Sell Carbide End Mills: Dull, Broken, or Chipped — All Bought
A dead end mill is still a solid stick of tungsten carbide. I am Sonny Johns of Ironcrest Industrial Surplus, and I buy used carbide end mills in any condition — dull, chipped, snapped, any flute count, any coating. 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.
Dull, chipped, or snapped — if it is solid carbide, it earns the number. The buyer boards pay $8–$15/lb for tungsten carbide. I pay $18–$20/lb — firm — for clean, sorted tungsten carbide end mills (plus inserts and drills at the same standing offer). Any flute count, any coating, any condition — as long as it is clean and sorted. Text a photo to 312-880-8174.
A dull end mill is still solid carbide.
An end mill is a solid rod of carbide with cutting flutes ground along its length — the spiral channels you see on the outside. When the cutting edges dull, the shop tosses it. But dulling only affects the surface: the entire body of the tool is still solid tungsten carbide, and that is what the number is built on. A broken end mill lost its tip, not its tungsten.
End mills are dense — carbide runs about twice the weight of steel — so a coffee can of used end mills is heavier than it looks, and the weight adds up fast. Solid carbide end mills grade alongside inserts at the top of the board. This week’s solid carbide ranges are on Scrap Carbide Prices.
What I buy in the end mill family.
Solid carbide end mills
Square end, ball nose, corner radius — 2-flute, 4-flute, and high-flute-count finishing mills. Flute count does not change the grade; it is all solid carbide.
Reamers and specialty cutters
Carbide reamers, counterbores, countersinks, and form tools from the same drawers — dull or chipped, all welcome.
Coated and uncoated
TiN gold, TiAlN blue-purple, AlCrN — coatings are microns thin and do not change the grade. Do not sort by coating color.
Keep HSS separate
High-speed steel end mills look similar but are a different metal entirely — and worth far less. The magnet test helps: HSS grabs a magnet hard, while carbide is only slightly magnetic. When in doubt, text a photo to 312-880-8174 and I will tell you straight.
I also buy carbide inserts and carbide drills from the same shops, plus brazed tooling kept in its own container.
Sell your end mills in four steps.
Text photos to 312-880-8174 with a rough weight. I grade them and give you today’s firm number. 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 end mill questions, answered.
What are used carbide end mills worth?
My standing offer is $18–$20/lb — firm — for clean, sorted tungsten carbide end mills (inserts and drills 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 end mills?
Yes. Snapped, chipped, or worn past resharpening — the carbide body is what matters, and it is all still there.
Does flute count affect the price?
No. Two-flute roughers and multi-flute finishers are all solid carbide and grade the same. Do not sort by flute count.
What about end mills with welded shanks?
Some large end mills have steel shanks joined to a carbide head. Those grade with brazed tooling rather than solid — keep them in the brazed container and text a photo if you are unsure.
How do I tell carbide end mills from HSS?
Weight and magnet: carbide feels roughly twice as heavy as the same-size HSS tool and is only slightly magnetic, while HSS grabs a magnet hard. My guide How to Spot Real Tungsten Carbide walks through it.
Can shops sell end mills on a recurring schedule?
Yes — production shops can set up recurring pickup for their dull tooling, from a coffee can to drums on a schedule. Text 312-880-8174 to set it up.
Those dull end mills are money.
Text a photo to 312-880-8174. Clean, sorted end mills earn $18–$20/lb — firm (inserts and drills too). I will confirm the grade and today’s firm number — fast, free, no obligation.