[pearldiver]

How different is the "machinability" between 303 and 304 stainless?

[Geof]

Very different.

303 does not work harden to the same extent, the chips have a tendency to break of instead of forming long strings and tool life is two or three times better even when running at a faster speed.

It is not as corrosion resistant as 304 and it is not suitable for welding.

[ambicasteels]

The SS 304 is most common stainless steel grade among all grades. 304 contains minimum of 18% chromium and 8% nickel.
When the question to create machining applications, the answer is 303 Stainless steel where 304 grades can be difficult to machine. In 303 SS has lowered toughness and corrosion resistance compared with Stainless steels 304
There is another common among them is 316 Stainless steel which is produced with added corrosion resistance feature in the high saline environment.
I have written an article about 304 and 316.If you want to learn more about the difference between 304 vs. 316 stainless steel, you can read this article.Here is the live link of the URL
https://www.ambicasteels.com/blog/st...fferentiation/