Amazon tap and die set?

[MTNSleder]

I know nothing about taps and dies except that they make threads and cheap ones break..

I'm looking for a set that has a little bit of everything in it that's not the cheap ones you buy at Canadian tire..

Just curious if there's any brands of tap and die sets I should pacifically look at on Amazon or what..
Thanks!!!

 

[thooks]

I don't use them very much, but I have bought a few taps over the years. I just buy what I need at the moment. Mostly have bought taps to clean boogered up threads.

I've only drilled and tapped a few holes.... My wife wanted some new curtain rods in the bathroom. The ones she bought wouldn't fit where/why, so I had to make some adjustments. Had to drill a new hole for the set screw.

She was amazed that I took something that was not going to work, that she was considering taking back to the store and had it installed before she knew it.

 

[zmotorsports]

Are you looking to clean and repair threads or cut new threads. For general maintenance and repairing a good quality tap and hex die set would work well. I have one of the large hex sets from Irwin/Hanson that I bought about 10 years ago. I also have a much older Vermont American set that is probably 25 years old that has been through me nearly my entire maintenance career that now resides at my home shop. Both the Irwin/Hanson and Vermont American are hex die sets in SAE, USS as well as Metric and made of high carbon steel. They have pretty much handled everything I've thrown at them with only a few broken that I have had to replace.

I also bought an import tap and round die set in carbon steel for actual thread cutting about 8 years ago from a yard sale of an old machinist guy and the set seems to work well despite being an import set. This is also a SAE, USS and Metric set with the larger round dies being adjustable.

About two years ago I purchased two extremely nice sets from my local Fastenal that they have made for them and marketed under their FMT-Standard label. One set is SAE and USS and the other set contains Metric. All have the fully adjustable round dies in all sizes and are made from HSS rather than carbon steel. These are truly high quality sets but they come with a hefty price tag.

Whatever you buy, don't buy cheap quality and buy depending on what your actual needs are, cutting new or repair as well as frequency of usage. I use my round die sets a lot and my hex sets somewhat less but I do quite a bit of machining in my home shop so more than merely general repair work.

 

[Mr Ratchet]

If I needed a set I would get this one. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001GMVA64/?tag=atomicindus08-20

Then add on different sizes as you need them if the need arises.

 

[MTNSleder]

Are you looking to clean and repair threads or cut new threads. For general maintenance and repairing a good quality tap and hex die set would work well. I have one of the large hex sets from Irwin/Hanson that I bought about 10 years ago. I also have a much older Vermont American set that is probably 25 years old that has been through me nearly my entire maintenance career that now resides at my home shop. Both the Irwin/Hanson and Vermont American are hex die sets in SAE, USS as well as Metric and made of high carbon steel. They have pretty much handled everything I've thrown at them with only a few broken that I have had to replace.

I also bought an import tap and round die set in carbon steel for actual thread cutting about 8 years ago from a yard sale of an old machinist guy and the set seems to work well despite being an import set. This is also a SAE, USS and Metric set with the larger round dies being adjustable.

About two years ago I purchased two extremely nice sets from my local Fastenal that they have made for them and marketed under their FMT-Standard label. One set is SAE and USS and the other set contains Metric. All have the fully adjustable round dies in all sizes and are made from HSS rather than carbon steel. These are truly high quality sets but they come with a hefty price tag.

Whatever you buy, don't buy cheap quality and buy depending on what your actual needs are, cutting new or repair as well as frequency of usage. I use my round die sets a lot and my hex sets somewhat less but I do quite a bit of machining in my home shop so more than merely general repair work.

Cutting new threads, im not using this every day probably like once a month when i come across a bolt that needs new threads.

 

[MTNSleder]

If I needed a set I would get this one. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001GMVA64/?tag=atomicindus08-20

Then add on different sizes as you need them if the need arises.

I didint see that one on amazon when i was searching thanks.

