pre-hardened vs heat treat?

[mikek]

What are the advantages of using a pre-hardened steel over a steel that needs to be heat treated?

[britt]

Great question.

With a pre-hardened steel, all the mechanical properties are known. Also, machining and setup is done in one step. A heat treatable steel has two or more steps in order to finish complete. The mechanical properties are determined by how well the pieces are heat treated.