buying leigh d4r what bit set to buy with it ?

[David T gray]

leigh - bits seem expensive $280 16 bits
whiteside - seems lacking at only 7 bits $114
cmt - 13 bits $180
infinity- 14 bit 2 collet $180

was leaning towards the infinity anyone ever use their router bits ? i already saw they got excellent rating by some website, looking for first hand knowledge.

[Mark Blatter]

I bought the full set they offered years ago when I bought my D4R. In 12 years, I have only used the straight bit and the #80 for 3/4". I replaced the #80 with a new one about 6 years ago, but instead of buying a new straight bit, I had a handful of 8mm spiral bits from my CNC that work very well. The other bits, as I recall, are just for different sized material. All have the same angle which is why my #80 gets used so much. I don't believe you can get them sharpened as it will change the size, but since I have one that is dull I am going to have it sharpened and give it a try.

I haven't used any Infinity products so cannot say how they work. I use 1/2" Baltic almost 100% of the time and it is tough on the bits.

[James Zhu]

Do not buy the full set bit until you know you need it for sure, otherwise, you probably will never use most of the bits.

I have D4R, so far i only bought 2 extra bits from Leigh. Whiteside and Infinity make quality bit, I would not buy CMT bit.

[Dick Mahany]

I am partial to Whiteside for years, so I bought their set. I also bought a few of the Leigh bits to complement the set and they work fine. For most through dovetails, the no. 80 bit gets used the most in my shop since it covers material from 1/2" to 13/16". Leigh has an excellent comparison table on their site. If I had to do it again I would narrow the bits to just the #80 and the #140 or the newer #170 (spiral upcut) bit since many of my other bits simply never get used. It really depends on what type of work you plan to do. You can't go wrong with either Leigh or Whiteside bits, and I can't comment on other brands since I don't have any experience with them.

Also, I would recommend the Leigh elliptical bushing. It has a longer collar and can be rotated to take up play between the fingers to create better fitting joints. I originally just used a standard bushing from a Porter Cable set and it was a little sloppy and could lift above the guide fingers rather easily if not careful.

[David T gray]

alright thanks im buying no bits till i need them .

[Andy Giddings]

+1 on the recommendations above - 80% of my Leigh full set hasn't touched wood! One bit was replaced with a Whiteside and have been happy with the quality of cut