Best tap and die set(s) for general garage use

[LS6 Tommy]

I've been thinking of getting a tap and die set for the garage. I don't need anything super high end, just for the garage. I'm not sure if I should get separate SAE and Metric sets, or if a combination set will be comprehensive enough. A combo set would be easier for storage. I looked at Irwin, Tekton and Gearwrench. I'm sort of leaning towards the Gearwrench 114 piece set. HD has it listed as a special for $199, but of course it's out of stock online and not in stores.

Any input?

Tommy

 

[turnthewrench 2.0]

Buy the sizes you need from McMaster-Carr and call it a day. For DIY work, there's little sense of having a full set 90% of which you will never use.

When you need a tap or a die, you need precision, and quality pays off.

Just my 2 cents.

 

[dogdog]

I have the HF sets, the one that was $79 (now $85) both in SAE and Metric does come in handy once in a blue moon. It doesn't have the m9x1.25 or was it M9x.1.0 which is the caliper guide bolt on some German cars, or if you are into oil burner nozzles it doesn't have 1/2-28.. but I think those are considered "specialty" threads.

Astro have a set that seems to cover a lot of car threads, it does have that M9x1.0 in its kit if you are looking for that.

 

[dogdog]

Buy the sizes you need from McMaster-Carr and call it a day. For DIY work, there's little sense of having a full set 90% of which you will never use.

When you need a tap or a die, you need precision, and quality pays off.

Just my 2 cents.

problem with that is if you need it when you need it, you'll have to wait or pay and wait to get it ....

 

[turnthewrench 2.0]

problem with that is if you need it when you need it, you'll have to wait or pay and wait to get it ....

That is true, but usually, DIY stuff can afford one more day - and that's the usual wait time from McMaster.

 

[didit]

If I needed some I would buy good brand names used. I have a set of SAE Hilka taps and dies that I bought in the mid '60s. I use them a fair amount and have never broke one yet. I was given a really nice set of Snap-On metrics but haven't even used them yet because I have a drawer full of taps & dies both SAE & Metric that I inherited from my uncle. I have broke a few of the smaller taps from him but am most impressed with my old Hilkas.

 

[ghnl]

What is the intended use? For fabrication you'll want taps & dies to cut new threads. But for restoration/repair a better choice are re-threading taps & dies. These are made to clean & straighten existing threads without removing material (which would reduce the strength of the assembly).

 

[M635_Guy]

What is the intended use? For fabrication you'll want taps & dies to cut new threads. But for restoration/repair a better choice are re-threading taps & dies. These are made to clean & straighten existing threads without removing material (which would reduce the strength of the assembly).

Any favorites you'd suggest?

 

[PelicanPines]

Buy the sizes you need. I find I need bottom taps a lot... they don't come in sets normally. And you can't really start with a bottom tap. Eventually you will have everything.

My whole tap kit is labelled up the wazzu.

I have Irwin, Hanson, Vermont... get Hanson.

 

[AmericanMechanic]

Agree with not buying cheap. Buy what you need when you need it, unless you can afford to buy all quality taps and dies speculatively (nothing wrong with that). But HF/import taps and dies are probably going to cause you more pain. Heck the hanson US made carbon steel (not HSS) taps don't seem to great either.

 

[AmericanMechanic]

BTW they don't have to be expensive. US made High Speed Steel 3-piece tap sets of most sizes a DIYer would use are what, $20 or less?

 

[AmericanMechanic]

And if you're doing a through hole that's not super deep, a single taper tap would usually work.

 

[Joebass]

Buy, what you may run into NOS on ebay. Stick with HSS gun taps and brands like Cleveland, OSG, or Greenfield. For instance if you may never need a fine thread. If you're using SAE buy 8-32 to 1/2-16. In my world its rare to need metric, but I've acquired most sizes. I might use 6mm or 8mm a few times a year. This is coming from a fab and machine shop owner.

 

[coljar]

Look at the Irwin 26376 set on Amazon. The tap & dies are made in USA and has NC, NF, and metric. I have this set along with older sets and a hodge-podge collection of tap & dies.

