01 — Quick Comparison
| Grade | Hardness (HRC) | Hot Hardness | Cobalt Content | Material Characteristics | Typical Applications | Buying Considerations |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4241 | 60–61 | Low | No intentional addition | Economical HSS for light-duty drilling | Low-carbon steel; thin sheet metal | Entry-level, cost-sensitive ranges |
| 4341 | 62–64 | Moderate | No intentional addition | Economical HSS for general-purpose metal drilling | Mild steel; routine metal drilling | Balance of cost and performance |
| M2 (6542) | 63–65 | Moderate–High | No intentional addition | Industrial HSS with balanced toughness and wear resistance | Carbon steel; cast iron | Professional general-purpose ranges |
| M35 | 64–66 | High | Approx. 5% | Cobalt HSS with improved hot hardness | Stainless steel; alloy steel | Higher heat resistance at higher cost |
| M42 | 65–67 | Very High | Approx. 8% | Highly alloyed cobalt HSS for demanding conditions | Difficult-to-machine stainless steel; high-temperature alloys | Demanding heat-intensive applications |
Finished-drill hardness ranges are based on supplied reference data. Actual performance depends on heat treatment, drill geometry and cutting conditions.
Hot Hardness (Red Hardness): The ability of high-speed steel to retain hardness at elevated cutting temperatures. It is particularly important when drilling stainless steel and other difficult-to-machine materials. Actual performance also depends on heat treatment, drill geometry and cutting conditions.
02 — Chemical Composition (%)
| Grade | Source / Classification | C | Si | Mn | P | S | Cr | Mo | W | V | Co | Ni | Nb |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4241A | Supplier Material Certificate | 0.9–0.98 | 0.9–1.0 | 0.28 | 0.026 | 0.006 | 4.2–4.5 | 1.0–1.1 | 1.2–1.4 | 0.5–0.7 | 0.2 | 0.2 | — |
| 4241B | Supplier Material Certificate | 0.9–0.98 | 0.9–1.0 | 0.28 | 0.026 | 0.006 | 4.2–4.5 | 0.9–1.0 | 1.05–1.2 | 0.3–0.4 | 0.2 | 0.2 | — |
| 4241C | Supplier Material Certificate | 0.9–0.98 | 0.9–1.0 | 0.28 | 0.026 | 0.006 | 4.2–4.5 | 0.5–0.8 | 0.5–0.8 | 0.15–0.25 | 0.2 | 0.2 | — |
| 4341 | National Standard | 0.83–0.93 | 0.70–1.00 | 0.20–0.40 | ≤0.03 | ≤0.03 | 3.80–4.40 | 2.50–3.50 | 3.50–4.50 | 1.20–1.80 | — | — | — |
| M2 | National Standard | 0.80–0.90 | 0.20–0.45 | 0.20–0.40 | ≤0.03 | ≤0.010 | 3.80–4.50 | 4.70–5.20 | 5.90–6.70 | 1.70–2.10 | — | — | — |
| M35 | National Standard | 0.87–0.95 | 0.20–0.45 | 0.15–0.40 | ≤0.03 | ≤0.03 | 3.80–4.50 | 4.70–5.20 | 5.90–6.70 | 1.70–2.10 | 4.50–5.00 | — | — |
| M42 | National Standard | 1.05–1.15 | 0.15–0.65 | 0.15–0.40 | ≤0.03 | ≤0.03 | 3.50–4.25 | 9.00–10.00 | 1.15–1.85 | 0.95–1.35 | 7.75–8.75 | — | — |
Composition (% by weight). 4241A/B/C: supplier material quality certificate (Danyang Guanghao Metal Materials Co., Ltd.). 4341/M2/M35/M42: National Standard rows transcribed from the supplied specialty-steel reference sheet; specific standard numbers have not been independently verified. “—” = not specified. These are reference values, not Jiateng batch test results.