HQMaster Spiral Router Bits Down Cut 1/4 inch Shank Solid Carbide Nano Blue Coated Spiral Downcut CNC Bits End Mill for Wood Cut Carving Engraver (1/8 Cutting Diameter)

The quality is fantastic and I use 1/4 more than any other and do tend to wear on them. These hold an edge well and have been put to great use cranking out holiday gifts. I cant think of an argument to pay more when this quality stands up to other really expensive options Ive tried. Update: This bit continues to hold an edge well after dozens of operations through hardwood at pretty aggressive settings of speeds. These are a fantastic workhorse bit to use.

Nice ball nose CNC router bit. Good quality. Clean, sharp cutting edges along entire flute.

Nice carbide router bit, leaves a great finish on all wood types. Stays sharp and cuts very well.

Im still kind of a newbie in the CNC Router arena, and while learning how to use the software thats needed to work with these machines, I am gradually building up my arsenal of bits so I can effectively use the machine. One thing I look for is bits that are made of solid carbide. They just keep their sharpness longer than high speed steel bits, so they run cooler and smoother longer. I also try to get bits that have a coating over the cutting area of the bits, as this also contribute to longer life and smoother cutting. I used this HQMaster 1/4 inch shank 1/8 inch cutting Ball Nose End Mill today as I was experimenting with 3-D carving. I created a simple half-torus model that I intended to carve, but was running into problems with the machine plunging deep into the wood before starting to carve the shape. It was supposed to start at the surface, but started probably 10 or 15 mm BELOW the surface instead. I never did figure out why it was doing this, and after a long period of trying I have up for the time being. BUT...I was amazed that this HGMaster bit still cut smoothly and evenly despite the fact that it was being forced to carve from a much deeper depth than it was supposed to. I let the program run a few minutes at this wrong depth before I shut it down, and observed the edges of the cuts - they were perfect, really nice and clean. Thats a great testament to the quality of this bit. Most bits can cut well when the machine isnt trying to power through a cut thats outside of its design parameters, but it takes a special one to be able to deal with it and do a good job anyway. Recommended!

TLDR: Duller than a bus trip to Branson. I Picked this downward-cutting end mill for some prototype packaging I wanted to develop using standard EVA foam. This endmill cut beautifully at 10K RPM for about ten pieces and then quickly began to dull. The CNC would continue to push the cutter through the foam, but the material would just flex and compress until the cutter passed leaving an inconsistent and wavy finish. This must be the lowest quality carbide they could source. I had to double-check the listing to ensure I didnt buy an HSS end mill by mistake. I am going to try to cut some aluminum or other harder material just to see if the other reviews for this product are fake. Id be shocked if it even cuts a chip given how poorly it wore doing something as simple as cutting foam.

Got this as a cheap alternative for my CNC for some relief carvings Ive been doing. It works well, havent seen any real issues so far. Im about 5-6 jobs in and still doing its thang so we will see how long it holds up. For now .. for the price ... Its definitely a good bit.

HQMaster’s 1/8-inch carbide ball nose end mill with nano blue coating and 1/4-shaft is a well-made and sharp bit. The nano blue coating improves the heat performance of the bit, and the 1/4-shaft adds rigidity. Both features will increase the life of the end mill. The bit comes packaged in a typical rectangular plastic box. The bit itself comes without any markings on it shaft. I much prefer that the end mill be labelled to allow easy identification and to prevent tool mix-ups. This is a good workhorse type end mill that I will find a lot of use for.

Broke in 5 seconds at 50 ipm and 1/4 doc in mdf! Dont waste your money unless you plan on cutting for 10 hours at 1/16 depth of cut

This is a great end mill for doing 3d cutting. Makes nice clean cuts leaving a nice finish. The price makes this even a better value. Time will tell but so far this has been my goto bit for 3d cuts. Comes packaged well and arrived quickly. I will buy more of these bits

This 1/8 cutting 1/4 shank ball nose bit came in a standard end mill case that protected it during transit. The case was nicely labeled so you dont have to. The nano-blue coating covered the top end of the bit evenly and cleanly. The ball nose left a nicely rounded bottom on the groove. The bit cut easily and dispelled chips well due to the up-cut flute design. This bit seems well designed and stayed sharp through my testing on both soft and hardwoods and I expect to get a good long life out of this bit.