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Carbide is the most common material used for making end mills due to its superior hardness and wear resistance compared to other materials. End mills made from carbide can operate at higher speeds and feed rates, making them more efficient for milling a variety of materials, including harder metals. The durability of carbide tools allows them to maintain sharp cutting edges for longer periods, which ultimately leads to better performance and precision in machining tasks. This performance advantage makes carbide end mills highly preferable in both industrial and precision machining applications.

While steel, copper, and aluminum have their applications in tool making, they do not offer the same balance of toughness, hardness, and resistance to wear that carbide provides, especially in high-speed and high-performance scenarios.