That super expensive insert tool I scoffed at saved my butt on a rush job

Last month I was running a job with this nasty 4140 steel part, tight tolerances like +/-.0005. I was using my usual cheapo inserts and they were chattering like crazy after like 10 parts. My buddy Jeff kept telling me to try those Sandvik GC4325 inserts, but I thought he was just a brand snob. I finally caved and spent $180 on a pack of 10, and man, I was wrong. First part came out clean as a whistle, and I ran 50 parts without swapping. Has anyone else had a tool or brand they slept on that turned out to be the real deal?

2 comments

2 Comments

milar461mo ago

...and the thing nobody really talks about is how much that time savings actually costs you in the long run if you're always buying cheap. I mean, I get it, $180 on inserts hurts but if you're spending an extra hour per job swapping out chattering tools, that hour costs more than the inserts did. Plus the stress of hoping the next part doesn't come out garbage. Idk, maybe it's just me but I've started looking at tool cost as a package deal with my hourly rate and scrap rate.

johnthompson1mo ago

$180 inserts are nothing compared to the time you waste, but @milar46, cheap tools have saved my ass on tight bids more often than not.