Qualtech DWC1/82FDEBALL 1/8 X 3/8 HSS 2 Flute Double End Ball End Mill

Need a get a few cheap HSS endmills so decided to give Drill America a chance. They weren't the most expensive nor the cheapest HSSAL commonly sold in sets. Turns out it kind of game of chance in what you get. I bought a couple in different sizes in two different orders, and what I found was that I got a few of one brand and few in another. I will focus on the 1/2 since they were sold under the same item listing. The ones with the black case had a different tag on the case, sometimes they were hidden and I had to get a heat gun to get the Drill America label off. So after looking up the part number I found that they were for a part number for the Interstate brand. An value brand sold on MSC. Had some decent luck with Interstate in the past so not bad for a cheap double ended end mill. Now they aren't' the best by far but they do decent work for an import. MSC currently sell them for 50 bucks. no way I would pay that price, but for about 15ish that I paid not bad for a new double ended. The shank also has MHC marking. Which I believe is the end mills parent manufacture, Not really sure on that. But quick lookup show several interstate branded end mills also have that MHC branding on the shank. So I believe these to genuine. The clear case ones have no marking other than the size and China on the shank. The case has no other labels to mark another manufacture. Simply comparing the two 1/2 you can tell the MHC ones are better manufactured. The grinding, the laser engraving are just more crisp compared to the no name. The no name was ground with several facets all along the edge(its kind of hard to picture but can sort of make them out), while the MHC are ground smooth. Pretty sure Drill America is just buying up old stock of other brands and slapping their label on them. That's fine I really don't mind that honestly, a lot of companies buy up old new stock in huge bulk and offer them up piece meal and deliver on the hobby machinist a decent and serviceable cutting tool at a fairly decent price. Gonna try them out but give my experience with the interstate before they should be fine. The no named gives me a little pause but being they are just HSS you need to watch your speeds, feeds, and use plenty of fluids so you don't burn them up. Which on manual machines is a little more easier to do than on a CNC.

At the lower price range anything can happen. This mill is a delight.

At the lower price range anything can happen. This mill is a delight.