Appreciation post: That carbide burr I almost returned is now my favorite tool

I bought this little double-cut burr from McMaster-Carr about a month ago for like $18. Was real skeptical because my old ones always chatter on stainless, but I ran it on some 304 pipe flanges yesterday and it cut smooth as butter. Anybody else got a tool they almost wrote off but ended up loving?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_nathan8d ago

Funny how the stuff you're ready to hate on always ends up being your daily driver. Kinda like that one weird uncle at family gatherings.

miles_garcia8d agoMost Upvoted

The uncle comparison is spot on... you never expect much but then they surprise you. I think the reason these tools end up being keepers is because you don't coddle them. You're just like "whatever" and put them through hell from day one, and they prove themselves. That first clean cut on stainless with no chatter is like finding out that weird uncle actually has a lot of good stories and knows how to fix your lawnmower. Same with tools, you gotta break them in by actually using them hard.

barbarah197d ago

Miles speaks truth. Bought a cheap Chinese bandsaw years back, total gamble. First job was cutting up scrap pallets, absolute garbage work. Thing screamed like a banshee, kept on ticking. Then I tossed a 3/8" stainless rod at it just to see what happens. Clean cut, no belt slipping, no burning. That moment hooked me. Still use it today for the tough stuff. No babysitting, just work.