That $200 end mill I thought was a bargain... nope.

Saw a listing on eBay for a bunch of supposedly brand new 1/2 inch carbide end mills, got 10 of them for $200 which seemed like a steal. Turned out they were either dull as hell or ground wrong from the factory. Wasted a whole Saturday dialing them in, first cut on some 6061 aluminum shattered three of them before I could even get a finish pass going. That's like $60 in tooling down the drain plus time I can't get back. Anyone else get burned on a bulk tooling deal like this?

3 comments

3 Comments

mila_perry1313d ago

Ten bucks an end mill should have been your first red flag, not a bargain. Brand new carbide from a reputable supplier like Garr or Kennametal runs closer to $30-50 each for a reason. Buying bulk eBay mystery tools is just gambling with your time and machine.

uma68513d ago

@mila_perry13 nailed it. Cheap end mills are a false economy when you factor in the time wasted on tool changes and bad finishes. Stick with known brands and pay the real price.

kim37312d ago

@mila_perry13 is right. Cheap tools cost more in the long run, every time.