 

[Lassen Forge]

Get the Irwin set, a number of the "truck" brands rebrand them for their own use, and they just work. Seriously... that is beyond hard to beat.

 

[M6erfan]

I have an older Hanson USA T&D set. Works fine in my home shop. Use them fairly often, none broken yet.

 

[LS6 Tommy]

Thanks for the info so far. The Irwin stuff I looked at was getting some pretty poor reviews, but I trust you all more than an anonymous rating. I didn't even think of ebay for NOS...

Tommy

 

[ez-duzit]

Look for a quality used set that has seen little use; one intended to create new threads. Then pickup specialty taps and dies as you find the need. Avoid imports.

 

[noid]

I got this set, made in the USA:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00Q30C6SK/?tag=atomicindus08-20

 

[rslaback]

I'm a fan of the Irwin sets. The Gearwrench are ok but the drive shanks on some of the sizes are smaller than they need to be. This makes them more prone to breaking and is also a PITA when you replace it with an Irwin.

By the way, Irwin and Hanson are the same company and like was mentioned above they are the OEM for some of the tool truck brands.

 

[speed bump]

I have a couple of Irwin sets, for taps I use a lot I bought some Cleveland or something else higher quality from MSC. I've been tempted to buy a set of rethreading dies but in the 20 years I've been fixing thrrads I haven't once regretted using a tap or die.

 

[sk farmer]

i get so tired of the same old story. buy only the sizes you will need. great, you tell me what sizes i need. that's what i thought, you can't.

does anyone tell you to only buy the size socket or wrench you need? no. matter of fact most of the time the same guys will tell you to buy a set of wrenches or sockets that don't skip any sizes in the range they cover. why you want a complete set of sockets or wrenches and only a couple taps or dies i have no idea.

buy a decent set of taps and dies. new, old, vintage from a reputable brand. then learn how to use them. proper size holes for the taps, cutting fluid and get to know the procedure. it's not hard but there are a few tricks that make it easier and mistakes can be hard to fix.

once you have a set then add different styles of taps or taps of better quality if needed. deals can be had on good old taps and dies or vintage sets and buy all means take advantage of them but a mismatched box of taps and dies does you no good if it is missing the one size you need.

the best part of a set is sight inventory. missing or broken pieces can be replaced leaving you ready for the next job at hand. they are also protected from damage by the case. taps especially can be damaged by laying loosely in drawers or being dropped.

 

[2ndGearRubber]

I have the Astro set in metric at work, nice when I need it. Mostly I use chasers for thread repair anyways. Get Lisle tap sockets to drive them if you don't already own a set. Like others mentioned, buying singles/kits of common sizes can be a good ida if you know what you usually work with.

 

[lardy1]

There used to be some NOS NAPA sets kicking around online. I bought an SAE set. They are seldom used in my little DIY world but they were highly reviewed and US made so I tried them and have no regret. They were less than a hundred bucks, as I recall.

 

[Grant Gunderson]

I’ve been using some spiral taps lately and am pretty damn impressed by them. In fact I will only buy those going forward as they cut so much better.

 

[ez-duzit]

I’ve been using some spiral taps lately and am pretty damn impressed by them. In fact I will only buy those going forward as they cut so much better.

Excellent on hard materials like stainless.

 

[M635_Guy]

As a DIY guy working on an old BMW and our newer cars, I'd love to get a recommendation for a good (metric) tap/die repair kit - I've always held off because I was concerned that the true creating threads or a threaded hole seems like a different task than repairing threads on a bolt or hole that's been compromised in some way.

Some one alluded to that earlier in this thread - is there a difference? If there is, I'd appreciate any recommendations.

 

[noid]

As a DIY guy working on an old BMW and our newer cars, I'd love to get a recommendation for a good (metric) tap/die repair kit - I've always held off because I was concerned that the true creating threads or a threaded hole seems like a different task than repairing threads on a bolt or hole that's been compromised in some way.

