forstner bits ...two questions?

[kevin clifford]

So two questions
1: How do you store all of your Forster bits? Some of mine are in the wood case they came in to keep them safe but the others I have procured along the way are in a sortainer drawer. My OCD and the lack of an actual home for them drives me up a wall. I am beginning to think another systainer is going to be purchased to hold them all.
2: What forstners do you have and recommend? The Woodcraft store brand works fairly well. Zobo bits seem way overpriced to me,but I have said that about every Festool I own and wouldn't get rid of any one of them. 
Thanks

 

[dltflt]

I have the Sommerfeld set that starts ¼"-2". It is a nice set and the price was not bad when I bought it. I still look at Zobo's quite often but still have not pulled the trigger.

 

[Holmz]

...
I still look at Zobo's quite often but still have not pulled the trigger.

I ordered them out of Europe and they were ~135 US plus shipping.
They were even marked as Festool.
http://www.amazon.de/Festool-496390-Forstnerbohrer-SET-FB-SET-D15-35/dp/B0051D87WY/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?s=diy&ie=UTF8&qid=1434250582&sr=1-1-fkmr0&keywords=zobo+forstner+bohrer

I have not used them yet, so I cannot confirm the reports that they are great.
(But the thought of buying cheap ones,and then buying again put me off... So I just ordered what was recommended.)

 

[mike_aa]

I have not purchased them yet, but I read that these are very good.

 

[Birdhunter]

The Zobo Forstner bits I have (3 sets) are extremely sharp and accurate. Even better than Freud bits. My Zobo bits stay in their plastic case they came in. All my others hang on the wall by my drill press arranged by size.

 

[barnumb]

I bought the Porter Cable set in a box [wink]. It would be fairly easy to build a tray that held the stem in a horizontal position alternating the heads to save space.

 

[rvieceli]

I currently keep mine in a small plastic parts box with adjustable dividers. It seals fairly tightly and I can throw in a moisture absorber packet or an anti-rust packet. But I don't take them out of the shop much.

there are a few brands that seem to float to top in all the choices. Obviously if you want centrotec, the Festool branded ZOBO bits are the only game in town. ZOBO also makes a full line without the centrotec shank. in the US, timbertools.com carries them

The other brands are FAMAG (the Bormax line gets great reviews and I have these), the Colt Maxicuts and the Fisch Wavecutters.

Woodcraft and traditionalwoodworker.com handle FAMAG. Woodcraft and Amazon have the Colts and probably the Fisch.

I tested out the Colts and the FAMG Bormax and liked the FAMAG better, although the Colt was good as well.

 

[SittingElf]

I currently keep mine in a small plastic parts box with adjustable dividers. It seals fairly tightly and I can throw in a moisture absorber packet or an anti-rust packet. But I don't take them out of the shop much.

there are a few brands that seem to float to top in all the choices. Obviously if you want centrotec, the Festool branded ZOBO bits are the only game in town. ZOBO also makes a full line without the centrotec shank. in the US, timbertools.com carries them

The other brands are FAMAG (the Bormax line gets great reviews and I have these), the Colt Maxicuts and the Fisch Wavecutters.

Woodcraft and traditionalwoodworker.com handle FAMAG. Woodcraft and Amazon have the Colts and probably the Fisch.

I tested out the Colts and the FAMG Bormax and liked the FAMAG better, although the Colt was good as well.

Totally agree on the FAMAG's. I bought a number of items including their Bormax full set while I was in Germany, along with the Festool Swiss-Made ZOBO's.  Both are EXCELLENT.  In my unworthy opinion, both are better than Colts.

Cheers,
Frank

 

[Cheese]

The Zobo bits are really nice. The series 3 is especially flexible with various options available. Sizes range from 15mm to 130mm in 1mm increments.  [eek]

I needed to drill a series of 20mm holes in a 1 1/2" thick maple bench top. 

I used this 6mm drill bit and this guide to ensure perpendicularity.

