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Switched from HSS to carbide end mills, still not fully sold after 6 weeks
I ran a job in Toledo with a 3/8" carbide cutter and the feed rates were unreal, but the chatter on thin walls made me question if it's worth the price. Anyone else find certain materials or setups where HSS just flat out outperforms carbide, or am I missing something on speeds and feeds?
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michael8071mo ago
A 3/8 carbide in Toledo on thin walls is a recipe for chatter no matter what you paid for the cutter. I'll take the other side here: HSS gets dumped on way too fast. On 304 stainless with a long reach or any part under a quarter inch thick, a good cobalt HSS rougher will outlive the carbide because it flexes and damps instead of chipping. Carbide is hard and brittle, so the second that wall starts ringing you're buying a new tool, and at $60 a pop that math quits working. Run HSS slower with more chip load and flood coolant and you'll be shocked how clean it cuts. Carbide wins on the spindle, HSS wins on the setup.
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