What's Your Opinion On Indexable End Mills?

Ken from ontario

Ken from ontario

H-M Supporter - Silver Member
H-M Supporter - Silver Member
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Dec 26, 2016
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I keep seeing these advertized here and there,I even saw some videos of these indexable end mills in action today and can't help wondering if the positive reviews are for real , people seem to like them over the regular 4 FLT /2 FLT end mills, some claim they last longer!
Does anyone use these ,my gut feeling is to stay away from them and stick with what I know will work.
 
I have a couple that I use quite often. A R8 shank one that I think is 1 1/4 dia and a couple of 1/2 inch straight shank ones. Great if you want to machine down a weld that might be hard, use an old set of inserts and let it spark away.

Greg
 
Missed your link Ken, the ones I have use two inserts.

Greg
 
I have the Shars ones that take APKT1003 , they did well. I've used it on a few projects in cast iron, steel and tool steel and to mill a flat on some boring bars .
 
We have an old set that has she'll I'll and end mill and they work fantastic but they are obsolete meaning "ammo" or inserts are hard to find and not cheap.

Look for something that uses a common insert if possible.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337Z using Tapatalk
 
Ken from ontario said:
It seems to be a much better end mill.I just started buying the basic tools /accessories , got a set of 2 FLT end mills. now this one in your link is teasing me, what a slippery slope.lol.
Click to expand...

It's not a slope, it's a vertical cliff face. :)
 
I do have some milling heads that use the APKT inserts, as well as some other ones that use other types inserts, but the smallest is 2". The inserts can be pricey and not as versatile accr0ss a lot of different materials, you may need different sets. They also do not work well if you are using the side of the cutter cleaning up an edge of say 1/2 or thicker stock, or milling down into material to slot. I end up mostly using 1/2" 3 flute carbide or HSS cobalt end mills, one will last me about 6+ months, and I usually manage to break/chip a flute by knocking it against something (i.e. my fault, not the end mill). I almost never use my 2 flute end mills, occasionally 4 flute in some alloys. I can usually pick one up a 1/2" 3Fl end mill for $30-40 which is the cost of one set of inserts. End mills can also be sharpened, but it costs about the same as replacing them. I would think that a sharp end mill would take less power for a similar cut relative to an insert cutter, and the end mill helix better at clearing chips. You are looking at $300 for that 3/4" indexable end mill with two boxes of inserts, one for steel and one for aluminum, Hmmm :guilty:.
 
I bought a boxes of ten APKT1003 inserts for $29 from KRM and Rishet on ebay , they've held up well in steel and cast iron . They worked fine for the couple alum things i've milled, just not as nice a finish as SEHT I have on another tool.
You only get the height of the insert when side milling . The indexable end mills I got from shars were all between $30-$50

http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_odkw=1+x+1"+90+Degree+Square+Shoulder+Indexable+End+Mill+APKT+Insert+New&_osacat=0&_from=R40&_trksid=p2045573.m570.l1313.TR0.TRC0.H0.X90+Degree+Square+Shoulder+Indexable+End+Mill+APKT.TRS0&_nkw=90+Degree+Square+Shoulder+Indexable+End+Mill+APKT&_sacat=0

http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_sop... 10&rt=nc&LH_PrefLoc=1&_trksid=p2045573.m1684
 
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