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

Cutting Tools & Machining: page 37

Drill America #6 HSS Black Oxide Jobber Length Drill Bit, D/AN Series SKU 10179 $2.19
Drill America #6 HSS Black Oxide Jobber Length Drill Bit, DWDN Series SKU 10180 $1.22
Approved Vendor #6 HSS Cobalt 118° Standard Point Jobber Length Drill Bit SKU 10181 $11.31
Approved Vendor #6 HSS Left Hand Jobber Length Drill Bit SKU 10183 $5.98
Approved Vendor #6 HSS Polished 118° Standard Point Jobber Length Drill Bit SKU 10184 $7.48
Approved Vendor #6 HSS Polished Jobber Length Drill Bit, D/AP Series SKU 10185 $2.19
Approved Vendor #6 HSS Split Point Jobber Length Drill Bit, D/ASP Series SKU 10187 $2.33
Approved Vendor #6 HSS Split Point Jobber Length Drill Bit, DWDSP Series SKU 10188 $1.80
Approved Vendor #6 HSS Split Point Stub Drill Bit, D/AST Series SKU 10189 $1.96
Approved Vendor #6 HSS Split Point Stub Drill Bit, DWDST Series SKU 10190 $1.64
Approved Vendor #6 HSS Taper Length Drill Bit SKU 10193 $9.64
Approved Vendor #6 Regular HSS Combined Drill Bit and Countersink SKU 10199 $6.70
Approved Vendor #6 Solid Carbide Combined Drill Bit and Countersink SKU 10203 $108.84
Approved Vendor #6 Solid Carbide Drill Bit SKU 10204 $33.70
Approved Vendor #6 Tin Coated Jobber Length Drill Bit SKU 10301 $6.03
DeWalt #6 Wire Cobalt Jobber Length Drill SKU 115-DD4206B12 $3.49
Drill America #6 x 12" HSS Aircraft Extension Drill Bit, DWDA/C SKU 10308 $9.54
Drill America #6 x 6" HSS Aircraft Extension Drill Bit, DWDA/C SKU 10312 $3.80
Approved Vendor #6-32 HSS Combined Drill Bit & Tap (Drap) SKU 10356 $24.35
Milwaukee #6-32 HSS Plug Tap and #36 HSS Drill Bit SKU 10357 $5.48
Approved Vendor #6-32 STI Tap, High Speed Steel SKU 10367 $15.74
Approved Vendor #6-32 UNC Carbon Steel Bottoming Tap SKU 10369 $1.75
Approved Vendor #6-32 UNC Carbon Steel Hex Rethreading Die SKU 10370 $7.71
Approved Vendor #6-32 UNC Combined Drill Tap and Countersink with 1/4" Quick Change Hex Shank SKU 10373 $7.30
Approved Vendor #6-32 UNC HSS 2 Flute Spiral Point Tap SKU 10374 $4.72
#6-32 UNC HSS 2 Flute Spiral Point Tap, Tap America SKU 10375 $7.56
Approved Vendor #6-32 UNC HSS Bottoming Tap SKU 10376 $3.63
#6-32 UNC HSS Bottoming Tap, Tap America SKU 10377 $5.67
Approved Vendor #6-32 UNC HSS Left 3 Flute Plug Tap SKU 10379 $5.76
Approved Vendor #6-32 UNC HSS Left 3 Flute Taper Tap SKU 10380 $5.76
Approved Vendor #6-32 UNC HSS Plug Tap SKU 10381 $3.63
#6-32 UNC HSS Plug Tap, Tap America SKU 10382 $5.67
Approved Vendor #6-32 UNC HSS Taper Tap SKU 10383 $3.63
#6-32 UNC HSS Taper Tap, Tap America SKU 10384 $5.67
#6-32 UNC Tin-Coated 2 Flute Spiral Point Tap, Tap America SKU 10385 $13.17
Approved Vendor #6-32 UNC X 1" OD HSS Round Adjustable Die SKU 10387 $12.70
Approved Vendor #6-32 UNC X 13/16" OD HSS Left Round Adjustable Die SKU 10388 $26.38
Approved Vendor #6-32 UNC X 13/16" OD HSS Round Adjustable Die SKU 10389 $10.36
Approved Vendor #6-32 x 6" HSS Pulley Tap SKU 10392 $19.49
Approved Vendor #6-32 x 6" HSS Spiral Point Tap SKU 10393 $26.00
Approved Vendor #6-36 UNS HSS Plug Tap SKU 10673 $16.48
Approved Vendor #6-36 UNS X 1" OD HSS Round Adjustable Die SKU 10674 $33.01
Approved Vendor #6-36 UNS X 13/16" OD HSS Round Adjustable Die SKU 10675 $29.07
Approved Vendor #6-40 HSS Plug Tap and #33 HSS Drill Bit SKU 10677 $5.75
Approved Vendor #6-40 STI Tap, High Speed Steel SKU 10678 $62.75
Approved Vendor #6-40 UNF HSS 2 Flute Spiral Point Tap SKU 10679 $4.97
#6-40 UNF HSS 2 Flute Spiral Point Tap, Tap America SKU 10680 $8.20
Approved Vendor #6-40 UNF HSS Bottoming Tap SKU 10681 $3.84