Ok so I'm going to join the Big 3 debate with a tale of my experience.

 

Recently I finally    woke up to the fact that my Whiteside RFTD5200 had dulled to the point that it was burning wood rather than cutting it.

So I figured that it was time to bite the bullet & buy a new one. Well a new one is $95 to $125---ouch!!

So I started to look at Infinity & Sommerfield for a cheaper alternative.  Turns out that Sommerfield doesn't make a spiral cutter. Infinity does and it runs about $60(?) so for 1/2 price I can get a decent bit.

 

For some reason right before I pulled the pin the old gray matter said to check out resharpening the one I had. First I called Whiteside and got a price. Then called Infinity. Nope--Infinity doesn't resharpen their spiral bits!!!

 

Well then, lets send the old one to Whiteside--done & mailed.

 

Got it back today after about week & half to 2 weeks.  As sharp as new. Cost??? $8 to sharpen, 50 cents to remove the bearings, $3.75 return postage. So for under $15 I got a basically new bit & saved a chunk of $$$$ 

 

Moral of the story--use the gray matter & check out return policy & whether & how much to resharpen.   Glad I did. 

Good move, Smitty. And, thanks for the info.

Glad to hear that.  I like my Whiteside bits and you just gave me more to like about them.

great plan Smitty...

I'm glad you posted this, I did not know Whiteside did sharpening work.