Author: Timothy Dale | Updated 7:28 PM, July 8, 2020

If you purchase a product through one of our links, BobVila.com and its partners may receive a commission.

The router is a power cutting tool that uses different drill bits to cut various grooves, angles and shapes into wood. These handy tools are perfect for woodworking projects, including cabinet making, cutting and molding, and furniture design.

However, without a large number of router bits, the router will be useless. You want to make sure that there are multiple options for all the applications you plan to handle, and the best router bits are made of durable materials, such as tungsten carbide.

The router bits below are some of the best in their respective categories and will be an excellent addition to any toolbox.

Routers use a large number of different bits, each of which is used for a specific purpose. The most common router bits include straight, flush, notches, chamfers, edge forming, molding, door frames and rails, raised panels, and joinery bits. The best choice for you depends on how you plan to use the router and the material you need to drill.

The straight planer drill bit is the most commonly used of all drill bits. It has a variety of diameters to choose from, from 3/16 inch to 1 ½ inch. Straight drills are mainly used to directly form grooves or wall panels in the material. It can also be used to hollow out a part of the material for mortise or inlay.

The flush milling cutter bit has a guide bearing that guides the bit during the cutting process. The size of the guide bearing is the same as the cutting radius of the drill bit, so a flush trimming drill bit can be used to trim the edge of one material to make it flush with the edge of another material. Examples of this drill in use include trimming the surface to be flush with the bottom layer or trimming the edge of the shelf.

Notch cutters are specially used to cut notches (notches or shoulders) to the edge of the material. These drills use guide bearings to guide them along one side of the material in order to cut the produced notches accurately and evenly. Most milling cutter bit sets have a series of guide bearings, so a notch bit can cut various notch sizes.

Chamfer milling cutters make oblique cuts at corners to remove 90-degree edges and create attractive designs, or to remove bumps and restore the material to straight-edged cuts. Chamfer milling cutters can also form bevels and are used in joinery.

Edge forming milling cutters have a variety of shapes, each of which is designed to cut decorative edges into materials. Popular edge forming bits include:

The shaped router bit is a larger version of the edge shaped router bit. They are used to create architectural forming profiles and can combine multiple edge forming profiles into one drill bit. Due to their size, they are best used with desktop routers.

Stile and Rail Router drill bits are mainly used for frame and panel structures. The drill has a decorative edge profile and a straight profile, and is used to cut grooves in the frame (or the vertical part of the frame). They also have corresponding cuts at the end of the rail or the horizontal part of the frame so that the rail can be inserted into the door frame. These bits are sold in pairs to complete two cuts, or as a single bit that can be used for both cuts.

Raised panel drill bits are often used with door frame and rail drill bits to form a profiled edge on the door panel. These bits can be used vertically or horizontally.

Joinery milling cutters are specially used to produce precision joints that can easily connect two materials, such as joints on drawers or coffee tables. Specialized joinery drill bits include dovetail milling machine bits, drawer lock milling machine bits, finger joint bits and lock miter cutter bits.

Before investing in a new product, please understand the basic functions. The following notes will help you determine which router bits are best for you.

The type of item you are working on will always indicate the type of bit required. Whether you are building a door frame or providing a new contour for the edge of a wooden table, the drill you need is either a door frame and rail milling cutter bit or an edge profile milling cutter bit.

The type of material will also help determine which bit you need. You can easily handle softwood with high-speed steel or carbide tips, but some hardwoods and metals may require solid carbide drills to provide a clean surface.

For beginners who are just starting to use routers, it is expected that you will destroy the first router bit relatively quickly. Appropriate application pressure will depend on experience, but if this is the case, then the project may be more important than price. Beginners should try cheap router bits first until they are more proficient in using the tool.

Generally speaking, almost all milling cutters use high-speed steel (HSS) or cemented carbide.

The shank on the milling cutter bit is the cylindrical part of the drill bit, which enters the chuck of the milling cutter. All router bits come with a ¼-inch holder or a ½-inch holder. Most routers have interchangeable chucks to accept both sizes, but some only accept a ¼-inch holder.

The sharpness of the router bit determines the ability of the bit to cut materials easily. A little dullness will reduce the efficiency of your router, cause material burns, and make your finish poor, you need to sand paper or file. The sharp router bit can cut in quickly and run at the best efficiency without leaving scorch marks.

All new router bits should be sharpened at the factory, but this is difficult to see when buying a new kit. However, you can research milling cutter bits to find milling cutter bits that can be sharpened repeatedly to keep the cutting edge thinner. This will enable you to hone yourself or take them to a professional so that your drill will always remain sharp and ready for your next project.

Before choosing any product, make sure you know what you are getting. The router bit set should identify the number of bits in the kit, the size of the bits, and the type of bits contained.

With this information, you can choose a reasonably priced set for the number of bits in the set. You will also know whether the 24-piece set comes with 20 straight drill bits and four notch drill bits, or whether it contains the appropriate kind of router drill bits so that you can work on your next project with confidence.

No matter what type of router you buy, you want them to be high-quality products. Based on the aforementioned purchasing factors, such as price, availability, and reputation, these router bits are some of the best.

Hiltex tungsten carbide milling cutter sets are very suitable for various projects, including trimming, trimming, texturing and grooving, and are very suitable for door panels and picture frames. The ¼” shank bit is made of precisely machine-cut tungsten carbide, which you can sharpen to maintain the edges.

