anyone recommend a good tap and die set?

[Tri-Z Pilot]

seen some 80 piece sets on the bay with bin's of around $20-50, and the name brand stuff well into the hundreds. is the cheaper stuff ok for occasional use, or just plain junk. i figure you get what you paid for, you bring a cheap set like that home next thing you know theres change missin off the dresser and your daughters knocked up. ive seen it a hundred times,lol
anyhoo, let me know what you guys use and how you like it.

[carscomefirst]

When it comes to taps you get what you pay for. Ever try to drill out a broken tap? A cheap one is easy, a good one is a pita.
A decent set is A Jet brand 110 piece set. It's an import and will run around
$300. Some of the best taps are made by R&N(Reiff & Nestor). American made, privately owned, and expensive.
I have a Jet set and it works great for me.

[Yamada]

Well in the garage at the farm we have a mastercraft tap and die set. Cost +/- 50$ and we never broke any piece. And I think they have a lifetime warranty

[firehart]

I have a set from Harbor Freight but I don't know about the quality. I have not broke any of it yet. Its probably like most of Harbor Freight's other tools. Lifetime warrenty but best only for light duty.

[Mosh]

When it comes to tap and die sets,do not buy cheap crap.
They are brittle,and will break very easy,then you are in for a world of hurt.

Best brands out there,are Snap-On or Matco....

You can just get a metric kit too and save money,since standards are just about extinct,unless your working on Harley's or tractors,or old cars.

[johnny's X]

If you cant afford the snap on or s k you can always go to sears and get a craftsman set. they are around 100 if I remember correctly.

[Red Rider]

I would suggest a quality HSS (High Speed Steel) set as opposed to a carbon steel set. HSS can withstand more heat & will therefore stay sharper longer. But, I guess it all depends on what you want to use it for. If you just need to re-tap the occassional boogered up threads, then a carbon set will probably be just fine, but if you're cutting a lot of completely new threads, I would opt for the HSS set.

[Russell 350X]

When it comes to tap and die sets,do not buy cheap crap.
They are brittle,and will break very easy,then you are in for a world of hurt.

Best brands out there,are Snap-On or Matco....


Agreed, those are probably the best two for the money, but you pay a good amount for them, but they will last forever.

[honda_atc200es]

i figure you get what you paid for, you bring a cheap set like that home next thing you know theres change missin off the dresser and your daughters knocked up. ive seen it a hundred times,lol
anyhoo, let me know what you guys use and how you like it.

woohoo Tommy boy, darn those guarantee fairies

[dizasterzrfun69]

When it comes to tap and die sets,do not buy cheap crap.
They are brittle,and will break very easy,then you are in for a world of hurt.

Best brands out there,are Snap-On or Matco....

You can just get a metric kit too and save money,since standards are just about extinct,unless your working on Harley's or tractors,or old cars.

well today at work i was installing a compressor mount on an 08 gmc 5500 and got to put strap-on to the test. The idiots at carrier who built the mount didnt tap the holes for the compressor. It was only 1/4 inch steel but we managed to break off two 8X1.25 snap-on taps trying to thread the holes. we barely put any pressure on them either. the second one broke when we were backing it out. We used plenty of oil and had the hole drilled out the right size. my buddy has the big snap-on set (I think over 100 pieces) and it seems to serve us very well. We have used it several times and havent had any troubles until last week one of the "v-block" shaped pieces in the tap handle broke and then today the 8X1.25 tap snapped off. I have a set of the harbor freight taps and they are complete junk. I wouldnt piddle around with a $20 set but i also dont know if i'd spend the $300+ on a snap-on set.

[honda250sx]

Well when it comes to taps. I'd never buy just a set. Sets most of the time have way more than what you need. I also dont like sets because most sets are designed around a four flute tap. These are basically good for chasing holes. They are prone to failing. They break very easily. I definetly would suggest some good three flute spiral taps. These clear a hole easily and are nice strong rigid taps. I would also not suggest HSS. I would get a decent coated tap. Get your self a nice quality tap handle as well. I would suggest the Starrett 91-A and 91-B models. Best tap handle money can buy. They hold a tap tight! I would recommend a 4mm x .7, 5mm x .8, 6mm x 1.00, 7mm x 1.00, 8mm x 1.25, 10mm x 1.25. This is what you need to get the job done most days. Hope that helps IMO.

[honda250sx]

I would suggest buying from McMaster-Carr or MSC.

[seadoo650]

When it comes to tap and die sets,do not buy cheap crap.
They are brittle,and will break very easy,then you are in for a world of hurt.

Best brands out there,are Snap-On or Matco....

You can just get a metric kit too and save money,since standards are just about extinct,unless your working on Harley's or tractors,or old cars.

Sorry buddy but Irwin makes all the tap and die sets for crap-on, Matco and Mac so they're all the same. Sorry to rain on your parade. The difference is you don't always get a lifetime warranty through most. But guess what. Mac is lifetime warrantied. And we sell them individually. Most common ones run a few $$ to around $15.00.

P.m. me for quotes.

[Mosh]

Sorry buddy but Irwin makes all the tap and die sets for crap-on, Matco and Mac so they're all the same. Sorry to rain on your parade. The difference is you don't always get a lifetime warranty through most. But guess what. Mac is lifetime warrantied. And we sell them individually. Most common ones run a few $$ to around $15.00.

P.m. me for quotes.
I knew you would kick my in the jimmy for that .........:lol:

I have a MAC standard set,and it has broken more than my Crap -Ons:welcome:

But I bought that MAC set back in 93.I doubt they were made by Irwin back then.But who knows.
The only problem is, we have no MAC tool dealers up here.Been that way for about 10 years now. .So I quit buying their tools.I dont have time to mail crap in a wait for 4 weeks for the new tool to get warrantied..So I just started replacing them with the other guys stuff,that could be serviced quickly,when they broke.
Maybe you could put in a good word for a MAC Tool guy up here!
My Strap Ons have broken a few times,But they have always been warrantied.
I would have gladly suggested Mac tools,but they are hit in miss as in availiability of dealers.I hope that changes.You guys have better prices,and great products..



On a side note,I bought the Walton Tap extractors for removing broken taps.Those things rock out.

[Billy Golightly]

I'd concur with the reccomendation to purchase a set or even individually from McMaster Carr or MSC Direct. Select one of the name brand USA made ones (Very spendy, compared to imports, but worth every penny)

[Tri-Z Pilot]

wow guess i opened a can of worms, lol i really dont have a set brand of tools i buy, just whatever suits my needs at the time. i would probably buy a decent sized set as i believe you can never have too many tools, and i hate having to stop workin on something do to no t having the proper tool. when im wrenchin im in go mode! i can stay out all night if im into a project. so i guess metric would be the best set, then buy standards as needed.?

[brapp]

you get what you pay for i have broken off the craftsman ones mor ethan one occasion but have a nice set i got from grizley industrial and seem to hold up awesome.

[Tri-Z Pilot]

yea i thinnk grizzly has a place by the lycoming mall dont they josh ? i may have to check them out

[brapp]

yep yepyep