Forstner bits required quite a lot of pressure to drill (in comparison to the Fisch Wave Cutters), blunted quickly and once blunt burnt the wood. I must say though to give Carbatec some credit the bits when new did drill very cleanly and probably were value because they were not very expensive. At the time I think I payed $69 for each set, very cheep for what I got, so no complaints for value, they were what they were.

So I then purchased the full set of the Sutton Forstner Bits (sold in a blister pack which included a 25mm black spade bit which was surprisingly good), the forester bits were absolute junk, made in China, so much so I posted them back to Sutton so they could rectify the quality issue as I always had respect for the Sutton brand and assumed that having the Sutton brand name guaranteed quality. After a bit of persistence and a few emails, I was able to speak to Sutton Tools quality manager and got an apology and a replacement set of Forstner Bits sent in the mail. Unfortunately the replacement set were worse than the first set and completely useless for fine woodwork, the cutting faces were of different heights and chipped, the points were not centred, the cutting wings were of different sizes, roughly sharpened, with inclusions in the cheep carbon steel and one of the bits were missing the wings completely, they may be just OK to use a few times on a building frame work or rough work. Sutton used to be my go-to for quality, so disappointed, I now avoid the brand.

Wow so happy, when I first used the Fisch Wave Cutter Forstner bits. So easy to drill, such a clean hole, stayed cool, still sharp after 100 holes in vic ash and exact sizes.
I know that the Fisch bits are more expensive but they are that much better. I think the Fisch bits are drop forged tool steel. Fisch may be a lot more expensive initially, but they are a lot cheeper in the long term. I remember hearing both Neil Erasmus and David Upfill-Brown the famous studio furniture makers on different occasions recommending the Fisch drill bits, glad I finally took their advice.

I have been told that the Festool Forstner Bits are also very good.