The 24 router bit sets are packed in a wooden box, and each bit has a label and image. Models without ball bearings include tenon, combined bevel, dovetail, 90 degree "V" groove, round head, panel guide and straight drill. Styles with ball bearings include trimming, flush trimming, radius round drills, concave, 45 degree chamfers, Roman Ogee, slot milling cutters and notches.

The router bit set includes 35 different parts, allowing beginners and experienced DIY enthusiasts to benefit from various router bits. The ½-inch shank drill bits are made of tungsten carbide, which keeps their edges longer and can be sharpened multiple times, so you don't need to replace them quickly.

The aluminum carrying case indicates the location of each grooving bit, including ⅛ inch and ¼ inch core box bits, ½ inch 90 degree "V" groove, ¼ inch round head, ½ inch mortise, ½ inch, and ¼ inch Dovetail, ⅛ inch, ¼ inch, ½ inch and ¾ inch straight drill bits, and many other drill bits to complete this high-value variety of packages.

This economical milling cutter bit set is packaged in a wooden box with useful index cards for easy drill bit identification and organization. The ¼-inch shank drill bit is ideal for new users, and the machine-sharpened tungsten carbide tip will help make the bit sharper and longer. When they become dull, take them to a professional sharpener or sharpen them yourself to restore the edges to their previous cutting ability.

LU&MN carbide tip milling cutter set is very suitable for trimming, grooving and trimming, it has 15 different parts. These include ½-inch, ¼-inch, ⅝-inch, and ⅛-inch straight drill bits, ⅛-inch and ¼-inch cover box bits, ½-inch, 90-degree “V” groove bits, ½-inch tenon bits, one ⅜-inch rounded drill bit, and one ½-inch Dovetail bit, a 1/4 inch, 45 degree chamfer bit, a ¼ inch panel guide bit, a ¼ inch concave drill bit, a ½ inch flush drill bit dressing bit, and a 5/32 inch Roman ogee drill bit, suitable for a variety of application.

This small router bit set contains only 7 bits, but the quality of these bits and the materials made from them make this modest set of premium value for money. The kit includes a ¼” and ½” straight drill bit, a ⅜” fillet, a ⅜” x ½” notch, a ⅜” radius notch, a 45-degree chamfer, and a flush trim in a ½-inch durable plastic housing drill.

Each of the seven ½-inch shank drill bits are made entirely of cemented carbide, so the sharpness and hardness of the cutting edge do not only depend on the hardened tip. On the contrary, you can rely on the entire drill to cut smoothly and cleanly for a long time.

The router bit set is suitable for beginners, using more affordable material types and the most common 1/4 inch handle size to ensure that almost anyone can pick up the router for the first time and can rely on the set. Multifunctional milling cutters are very suitable for grooving or trimming. If they are dropped or hit in the toolbox, high-speed steel can prevent them from being damaged by impact.

This 24-piece set contains the most common machine-ground drill bits in a labeled wooden box and is suitable for a variety of beginner projects.

A high-quality micro-grain tungsten carbide drill bit will keep the cutting edge sharp during a long working week. They can be sharpened repeatedly to prevent material burns and rough finishes. The ½-inch handle prevents the drill bit from jumping during use, allowing you to get a professional surface treatment every time, and then you can put them neatly in a labeled wooden storage box.

The Yonico router bit set has 70 bits, including eight straight bits, four flush bits, one panel guide bit, five dovetail bits, three round nose bits, three mortise bits, six round bits, Six concave bits, four chamfer bits, three notch bits and more can be viewed in detail here.

If you are still not fully confident about which router bit you need, check out these frequently asked questions and their answers below.

To use a router bit, you need to properly connect it to the router and handle the materials and items of the bit to ensure the best results. Using a router requires precision and patience to fully align the router and slowly feed it into the material, so that the rotating router bit runs at the best power.

Forcing the router through the material may complete the cut faster, but you may break the router bit due to excessive force, and you may scorch the material and make its edges uneven, requiring sanding or smoothing. Instead, use shallow and slow passages to get the best cutting results, with each passage going deep into the material.

When processing wood (such as pine), the planer bit will quickly be coated with resin, which is naturally very resinous. You may also roast tar, dust, and other debris on the drill bit, which interferes with the operation of the router and the finish on the wood.

Cleaning the drill bit regularly can solve this problem. First buy router bits and resin cleaner online or from your local hardware store. The solution should be prepared correctly according to the manufacturer's recommendations, and then sprayed or brushed heavily on all cutting edges of the router bit. With this coating, let the drill bit stand for 10 to 15 minutes, and then scrub the drill bit with a toothbrush or brass wire brush under warm water. After cleaning, dry the drill bit properly, and consider using oil to coat the drill bit and prevent corrosion.

In order for your router drill bits to have the best advantage in getting the job done, you should take them to a professional sharpener. They will be able to maintain the correct cut and shape of the drill bit while restoring it to a whole new level of sharpness.

However, if you cannot bring the drill bit to the sharpener, you can use a diamond sharpener to remove the thin layer from the two edges of the blade. Lubricate the diamond honing with water, and then rest the flat side of the drill bit against it. Strike the drill bit back and forth on the honing tool, removing the thin layer of the drill bit with each pass until it returns to the cutting edge. In order to maintain the balance of the drill bit, be sure to strike the same number of times on both sides of the drill bit.

Disclosure: BobVila.com participates in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide publishers with a way to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliate sites.

You agree that BobVila.com can process your data in the manner described in our privacy policy.

Copyright © 2021 Acton Media Inc. all rights reserved.