Poll - Who Makes the best end mills?

Who Makes The Best End Mills?

  • Total voters
    36
What kind of list does not include "Cleveland"? They come no better. I haven't bought a new end-mill in about 20 years.

"Billy G"
 
I will chime in with my VERY NEW TO THE HOBBY opinion. For the end mills I have and just about everything else in my shop, I get something inexpensive knowing that there is a good likelihood that something I may do improperly may destroy or otherwise prevent me from seeing the normal performance from the tool. I don't mind spending more for something that I know is better but if my lack of experience is going to play a big role I start small...

Jim
 
I typically use Interstate from Enco's hot deals when they have an extra coupon code. They cut nice and the two I broke due operator error didn't make me feel too bad cause I wasn't out much. I bought a bunch of new Niagara, OSG, Accupro and others at an estate sale for a buck or two each. I pulled out one of Niagara end mills for a job and that was a whole new experience. Man that cut nice, hence the reason for my vote. I'll keep using the Interstate brand for most stuff until I stop doing stupid since I can't replace the name brand ones for what I paid for them.

Dave
 
I have no clue who makes mine, I usually just buy them from my local Fastenal.
 
Hertel & Shars, I think, are both owned by MSC.
MSC has great service and a range of quality levels.
They must have a hell of a computer system as fast as they can find you an alternative, if what you want is out of stock. Looking at their catalog you wonder how they can have that much stuff, in stock.
The super cheap deals that Shars used to run, seem to have disappeared, since bought by MSC.
I've used Hertel, seems fine. But I've also used Chinese that seem fine. Probably an indication of my lack of experience.
I do see that I get better results with inserted tooling, when run close to the recommended SFM. I just often lack the courage to run at those rates.
By not doing repetitive work it's hard to tell how much difference in life there is from one tool to the next.
I own a production woodworking business. There we use high end tooling because we can measure the time or # of sheets run and judge the quality of cut from a lot of experience. Computerized equipment can tell you how many parts/sheets etc. that have been run everyday.

If any of you are also woodworkers, the IWF2018 show is coming up in Atlanta. Worth the trip, big show. Check it out on-line.
 
RVJimD said:
I will chime in with my VERY NEW TO THE HOBBY opinion. For the end mills I have and just about everything else in my shop, I get something inexpensive knowing that there is a good likelihood that something I may do improperly may destroy or otherwise prevent me from seeing the normal performance from the tool. I don't mind spending more for something that I know is better but if my lack of experience is going to play a big role I start small...
Click to expand...
^+1.
I started out with the $70 chinese set, like many here. They have held up well, but I ain't hogging nuthin with em. For that, I use the 1/2" OSG brand TiAIN coated roughing endmill sweetheart I paid $64 for!:faint:
 
I have some Garr solid carbide roughing end mills that cut steel like butter on my mini mill. Stu
 
No one has mentioned a couple of my favorites. Of course, for brother-in-law jobs, whatever I lay a hand on first in the used pile (or maybe the second) works just fine. But for difficult materials I turn to some of the coated Japanese manufacturers such as Hanita and Nachi. Sometimes I'm thinking it is as much the coating as anything else but exotic materials usually do well with upper end (heh heh) end mills.
 
All Dormer end mills I have used have been amazing.

:)
 
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