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 12

• Approved Vendor #2 Cobalt Short Threaded Shank Drill Bit SKU 8557 $6.50
• Approved Vendor #2 Cobalt Split Point Stub Drill Bit SKU 8558 $5.07
• Approved Vendor #2 Cobalt Stubby Threaded Shank Drill Bit SKU 8559 $6.89
• Approved Vendor #2 High Speed Steel Black & Gold Round Shank Step Drill Bit, (3/16" - 1/2" by 1/16") SKU 8561 $66.30
• Approved Vendor #2 High Speed Steel Round Shank Step Drill Bit, (3/16" - 1/2" by 1/16") SKU 8563 $66.30
• Approved Vendor #2 HSS Black & Gold 135° Split Point Jobber Length Drill Bit SKU 8565 $7.15
• Drill America #2 HSS Black & Gold KFD Split Point Jobber Length Drill Bit Killer Force Drill Bit SKU 8566 $2.08
• Approved Vendor #2 HSS Black & Gold Step Drill Bit (3/16" - 1/2" by 1/16") SKU 8568 $21.51
• Approved Vendor #2 HSS Black Oxide 118° Standard Point Jobber Length Drill Bit SKU 8569 $4.90
• Approved Vendor #2 HSS Black Oxide 135° Split Point Jobber Length Drill Bit SKU 8570 $6.77
• Drill America #2 HSS Black Oxide Jobber Length Drill Bit, D/AN Series SKU 8571 $2.33
• Drill America #2 HSS Black Oxide Jobber Length Drill Bit, DWDN Series SKU 8572 $1.34
• Approved Vendor #2 HSS Cobalt 118° Standard Point Jobber Length Drill Bit SKU 8573 $12.01
• Approved Vendor #2 HSS Left Hand Jobber Length Drill Bit SKU 8575 $6.36
• Approved Vendor #2 HSS Polished 118° Standard Point Jobber Length Drill Bit SKU 8576 $7.92
• Approved Vendor #2 HSS Polished Jobber Length Drill Bit, D/AP Series SKU 8577 $2.33
• Approved Vendor #2 HSS Split Point Jobber Length Drill Bit, D/ASP Series SKU 8580 $2.54
• Approved Vendor #2 HSS Split Point Jobber Length Drill Bit, DWDSP Series SKU 8581 $1.95
• Approved Vendor #2 HSS Split Point Stub Drill Bit, D/AST Series SKU 8582 $2.10
• Approved Vendor #2 HSS Split Point Stub Drill Bit, DWDST Series SKU 8583 $1.74
• Approved Vendor #2 HSS Step Drill Bit (3/16" - 1/2" by 1/16") SKU 8584 $21.51
• Approved Vendor #2 HSS Taper Length Drill Bit SKU 8587 $10.00
• Approved Vendor #2 Regular HSS Combined Drill Bit and Countersink SKU 8592 $2.77
• Approved Vendor #2 Solid Carbide Combined Drill Bit and Countersink SKU 8593 $31.30
• Approved Vendor #2 Solid Carbide Drill Bit SKU 8594 $37.08
• Approved Vendor #2 Tin Coated Jobber Length Drill Bit SKU 8597 $6.40
• Drill America #2 x 12" HSS Aircraft Extension Drill Bit, DWDA/C SKU 8602 $10.25
• Drill America #2 x 6" HSS Aircraft Extension Drill Bit, DWDA/C SKU 8607 $4.23
• Approved Vendor #2-0 Regular HSS Combined Drill Bit and Countersink SKU 8608 $3.42
• Approved Vendor #2-56 STI Tap, High Speed Steel SKU 8609 $11.39
• Approved Vendor #2-56 UNC HSS 2 Flute Spiral Point Tap SKU 8613 $8.68
• #2-56 UNC HSS 2 Flute Spiral Point Tap, Tap America SKU 8614 $13.88
• Approved Vendor #2-56 UNC HSS Bottoming Tap SKU 8615 $7.53
• #2-56 UNC HSS Bottoming Tap, Tap America SKU 8616 $11.48
• Approved Vendor #2-56 UNC HSS Plug Tap SKU 8617 $7.53
• #2-56 UNC HSS Plug Tap, Tap America SKU 8618 $11.48
• Approved Vendor #2-56 UNC HSS Taper Tap SKU 8619 $7.53
• #2-56 UNC HSS Taper Tap, Tap America SKU 8620 $11.48
• #2-56 UNC Tin-Coated 2 Flute Spiral Point Tap, Tap America SKU 8621 $19.21
• Approved Vendor #2-56 UNC X 1" OD HSS Round Adjustable Die SKU 8622 $12.70
• Approved Vendor #2-56 UNC X 13/16" OD HSS Left Round Adjustable Die SKU 8623 $26.38
• Approved Vendor #2-56 UNC X 13/16" OD HSS Round Adjustable Die SKU 8624 $10.36
• Approved Vendor #2-64 UNF HSS 2 Flute Spiral Point Tap SKU 8637 $9.49
• #2-64 UNF HSS 2 Flute Spiral Point Tap, Tap America SKU 8638 $14.27
• #2-64 UNF HSS Bottoming Tap, Tap America SKU 8640 $12.41
• Approved Vendor #2-64 UNF HSS Plug Tap SKU 8641 $8.16
• #2-64 UNF HSS Plug Tap, Tap America SKU 8642 $12.41
• Approved Vendor #2-64 UNF HSS Taper Tap SKU 8643 $8.16