Some one alluded to that earlier in this thread - is there a difference? If there is, I'd appreciate any recommendations.

You're looking for four things:

1. A thread chaser set for cleaning up existing threads
2. A timesert kit for fixing threads back to the same size and pitch
3. A bigsert kit when you've really FUBAR'ed it
4. A drill and tap kit for creating new threaded holes

 

[M6erfan]

As a DIY guy working on an old BMW and our newer cars, I'd love to get a recommendation for a good (metric) tap/die repair kit - I've always held off because I was concerned that the true creating threads or a threaded hole seems like a different task than repairing threads on a bolt or hole that's been compromised in some way.

Some one alluded to that earlier in this thread - is there a difference? If there is, I'd appreciate any recommendations.

Yes, there's a difference. Cutting taps and dies are for making new threads, not cleaning/re-forming threads. Can they be used? Sure, others here do apparently. Probably because that's what they have on hand.

For general thread cleaning/repairing get the Lang metric rethread kit.

If your going to be tapping new threads then you'll need specific taps, dies, and the proper drill bits.

 

[joshmodelskidoo]

I have a performance tool brand one. The taps and dies work fine but the handles ****. Think i paid $25 at orileys. Next time I will shop around for for a Vermont american or irwin.

 

[M635_Guy]

You're looking for four things:

1. A thread chaser set for cleaning up existing threads
2. A timesert kit for fixing threads back to the same size and pitch
3. A bigsert kit when you've really FUBAR'ed it
4. A drill and tap kit for creating new threaded holes

I think I'm mainly looking for the chaser/cleaner. I've had a few captive-nuts with bad threads over the years, and borked a few bolts over time, including one the other night - woulda been nice in every single one of those occasions to have the cleaner/thread repair kit.

Yes, there's a difference. Cutting taps and dies are for making new threads, not cleaning/re-forming threads. Can they be used? Sure, others here do apparently. Probably because that's what they have on hand.

For general thread cleaning/repairing get the Lang metric rethread kit.

If your going to be tapping new threads then you'll need specific taps, dies, and the proper drill bits.

Since you and I are working on the same German stuff (and I'm also working occasionally on my wife's Odyssey - putting rear shocks on her car lead me to one of the things I was struggling with) - is that kit going to cover the stuff I'm wrenching on? Love the idea of that much-less-expensive kit vs. a full tap/die kit.

 

[M6erfan]

Since you and I are working on the same German stuff (and I'm also working occasionally on my wife's Odyssey - putting rear shocks on her car lead me to one of the things I was struggling with) - is that kit going to cover the stuff I'm wrenching on? Love the idea of that much-less-expensive kit vs. a full tap/die kit.

It's been quite awhile since I completed the resto but yeah it covered pretty much everything. No M5 chasers in the kit but that's not a biggie. That re-thread kit is one of the best tool purchases I've made, ever.

Get yourself some Tap-Magic (or similar) lube and a needle tip for your blow gun (blowing out threads/holes) if you already don't have those. Also, I like to keep a small container of mineral spirits as a 'wash" for the taps/dies. A lot of gunk and metal particles can build up in the relief cuts and it's good to clean them from time to time.

Edit: Just to add, there has been the rare time when the Lang cleaning tap was very, very tight going into some threads (aluminum) and I didn't want to force it and ****** them up even more. That's where my regular tap came in, basically cut new threads.

 

[bob15]

i get so tired of the same old story. buy only the sizes you will need. great, you tell me what sizes i need. that's what i thought, you can't.

Considering I don't work on metric stuff, it's easy to start off with:

1/4-20
1/4-28
5/16-18
5/16-24
3/8-16
3/8-24
1/2-13
1/2-20

After those, I would start filling in the blanks: 7/16, 9/16 & 5/8 for the larger stuff and then go small: 12-24, 10-24 & 10-32, 8-32, 6-32.

This isn't rocket science....it is buy the most popular sizes you typically see first.

Three piece tap sets are the only way to go.......

