Who's used an annular cutter on their mill?

I have the annular cutters from the links posted, the Kimball is US made and comparable to the Hougen, he also sells a larger set, the major limitation is the 1" DOC. I have seen some sets that come up in various sizes, I would say it is a waiting and searching game to find what your looking for without busting the bank. In particular on the larger cutters, they can get pricey quickly. My limited experience in using them, I would say they are preferable over conventional drills at 1/2" and above, you also do not need to drill sequential holes to remove material. The hole finish is also much better than hole saws. My concern would be stability when using much larger annular cutters that have a stub shaft.

Holders, they are also sold by some US vendors:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Magnetic-dr...3-to-3-4-Weldon-Shank-MC00-0003-/151503759911
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Accusize-An...don-Shank-for-Drill-use-Annular-/262835774228
http://www.ebay.com/itm/AccusizeToo...rill-Use-Annular-Cutter-for-Mil-/292024453162
 
Dan, I can vouch for the Canadian machine tool 3MT to 3/4" weldon adaptor. Very good quality for the money, as far as mill use, a 3/4" collet works fine. As far as stability, thats gonna depend on the machine in terms of rigidness. I always lock the mill table when using any kind of hole-saw or annular cutter of a larger size, especially when coping tube or pipe. The lathe application is even more stable as the material is rotating in secured chuck so long as the tailstock spindle isn't out too far from the start.
The slower RPM's ( 250-300) and lube with a surfer base cutting oil works very well but any side load will result in breakage. When drilling with these, introduce gently but once it stats the cut there a rhythm like anything else, look, listen, and feel. That said, don't "loiter" and back out to clear the birds nest (with a brush) re-lube and repeat. As far as depth of cut, that really depends on size and RPM, but a good rule I live by is once smoke appears or the birds nest poses a hazard, rinse and repeat. I have yet to break one so why change the process. FWIW, the large cutter in the previous photo was purchased new for $30 on eBay some years back. In fact all of my annulars have been purchased on eBay for very little and all came new in sleeves. I will add, many awesome deals on eBay have sort of dried up over the past few years but once in a while one comes along.
IMG_0677.JPG
I don't use them on a daily basis, but when they are used, they save time.
 
Thanks for all of the info guys. Coincidentally I had ordered a few of these cutters from MSC earlier this week. I had recently been drilling some 1" holes in steel plate with conventional bits and thought there must be a better way.
 
I've used the sheet metal versions, they are way better than a hole saw and give a clean cut. I needed to cut 1 1/2" holes in 3/16" plate and tried to use one (even though they state are only for 1/8" thick material max) and ended up breaking it. I tried it on the drill press first but mine doesn't go slow enough so I moved to the mill. Speed was good but a chip jammed in the cut and BOOM, no more cutter. That's what I get for using the wrong tool for the job.

I will be getting some different sizes in the 2" DOC as I find them. No super cheap deals on ebay right now but I'll keep looking.
 
The electrician's "Holcutter's" are awesome for thin stuff. I especially like the shoulder that prevents over penetrating the blade when drilling electrical panels. I found the set on ebay as well.
 
I've used the annular cutters in my mag drill for about 20 years, drilled 100's of holes without needing to resharpen (re-sharpend them for about half price of new), and I had my first :( when using a 9/16" on the mill. My best guess is I was a little heavy on the feed and $35 flew away. This cutter was a Jancy, but I have, and use Hougen, Black & Decker (I've had those awhile) and Unibor which is made in England. Tooth geometry is the only difference I see but the Hougen seems to cut better in stainless, which was 1" through 304 3/4" bar. I don't think the length if the 3/4" shaft is an issue with the R8 holder.

I was taught to never trade labor for material, so I have always made a habit of buying high quality cutting tools because anything less costs money. I usually buy the cutters for the job I'm doing so I have 1", 2" and 3" lengths and they can be re-sharpened. I do shop Ebay but time constraints dictate I purchase from my industrial supplier in most cases. Time is money.
 
Can the 12,000 series Hougen annular cutters work with a BP type r8 round smooth collet or do you need the arbor/ejector pin ?
I would like to buy the 1" DOC, 3/4" Hougen 12,000 series cutter but if I have to buy the arbor, I may pass and continue using a hole saw.
(too many other expenses right now).
 
Can the 12,000 series Hougen annular cutters work with a BP type r8 round smooth collet or do you need the arbor/ejector pin ?
I would like to buy the 1" DOC, 3/4" Hougen 12,000 series cutter but if I have to buy the arbor, I may pass and continue using a hole saw.
(too many other expenses right now).

The pin that comes with the cutter doesn't work in the R8 so there's no point in an extra purchase. I haven't done it yet because I haven't had my mill that long but I plan on making an ejector for use with the R8. There's really no need to use the pin for centering so I use a sharp scribe to push the plug out of the cutter and sometines they fall out if you use enough lubricant.

When I have needed a pin and didn't have one I just ground a center on an old drill bit that fits. Center punch the shank so it doesn't drop through and you're ready. Unless I'm drilling a lot of holes with a quick setup, I never fill the oil well so there's no need for the oil port on the pin either.
 
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So an R8 collet will work? The shank looks so short on the 12,000 series cutters.
 
So an R8 collet will work? The shank looks so short on the 12,000 series cutters.

I think if we consider the grip length of every holder or the length of every shank for every cutting tool we use, the shank on the annular cutters are more than sufficient. The R8 collets grip from an average 1/2" - 1 1/2", from the smallest to the largest collet available. Read my comment dated 03/13. I have never crashed a cutter when using my mag drill and I blew up a cutter for the first time ever on my mill, so I got a lesson on how much muscle to put into it. As I stated it was 9/16" and I pulled it into the material a bit heavy.
 
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