QuotedPartCost guides · Updated 2026-10-30
Is 12L14 cheaper to machine than 1018?
Price one of your own parts: Drop a STEP model or PDF drawing — about 90 seconds, no account.
Your part priced in about 90 seconds, no account.
For the two-inch turned pin, 12L14 is cheaper than 1018 at every listed quantity: $254.98 versus $262.05 at one (a $7.07 gap), $32.42 versus $34.40 at 10 (a $1.98 gap), and $10.84 versus $12.25 at 100 (a $1.41 gap). Its faster cutting and lower bar price drive the difference, while welding or material chemistry can still make 1018 the right choice.
See how QuotedPart connects to your workflow with its API, MCP server, autonomous quoting and shop-specific learning.
The 12L14 steel example part
The worked piece is a two-inch turned pin with a drilled end and a relief groove. This favors a free-machining grade because chips and tool engagement repeat predictably. A welded frame, a fatigue-critical shaft or a part needing a different surface treatment may make 1018 the better engineering choice.
How the quantity break works
12L14’s lead advantage appears as cutting minutes, not as a free setup. Both grades still need CAM, chucking, deburring and inspection. When a buyer orders one sample, those fixed operations overwhelm the stock difference; when the lot reaches 100, the cycle gap becomes visible.
| Qty | Setup min (lot) | Cycle min (part) | Cost / part | Quoted / part | Lot price | Lead days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 123.3 | 3.9 | $201.58 | $262.05 | $262.05 | 9 |
| 10 | 123.3 | 3.9 | $26.46 | $34.40 | $344.00 | 9 |
| 100 | 123.3 | 3.9 | $9.42 | $12.25 | $1225.00 | 10 |
What the material or process changes
Lead and compliance deserve attention. 12L14 contains lead and may be restricted in some applications; do not substitute it without the customer’s approval. The calculator here is a costing comparison, not a material-selection certificate.
How to turn this into a firm quote
State the grade, condition, diameter and certification on the quote. If the customer chooses 1018, rerun the same route so the selling price reflects the changed cycle and material rather than a hand-edited surcharge.
Questions to settle before release
Do not approve 12L14 for a welded or regulated part without the customer’s written material approval. Ask for the required surface finish, corrosion treatment and chip-control plan. Confirm whether the bar comes ground or cold drawn and whether a certification is needed. Our pricing engine comparison isolates cost; the application review decides whether the cheaper cutting route is allowed.
For this 12l14 vs 1018 cost estimate, use the first production run as a check on this estimate. Capture actual setup minutes, cycle minutes, material weight and outside invoices, then update the shop rate or example part assumption that was wrong. That small feedback loop is more useful than rounding every quote upward. It also gives the next estimator a concrete explanation when the customer asks why a repeat job moved.
Pricing engine output for the stated Steel 12L14 CNC turning example part
- • Material: Steel 12L14; the US catalog stores its small-lot price and machinability factor.
- • Process: CNC turning; setup, machine time, deburring and inspection are generated from the example-part geometry.
- • Markup: 30% default US catalog markup; quantities are 1, 10, 100.
- • Fictional 2 in turned part from 1.5 in bar; one drilled end hole and one groove.
- • No outside finish, tax, freight, or customer-specific rate is included.
- • These are computed examples, not supplier quotes or market averages.
| Qty | Setup min (lot) | Cycle min (part) | Cost / part | Quoted / part | Lot price | Lead days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 123.3 | 3.5 | $196.14 | $254.98 | $254.98 | 9 |
| 10 | 123.3 | 3.5 | $24.94 | $32.42 | $324.20 | 9 |
| 100 | 123.3 | 3.5 | $8.34 | $10.84 | $1084.00 | 10 |
Sources and limits
Claims are dated where they can change. Product calculations are examples from the stated inputs, not a promise about a customer's quote. Competitor wording is attributed to the source shown.
- The figures are computed from the stated example part and US catalog assumptions.
Price one of your own parts
Drop a PDF drawing or a STEP file. QuotedPart reads the print, measures the model and prices it in seconds, on default shop rates you can change.
Your STEP file or PDF drawingDrop a PDF drawing, a STEP file or both
Free. No account, no email. Priced at our default US rates until you set yours.
Related QuotedPart guides
Cost guides
17-4 PH stainless machining cost with a quantity-break example
A small turned 17-4 PH stainless part in this estimate starts with slow cutting and a relatively expensive bar. The pricing engine computes setup, cycle, m
Cost guides
17-4 PH stainless price per pound for a machining quote
The US catalog starts 17-4 PH stainless at $7.30 per pound for a small lot and a lower volume price for full-bar quantities. On the sample turned pin, the
Cost guides
303 versus 304 stainless machining cost for a small turned part
In the same turned-part example part, 303 stainless prices lower than 304 because the catalog gives 303 a higher machinability factor and a lower small-lot bar
Cost guides
4140 pre-hard versus annealed machining cost
Our pricing engine can show the same 4140 part through two material assumptions, but the catalog currently stores a pre-hard grade. In this worked comparison, the