[attachthumb=1]

[attachthumb=2]

I then took the 20mm Zobo bit and added a 6mm pilot to the front. That allowed me to enlarge the holes to 20mm and the bores were still perpendicular to the surface of the bench top.

[attachthumb=3]

Here's the results.

[attachthumb=4]

 

[Stephen B]

[size=13pt]I keep some of my selection of drill accessories in a Mini with impact foam. See foreground bitts and Mini in background. I do not have the full Zobo set and its specific Mini/Case.

Excellent suggestion by [member=44099]Cheese[/member] .

[attachimg=1]

Zobo Action [via IPad]
[size=9pt]Hand held with C15.

 

[jacko9]

...
I still look at Zobo's quite often but still have not pulled the trigger.

I ordered them out of Europe and they were ~135 US plus shipping.
They were even marked as Festool.
http://www.amazon.de/Festool-496390-Forstnerbohrer-SET-FB-SET-D15-35/dp/B0051D87WY/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?s=diy&ie=UTF8&qid=1434250582&sr=1-1-fkmr0&keywords=zobo+forstner+bohrer

I have not used them yet, so I cannot confirm the reports that they are great.
(But the thought of buying cheap ones,and then buying again put me off... So I just ordered what was recommended.)

Do you know if they charge you the VAT on the ZOBO set from Europe?  I ordered the Bosch quick release clamps on EBAy out of England and I was charged the VAT on my order.

I have the Zobo, Famag and some old Greenlee forstner drill bits and the Zobo are the smoothest cutting of the bunch.  I'd like to get some in Metric sizes as well as some larger sizes that are not included in the Festool set.

I keep my Zobo's in the mini systaner they came in and all of them are in a Sys 2 with foam inserts.

Jack

 

[Cheese]

Do you know if they charge you the VAT on the ZOBO set from Europe?  I ordered the Bosch quick release clamps on EBAy out of England and I was charged the VAT on my order.

Jack

[member=8318]jacko9[/member]
I've ordered Artemide lighting products and some specialty stainless ducting products from England & Germany and I was never charged for VAT. I believe that's a charge for Europe only.

 

[Holmz]

Do you know if they charge you the VAT on the ZOBO set from Europe?  I ordered the Bosch quick release clamps on EBAy out of England and I was charged the VAT on my order.

Jack

I've ordered Artemide lighting products and some specialty stainless ducting products from England & Germany and I was never charged for VAT. I believe that's a charge for Europe only.

OP ^They should not charge you VAT^
...But would take the 20% either accidentally, or try it in order to see if you were paying attention.

 

[kevin clifford]

Thanks for all the replies. Seems like everyone with the zobos is really happy with them.

 

[GregBradley]

I was stuck at a customer Friday with a need to drill 3 35mm holes and 4 25mm holes in a 1" thick formica covered particle board desk. I had the Festool Zobo set and my CXS with no charger and a spare battery. I was able to complete the job, WITHOUT using the spare battery although it was struggling on the last hole.

 

[Cheese]

I was stuck at a customer Friday with a need to drill 3 35mm holes and 4 25mm holes in a 1" thick formica covered particle board desk. I had the Festool Zobo set and my CXS with no charger and a spare battery. I was able to complete the job, WITHOUT using the spare battery although it was struggling on the last hole.

Do you have the new 2.6 ah batteries, or the older ones? If you used the old batteries, I'm pretty impressed!

 

[Holmz]

I was stuck at a customer Friday with a need to drill 3 35mm holes and 4 25mm holes in a 1" thick formica covered particle board desk. I had the Festool Zobo set and my CXS with no charger and a spare battery. I was able to complete the job, WITHOUT using the spare battery although it was struggling on the last hole.

I bet you were fondly recalling "the olden days when tools had their own power cords and never had batteries that went dead (flat)".

 

[yetihunter]

Obviously if you want centrotec, the Festool branded ZOBO bits are the only game in town.

Fisch have bits that fit centrotec, no one carries them but axminster, as of yet.

The FAMAGS are 3/8" shanks, so, for $15 extra per bit, you can stick them on snappy adaptors.  [big grin]