Tap and Die Sets

[Treeman]

Gentlemen,

Can you offer any advice regarding what constitutes a good tap and die set. They seem to come in different metals, i.e. high speed steel, tungsten, etc..

Not looking for aerospace quality, nor Harbor Freight Quality (unless they are good!). Just standard sizes for automotive and ag. applications.

Thanks!

 

[lyonkster]

Not looking for aerospace quality, nor Harbor Freight Quality (unless they are good!).

I just bought the Harbor Freight (one of those sealed in plastic deals, pig in poke), and decided to return it the minute I opened the lid - total ****.

So I am also looking for a decent alternative, something between the Harbor Freight pot metal and Craftsman...

 

[sargeX595]

Gentlemen,

Can you offer any advice regarding what constitutes a good tap and die set. They seem to come in different metals, i.e. high speed steel, tungsten, etc..

Not looking for aerospace quality, nor Harbor Freight Quality (unless they are good!). Just standard sizes for automotive and ag. applications.

Thanks!

Same here.

Curt.

 

[mikevango]

I would like to know too. I would like a USA set even if I have to find a used set.

 

[the spyder]

I bought a used Snap on set off ebay that I have been very happy with. Its a few years old, all the taps are USA.

 

[Stuey]

For harder materials, TiN coated taps will last longer than HSS taps.

Check Enco and MSC - they often run specials on invidual taps as well as tap and die sets.

 

[7echo]

We have Hanson sets. I think they are now part of Irwin. Ours says made in USA, but they are several years old. They work well.

 

[norry]

I bought a used Snap on set off ebay that I have been very happy with. Its a few years old, all the taps are USA.

I've used Snappy and USA Hanson and been happy with both. Just got a lot of REAL old school US pipe taps and I have to say - looks like they last!

 

[toolnut]

The Craftsman sets are good all around sets and work well. I have always thought they were made by Vermont American which has similar sets and are all high quality and at a reasonable price range.

 

[jteck75]

It's tough to beat a set of Hanson taps. A couple years back,I bought the master tap and die set,metric(up to 12mm) and standard(up to 1/2),in both fine and course threads,brand new for $150 on e-bay. I've used them quite a bit,still have yet to replace a single tap. USA made.

 

[Griff93]

I've got the largest Craftsman cobalt set. It's been a very good set. The cobalt taps seem to hold up better to hardened materials. Mine are marked made in USA.

 

[krusty the clown]

i have 2 sets of hanson and a set of VA's. both work well, and either would be a good choice.

 

[Jared]

The Craftsman sets are good all around sets and work well. I have always thought they were made by Vermont American which has similar sets and are all high quality and at a reasonable price range.

I hve heard that vermont american makes the crafsman and the snap on tap and die sets.

 

[krusty the clown]

I hve heard that vermont american makes the crafsman and the snap on tap and die sets.

AFAIK snap on sell's hanson's. the cman's are VA.

 

[Treeman]

Thank you all. For some reason, when I tried a search here, I came up with nothing.

VA calls theirs carbon steel in Graingers. Hanson says high carbon steel. Are these the same and are these the same as HSS?

Any idea if these two brands are still U.S. made, especially the Irwin stuff.

Thanks for getting me started in the right direction.

 

[tcianci]

I especially like the ones I saw at HF that said NOT FOR USE ON METAL right on the box!!!!

 

[charlie_nj]

I have the Irwin/Hansens as well and have been happy with them.

Neither the VA nor the Irwin Hansen are HSS. HSS taps and dies can be found at industrial supply houses and are really expensive compared to plain carbon steel.

The Irwin Hansen are US made. Don't know about VA, but I do know that new Craftsman are made in China. My local Sears still has some USA made ones on the shelves, but once they are gone, they're gone.

 

[alex71]

Taps and dies are a good thing to buy used (or maybe new, but always second hand), if you can wait. I've bought enough taps and dies on craigslist to fill an entire toolbox drawer. NC and NF taps and dies from #2 all the way to 1-1/4, pipe taps and dies to 2", left-hand taps, you name it. tap handles, die stocks, thread chasers, thread files, everything. If I need a thread, I'm ready. I doubt if I paid more than $100 for everything, and it wasn't hard to come by. If you have a little time, you can get enough of this stuff to last several lifetimes, and cheap too.

Same goes for drills and other machine tooling. Here are a couple of pics that are pretty old, I have much more of everything now.

 

[Merkava_4]

I would suggest buying a set with a good blow molded case, (Irwin or Vermont American) and then replace the taps as they wear out with high quality HSS industrial taps. It's the case that counts when buying a set.

 

[Jared]

AFAIK snap on sell's hanson's. the cman's are VA.

I stand corrected.

 

[MAD]

Vermont American(Robert Bosh Tool) no longer makes taps/dies in the USA. There are still U.S. made sets in some stores, but they are being replaced with Chinese made product as stock is turned over.

 

[Merkava_4]

I wonder if they'd let you buy the case separately.

 

[Stuey]

I wonder if they'd let you buy the case separately.

Blow molded? Probably not. But you can always buy a Huot tap index.

 

[alex71]

Blow molded? Probably not. But you can always buy a Huot tap index.

which IMO is a better way to store them anyway

 

[njfl]

I especially like the ones I saw at HF that said NOT FOR USE ON METAL right on the box!!!!

I know that HF sells cheap stuff and couldn't believe this when you wrote it. I checked their website and indeed it pretty much states that:

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=96570

However, it states "steel" not "metal" (Not suitable for steel or automotive use). Aluminum and brass are a bit softer than steel and for $8.99, if used as designed, I bet this set would give a few good years of use.

Don't forget, whichever set you guys use, use plenty of oil (cutting ideal, but anything is better than nothing).

 

[John Timmins]

I am happy with the Irwin set that came in a molded plastic "suitcase". I searched for them on Amazon.com and found several different sets, small to big. I read the reviews that previous buyers wrote and chose a set that had a 1/2-20 I needed for a hobby. I'm happy with the Irwin set because I restore old Mercury Outboards and there's a lot of fine thread stuff on there.

Professionally, before I retired, my employer's had Greenfield tap and die sets in inch, metric, and Whitworth. If I had real critical stuff I would buy a set of them as needed. If you needed just 1/4 inch taps buy a set of Greenfields which would have 3 taps in the set....starting, intermediate, and bottom tap.

The Irwin set I have has just one tap of each size, but it does have a die nut of each size too. I don't know what kind of steel they are made of, where Irwin is made, and I don't really care. For my hobby they are fine.

My advise, as long as I'm giving it, is this: Don't ever use a ratching style tap holder like the Gear Wrench model ! I want to feel the tap and gently make the threads and reverse it by feel to break the chips !

There's a tool with these wires that is supposed to be a broken tap removing tool. I have had only limited success with it because the wires break off and I would get a call to come to the rescue to help dumb-dumb that broke off the tap and then the tap rescue tool !

 

[Flathead Red]

We have Hanson sets. I think they are now part of Irwin. Ours says made in USA, but they are several years old. They work well.

I have this set and have been very pleased with it. I picked it up used on EBay missing one tap.

Flathead Red