Mabco3 Piece Raised Panel Cabinet Door Router Bit Set, 1/2 inch Shank Ogee Rail and Stile, Panel Bit w/Backcutter, Cope and Stick Set (3Pc Set)

Great tool for the price. I needed to make some raised panels for a desk that I’m building. I took a chance with the Mabco panel raising bit and I was pleasantly surprised. With the back-cutter built in, it saved me time not having to make a seperate cut. Since it’s such a large bit, I did have to make the cuts in 3 passes. They all turned out great and I couldn’t recommend it enough. Will buy again.

Although I haven't had a chance to fire these up, this is not my first set of cabinet door router bits. I'm of the belief that you should probably use a shaper for this type of thing, but if you have a router table a 1/2" shank bit will do the trick.These are beefy bits, as you would expect. Pay attention to the speeds and make sure the locking nut on the top is on tight. The bits are well packed so that there is no chance of being damaged in transit. There are spare spacers as well.Carbide flutes are thick and reasonably sharp. I didn't see any flaws on the carbide itself, although only sustained use will tell you the grade of carbide.The yellow finish is flaking off in spots, but only on the carbide flutes. The shanks/shafts are well machined and the bits are oiled to prevent corrosion.All told these look like a good buy, but I can't rate longevity yet. I did fire them up to check balance and they were spinning fine in my router table (which has a 3.25HP motor).

If you search on Amazon for “Raised Panel Door bit set,” you’ll see sets ranging from $35 up to $200+. This set is at the low end of that range. What you get, though, is an exceptional value…the rail and style bits, plus a raised panel bit with back cutter. Just the raised panel bit from a brand-name manufacturer easily costs twice the price of this entire set.I’ve had these for less than a week, so this review is based on limited use and I haven’t been exactly taxing them…I’ve made a few test panels using poplar. (Yes, that is my actual, heavily used, router table. I cleaned it up for the photo!). The bits cut cleanly, with minimal tear out. Even with a large 3+hp router motor, you should take a couple passes when using the raised panel bit. (When you use a bit without the back cutter, you can adjust the bit height to make successively deeper cuts. With the back cutter, you need to move the fence. Don’t forget to set the speed of the motor to its lowest possible setting!)To make setup easier next time you use these, save a scrap piece of a rail and of a style that are shaped the way you like. Then all you have to do is adjust the bit height to match your template. Personally, I purchased a block of 3/4” thick UHMW polypropylene and use that to make templates. It’s stable, pretty much indestructible, and available here on Amazon.Bottom line…this is a decent raised panel set for the home hobbiest and occasional user. If you’re just making a kitchen or bathroom’s worth of doors, it’s hard to justify the cost of a set of bits from Freud, CMT, Amana, or the other industrial-level suppliers. These might not last quite as long, but you can buy three of these sets for the price of one of theirs and toss them guilt-free when they get dull.