Hi. Today, while replacing my spade bit (review from another post), I decided to buy a 3/4" Timberline (Amana company) Carbide Forstner bit. The price was reasonable and about 2/3 of the cost of a Freud bit.

When I brought it home, I checked my tool box and realized that I had a small, older set of Freud HSS Forstner bits, which included a 3/4" bit. I thought, "Hmmm... Since carbide is suposed to be better than HSS, I'll compare them." And proceeded to drill some test holes in a convenient scrap 2X6.

What I found startled me. My HSS Freud bit went through the 2X6 like butter. The Timberline carbide worked OK but wasn't anywhere near as fast as the Freud and the hole wasn't quite as smooth.

So, I tried my other Freud Forstner bits. They cut very well too.

Am I missing something here? Are my expectations about carbide wrong? I.e., that it lasts longer, but doesn't necessarily cut any better than HSS?

Or, is it simply the brand? I expected a little difference between brands, but not a massive difference like I found. Is Timberline a second tier brand? Is is just not a good company? (Even though it's an Amana company.) Freud's a good company, but they aren't that much better than other high-quality brands are they?

Thanks in advance for the feedback.

Dan.