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 43

• Approved Vendor #8 HSS Black & Gold 135° Split Point Jobber Length Drill Bit SKU 11112 $6.34
• Approved Vendor #8 HSS Left Hand Jobber Length Drill Bit SKU 11120 $5.03
• Approved Vendor #8 HSS Polished 118° Standard Point Jobber Length Drill Bit SKU 11121 $6.86
• Approved Vendor #8 HSS Polished Jobber Length Drill Bit, D/AP Series SKU 11122 $1.98
• Approved Vendor #8 HSS Split Point Jobber Length Drill Bit, D/ASP Series SKU 11124 $2.19
• Approved Vendor #8 HSS Split Point Jobber Length Drill Bit, DWDSP Series SKU 11125 $1.64
• Approved Vendor #8 HSS Split Point Stub Drill Bit, D/AST Series SKU 11126 $1.79
• Approved Vendor #8 HSS Split Point Stub Drill Bit, DWDST Series SKU 11127 $1.49
• Approved Vendor #8 HSS Taper Length Drill Bit SKU 11130 $9.64
• Approved Vendor #8 Regular HSS Combined Drill Bit and Countersink SKU 11139 $12.22
• Approved Vendor #8 Solid Carbide Drill Bit SKU 11166 $32.10
• DeWalt #8 Wire Cobalt Screw Machine Length Drill SKU 115-DD4308B12 $3.01
• Alfa Tool #80 HSS Alfa Usa Jobber Drill Bright SKU J160180B $6.84
• DeWalt #9 Wire Cobalt Jobber Length Drill SKU 115-DD4209B12 $3.37
• Alfa Tool 0-80 HSS Alfa Usa Hand Tap-Bottoming SKU HTB170000 $13.20
• Alfa Tool 0-80 HSS Eco Pro Hand Tap-Bottoming SKU HTB270000 $10.94
• Alfa Tool 0-80 HSS Usa Spiral Pointed Tap SKU SPT170100 $15.76
• Alfa Tool 1 1/16 Hex Shank Car Reamer SKU CR54574 $151.86
• Alfa Tool 1 1/2 HSS Spiral Flute Pipe Reamer SKU HSPR70358 $179.06
• Alfa Tool 1 1/2-12 Carbon Steel Hand Tap Taper SKU CSHTT70561 $70.76
• Alfa Tool 1 1/2-6 Carbon Steel Hand Tap Taper SKU CSHTT70560 $72.36
• Alfa Tool 1 1/4 HSS Eco Pro S&D Drill 1/2" Shank SKU SD250431 $55.32
• Irwin 1 1/4" 3-Cutter Self Feed Bit SKU 585-3046006 $46.52
• Alfa Tool 1 1/4-12 Carbon Steel Hand Tap Taper SKU CSHTT70557 $52.56
• Alfa Tool 1 1/4-7 Carbon Steel Hand Tap Taper SKU CSHTT70556 $52.56
• Alfa Tool 1 1/4-7 HSS Black Oxide Alfa Usa Hand Tap Set SKU HTS80055 $526.28
• Alfa Tool 1 3/16 HSS Eco Pro S&D Drill 1/2" Shank SKU SD250429 $55.32
• Alfa Tool 1 3/4-5 HSS Special Thread Tap Bottoming SKU HTSPB71483 $310.56
• Alfa Tool 1 3/8 Cobalt S&D Drill 1/2" Shank SKU SDCO50435 $281.12
• Alfa Tool 1 3/8 HSS Eco Pro S&D Drill 1/2" Shank SKU SD250435 $65.74
• Alfa Tool 1 3/8-12 Carbon Steel Hand Tap Taper SKU CSHTT70559 $68.74
• Alfa Tool 1 3/8-6 Carbon Steel Hand Tap Taper SKU CSHTT70558 $56.60
• Alfa Tool 1 3/8-6 HSS Black Oxide Alfa Usa Hand Tap Set SKU HTS80057 $661.94
• Alfa Tool 1 5/16 HSS Eco Pro S&D Drill 1/2" Shank SKU SD250433 $65.74
• Alfa Tool 1 5/8" Bormax Forstner Bit SKU FBM64022 $56.30
• Alfa Tool 1 7/16 HSS Eco Pro S&D Drill 1/2" Shank SKU SD250437 $89.70
• Alfa Tool 1 7/8" Bormax Forstner Bit SKU FBM64024 $59.80
• DeWalt 1 Aluminum U-Die Set SKU 115-DCE31001AL $192.29
• DeWalt 1 Copper U-Die Set SKU 115-DCE31001CU $192.29
• Aviditi 1 Gallon F-Style Can Foam Insert 160/Cs-3Cs/Sk SKU HAZ1062 $490.46/pack of 160
• Alfa Tool 1 HSS Taper Length Drill SKU TL50361 $94.44
• DeWalt 1 In BL D-Handle SDS Plus HMR Bare SKU 115-DCH133B $347.22
• Milwaukee 1 In. Forstner Bit SKU 495-48-14-1001 $26.60
• Milwaukee 1 In. TCT Annular CUTTER2 in. Depth SKU 495-49-59-4100 $155.77
• Milwaukee 1 In. x 6 in. Speed Feedwood Bit SKU 495-48-13-0088 $23.91
• Alfa Tool 1 Square Cobalt Tool Bit SKU TBCS60821 $168.30
• Alfa Tool 1 X 1 Cobalt Rotacutter SKU RCCO74309 $67.30
• Alfa Tool 1 X 1" Single End 2 Flute Center Cutting Altin Carbide End Mill SKU SC61335AL $280.70