About this product
Key Features
Overview
The CMT Woodworking Cutting Tools 537.000.16 16-Piece Forstner Bit Set is a woodworking bit set for drilling clean, sharp holes with straight sides and flat bottoms in soft wood. This is a forstner bit set designed for boring precise flat-bottom holes in woodworking applications. Model Number: 537.000.16. If you need one boxed set that covers the common diameters from small joinery work up through large recesses, this one gives you that range in a single case.
What makes a set like this useful is not just the piece count. It is the spread of sizes and the way the bits are built to cut. CMT lists super strength alloyed steel construction, a precision balanced center point, and two precision ground cutting edges. On the bench, that translates into better tracking when you start the hole and cleaner edge quality when the bit breaks into the wood. The larger diameter bits also use a stagger tooth design, which helps them stay controlled as the cut gets wider.
The included sizes run from 1/4 inch, 3/8 inch, 1/2 inch, 5/8 inch, 3/4 inch, 7/8 inch, 1 inch, 1-1/8 inch, 1-1/4 inch, 1-3/8 inch, 1-1/2 inch, 1-5/8 inch, 1-3/4 inch, 1-7/8 inch, 2 inch, and 2-1/8 inch. That covers a lot of ground for cabinet work, furniture building, jig making, and general shop drilling. Instead of stopping to order a missing diameter halfway through a project, you have a complete progression ready to go.
These bits are intended for use in drill presses, electric drills, and cordless drills. The straight shank and 3/8 inch shank diameter give you a familiar setup that works with common drill chucks. For anyone doing repeatable, accurate boring, a drill press will give you the best control, especially once you move into the larger diameters. For lighter field or bench work, a handheld corded or cordless drill can still make the set useful beyond the shop.
From a build standpoint, this is a practical set. Each bit is stored in a case, which is a lot better than loose bits banging around a drawer and dulling each other. That matters with forstner bits because edge condition is everything. A clean cutting edge is what gives you neat hole walls and a flatter bottom, especially when you are working in visible material where cleanup time costs you more than the bit set did.
As far as ideal users go, this set makes the most sense for woodworkers, cabinet installers, furniture builders, and serious DIYers who routinely drill larger diameter holes in soft wood. If your work includes hardware mounting, concealed hinge boring, dowel and plug work, or decorative recesses, the CMT Woodworking Cutting Tools 537.000.16 16-Piece Forstner Bit Set gives you broad size coverage and a shop-friendly storage solution. It is a better fit for woodworking-focused users who want a complete set on hand than for someone who only needs one or two sizes once a year.
Wide Size Coverage for Real Woodworking Jobs
This set gives you the common sizes woodworkers actually reach for, from small detail work to large diameter boring. Having the full range in one case keeps setup simple and saves time when a project calls for more than one hole size.
- Includes 16 forstner bits from 1/4 inch to 2-1/8 inches
- Packaged in a sturdy case to keep the bits organized and protected
What's in the Box
- (16) Forstner bits
- (1) Storage case
Key Specifications
Compatibility
Built For
Pro Tip
When you step up into the larger diameters in this set, move the work to a drill press if you can. These bigger forstner bits cut cleaner and stay easier to control when the feed rate and drilling angle stay consistent.
Warranty & Support
Tool Nut's Take
Why the CMT Woodworking Cutting Tools 537.000.16 16-Piece Forstner Bit Set earns a spot in the shop
This is the kind of set that makes sense for woodworkers who are tired of hunting down odd sizes one at a time.
- Who it's for: Woodworkers, cabinet guys, furniture builders, and serious DIY users who regularly bore clean flat-bottom holes in soft wood.
- Why it stands out: You get 16 useful sizes, alloyed steel construction, precision-ground cutting edges, and a case that keeps the whole set together instead of scattered around the shop.
- Worth knowing: This set is strongest as a woodworking option for soft wood, and the larger bits will reward you with better control when you run them in a drill press.
Common Questions
- What type of holes is this set made to drill? It is made to drill clean, sharp holes with straight sides and flat bottoms.
- What materials is this set recommended for? The product description states these forstner bits are ideal for all types of soft wood.
- What drills can these bits be used with? They are designed for drill presses, electric drills, and cordless drills.
- What is the size range in the set? The set covers diameters from 1/4 inch up to 2-1/8 inches.
Description supplied by Tool Nut through its current Shopify listing. Product, performance, and health claims are the seller’s and have not been independently verified by StorkScout.
