DC1892 Carbide Forstner Bit, 18mm

This is NOT a Fostner drill bit!!! It is more like a brad point drill bit. It is not shaped like a traditional Fostner bit and certainly does not cut like one. It should not be advertised as a "Fostner Bit" because it is completely different from every other Fostner bit I have ever encountered in 61 years of wood working.It does not cut a flat bottom hole like a genuine Fostner bit does. As other reviewers have pointed out, it cuts a very crappy hole, not nearly as smooth as many other brad point drill bits I have used - even some worn out ones.Describing this as a "Fostner Bit" borders on Consumer Fraud.

I have a project where I need to drill ~150 holes in ipe, one of the hardest woods. I spent some time testing various bits and an experienced woodworking friend of mine suggested I get a Freud carbide forstner bit. I got one for $40 and managed ~60 holes before it became too dull to finish. All of the issues I had with the bit getting stuck, smoking in the holes, tear out and speed I assumed came from the process and not the tool. When I got on AZ to re-order, that bit wasn't available until August so I bought two Roman bits at half the price. Well, the Roman bit cut twice as fast, rarely got stuck, was easier to remove, never smoked, and did all of the remaining holes. The last 6 holes the bit was "only" as good as the Freud at the start, but to be fair because it is a little longer, I inadvertently drilled through my sacrificial piece and hit the table, so it could've easily been that.

The bit is high quality. Drilled 20 holes in wet treated lumber and still like new

Used once can’t evaluate further

This is a very precise Forstner bit. I test drilled hard maple with great results. See picture, it cuts very clean and it drills exactly 3.00" (means it is accurate to the thousands of an inch).It takes a strong build drill press with enough horsepower and torque to drive this bit properly at a low speed of less than 500rpm. My press is a Powermatic PM2800b, and runs it very smooth, but I could tell by the motor sound that the bit needs substantial torque (hp). Means, low horsepower drill presses may not be able to drive this size drill.Carbide tipped bits run a lot cooler than HSS bits, therefore they can handle higher speeds without overheating. I'm using other sizes of Roman Carbide Forstner bits for years, and they still cut like on day one without any resharpening.I think Roman Carbide could have sharpened this bit a little bit more, which reduces the needed push down force when drilling very hard wood. But this doesn't change the high quality of this bit, it just reduces the force needed to push it into hardwood, and can easily improved with a few strokes of a mini diamond hone.

I tried a different bit earlier that didn't work for me. This one is working. I have an old drill press that's not all that powerful even on the slowest setting. I'm working through some hardwood right now. The progress is slow, but considering how much wood it's cutting through, it's doable. It definitely takes a new level of patience compared to a smaller drill bit that tears through stuff. I think the fact that it has 2 teeth on the outside instead of a whole bunch helps because there is less friction. It does still heat up quickly, so I have to drill a bit and wait a bit. So again, lots of patience required.

This bit replaced a non-carbide-tipped bit and was needed for cutting in purple-heart as well as very old cherry and hickory.I was making a large project and needed approximately 64 holes ranging in depth from 5/8" inch to almost 3". I got NO BURNING, NO TEAROUTS, and NO CHIPPING, SPLINTERING, OR OTHER PROBLEMS. The bottoms of the cuts are smoothe, and were all easy to sand to #320 grit sandpaper (600 after varnishing) and look great.This bit was a godsend when I was sanding because (if you haven't worked with it) when purpleheart overheats and burns, it can be EXTREMELY tedious to sand out the burned spots.This bit was so good that I'm planning to buy a set of them soon.Definitely worth buying and I would buy it again. Also I would definitely recommend it to friends and family - and have already done so.Another plus is the price - this is the least expensive carbide forstner bit of thios size that I have found, and I have had NO problems with it.

Only used it for a couple holes so far but it cut fantastically and incredibly clean.