Drill Tool Life, Hole Count and Cost-per-Hole Calculator

The number of holes per drill depends on tool life, hole depth and cutting speed. This calculator gives a theoretical hole count from your inputs; the real result varies with material, drill quality and machine conditions.

Tool life in metres is the total distance the drill cuts. For example, 50 mm depth x 300 holes = 15 metres of total cutting distance.

Time per hole = hole depth / feed per minute (mm/min). For example, 50 mm / 636 mm/min = 0.0786 min = 4.7 seconds.

Cost per hole = drill price / holes per drill. For example, a 50 USD drill making 300 holes = 0.17 USD per hole.

As cutting speed rises, tool life drops. Higher speed creates more heat at the edge and accelerates wear, so an optimised cutting speed for each material matters.

Carbide drills can last much longer at higher cutting speeds. HSS drills are more economical and perform well at lower speeds. The choice depends on machine capacity and production volume.

Extra motion is required for the drill point to fully exit the part. Adding this distance (usually 2-3 mm) to the tool life calculation gives a more accurate result.

No, these are theoretical results. Real tool life varies with material hardness, drill geometry, coating, machine rigidity, coolant, chip evacuation and entry/exit conditions; a trial run before production is recommended.