Tool Life Calculator

Work out tool life instantly with clear inputs, formula shown and shareable results.

About Tool Life Calculator

Taylor's tool life equation V x T^n = C says that cutting speed and tool life trade off along a power law. Because n is small, typically 0.1 to 0.3, life is extremely sensitive to speed: with n = 0.25 a 20 percent speed increase roughly halves tool life.

Formula

Taylor tool life

V x T^n = C, so T = (C / V)^(1/n)

V: Cutting speed
T: Tool life in minutes
n: Taylor exponent
C: Speed giving one minute of life

Worked example

With the default values below, Tool Life Calculator returns Expected tool life of 7.7. Change any input above and every figure here is recalculated in your browser.

Inputs used

Cutting speedminimum 1 SFM: 300 SFM
Taylor exponent nminimum 0.02: 0.25
Taylor constant Cminimum 1: 500

Results

Expected tool life: 7.7 min
Tool life in hours: 0.13 h
Speed for 60 minute life: 179.7 SFM
Speed as fraction of C: 0.600

Step by step

1Values used
2Taylor tool life
3Expected tool life= 7.7 min
4Tool life in hours= 0.13 h
5Speed for 60 minute life= 179.7 SFM
6Speed as fraction of C= 0.600

Assumptions and limits

The result is derived only from the 3 inputs listed above. Anything not among them is not part of the calculation.
In particular, this calculator does not take inflation, tax, fees or charges or compounding frequency into account.
Figures are rounded for display to 3 decimal places, so totals built from several rounded parts can differ slightly from the unrounded arithmetic.

How these calculators are built and tested is described on the Methodology page. If a figure looks wrong, please report it.

Frequently Asked Questions

How is the Tool Life figure worked out?

V x T^n = C, so T = (C / V)^(1/n). Taylor's tool life equation V x T^n = C says that cutting speed and tool life trade off along a power law.

Where do n and C come from?

From cutting trials on the specific tool, material and coolant combination. Published values are starting points only; the constants shift with every change in the setup.

What values do I need to enter?

This calculator takes 3 inputs: Cutting speed, Taylor exponent n, Taylor constant C. The pre-filled defaults are a realistic worked example — replace them with your own site or project figures.