Kennametal Drill Alternative

Recurring edge chipping, inconsistent tool life, process changes, or limited product availability may lead a machine shop to look for a Kennametal drill alternative. Choosing by brand or diameter alone can result in poor performance or compatibility problems.

Start with the current Kennametal tool and the application. Workpiece material, hole depth, entry and exit conditions, coolant delivery, toolholding, and cutting data all affect which replacement is suitable for testing.

Key takeaways

• Identify the machining or supply problem before reviewing alternatives.
• Match the workpiece, hole geometry, coolant method, tool dimensions, and machine conditions.
• For an unavailable Kennametal drill, check the exact material number and any official successor first.
• Treat cross-brand alternatives as trial candidates unless compatibility has been confirmed for the exact tools.

When to consider a Kennametal drill alternative

A tool change should address a defined problem. Common reasons include recurring chipping, uneven wear, insufficient tool life, a change in material or hole geometry, and difficulty sourcing a specific item.

Recurring chipping or unstable tool life

Chipping can originate elsewhere in the process, so inspect the setup before replacing the drill. Check:

• Tool and workpiece stability
• Runout and holder condition
• Cutting speed and feed
• Coolant pressure, flow, and direction
• Chip formation and evacuation
• Entry and exit conditions
• Current wear and replacement limits
• The drill's specified application range

If the failure continues under controlled conditions, test a drill with a different carbide grade, coating, point geometry, flute design, or coolant arrangement. Use the location and type of damage to narrow the options.

Changes to the application

A drill that performs well in one process may respond differently after a change in material grade, hardness, hole depth, tolerance, entry surface, or bottom geometry.

Kennametal separates its solid carbide drills by application. Its portfolio includes multi-purpose and material-specific drills as well as products for hard materials, difficult-to-machine alloys, deep holes, flat-bottom holes, and small diameters.

Moving from general steel to stainless steel, for example, changes the demands on edge geometry, chip control, heat management, coating, and coolant delivery.

An unavailable or discontinued drill

Some Kennametal product pages for legacy solid carbide drills are marked as no longer available. Selected pages also identify an official replacement.

Kennametal material number 4112466, an HP Beyond drill for steel, is one example. Its product page identifies solid carbide drill material number 6781751 as the replacement.

Product status should be checked by material number or catalog ID because availability can vary within a family. If Kennametal lists a successor, include it in the trial along with any suitable third-party products.

Identify the Kennametal drill

Record the exact tool before searching for alternatives. The family name may indicate the original application, but it rarely provides enough information for an accurate cross-reference.

Item to identify	Why it matters
Material number or catalog ID	Identifies the exact Kennametal item
Product family	Indicates the original application concept
Drill diameter	Defines the nominal hole size
Drilling depth / xD	Determines the required length and chip-evacuation conditions
Shank diameter and style	Affects holder compatibility
Internal or external coolant	Changes cooling and chip-removal requirements
Point geometry	Affects centering, entry conditions, and cutting behavior
Workpiece material	Defines the required material application range
Current cutting data	Establishes the baseline for trial machining
Failure mode	Shows what the replacement needs to improve

Kennametal's solid carbide portfolio shows why this detail matters. Kenna Universal drills cover several materials and applications, including cross holes and inclined exits. KMH drills target hard materials, while Y-TECH drills are intended for difficult-to-machine materials such as stainless steel and high-temperature alloys.

Replacing an unavailable Kennametal drill

1. Record the complete tool specification

Save the Kennametal material number, ISO or ANSI catalog ID when available, diameter, overall and flute lengths, shank dimensions, coolant configuration, and application data.

2. Check for an official Kennametal successor

Review the product page and current catalog for a designated replacement. Compare the old and new specifications because an official successor may still require changes to the cutting data or setup.

3. Document the application

Record the workpiece grade and hardness, hole type, depth, tolerance, coolant system, machine conditions, and current speeds and feeds. Include measured tool life and hole-quality results where possible.

