Recommendations on tap and die sets

[Jim Bear]

Looking on Amazon there a numerous sets for under $50--tungsten, titanium, carbon steel, etc. Harbor Freight has a set for $15 that is carbon steel. I was mostly looking at the 40pc sets. Thoughst? Suggestions? Experiences?
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[KTPhil]

I use the HF quality tap/die set for thread chasing, plastics, maybe aluminum only. For the few tougher jobs I buy the one I need, usually Craftsman level.

[Letterman7]

Depends on how you're going to use them. I can't tell you how many times the cheaper carbon steel ones snapped on the second or third twist in something as sticky as aluminum. If it's a common tap/die that I know I'll use more than, say, 5 times, I'll ante up and buy the better "commercial" grade pieces from the local True Value (which, weirdly, aren't listed on the TV website). I'd have to look to see what they are made from, but it isn't carbon steel. Might be high speed steel.. it's shinier

Bottom line, you get what you pay for.

[Cusser]

I've had a cheap metric set for over 20 years, think it's Harbor Freight. I've never broken a tap, but had to buy better tap handles.

I also have an SAE set, also low-end.
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[my59]

I picked all mine up at tag sales, lots of retired machinests locally because of a few businesses.
The missing or trashed items have been replaced at local hardware store that has a stash of odd metric sizes/thread count.
The tap handles have all been crap, but a pal gave me his grandfather's still in its box, and is a nice tool.
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[Zundfolge1432]

I had Craftsman for many years a 37 piece set broke a few along the way. I visited Sears about two weeks ago and bought a new set 75 piece drastically reduced in price at 70 bucks, still in the nice carrying case. No worries on warranty Craftsman is sold at Ace Hardware too if Sears goes away.

Probably the last one I’ll ever buy and as for tap handles do yourself a favor get a good one like this. It’s reversible, it ratchets and has a lifetime guarantee. Hard lesson for some of these guys but good quality tooling makes work easier more enjoyable. Good luck

[anthracitedub]

... and just as important as good taps and dies, good cutting fluid. It makes a world of difference.

[raygreenwood]

What anthracitedub said....and...make sure the taps are made of the CORRECT MATERIAL for what you will be tapping threads in....and have the correct cutting edge angle and rake.....and what the taps are coated with can be critical.....whether they are deep hole taps or shallow taps....bottoming or through hole.....tapered or plug....helical or straight flute....etc...etc.

Here is some good basic info on angles and chamfers for material ranges.

http://www.tapmatic.com/tapping_questions_tap_recommendations_for_specific_materials.ydev

It is for these reasons and how many different materials we get into in retsoring a VW...that I have refrained from buy a "Tap set" of any kind. I collect taps as ai need them.

The basic carbon steel sets...are used for tapping soft....un hardened steel only. They do not have as sharp of a cuttimg edge as high speed steel....and do not have the coatings needed for aluminum and soft metals. They will tap aluminum better in some cases than bright (uncoated) high speed steel but depending on the alloy they can get grabby.

A lot of this has to do with the poor construction and either over hardening or under hardening of carbide tools these days. Either too soft and they do not cut....or too hard and they are brittle and snap.

But.....for a basic small bore metric set I keep around the house.....these are carbon steel and seem to be quite well made and cut very well. I bought them because ai needed a 7mm tap on a Saturday....and the set was all I could get.

https://m.lowes.com/pd/IRWIN-12-Piece-Metric-Tap-a...wUQAvD_BwE

This is 3mm, 4mm, 5mm, 6mm and 7mm tap and die with a kind of crappy,die wrench but a decent tap handle in a nice little carrying case.

Ray

[vwracerdave]

Sears does not own Craftsman tools anymore. They sold it to Stanley. Sears still sells Craftsman tools.
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[Jim Bear]

So I should have mentioned that I will be using chasing threads here in the near future. Specifically the head stud threads and all other relevant threads as I reassemble the top end of my type 4.
_________________
"You're either on the bus, or you're off the bus." ~kk
'85 Vanagon Westy - George In the Stable 2020-?/'74 Weekender - Ophelia In the Stable 2007- ?/'69 Beetle Convertible - SOLD 2017-2020/'67 Beetle - September SOLD 2013-2016 /'67 SO42 Westy - Sage SOLD 1996-2001 /'69 Transporter - Baby Blue SOLD 1995-1995/'72 Westy - Nelly - SOLD 1990-1995--STOP FRACKING

[anthracitedub]

Might be better off to clean the head studs with a wire brush/wheel. I think they are rolled threads, so a typical die might not give you desired results.

[nlorntson]

I bet a thread chasing set might be a better fit for you. Thread chasing die's are different than taps.

http://www.sears.com/craftsman-48-pc-sae-metric-thread-restorer-kit/p-00942275000P

[mark tucker]

I have crapsman, I have bluepoint(snappon) and some off brans too....for the $ the $14 35 or 42 piece set's that go on sale for less and the best deal. there cheep. and they are sharper then the crapsmans&snappons...they work better and eazer. and their smaller sizes usualy twist some befor snapping off!!! well I've never get one o snappoff, unlike the crapsmans&snappofs. and if your taping the mag cases for oil galley plugs they are much eazer then the others too,I do however run a name brand NPT tap through the holes to finalize the taper as for some reason the china taps a re slightly different....or it's all in my head....hell there has to be somethen up there..... I don't know if that is needed or not, just a habbit. so go to harbor fright and get 2 black sets(black plastic cases)1 std and 1 metric...or like I do, a few of each.