 

[woody 73]

This is a nice set that you might like using:

https://www.tooltopia.com/irwin-han...ign=PLA&scid=scbplpIRW26376&sc_intid=IRW26376

 

[C.L S2000]

I had this set for a bit and it does wonders for me, plus they are made from Japanese tool steel. I guess it helps with cutting edge sharpness retention.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01JBNGZM8/?tag=atomicindus08-20

 

[kblee27]

I bought a couple of Irwin taps from Amazon.
Those that I need to use, maybe just a couple times.
I don't tap or die every other day, so it will last a long time.

The important thing I know is that you need a cutting fluid, don't save on them.

 

[Wamsutta]

Irwin Hanson is the old standard by which all other taps and dies are measured against. I would always advise people to go by that standard and never fall below it. Broken taps are no fun to take out.

 

[6PTsocket]

Irwin Hanson is the old standard by which all other taps and dies are measured against. I would always advise people to go by that standard and never fall below it. Broken taps are no fun to take out.

Irwin Hanson is better than a lot of cheap imports. It is so far down from top of the line it isn't funny. The really quality stuff is generally not sold in sets. When it is, the price can be 5, 6 700 dollars. For real professional use, taps are manufactured for specific materials with alloy, flute design and coatings adjusted for the task. Brands like Greenfield andEmuge are industrial quality. Hanson does make a HSS set but that is not the one you are familiar with. You are talking about maintenance quality. Machinist quality is a whole 'nother animal.

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

 

[6PTsocket]

Cutting new threads, im not using this every day probably like once a month when i come across a bolt that needs new threads.

If a bolt needs new threads, I think you are saying you are cleaning up the messed up threads that are already there. That is old threads. The correct tool is a chaser die not a cutting die. A cutting die cuts away what is out of line and weakens the bolt. A chaser die straightens out the damaged thread.

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[shawhite]

If a bolt needs new threads, I think you are saying you are cleaning up the messed up threads that are already there. That is old threads. The correct tool is a chaser die not a cutting die. A cutting die cuts away what is out of line and weakens the bolt. A chaser die straightens out the damaged thread.

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This is exactly what I was thinking but I will go one step further if a bolt has damaged threads why not just replace the bolt it would be a lot cheaper.

 

[sberry]

That set in the link is great as it has large sizes and pretty good handles. It would be a good 1 stop shop. I use dies as chasers, do not own a real chaser set.

 

[lilredex]

If you only need these for very occasional work, just buy a few of the ones you might need. That is what I did when I was getting my tools together. I also have never had a chaser set.

Nothing wrong with those at CTC, these were on the clearance table and work just fine. Look at garage sales for good vintage sets......got the one pictured for $20.

 

[ItsNemo]

Actually the mastercraft (more specifically the maximum ones) aren't all that bad compared to any of the other sets out there. I started out with a set of those and have never broken or had issues with them...I've since added a gearwrench set to get more sizes and better drive tools but nothing wrong with my other ones.

 

[B_Bimmer]

I would go with the irwin set over gearwrench, but before I did that I would do my best to find an older lot on ebay or area surplus stores. There are a lot of lightly used old sets out there, and they are nice.

 

[Wamsutta]

Irwin Hanson is better than a lot of cheap imports. It is so far down from top of the line it isn't funny. The really quality stuff is generally not sold in sets. When it is, the price can be 5, 6 700 dollars. For real professional use, taps are manufactured for specific materials with alloy, flute design and coatings adjusted for the task. Brands like Greenfield andEmuge are industrial quality. Hanson does make a HSS set but that is not the one you are familiar with. You are talking about maintenance quality. Machinist quality is a whole 'nother animal.

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I think you misunderstood my post. When I said Irwin Hanson is the old standard by which all other taps are measured against, I meant the minimum standard. I'm well aware of high end taps and dies like Brubaker, Union Butterfield, and Morse.

 

[dutchgray]

I buy singles when I need them, but its really hard to find a decent set here, almost every set you can get is cheap rubbish.

 

[Wamsutta]

I'm a sucker for the special boxes that the high end taps come in.