What Taylor's Tool Life Equation Tells You
Taylor's tool life equation, V·Tn=C, links cutting speed directly to how long a tool lasts before it needs to be reground or replaced. Push the speed up and tool life drops fast, because the exponent n is almost always well below 1 — small speed increases can cut tool life dramatically. This calculator lets you solve either direction: find the expected life at a given speed, or back into the speed that hits a target life.
Where C and n Come From
Both constants are empirical, found by cutting a specific tool material against a specific workpiece at several speeds and timing wear to a defined endpoint. C is the cutting speed that would give exactly one minute of tool life, and n describes how steeply life falls off as speed rises. Carbide tools typically have higher n values than HSS, meaning their life falls off less steeply with speed, which is part of why carbide tolerates much higher cutting speeds.
Using This Estimator
Treat the preset values as a starting point for comparison, not a guarantee, since real C and n shift with coatings, workpiece hardness, coolant, and rigidity. The most reliable numbers come from your own shop's wear data on a specific tool and material combination.