WEN Premium 5/16 in. Nickel-Plated Indexable Carbide-Tipped Metal Lathe Tool Bits Set with Storage Case (7-Piece)

9 reviews for WEN Premium 5/16 in. Nickel-Plated Indexable Carbide-Tipped Metal Lathe Tool Bits Set with Storage Case (7-Piece)

1. Rated 5 out of 5

   Maria Haag (verified owner) – December 8, 2021

   Very nice precision tool set for medium and small lathes. These are well suited for my 10×22 bench lathe (a Seig SC6). The 5/16″ bases fit the holder for my quick-change tool post as well as the 3/8″ bases I have for my other tools. These tools are precision tools and make precise cuts. They should not be used to make heavy cuts. The aluminum case with it foam insert is a very nice touch to protect the tools’ cutting edges.

2. Rated 5 out of 5

   Dina McCullough (verified owner) – November 26, 2021

   This set of tool bits for a metal turning lathe provides a useful assortment. I have owned a series of metal turning lathes over more than fifty years and it has been an invaluable tool for numerous home projects. Up until now I have mostly used high speed steel tool bits that have the advantage of being easy to sharpen, but without special jigs my hand sharpened tools do not work as well as when new. These carbide-tipped tool bits promise a much longer working life before needing any sharpening, so they should provide peak performance for a long time. Some of the tools can be indexed to present two or three fresh cutting faces to the work.The kit includes an Allen wrench for removing the cut-off tool insert as well as a star wrench for rotating or replacing the indexable inserts.

3. Rated 5 out of 5

   Icie Rodriguez (verified owner) – October 9, 2021

   The Wen industrial and indexable nickel-plated carbide-tipped tool bits set is the perfect companion for a small metal lathe. This Wen set includes 7 bits: two 95° bits (SCLCR 5/16-2 and SCLCL 5/16-2), one 93° bit (SDJCR 5/16-2), one 90° bit (SWGCR 5/16-5), one 62.5° bit (SDNCN 5/16-2), 1 flat threading bit (SER 5/16-8) and 1 grooving bit (MGEHR 5/16-2). Each bit features a universal 8 mm x 8 mm base (5/16 equivalent), allowing for compatibility with the majority of the small metal lathes on the market now and in the past (including the WEN 3455 Metal Lathe). The indexable carbide tips help create clean cuts while also protecting the bits to maximize their lifespan. If your bit every gets dull, simply rotate or swap out the carbide tip to bring your cutter back to life. Replacement bits are readably available from many sources. These turning tools come in a protective aluminum case that makes for easy storage and transportation between jobs. This set also includes a T8 Torx, a T10 Torx driver, and a 1/8 inch Allen wrench for changing the carbide inserts, These bits are perfect for aluminum, brass, bronze, cast iron, steel, stainless steel, plastic, polyurethane, titanium, Inconel, tool steel, and more. I am using these with my 10 and 11 inch Emco tool room lathes, both of which are equipped with Dickerson quick change tool posts. I have also used them for doing some very fine turning on a friends jewelers lathe with excellent results. In all cases I make very light cuts, with good lubrication, as these tools and insert bits will not holdup if they are abused trying remove too much material per pass. I am very pleased with the quality of these Wen indexable Carbide turning tools, which are made in China.

4. Rated 5 out of 5

   Ceasar Stiedemann (verified owner) – May 22, 2021

   Wen has hit the mark for tooling for a small metal lathe like their model WEN 3455. The tooling comes in a small little case which holds 7 tools and 3 wrenches. The 3 wrenches make it possible to loosen the clamp screw to index the carbide-tipped cutting edge in case it becomes dull. My lathe is somewhat larger than the WEN 3455 but I was able to clamp the cut off tool in my tool post. Once the tool was clamped in place, I was able to cutoff the end of a piece of ¾ inch mild steel without any effort. You can see in my pictures my progression and eventual cut off of the end of the rod. Then I swapped the cut off tool to an angled 62.5 degree surface bit. I removed again without effort about .015 inch from the O.D. of the ¾ round bar. I didn’t use all of the cutters for this review but is easy to see that they all will work very well. Inside the case each tool is nested in soft spongy foam along with the wrenches. This is a very nice set of tools for a small lathe and any machinist would proud to own these tools.

5. Rated 5 out of 5

   Delmer Keeling (verified owner) – May 6, 2021

   Solid tools

6. Rated 5 out of 5

   Jarrell Jenkins (verified owner) – March 13, 2021

   Nice set!

7. Rated 5 out of 5

   Antonette Tillman (verified owner) – March 7, 2021

   They cut extremely well

8. Rated 5 out of 5

   Colleen Bayer (verified owner) – January 31, 2021

   Superb value, Cutting metal to polymer, CNC or manual lathes! I used this set with a TAIGTurn DSLS Full CNC lathe. It’s a smaller lathe, but perfect for our robotics team that specializes in Aluminum, HDPE, brass and occasionally stainless steel work, generally on 2-12” pieces. This lathe tool set sells for less than the price of a cut-off tool, but includes 7 tools – instantly making it an outstanding value in my book! My example video is just the job I had at-hand when the tools arrived: cutting a radius on white HDPE round stock (12 sec). I am SO GLAD that Home Depot carries machine-tool accessories! The tool set provides a fantastic variety of 4 right-hand bits, 1 left-hand bit, and 2 neutral bits. Threading, grooving and cut-off, facing and turning pretty much covers it all. The indexable inserts mean that replacement is low-cost, but most of these will last me for years with their 3-cutter-head design.

9. Rated 5 out of 5

   Jessy Dooley (verified owner) – December 4, 2020

   Love these coming in their own little case and I don’t have to search for where I put them after use I keep them right under the mini lathe in a drawer.