# cnc cutter bits



## david clark (May 21, 2010)

Here is a question for the experts and CNC veterans: what is the best source for the cutters used on CNC"s?


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## Cherryville Chuck (Sep 28, 2010)

I would say Onsrud. That is the company's focus. They also have a stellar CS department you can call to find out what the best bit is for a given application plus feed speeds, etc. http://onsrud.us.com/assets/2017LMTOnsrudProductionCuttingToolsCatalog.pdf


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## dovetail_65 (Jan 22, 2008)

All the major companies make great bits for CNC use both Router type bits and End Mills.


Freud, Onsrude, Whiteside, CMT, Amana, Eagle America and more are in my shop. And the best bits are "almost" always the more expense bits. 



I purchase my bits based on best for the application meaning price verse performance, not name brand. I find this out by researching what others have used and reading the reviews and what worked best for me over the years.


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## 4DThinker (Feb 16, 2014)

If you want bits that are exactly the diameter that they claim then Onsrude stands out in my experience. If a bit breaks in use while CNC cutting it is almost always a Whiteside bit that our shop manager buys because they are less expensive than Onsrude. 

4D


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## streetrodlover (May 18, 2017)

I use primarily Whiteside for regular and compression or Amana for specialty endmills, I have yet to break a Whiteside, but I do only cut at the depth of the diameter (usually .25). Plywood I'm usually at 12k rpm at 130ipm .25 pass depth. I have been meaning to try Amana's new spektra line and see if they stand up to the extended life claim. 

Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk


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## BalloonEngineer (Mar 27, 2009)

For smaller bits I have had good luck with bits from Precise Bits (Tinker and Tinker) or from eBay seller Drillman1 - his bits from Kyocera are American made and of excellent quality. 

I second the comments about Onsrud and Whiteside - they have served me well, but are more expensive and I do not do commercial or high volume work. 

While I have not used them myself, many of my friends with Legacy machines seem to buy a lot of bits from Magnate, and have good things to say about them.


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## difalkner (Jan 3, 2012)

I have Freud, Whiteside, a Bosch or two, some tiny bits from StewMac, and some oddball bits thrown in, even a few 1/8" from China. They all work just fine. 

I have upcut and downcut 1/8" and 1/4" Whiteside and Freud bits that get used 90% of the time. The only bits I have broken were my fault and not because the bit failed. I broke two of the Chinese 1/8" bits right after I finished building the machine and didn't know what I was doing (not that now is much different, mind you...). I left the bit in a hole and tried to jog the machine on one and the other I set Z zero incorrectly and tried to cut a contour on 3/4" material in one pass - not a good thing with a 1/8" bit!

David


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## dovetail_65 (Jan 22, 2008)

Most of my work is using 1/16th bits, sometimes smaller. I am done with Precisebits. For years I paid the price for their 1/16th bits and they always broke, I was told it was my fault, the feed and speed etc, Well it waan't and it's not. For smaller bits I recommend buying drillman 1 bits on eBay, Excelon brand or Kemmer Prazision which are the best small bits I have ever used or been able to buy worldwide.


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## Pro4824 (Oct 17, 2015)

Don't fall into the big $$$ surfacing bit trap. I've got a friend who paid well over $100 for his and he was amazed at the surface quality I got from removing the guide bearing from one of my old cheap slot cutter/rabbeting bit. It worked perfectly!


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## kp91 (Sep 10, 2004)

I've used Magnate.net Ornamental milling router bits for years, and I love them. I haven't used them in the CNC.

Centurion tools V groove bits are a great bang for the buck, made just down the road from me in Virginia!

http://www.routerforums.com/tool-reviews/98497-centurion-tools-router-bits.html#post1271401

My end mills are a mix of Whiteside, WoodlineUSA and a few generic.

The only bits I have broken in the CNC were due to my error.

http://www.magnate.net/Default.asp

https://www.centuriontools.com/


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## david clark (May 21, 2010)

Wow, Thanks to everyone who responded, Great information from each of you. Now I can start exploring - - Thanks again everyone!


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## david clark (May 21, 2010)

Hey, Thanks to everyone who weighed in on this thread, gives me plenty of info to follow up on ! again thanks !


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