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Shank to the collet, flutes to the material, and up-cut or down-cut to the surface

The best CNC end mills for 2026

End mills are the cutting bits of a CNC router, and on a desktop machine the right bit decides more of the result than the machine itself. The shank diameter has to match the spindle's collet exactly, and desktop machines often take small shanks. The cutting diameter and length decide the detail and the depth, and a long flute on a small bit bends and breaks more easily. Flute count matters by material: fewer flutes clear chips from soft plastics and aluminium, more flutes leave a finer finish in hard materials. The helix direction divides wood bits: up-cut pulls chips out but lifts fibres on the top face, down-cut leaves a clean top edge but packs chips into the slot, and compression bits do both. End shape — flat, ball, V-bit — decides whether it cuts pockets, contours or engraving. Coating reduces friction and heat in metal. Material suitability is published by the maker, with feeds and speeds as starting points. Bits break and throw fragments, so eye protection and the machine maker's guards apply. We compare shank diameter, cutting diameter and length, flute count, helix direction, end shape, coating and material suitability.

The parts and materials worth a place on the bench

  1. Ten bright steel 4-flute end mills from 1.5 to 6 mm, shanks stamped SWT with sizes and HSS

    Linkstyle HSS 4-flute end mill set, 10 pieces, 1.5–6 mm

    Ten 4-flute end mills from Linkstyle with straight shanks, in ten sizes from 1.5 to 6 mm, in high-speed steel according to the bullets though the title also says carbide, for wood, plastics, aluminium, copper and steels.

    Shank diameter
    Absent from the listing text — straight shank, title and fifth bullet; the shanks in the product photograph are stamped with a 6 mm shank size, as in 4×6×11×55
    Cutting diameter and length
    1.5, 2, 2.5, 3, 3.5, 4, 4.5, 5, 5.5 and 6 mm, second bullet; no lengths
    Flute count
    4 flutes, title
    Helix direction
    Absent from the listing
    End shape
    Absent from the listing
    Coating
    Absent from the listing — high-speed steel in the third bullet; “HSS” and “Hartmetall” (carbide) both in the title
    Material suitability
    Wood, soft metal, steels, cast iron, titanium, aluminium, plastics, acrylic, PVC and hardwood, first and fifth bullets
    Amazon reference
    B07PJZ4144 (same reference on 5 Amazon marketplaces)
    EAN
    0738944025864
    • Ten sizes in 0.5 mm steps from 1.5 to 6 mm
    • A larger core stated for rigidity
    • HSS and carbide both in the title

    Best for: A desktop CNC owner who wants a range of small straight-shank cutters to try on plastics and wood.

    ≈ £13 / 13 €
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  2. Ten bright steel 4-flute end mills from 2 to 12 mm beside a blue case, shanks stamped SWT with sizes and HSS-AL

    ASNOMY HSS 4-flute end mill set, 10 pieces, 2–12 mm

    Ten 4-flute high-speed steel end mills from ASNOMY with straight shanks, from 2 to 12 mm, for profile, shoulder and finish milling of ferrous and non-ferrous metals, plastics and wood.

    Shank diameter
    Absent from the listing text — the shanks in the product photograph are stamped with 6, 8, 10 and 12 mm shank sizes, as in 12×12×26×83
    Cutting diameter and length
    2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 and 12 mm, second bullet; lengths only on the stamped shanks in the photograph
    Flute count
    4 flutes, title
    Helix direction
    Absent from the listing — spiral cutter in the title
    End shape
    Absent from the listing
    Coating
    Absent from the listing — high-speed steel, first bullet
    Material suitability
    Aluminium, cast iron, copper, magnesium alloys, plastics and wood, third bullet
    Amazon reference
    B089VWBZY2 (same reference on 6 Amazon marketplaces)
    EAN
    0747045238394
    • Sizes up to 12 mm
    • Milling operations named: profile, shoulder and finishing
    • No shank sizes or lengths

    Best for: A benchtop milling machine owner who needs larger cutters than a desktop router collet takes.

    ≈ $16 / £15 / 19 €
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  3. Ten blue-coated engraving bits on silver shanks, five round-ground V-points and five flat triangular tips

    Genmitsu V-bit and flat engraving bit set, 10 pieces, 1/8 in shank, 20–90°

    Ten engraving bits from Genmitsu on 1/8 in shanks — five flat and five triangular V-bits at 20, 30, 45, 60 and 90° — in alloy steel with a nano blue coating and 0.1 mm tips, for sign making, lettering and V-groove joints in wood, acrylic, PCB and aluminium.