4. Build a cross-brand shortlist

Select solid carbide drills developed for the same material and hole conditions. The goal is to reproduce or improve the machining result while maintaining dimensional and machine compatibility.

5. Run a controlled trial

Begin with the candidate manufacturer's cutting data. Keep the machine, holder, workpiece, coolant system, and inspection method consistent so the results can be compared with the existing Kennametal process.

How to choose a Kennametal drill alternative

Screen each candidate against the machining application before comparing product claims.

Selection factor	Information to confirm
Workpiece	Material grade, hardness, heat treatment, and surface condition
Hole geometry	Diameter, tolerance, depth-to-diameter ratio, blind or through hole
Entry and exit	Flat, inclined, curved, interrupted, cross-hole, or pre-drilled surface
Machine	Spindle capability, rigidity, available power, and torque
Toolholding	Holder type, shank dimensions, overhang, and measured runout
Coolant	Internal or external supply, pressure, flow, and filtration
Cutting data	Cutting speed, feed per revolution, and drilling cycle
Current problem	Chipping, wear, chip packing, poor accuracy, or unstable tool life
Performance target	Tool life, hole quality, cycle time, and cost per acceptable hole

Give the most weight to the issue that started the replacement search. Corner chipping calls for a different evaluation from deep-hole chip packing. Material also changes the selection criteria: stainless steel, cast iron, aluminum, and hardened steel require different geometry, coating, and coolant strategies.

Solid carbide drill brands to compare with Kennametal

The following product families take different approaches to solid carbide drilling. Use them as research and trial candidates. They are not ranked, and no cross-brand interchangeability is implied.

NACHI AQUA REVO Drill Series

NACHI describes the AQUA REVO range as combining carbide hardness with toughness. The manufacturer lists wear and chipping resistance, a straight cutting edge intended to distribute cutting stress, and REVO-D coating for use across multiple materials.

The standard range includes Stub and Regular versions in metric and fractional sizes. Internal-coolant applications are covered by the AQUA REVO Oil Hole range.

For recurring edge or corner damage, check the exact AQUA REVO geometry, drilling depth, coolant configuration, dimensions, and workpiece range against the current Kennametal process.

Guhring RT 100 U

Guhring's RT 100 U Series 5511 is a 5xD solid carbide drill with through coolant. Published specifications include a 140-degree point angle, nano-FIREX coating, a straight main cutting edge, and optimized cutting geometry.

Guhring lists steel and cast iron as optimal application groups for this series. Stainless steel, non-ferrous materials, special and titanium alloys, and hardened materials are also listed with different suitability levels.

Confirm the material classification, dimensions, coolant requirements, and recommended cutting data before adding the RT 100 U to a replacement trial.

Seco Feedmax

Seco divides its Feedmax solid carbide drills by workpiece and application. Feedmax-P is listed for steel and cast iron, Feedmax-MS for stainless steel and superalloys, and Feedmax-N for aluminum and other non-ferrous materials.

Deep-hole options are also available. Seco lists standard Feedmax drills in several depth ratios, along with dedicated 16xD, 30xD, and longer deep-hole ranges.

Select by the exact Feedmax variant. Confirm its material group, depth, diameter, coolant conditions, and cutting data.

OSG AD / ADO and ADO-SUS

OSG's AD and ADO carbide drill families cover multiple workpiece materials and depth ratios. The through-coolant ADO range extends from standard-depth tools to deep-hole versions.

OSG offers the ADO-SUS family for stainless steel and titanium. Its product information addresses work hardening, long chips, welding, and poor thermal conductivity through dedicated cutting-edge, flute, margin, and coolant-hole designs.

The AD and ADO ranges are relevant to general material coverage. For stainless steel or titanium applications, review the ADO-SUS specifications in more detail.

Sandvik Coromant CoroDrill 860-GM

Sandvik Coromant describes the CoroDrill 860 with -GM geometry as a solid carbide drill for multi-material, short-hole applications.

The manufacturer's primary application groups are ISO P, M, K, and H, with ISO N and S also listed.

