The prediction of wear in cutting tools is pivotal for boosting productivity and reducing manufacturing costs. Although current data-driven models in machine learning and deep learning have advanced predictive capabilities, they often lack generality and demand substantial data training. This paper presents a novel approach using Bayesian Regularized Artificial Neural Networks (BRANNs) to precisely forecast wear in milling tools. Unlike conventional machine learning models, BRANNs merge the strengths of artificial neural networks (ANNs) and Bayesian regularization, yielding a more robust and generalized predictive model. We utilized three open-access datasets from the literature alongside an in-house dataset generated by our milling setup. Initially, we assessed the model’s predictive ability by training and testing it against individual open-access datasets. We investigated the impact of input features, training data size, hidden units, training algorithms, and transfer functions on the model’s predictive capability. Subsequently, we trained the model using three open-access datasets and tested it against our in-house data. Our findings demonstrate that the developed model surpasses existing state-of-the-art models in accuracy and transferability