 

[dogdog]

...and after you piece them all together, it's roughly more than the set it self. Sort of like buying piecing individual sockets together on needed base than to just buy a set.

and no body have define quality means in a set of tap and die..

 

[Mohawk Dave]

I did not read all the replies, but it is SO IMPORTANT to drill the correct size hole.

When we were dumb kids we broke a lot of taps inside holes because we didn't know our *** from our elbow.

Buy or download a chart and follow it. Learn 65% or 75% thread engagement for hard vs soft metals/plastics etc.... A little bit of studying will save so much headache.

 

[noid]

I did not read all the replies, but it is SO IMPORTANT to drill the correct size hole.

When we were dumb kids we broke a lot of taps inside holes because we didn't know our *** from our elbow.

Buy or download a chart and follow it. Learn 65% or 75% thread engagement for hard vs soft metals/plastics etc.... A little bit of studying will save so much headache.

Or buy a tap and drill set, and only use the drills when using the taps.

 

[lis2323]

Or buy a tap and drill set, and only use the drills when using the taps.

[emoji106][emoji106]or if you already have a set of taps at the very least buy the correct drill sizes and put a set together.

 

[Bigblue&Goldie]

I own comprehensive made in USA metric and SAE HSS tap and die sets. I barely use the taps as standard taps kinda ****. If I know ahead of time that I'm going to need to do some tapping I will buy a good, industrial grade tap from McMaster or another supplier. If it's an odd size or one time use I will reach for one out of the sets. I'm in the camp of buy what you need. A decent USA tap is usually $10-20, so you can buy a lot for what the consumer sets cost. I would never waste money on a Chinese tap set; USA, Euro, Japanese, or sometimes Korean.

 

[sk farmer]

Considering I don't work on metric stuff, it's easy to start off with:

1/4-20
1/4-28
5/16-18
5/16-24
3/8-16
3/8-24
1/2-13
1/2-20

After those, I would start filling in the blanks: 7/16, 9/16 & 5/8 for the larger stuff and then go small: 12-24, 10-24 & 10-32, 8-32, 6-32.

This isn't rocket science....it is buy the most popular sizes you typically see first.

Three piece tap sets are the only way to go.......

and that looks like a a pretty basic set. just what i was talking about. get a basic set and add to it as needed.

i don't have a problem with people getting 3 pc sets, a great idea. but the basics don't change you need a starter tap and you finish up with a plug and bottoming tap. you always need the starter. that works for most times and then depending on application you may need the others.

i stand by my recommendation. a basic tap and dies set is where a beginner should start. you get starter taps, dies, tap handles die handles and thread gauges. in other words you get a relatively complete set of all the basics. you don't get every piece you may ever need but you get most of them. then add to them as needed.

it is like a set of wrenches. a good starter set includes 3/8-3/4 or 10-19 mm. you want all of the sizes on hand to cover most things. you can easily add to the smaller or larger sizes but that is a good place to start. from there you can add extra long, stubby, flares, ratcheting or any other type but you start with the basics.

like i said. a good 3 pc set is damn nice to have but the average guy may go a long time and never have to have a bottom top. if they were something that people "absolutely had to have", every hardware store would have them in at least the most common sizes hanging on the peg. i have never seen them in a hardware store and many industrial supply places don't have them. i don't see how anyone goes wrong having the basics on hand. i am sure there are a few sizes i have never used but sure don't want to be without them. i want to be prepared when the time arrives and not have to wait a day or 2 to get one.......and then maybe still not have the right size.

 

[LS6 Tommy]

I did not read all the replies, but it is SO IMPORTANT to drill the correct size hole.

When we were dumb kids we broke a lot of taps inside holes because we didn't know our *** from our elbow.

Buy or download a chart and follow it. Learn 65% or 75% thread engagement for hard vs soft metals/plastics etc.... A little bit of studying will save so much headache.

Or buy a tap and drill set, and only use the drills when using the taps.

I'm pretty sure that is the direction I'll go. The drills I have now are all GP fractional sets.

Tommy