Just realized my $22 HSS forstner bit beat the $70 carbide one on my last 12 cabinet doors
I was knocking out a set of shaker doors for a kitchen in Lubbock last month and ran out of the 35mm bits halfway through. Grabbed a cheap HSS forstner from the box store to finish up, and honestly the holes came out cleaner than the carbide set I paid real money for. The cheap one cut slower, sure, but it burned less and the rims were way crisper on the maple stiles. I think the carbide tips get too grabby in a hand drill, and I was fighting tearout on every hinge cup. The HSS just kind of shaved its way through and left me almost no cleanup. Now I am second guessing whether I have been wasting money on the pricey bits this whole time. So which side are you on, do you swear by carbide for hinge boring or do you think HSS is the sleeper pick?