Sell Carbide Drills, Reamers & Taps for Cash
Drill drawers fill up with dull and broken tooling that nobody wants to sort — but solid carbide drills are solid tungsten carbide, worth real money by the pound. I am Sonny Johns of Ironcrest Industrial Surplus. I buy used carbide drills, reamers, taps, and boring tools nationwide. Text a photo to 312-880-8174 for today’s firm number.
UPDATED OCTOBER 2026
$18–$20/lb for clean, sorted inserts, end mills & drills.
That drawer of dull drills is worth the top number. The buyer boards pay $8–$15/lb for tungsten carbide. I pay $18–$20/lb — firm — for clean, sorted tungsten carbide drills (plus inserts and end mills at the same standing offer). Reamers, taps, and boring tools grade right alongside them. No sorting by size, no separating brands — just clean, sorted carbide. Text a photo to 312-880-8174.
That drawer of dull drills is solid carbide.
Every machine shop has the drawer: dull drills, chipped reamers, taps that snapped on the third hole. They sit because sorting them feels like work and nobody knows what they are worth. Here is the short version: a solid carbide drill is a solid rod of tungsten carbide from shank to tip. Dull flutes do not remove tungsten. A snapped drill lost length, not value.
Carbide drills are heavy — roughly twice the weight of the same-size steel drill — so even a small box adds up fast on the scale. They grade with solid carbide tooling at the top of the board. This week’s solid carbide ranges are on Scrap Carbide Prices.
What I buy in the drill family.
Solid carbide drills
Twist drills, spade drills, and coolant-through drills (the ones with holes down the middle for cutting fluid) — dull, chipped, or snapped, all welcome.
Reamers and counterbores
Carbide reamers, counterbores, and countersinks from the same drawers — same solid carbide, same top grade.
Taps and thread mills
Carbide taps and thread mills, including broken ones. A snapped tap is still a solid piece of carbide.
Boring bars and bushings
Small solid-carbide boring bars grade as solid tooling. Large heavy-alloy boring bars grade separately — see Sell Tungsten Heavy Alloy.
Keep steel drills out
High-speed steel and cobalt drills look similar but are a different metal. Quick check: carbide feels about twice as heavy as the same-size steel drill and barely moves a magnet. Unsure? Text a photo to 312-880-8174 and I will tell you straight.
I also buy carbide inserts and end mills from the same shops.
Sell your drills in four steps.
Text photos of the drawer, box, or bucket to 312-880-8174 with a rough weight. I grade them from the photos and give you today’s firm number — no sorting, no measuring, no separating sizes. Small lots mail in with a prepaid label; Chicago gets same-day pickup; bigger lots anywhere get a scheduled run. Full process at Sell Carbide Scrap. Northwest Indiana sellers in Gary, Hammond, and Merrillville are on my scheduled trips — see all service areas.
Carbide drill questions, answered.
What are used carbide drills worth?
My standing offer is $18–$20/lb — firm — for clean, sorted tungsten carbide drills (inserts and end mills earn the same standing offer). The buyer boards pay $8–$15/lb. This week’s solid carbide ranges are on my scrap carbide prices page. Your firm number comes from a photo of your actual lot: text it to 312-880-8174.
Do you buy broken drills and taps?
Yes. Snapped drills, broken taps, chipped reamers — the carbide is still all there. Send the whole drawer.
What about coolant-through drills?
Same solid carbide, same grade. The coolant holes do not change anything.
How do I tell carbide drills from HSS or cobalt?
Weight first: carbide feels roughly twice as heavy as the same-size steel drill. Then magnet: carbide is only slightly magnetic, while HSS and cobalt grab hard. My guide How to Spot Real Tungsten Carbide covers the checks.
Should I sort drills by size?
No need. Size does not change the grade — a box of mixed sizes grades as one lot of solid carbide.
Can I include the drill index cases?
Sure — toss the whole index in the box. I sort the steel and plastic out on my end; you get paid for the carbide.
Empty that drill drawer.
Text a photo to 312-880-8174. Clean, sorted drills earn $18–$20/lb — firm (inserts and end mills too). I will confirm the grade and today’s firm number — fast, free, no obligation.