Have You Heard About These Bits ? 

Where the Boremax really shines is drilling in hardwoods like white oak . I love these and the Fisch wave bites . Thanks for the side by side test.

Sedge, I have the Freud wavy fostner bits. They leave a perfect hole. Fisch also has the wavy bits and they are exceptional. Not sure of the price points but I probably would think they are the same as the Famag bits. Just another option. Great video. I honestly only ever tightened up one hole on the chuck. Going to tighten all 3 from now on. Thanks for the useful tip. Brian

Sedge I’m sure those are fine Forstner bits but I still prefer Fisch. Also, I appreciate you using all three key holes on the Jacobs chuck, it does help tighten it, but more importantly it more accurately centers the drill bit by tightening it in all three holes. This, as well as making sure that the drillbit fully engages the feet of the jaws of the chuck Also help to keep it center. Love your site keep up the good work!

I love the Famag bits. Nice review Sedge!!

I have been using the metric sized Bormax bits for a little over 3 years now and have not found any other bits that compare. I have a full set of Porter Cable and a no name brand and the only time I use one of them is if I need a larger bit than that in the Bormax set.

Note that Famag also do TCT forstner bits, that would be more apples to apples. It's less about TCT vs HSS. It's more about the geometry of the bit. How it breaks chips down, has cooling fits etc.

I do metal work as well as wood work. In the metal work I have carbide and HSS tools. Most of the carbide tools are insert style. Most of the HSS tools are solid HSS. Both alloys cut well. In some materials one leaves a better finish than the other. HSS can easily be sharpened and is less brittle than carbide. I have chipped a carbide insert when machining wood. Knots can be very tough. I have no-name Forstner bits which do not cut well unless I use a series of small to final diameter. I also have Colt MaxiCut Forstner bits which cut much better, but still on larger sizes, e.g. over 1in dia benefit from using two or three different diameters. My experience is that diameters > 1in the Forstner bits work better and leave a better finish when they cut only the outside of the hole. I do not expect HSS to perform different than carbide. The design of the bit does make a huge difference. Relief angles on the cutting surfaces and the edge really help. Machinist like to have relief angle clearance on all sides of a tool. Dave.

I had the Fisch Black Shark forstner bits, which have a cutting edge similar to the Famag Bormax bits, but now have the Fisch Wave forstner bits. I think the Fisch Wave bits are made with alien technology because they effortlessly make clean holes in every type of wood I use with them.

The hex drive on the Famag comes into its own when deep boring with extensions and a hex morse taper adapter on a lathe.

Curious, do you think the tear out with the Freud was due to it having been used for a while before while the Famag was brand new?

I picked up a metric set of the new Festool forstner bits from Germany for about $160 about 2 months ago and they’re nice. But I would love to buy an imperial set from Famag to try as well.

Keep up the great work sedge!

I've got an old set of the Freud carbide bits (15 years, fairly light use), and I never get any tear out like that - ever. When I use them, I don't make the cuts in one pass like that - I would divide a deep hole like that into thirds and pull the bit out to clear the chips - takes 10 seconds more. I don't think the design of the Freud carbide clears chips as well, but used with that in mind, my set does fine. Not clearing the chips will cause you issues like this. I also don't force it - if I have to put noticeable pressure on a bit, it's not sharp. Can't carbide bits be sharpened?

I've been impressed with the Boremax. They aren't always better than my Fisch (which are pretty good) but frequently they drill like a hot knife through butter.

was the carbide bir new? also did you go to the Murphy' and Rumjack's show with BigD?

happy easter sedge and big d

What brand drill press are you using Sedge?

Wicked.

Compare the Famag Boremax with the Fisch Wave Forstner bits, that would be a good comparison.

Thanks Sedge!

I have heard that carbide is not as sharp as high speed steel, but just stays sharper longer. True? Not sure.

Bormax are the best we get here in Germany i love it too

Wow, I couldn't believe that a brand new out-of-the-box bit could cut a cleaner hole than an absolutely worn-out old dull bit! (Just take a look at that thing at minute 1:38 ! 🙄) I got no dog in this fight: Freud has been liquidating their brand for the past 20 years, using their name recognition to profit from shittier and shittier blades and bits. On the other hand, 16 (non-carbide HSS!) Famag Bormax bits costs $450. ( I guess a few hundred thousand dollars in social media marketing really pays off! Right? wink-wink Sedgetool.) I wouldn't buy either one, even if granny died and left me a million bucks. If she did, I'd get the Fisch 16 piece for $300 and the Captain D's 2 piece Cajun catfish meal for $11.29. Otherwise, I'd just buy the Grizzly 31 piece HSS for $89.95 and spend the rest on hard liquor and easy women. Don't piss down my back and tell me it's raining Dom Perignon! Bury that damned burned-out Freud bit in St. Joseph cemetery next to Whitey Bulger.

HSS will get sharper than carbide it will dull faster but it is sharper. That's why Machinist will often use HSS when cutting softer materials.

I love the Zobo bits! I would buy a set in inch sizes too

But I don’t think you are comparing apples to apples here. For one thing you pulled a Freud out of your drawer, meaning it was a used bit and maybe not as sharp as it was when new. The other thing is you didn’t drill both holes in the same piece of wood which may be denser and have other differences in the quality of the wood which may have led to more chip out on entry.

To bad the Festool bits aren’t made anymore!

Jump to 4.00 to watch the drilling.

Has anyone compared the Fisch to these?

Were you paid to say this?

That was cute pretending the festool were never sold in the US, pretending only one company made bormax bits, and trying to throw Bosch (under one of their subsidiaries Freud) under the bus on an apples to oranges comparison. Count me as unsubscribed.