    Shank diameter
    1/8 in, title and first bullet
    Cutting diameter and length
    0.1 mm tip; angles of 20, 30, 45, 60 and 90°, first and fourth bullets; no lengths
    Flute count
    Absent from the listing
    Helix direction
    Absent from the listing
    End shape
    Five flat and five triangular V-bits, first bullet
    Coating
    Nano blue coating, third bullet; alloy steel, second bullet
    Material suitability
    Hardwood, plywood, acrylic, plastic laminate, resin, PCB and aluminium, fifth bullet
    Amazon reference
    B0C7KPDWY4 (same reference on 6 Amazon marketplaces)
    EAN
    0816550027363
    • Five angles from 20 to 90°, in two tip shapes
    • A 1/8 in shank, the collet size stated for the Genmitsu router reviewed on this site
    • Alloy steel, not carbide

    Best for: A desktop CNC owner with a 1/8 in collet starting on signs, lettering and PCB isolation.

    ≈ $26 / £22 / 27 €
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  4. Ten bright steel 4-flute end mills from 2 to 12 mm, shanks stamped SWT with sizes and HSS-AL

    AFUNTA HSS 4-flute end mill set, titanium coated, 10 pieces, 2–12 mm

    Ten 4-flute high-speed steel end mills from AFUNTA with titanium coating, straight shanks and a U-shaped flute with a large rake angle, from 2 to 12 mm, for side, end and face milling of steels, cast iron and titanium.

    Shank diameter
    Absent from the listing — straight shank, title
    Cutting diameter and length
    2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 and 12 mm, fifth bullet; no lengths
    Flute count
    4 flutes, title
    Helix direction
    Absent from the listing — U-shaped flute with a large rake angle, third bullet
    End shape
    Absent from the listing
    Coating
    Titanium coating on high-speed steel, second and fourth bullets; the cutters in the product photograph show bright steel with no coating colour
    Material suitability
    Carbon, alloy, die and tool steels, cast iron and titanium, first bullet; wood and aluminium in the title
    Amazon reference
    B07DQL66VF (same reference on 6 Amazon marketplaces)
    EAN
    0783710282415
    • Titanium coating stated
    • Flute shape described: U-shaped, large rake angle
    • No shank sizes or lengths

    Best for: A benchtop mill owner cutting steel who wants coated HSS in common sizes.

    ≈ $17 / £19 / 21 €
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  5. Five 2-flute spiral cutters with an iridescent rainbow coating and plain silver shanks

    HOZLY Carbide compression end mills, 2 flutes, 4 mm shank, 4 mm × 22 mm, DLC, 5 pieces

    Five 2-flute solid carbide compression end mills from HOZLY with an up-cut and down-cut spiral and DLC coating, a 4 mm shank, 4 mm cutting diameter and 22 mm cutting length, for burr-free edges in wood on CNC routers.

    Shank diameter
    4 mm, title
    Cutting diameter and length
    4 mm diameter, 22 mm cutting edge length, title
    Flute count
    2 flutes, title
    Helix direction
    Up-down compression spiral, title and first and third bullets
    End shape
    Absent from the listing
    Coating
    DLC coating on spiral carbide, title
    Material suitability
    Wood, on CNC routers, woodworking machines and advertising routers, title and fifth bullet
    Amazon reference
    B0B5KY43S8 (same reference on 6 Amazon marketplaces)
    EAN
    0631384621378
    • Shank, diameter and cutting length all given
    • Compression spiral for clean top and bottom edges
    • A 4 mm shank does not fit a 1/8 in collet

    Best for: A CNC router owner with a 4 mm collet cutting plywood parts where both faces show.

    ≈ $42 / £36 / 40 €
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  6. Eight dark-coated 4-flute end mills standing in blue plastic caps, one in a clear tube

    ASZLBYM Carbide 4-flute end mill set, 8 pieces, 2–12 mm

    Eight 4-flute end mills from ASZLBYM in tungsten carbide stated at HRC45, from 2 to 12 mm, with a negative rake edge, a large core for rigidity and large flutes for chip clearance, sold for metalworking and CNC machining, with HSS also in the title.

    Shank diameter
    Absent from the listing
    Cutting diameter and length
    2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 10 and 12 mm, first bullet; no lengths
    Flute count
    4 flutes, title
    Helix direction
    Absent from the listing — spiral cutter in the title
    End shape
    Square (“Vierkant”), fourth bullet
    Coating
    Absent from the listing text — tungsten carbide stated at HRC45, second bullet, “HSS” also in the title; the product photograph shows dark-coated flutes
    Material suitability
    Metalworking, CNC machining and mechanical engineering, fourth bullet
    Amazon reference
    B0C55FBCNP (same reference on 6 Amazon marketplaces)
    EAN
    0739240119172
    • Tungsten carbide described, with its composition
    • Large core and large flutes, as the third and fourth bullets say
    • HSS and carbide both in the title

    Best for: A benchtop mill owner who wants carbide cutters and can confirm the material and shank sizes on arrival.

    ≈ 52 €
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A price quoted in the text of a MakerVerdict page dates from the day that page was written; the live figure beside each product is fetched while you read and replaces it.