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 18

• Approved Vendor #29 Cobalt Split Point Stub Drill Bit SKU 8927 $2.24
• Approved Vendor #29 Cobalt Stubby Threaded Shank Drill Bit SKU 8928 $6.26
• Approved Vendor #29 HSS Black & Gold 135° Split Point Jobber Length Drill Bit SKU 8929 $4.15
• Drill America #29 HSS Black & Gold KFD Split Point Jobber Length Drill Bit Killer Force Drill Bit SKU 8930 $1.09
• Approved Vendor #29 HSS Black Oxide 118° Standard Point Jobber Length Drill Bit SKU 8931 $2.83
• Approved Vendor #29 HSS Black Oxide 135° Split Point Jobber Length Drill Bit SKU 8932 $3.87
• Drill America #29 HSS Black Oxide Jobber Length Drill Bit, D/AN Series SKU 8933 $1.16
• Drill America #29 HSS Black Oxide Jobber Length Drill Bit, DWDN Series SKU 8934 $0.65
• Approved Vendor #29 HSS Cobalt 118° Standard Point Jobber Length Drill Bit SKU 8935 $6.01
• Approved Vendor #29 HSS Left Hand Jobber Length Drill Bit SKU 8936 $3.08
• Approved Vendor #29 HSS Polished 118° Standard Point Jobber Length Drill Bit SKU 8937 $4.37
• Approved Vendor #29 HSS Polished Jobber Length Drill Bit, D/AP Series SKU 8938 $1.16
• Approved Vendor #29 HSS Split Point Jobber Length Drill Bit, D/ASP Series SKU 8939 $1.36
• Approved Vendor #29 HSS Split Point Jobber Length Drill Bit, DWDSP Series SKU 8940 $0.99
• Approved Vendor #29 HSS Split Point Stub Drill Bit, D/AST Series SKU 8941 $1.14
• Approved Vendor #29 HSS Split Point Stub Drill Bit, DWDST Series SKU 8942 $0.93
• Approved Vendor #29 HSS Taper Length Drill Bit SKU 8944 $8.76
• Approved Vendor #29 Solid Carbide Drill Bit SKU 8945 $20.37
• Approved Vendor #29 Tin Coated Jobber Length Drill Bit SKU 8946 $4.63
• DeWalt #29 Wire Cobalt Jobber Length Drill SKU 115-DD4229B12 $2.34
• Drill America #29 x 12" HSS Aircraft Extension Drill Bit, DWDA/C SKU 8948 $7.46
• Drill America #29 x 6" HSS Aircraft Extension Drill Bit, DWDA/C SKU 8950 $2.77
• Approved Vendor #3 Carbide Tipped Jobber Length Drill Bit SKU 8952 $38.34
• Approved Vendor #3 Cobalt Jobber Length Drill Bit, D/ACO Series SKU 8956 $4.75
• Drill America #3 Cobalt Jobber Length Drill Bit, DWDCO Series SKU 8957 $3.45
• Approved Vendor #3 Cobalt Long Threaded Shank Drill Bit SKU 8958 $6.02
• Alfa Tool #3 Cobalt Screw Machine Drill SKU SMCO60303 $5.04
• Approved Vendor #3 Cobalt Short Threaded Shank Drill Bit SKU 8959 $5.71
• Approved Vendor #3 Cobalt Split Point Stub Drill Bit SKU 8960 $5.07
• Approved Vendor #3 Cobalt Stubby Threaded Shank Drill Bit SKU 8961 $6.86
• Approved Vendor #3 High Speed Steel Black & Gold Round Shank Step Drill Bit, (1/4" - 3/4" by 1/16") SKU 8963 $95.87
• Approved Vendor #3 High Speed Steel Round Shank Step Drill Bit, (1/4" - 3/4" by 1/16") SKU 8965 $95.87
• Approved Vendor #3 HSS Black & Gold 135° Split Point Jobber Length Drill Bit SKU 8967 $6.62
• Drill America #3 HSS Black & Gold KFD Split Point Jobber Length Drill Bit Killer Force Drill Bit SKU 8968 $1.90
• Approved Vendor #3 HSS Black & Gold Step Drill Bit (1/4" - 3/4" by 1/16") SKU 8970 $31.29
• Approved Vendor #3 HSS Black Oxide 118° Standard Point Jobber Length Drill Bit SKU 8971 $4.55
• Approved Vendor #3 HSS Black Oxide 135° Split Point Jobber Length Drill Bit SKU 8972 $6.31
• Drill America #3 HSS Black Oxide Jobber Length Drill Bit, D/AN Series SKU 8973 $2.19
• Drill America #3 HSS Black Oxide Jobber Length Drill Bit, DWDN Series SKU 8974 $1.22
• Approved Vendor #3 HSS Cobalt 118° Standard Point Jobber Length Drill Bit SKU 8975 $11.31
• Approved Vendor #3 HSS Left Hand Jobber Length Drill Bit SKU 8977 $5.98
• Approved Vendor #3 HSS Polished 118° Standard Point Jobber Length Drill Bit SKU 8978 $7.48
• Approved Vendor #3 HSS Polished Jobber Length Drill Bit, D/AP Series SKU 8979 $2.19
• Approved Vendor #3 HSS Split Point Jobber Length Drill Bit, D/ASP Series SKU 8982 $2.33
• Approved Vendor #3 HSS Split Point Jobber Length Drill Bit, DWDSP Series SKU 8983 $1.80
• Approved Vendor #3 HSS Split Point Stub Drill Bit, D/AST Series SKU 8984 $1.96
• Approved Vendor #3 HSS Split Point Stub Drill Bit, DWDST Series SKU 8985 $1.64
• Approved Vendor #3 HSS Step Drill Bit (1/4" - 3/4" by 1/16") SKU 8986 $31.29