Forstner Bits: When They Beat a Spade Bit
A quality Forstner bit is the right tool when you need a flat-bottomed hole with clean, chip-free edges. A spade bit is faster and cheaper, but it wanders, tears the exit side, and leaves a pointed bottom. If you are drilling hinge mortises, shelf-pin holes, dowel joints, or counterbores for plugs, a Forstner bit earns …