The new Ryobi 25 piece Master Router Bit offers a conveniently packaged set of 1/4″ shanked bits in a variety of styles, including straight, round over, rabbeting, trim, dovetail, cove, and chamfer. The bits come in a handy pine box that you can hang on the wall, and there is even storage space for extra bits. I quickly tallied the price I would have paid for similar sized bits from one supplier, and came to a whopping $450, for an average cost of $18. The US price on this set is $99.97 (Canadian pricing will be announced in July when the bits become available at Home Depot), which works out to about $5 CDN per bit. That’s a significant savings. No, make that a hugh savings. These bits are not micrograin carbide, so they won’t last as long as premium bits, and the shanks are all ¼”. The bits are all on the small side, for example the cutting edge on the ⅜” straight bit is only 25/32″ long. But hey, I tried a number of the bits on some oak and cherry, and was quite satisfied with the results. The cuts were surprisingly clean and crisp. While I would hesitate to recommend these bits for a professional shop, they offer excellent value for the DIYer. If you are new to routing and want a basic collection of bits, this is definitely the way to go. Ryobi will also be introducing 18, 12, and 8 bit sets (the 18 piece set with ½” shanks).

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