Cutting Tools & Machining

9,000+ products

Expected delivery: Wed, Nov 18

Cutting tools for maintenance shops, fabricators and machine shops: drill bits in high-speed steel, cobalt and carbide, taps and dies for inch and metric threads, end mills and inserts, hole saws and annular cutters, countersinks, reamers and burs and saw blades. Maintenance techs, contractors and machinists all use this range.

How to choose cutting tools

• Match the tool material to the workpiece. High-speed steel (HSS) covers general drilling in mild steel, aluminum and wood. Cobalt HSS holds its edge in stainless and harder alloys. Solid carbide runs faster and lasts longer in rigid machines, but it is brittle in a hand drill. Our guide to drill bits by material explains coatings, point angles and lengths.
• Use the right point angle. A 118 degree point is common for general-purpose work. A 135 degree split point starts without a center punch and suits harder metals.
• Size the tap drill before you tap. Each thread size has a matching tap drill, and the wrong one breaks taps or strips threads. See how to read thread sizes and our taps and dies.
• Control speed and heat. Harder materials and larger diameters need slower speeds. Use cutting fluid on steel and stainless, found under oils and cutting fluids.
• Pick the right hole-making tool. Twist drills suit small holes, step drills suit thin sheet, and hole saws or annular cutters suit large holes.

We carry the Alfa Tool line of drill bits, taps, end mills, countersinks and hole saws. For production tooling, a recurring tool crib order or part numbers you don't see online, ask for a quote. Shops that go through bits every week can set up vendor managed inventory so bins are counted and refilled on a schedule.

Common questions

What drill bit should I use for stainless steel?

A cobalt drill bit with a 135 degree split point is a common choice. Run it at a low speed with steady pressure and cutting oil, so the bit keeps cutting and does not work-harden the steel.

What is the difference between a plug tap and a bottoming tap?

A plug tap has a few tapered threads at the tip and is the general-purpose choice. A bottoming tap has almost no taper, so it cuts full threads close to the bottom of a blind hole after a plug tap has started the thread.

When should I use an annular cutter instead of a twist drill?

Annular cutters cut only a ring of metal and leave a solid slug, so they make large holes in steel faster and with less power. They are usually run in a magnetic drill press.

Cutting Tools & Machining by type

• Drill Bits 5,000+
• Taps & Dies 2,000+
• End Mills & Inserts 700+
• Countersinks, Reamers & Burs 500+
• Hole Saws & Annular Cutters 400+
• Saw Blades 100+
• Other Cutting Tools & Machining 1+