When replacing a general-purpose or multi-material Kennametal drill, check the CoroDrill 860-GM diameter, drilling depth, shank dimensions, coolant arrangement, and cutting recommendations against the current process.

Comparison by application

Use this table to identify product families for further review.

Application to investigate	Example product family	Manufacturer-stated focus	What to confirm
General drilling with recurring edge or corner chipping	NACHI AQUA REVO	Wear and chipping resistance; multiple configurations	Geometry, depth, coolant, and material
5xD carbide drilling with through coolant	Guhring RT 100 U	5xD through-coolant carbide drilling	Workpiece classification and dimensions
Material-specific drilling at different depths	Seco Feedmax	Separate variants for steel, stainless steel and superalloys, non-ferrous materials, and deep holes	Exact Feedmax family and drilling depth
Stainless steel or titanium with heat and chip-control problems	OSG ADO-SUS	Dedicated geometry and coolant designs for stainless steel and titanium	Diameter, drilling depth, coolant, and cutting data
Multi-material short-hole drilling	Sandvik CoroDrill 860-GM	Multi-material solid carbide drilling	Material group, depth, dimensions, and coolant

Keep the current Kennametal drill as the baseline. A replacement should solve the identified application or supply problem and maintain the required hole quality, tool life, and production cost.

Check compatibility before installation

Confirm the following details before installing a candidate drill:

• Nominal diameter and tolerance
• Overall, flute, and usable lengths
• Shank dimensions and holder compatibility
• Point angle, cutting-edge geometry, and margin design
• Internal or external coolant requirements
• Approved workpiece materials
• Pilot-hole procedure for deep-hole tools
• Recommended speeds and feeds
• Regrinding and recoating conditions, where applicable

Matching external dimensions cannot confirm equivalent cutting performance. Carbide grade, coating, edge preparation, flute geometry, coolant delivery, and operating data may all differ.

Use terms such as "direct replacement," "drop-in replacement," or "interchangeable" only after technical compatibility has been confirmed for the exact part numbers.

How to test a replacement drill

Establish a baseline with the current Kennametal drill before testing alternatives. Record runout, hole count, tool life, wear location, hole diameter, roundness, surface finish, cycle time, and unplanned stops.

Start the replacement drill at the manufacturer's recommended cutting conditions. Change one major variable at a time after the process is stable, and inspect both the tool and the finished holes at consistent intervals.

Sandvik Coromant's solid carbide drilling guidance notes that uneven wear indicates a process problem and can lead to shorter tool life, breakage, or component damage. If the same failure continues after the process variables are controlled, a different geometry or drill design provides a useful next trial.

Frequently asked questions

Which brand offers the best Kennametal drill alternative?

No single brand covers every Kennametal application. Select candidates according to the workpiece, hole geometry, depth, coolant system, machine conditions, and the problem with the current drill.

Can I replace a Kennametal drill with one of the same diameter?

Diameter is only one requirement. Check the shank, overall and flute lengths, drilling depth, point geometry, coolant configuration, material range, and cutting data before testing.

How do I replace a discontinued Kennametal drill?

Identify the exact material number and catalog ID, then check for an official Kennametal successor. Use the original specifications and machining records to assess both the successor and third-party candidates.

Does chipping mean I should change drill brands?

Chipping may result from runout, instability, poor chip evacuation, insufficient coolant, unsuitable cutting data, or excessive wear. Correct these conditions before evaluating another drill.

Can I use the same speed and feed with an alternative drill?

Start with the alternative manufacturer's recommendations. Differences in grade, coating, geometry, margins, and coolant design can change the suitable operating range.

Are third-party alternatives direct replacements?

Cross-brand drills require specification review and machining trials. Describe them as directly interchangeable only when compatibility has been confirmed for the exact tools and application.

Compare solid carbide drills for your application

Carbide Drill Finder provides information on solid carbide drills from multiple manufacturers. Explore products by workpiece material, hole depth, coolant method, and other application requirements.