Best Boring Bars

Updated March 2019
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BestReviews spends thousands of hours researching, analyzing, and testing products to recommend the best picks for most consumers.
BestReviews spends thousands of hours researching, analyzing, and testing products to recommend the best picks for most consumers. We buy all products with our own funds, and we never accept free products from manufacturers.
Bottom Line
Pros
Cons
Best of the Best
Boring Heads and Shanks
Boring Head Set
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Bottom Line

A great all around boring bar set to choose when you want a long-lasting set for machining.

Pros

Complete set comes with all of the bore bars and tools/accessories necessary for most lathing setups. For work with steel and hard alloys. Comes with a handy wooden bar organizer.

Cons

The cutting heads may require occasional reshaping after extended use.

Yosoo
Lathe Boring Set
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Bottom Line

A basic but durable set of bore bars that is perfect for beginning machinists and hobbyists.

Pros

Small boring bars make it easy to create tight or narrow bore holes in dense materials. Steel construction offers plenty of machining use before starting to dull or break.

Cons

The set lacks the necessary inserts. Will need to grind down the bore bars for the best fit on most machines.

Accusize Industrial Tools
Boring Bar
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Bottom Line

A high quality individual boring bar that is perfect for general use on most machining projects.

Pros

6" length and 3/8" diameter offer good reach for deeper bore holes. Hardened steel will last a while before needing attention. Can be used for finishing bore holes.

Cons

Use on steel may be slower and less accurate than more premium bore bars.

Best Bang for the Buck
All Industrial
Carbide Tip Boring Bar Set
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Bottom Line

A budget set of bore bars with a lighter touch to work on soft metals like aluminum.

Pros

9-piece set features various bar lengths and diameters for different bore holes. Carbide tip is gentle enough to work with softer metals without destroying the finished product.

Cons

Cutting heads require a light touch with minimal pressure while boring into hard metals.

Accusize Industrial Tools
Boring Bar Set
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Bottom Line

One of the best premium bore bar sets to choose when you need more longevity from the tools.

Pros

Shank design makes it easy to set positive and negative rake. Easy to replace cutting head with new inserts. Comes with a foam padded case for protecting the bar set.

Cons

Bore bars may require some modifications depending on the specific project.

How we decided

We purchase every product we review with our own funds — we never accept anything from product manufacturers.

31 Models Considered
8 Hours Researched
1 Experts Interviewed
436 Consumers Consulted
Zero products received from manufacturers.

We purchase every product we review with our own funds — we never accept anything from product manufacturers.

Why trust BestReviews?
BestReviews spends thousands of hours researching, analyzing, and testing products to recommend the best picks for most consumers. We buy all products with our own funds, and we never accept free products from manufacturers.
BestReviews spends thousands of hours researching, analyzing, and testing products to recommend the best picks for most consumers.
BestReviews spends thousands of hours researching, analyzing, and testing products to recommend the best picks for most consumers. We buy all products with our own funds, and we never accept free products from manufacturers.

Boring bars are a common tool used to make existing holes bigger and are an essential tool in machining. Steel and carbide constructions are common materials. Steel boring bars may need to be reshaped after moderate use, but carbide bars are stiffer and therefore result in more chatter. You will need different lengths and diameters for different jobs, so consider sets with a range of boring bar dimensions and ratios. Some sets may require slight adjustments to fit your tools and your needs. Ensure that the boring bar set you select is the right fit for the materials you typically work with and will provide a smooth cut without damaging the material.

The team that worked on this review
  • Austin
    Austin
    Writer
  • Enid
    Enid
    Editor
  • Melinda
    Melinda
    Web Producer
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Yosoo

Lathe Boring Set

Yosoo

Lathe Boring Set

A basic but durable set of bore bars that is perfect for beginning machinists and hobbyists.

$29
×

Accusize Industrial Tools

Boring Bar

Accusize Industrial Tools

Boring Bar

A high quality individual boring bar that is perfect for general use on most machining projects.
$24
×

All Industrial

Carbide Tip Boring Bar Set

All Industrial

Carbide Tip Boring Bar Set

A budget set of bore bars with a lighter touch to work on soft metals like aluminum.
$22
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Accusize Industrial Tools

Boring Bar Set

Accusize Industrial Tools

Boring Bar Set

One of the best premium bore bar sets to choose when you need more longevity from the tools.
$88
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Boring Heads and Shanks

Boring Head Set

Boring Heads and Shanks

Boring Head Set

A great all around boring bar set to choose when you want a long-lasting set for machining.

$89

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