CMT 537.000.12 12-Piece Forstner Bit set, 10-12-14-15-16-18-20-22-25-26-30-35mm Diameters, 8-10mm Shank

This is a great set of mm sized bits. They are sharp, and true. My only issue is with the packaging: not user friendly to open, and not reusable. I will build or buy a small box for this set.

The bits work well. Compared to other options, this set is a good balance between quality and price.

tough to find metric forstner bits. Bought CMT saw blades for multiple other tools in my shop and was very happy with those, so I gave these a shot.Pros:good brand/rep, quality products, very accurate for listed measurement (e.g. 20mm bit was within .05mm)Cons:no case/box include only cheap plastic which was sliced during shipping; the cutter design (continuous guide rim*) is not the best option on the market (wavy rim) making it a slow cut w/excess heat, however it is not the worst either (saw tooth); design requires user assistance to clear shavings (vacuum/air) which may cause burning if not careful*The disadvantage of this style of Forstner drill bit rim is that it generates more heat, especially on larger drill bits. So, with a continuous rim bit, you really need to manage your speed and not be too pushy, or you’ll rapidly dull it.I have only used bits up to 22mm, the 25mm -30mm bits have a slightly different design (i would call it continuous/saw tooth hybrid) so these may perform differentlybiggest draw back is the lack of storage....even some of the cheapo $20-$30 sets have either a plastic or wood box...come on! if storage is a concern or you don't want to make a case then avoid these, otherwise i am happy so far.

Was happy when I recieved these bits because the case was a lot nicer than I was expecting. Also have used just about every bit so far and they cut great. Just as nice as a lot of the over priced sets out there.

CMT does NOT honor their manufacturer warranty. I ended up giving 2 sets of these away for free to avoid damaging myself or ruining projects.You are drawn to this item because it’s a major brand and quality metric forstner bit sets are rare on Amazon. Stay away.I have received 4 sets of these metric bits this month and every set has been worse than the previous: 2 sets of a 2021©️ package and 2 of a 2024©️. CMT will not honor their warranty if you’ve used any of their tools to see if they require repair or replacement. Their legal section states they will honor the warranty if you use the product according to their recommendations, but with cutting edges, this can sometimes void that. Therefore I was forced to return my first set of 2 and received another 2 faulty sets.Every single drill is bad in its own unique way, so it’s not even a consistent failure. Here’s what I’ve found:• Some versions have etched diameter labels; the 2024s do not.• The castings are different between the two sets. The 2024 version has less material in the neck of the drills. Don’t know if that really matters in use, just worth noting.• The grinds are done by hand or by a faulty machine setup. The wings are asymmetrical to a ridiculous degree, meaning only one side of your bit is doing the cutting. You’re going to push harder as a result and injure yourself.• The outer circumference of the drill that does the slicing to prevent chip-out before the center wings shear away the wood is nowhere near sharp enough to slice. You can run your finger across the edge in a way you should never with a cutting tool. You will have as much tear out as if you were using a hole saw.• The runout in the body of the drill is visually apparent when mounted in a drill press chuck. More than 2 thousandths on all, more than 10 on a few. This means drilled sizes will be out of tolerance.• The angle of the primary edge grinds is a guess. They are not consistent between drills and sometimes not even with themselves.• The angle of the secondary and relief grinds are so inaccurate, they often dip into the primary (cutting) edge and end up dulling it. See for yourself in the photos.I have contacted the nearest CMT headquarters to open RMAs and have these replaced. There is no online option, and email support will not answer any questions related to warranties. For $100 set of drills, I hope they stand behind their work. I will update this review after the warranty experience.[Update, 2/28/24]: Called CMT in Greensboro; was given an email address to reach out for help.[Update, 3/4/24]: After emailing the contact twice, got a reply redirecting me to a Sales Manager. Photos of the issues and a description have been sent to him.[Update, 3/11/24]: CMT Orange Tools official sales rep states "All warranties need to go through the distributor that originally provided the goods."[Update, 4/7/24]: Completely unresponsive. Contacted distributor, who gave me CMT’s information (as this is a warranty claim).[Update, 7/11/24]: CMT has gone 4 months without responding to monthly emails. They will not honor their warranty even if the package is unopened. I gave these away for free on FB marketplace.

So far, so good. Cuts nice clean holes but make sure to back out and clear the chips as you're drilling deeper holes so the bit doesn't get trapped inside the hole underneath the chips.

All bits arrived before said delivery date complete in the plastic case as shown. Measured all bits with a vernier caliper with all bits being correct to size. All bits cut nice and clean.

Disappointed with performance. I've used three different bits in this set so far and each one cuts like the bits were never sharpened. I have many other fostener bits so I know what to expect and how to use them. These bits all require excessive force to get them to cut even in softer wood like popular or fir. Not the level of quality I was expecting from CMT. I have a few CMT router bits and they are fine.