Cutting Tools & Machining: page 10

• Approved Vendor #16 HSS Cobalt 118° Standard Point Jobber Length Drill Bit SKU 8444 $8.10
• Approved Vendor #16 HSS Left Hand Jobber Length Drill Bit SKU 8445 $4.48
• Approved Vendor #16 HSS Polished 118° Standard Point Jobber Length Drill Bit SKU 8446 $6.05
• Approved Vendor #16 HSS Polished Jobber Length Drill Bit, D/AP Series SKU 8447 $1.72
• Approved Vendor #16 HSS Split Point Jobber Length Drill Bit, D/ASP Series SKU 8448 $1.97
• Approved Vendor #16 HSS Split Point Jobber Length Drill Bit, DWDSP Series SKU 8449 $1.48
• Approved Vendor #16 HSS Split Point Stub Drill Bit, D/AST Series SKU 8450 $1.59
• Approved Vendor #16 HSS Split Point Stub Drill Bit, DWDST Series SKU 8451 $1.30
• Approved Vendor #16 HSS Taper Length Drill Bit SKU 8453 $8.76
• Approved Vendor #16 Solid Carbide Drill Bit SKU 8454 $28.22
• Approved Vendor #16 Tin Coated Jobber Length Drill Bit SKU 8455 $5.45
• Drill America #16 x 12" HSS Aircraft Extension Drill Bit, DWDA/C SKU 8458 $8.30
• Drill America #16 x 6" HSS Aircraft Extension Drill Bit, DWDA/C SKU 8460 $3.03
• Approved Vendor #17 Carbide Tipped Jobber Length Drill Bit SKU 8461 $36.24
• Approved Vendor #17 Cobalt Jobber Length Drill Bit, D/ACO Series SKU 8462 $3.20
• Drill America #17 Cobalt Jobber Length Drill Bit, DWDCO Series SKU 8463 $2.35
• Approved Vendor #17 Cobalt Long Threaded Shank Drill Bit SKU 8464 $6.67
• Approved Vendor #17 Cobalt Short Threaded Shank Drill Bit SKU 8465 $4.76
• Approved Vendor #17 Cobalt Split Point Stub Drill Bit SKU 8466 $3.24
• Approved Vendor #17 Cobalt Stubby Threaded Shank Drill Bit SKU 8467 $5.12
• Approved Vendor #17 HSS Black & Gold 135° Split Point Jobber Length Drill Bit SKU 8469 $5.09
• Drill America #17 HSS Black & Gold KFD Split Point Jobber Length Drill Bit Killer Force Drill Bit SKU 8470 $1.40
• Approved Vendor #17 HSS Black Oxide 118° Standard Point Jobber Length Drill Bit SKU 8471 $3.84
• Approved Vendor #17 HSS Black Oxide 135° Split Point Jobber Length Drill Bit SKU 8472 $5.33
• Drill America #17 HSS Black Oxide Jobber Length Drill Bit, D/AN Series SKU 8473 $1.72
• Drill America #17 HSS Black Oxide Jobber Length Drill Bit, DWDN Series SKU 8474 $0.98
• Approved Vendor #17 HSS Cobalt 118° Standard Point Jobber Length Drill Bit SKU 8475 $7.98
• Approved Vendor #17 HSS Left Hand Jobber Length Drill Bit SKU 8476 $4.48
• Approved Vendor #17 HSS Polished 118° Standard Point Jobber Length Drill Bit SKU 8477 $6.05
• Approved Vendor #17 HSS Polished Jobber Length Drill Bit, D/AP Series SKU 8478 $1.72
• Approved Vendor #17 HSS Split Point Jobber Length Drill Bit, D/ASP Series SKU 8479 $1.78
• Approved Vendor #17 HSS Split Point Jobber Length Drill Bit, DWDSP Series SKU 8480 $1.48
• Approved Vendor #17 HSS Split Point Stub Drill Bit, D/AST Series SKU 8481 $1.56
• Approved Vendor #17 HSS Split Point Stub Drill Bit, DWDST Series SKU 8482 $1.28
• Approved Vendor #17 HSS Taper Length Drill Bit SKU 8484 $8.76
• Approved Vendor #17 Solid Carbide Drill Bit SKU 8485 $27.83
• Approved Vendor #17 Tin Coated Jobber Length Drill Bit SKU 8486 $5.45
• Drill America #17 x 12" HSS Aircraft Extension Drill Bit, DWDA/C SKU 8488 $8.30
• Drill America #17 x 6" HSS Aircraft Extension Drill Bit, DWDA/C SKU 8490 $3.03
• Approved Vendor #18 Carbide Tipped Jobber Length Drill Bit SKU 8491 $36.24
• Approved Vendor #18 Cobalt Jobber Length Drill Bit, D/ACO Series SKU 8492 $2.87
• Drill America #18 Cobalt Jobber Length Drill Bit, DWDCO Series SKU 8493 $2.14
• Approved Vendor #18 Cobalt Short Threaded Shank Drill Bit SKU 8495 $4.70
• Approved Vendor #18 Cobalt Split Point Stub Drill Bit SKU 8496 $2.73
• Approved Vendor #18 Cobalt Stubby Threaded Shank Drill Bit SKU 8497 $5.75
• Approved Vendor #18 HSS Black & Gold 135° Split Point Jobber Length Drill Bit SKU 8498 $5.09
• Drill America #18 HSS Black & Gold KFD Split Point Jobber Length Drill Bit Killer Force Drill Bit SKU 8499 $1.40
• Approved Vendor #18 HSS Black Oxide 118° Standard Point Jobber Length Drill Bit SKU 8500 $3.21