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)

Like clamps, you can never heave enough router bits. Well, that is my take. And like they last forever, right? This bit is well made, good fit and finish. So far it cuts as it should, cuts very nicely. I cant say how it will last, that will take time and use, but Ill update this if anything changes. Comes in a nice plastic storage tubes, I like these tubes. And the end of the tube holes the bit nice and tight. I also REALLY like that they put a label on the tube, with the size, that is so nice. Ive reviewed quite a few router bits and its rare foe them to have any label on the tube, so hats off to this company. Great bit, great price, would recommend.

I made a test cut with this bit on a piece of Gaboon Ebony to see how it fared. It cut clean and held its edge even on that brutal wood, albeit I only ran about 12in/305mm. Being coated carbide, I expect that itll hold up well if it made it through that first run without immediate dulling. As with any router bit, RPM and feed speed are critical in getting the best results. I ran this at 25,000 rpm on my router table and fed the workpiece by hand, feeling for the proper speed. Only experience can guide you if youre feeding it by hand. If youre fortunate enough to have a CNC, follow the appropriate guidelines for the material youre cutting for best results.

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!

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

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.

Great value and quality for this ball nose router bit. I have used this for a lot of roughing of 3d models in hardwood. Still sharp as the first time I used it.

Good bit, does what I need it to do and worth the price, will buy more in the future.

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

Skip it, buy a higher quality bit and save the headache.

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.