[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Need a tap&die set. Which one? (Page 1 of 2)
Posted: 5/21/2014 2:39:48 PM EDT
| Ok I need a tap and die set that has pretty much every size and pitch in it. I know for the most part that's not possible but looking for the biggest set with preferably lifetime warranty. So which set would you guys recommend? Thanks |
|
There is no lifetime guarantee on taps. They break often if you use them a lot (for your job). They are like drill bits, they are a disposable item. My work provides mine but a craftsman set should be the most complete unless you go insane and spend the money to get snap-on.
Edit: Hanson is a good brand. Shop the estate sales and garage sales. I have two full sets of Craftsman that are 50 years old and never used that I spent less than $20.00 on. |
|
Quoted:
Willing to spend $500 or so. For size think garage setting. Quoted:
Quoted:
How much do you want to spend? Are we talking a few hundred, thousand? "Every size" gets pricey. Willing to spend $500 or so. For size think garage setting. Pick out one of these. |
|
Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
How much do you want to spend? Are we talking a few hundred, thousand? "Every size" gets pricey. Willing to spend $500 or so. For size think garage setting. Pick out one of these. I have never heard of that brand. Thanks for the link. |
|
Quoted:
I have never heard of that brand. Thanks for the link. Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
How much do you want to spend? Are we talking a few hundred, thousand? "Every size" gets pricey. Willing to spend $500 or so. For size think garage setting. Pick out one of these. I have never heard of that brand. Thanks for the link. Friends don't let friends buy from Grainger.... 
Go to Enco. Sign up for their email specials. Buy from Hot Deals catalog. Spend your savings on ammo. 
Cleveland and OSG are the two brands that I like best. Not the cheapest, but definitely not the most expensive, and usually on sale. Edit: also Greenfield. Thanks to chophead for the reminder. 
|
|
Don't want to knock snapon or mac, but greenfeild imo is the best for the price. There is a big difference in cost and quality when it comes to drill and taps. I have tons of machine quality taps. But when I started my own shop I would buy 2 or three of the sizes need for the jobs I was doing. I would factor in the cost of tooling into my quote so in reality they didn't cost me anything. Try msc for sets and look at the monthly sales section.
questions you must ask will I use them alot? for creating new threads? for cleaning thread? metric and standard? do I really need all sizes or just a few certain ones? this should really clarify what you need and how much to spend. Nothing wrose then buying tools that go unused imo |
|
You could try searching at MSC (www.mscdirect.com) and/or Enco (www.use-enco.com) and see what you find.
Some advice- If the dies are hex shaped, they're rethreading dies (meant to fix existing bunged-up threads). This might be good, if that is your intended use (you can sometimes use a wrench to turn them where a die stock won't fit). But they don't do so well cutting new threads, for some reason. HSS (high speed steel) is generally a better choice than carbon steel, especially if you're cutting new threads. Sometimes it's better to get a relatively cheap set and replace the ones you use most with brand-name examples. Breaking a tap off sucks, though, so this could be a bad move depending. If you can figure out what sizes you will likely need, you might be better off ordering individual taps and dies from brand names. Cleveland, Union Butterfield, and Hertel have good reputations. The tap holders and die stocks supplied with kits generally suck. Budget to get some good ones. |
|
Quoted:
You could try searching at MSC (www.mscdirect.com) and/or Enco (www.use-enco.com) and see what you find. Some advice- If the dies are hex shaped, they're rethreading dies (meant to fix existing bunged-up threads). This might be good, if that is your intended use (you can sometimes use a wrench to turn them where a die stock won't fit). But they don't do so well cutting new threads, for some reason. HSS (high speed steel) is generally a better choice than carbon steel, especially if you're cutting new threads. Sometimes it's better to get a relatively cheap set and replace the ones you use most with brand-name examples. Breaking a tap off sucks, though, so this could be a bad move depending. If you can figure out what sizes you will likely need, you might be better off ordering individual taps and dies from brand names. Cleveland, Union Butterfield, and Hertel have good reputations. The tap holders and die stocks supplied with kits generally suck. Budget to get some good ones. I kind of thought about that but I work on cars for a living so I kinda am finding out that I need a lot more than I have now. I did buy a couple sets with the most common sizes but I seem to never have the right size. |
|
Quoted:
Friends don't let friends buy from Grainger....
Go to Enco. Sign up for their email specials. Buy from Hot Deals catalog. Spend your savings on ammo.
Cleveland and OSG are the two brands that I like best. Not the cheapest, but definitely not the most expensive, and usually on sale. Edit: also Greenfield. Thanks to chophead for the reminder. Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
How much do you want to spend? Are we talking a few hundred, thousand? "Every size" gets pricey. Willing to spend $500 or so. For size think garage setting. Pick out one of these. I have never heard of that brand. Thanks for the link. Friends don't let friends buy from Grainger....
Go to Enco. Sign up for their email specials. Buy from Hot Deals catalog. Spend your savings on ammo.
Cleveland and OSG are the two brands that I like best. Not the cheapest, but definitely not the most expensive, and usually on sale. Edit: also Greenfield. Thanks to chophead for the reminder. Awesome, thank you. |
|
NO to harbor freight or ANY Chinese made tap and die set. You are MUCH better off, in terms of both money AND quality, to buy good quality taps and dies individually from such catalogs as the MSC and Enco catalogs. Buy at LEAST Polish made HSS taps and dies. The Poles make some good tools at a good price. Buying American and top brands will cost you more but you can be very sure that the tools will work well and leave good quality threads that are to spec if you do your part properly. I seriously doubt you need EVERY size. Do you really need OOOO-256 or 1-8? You'll be money ahead to just buy the ones you need, when you need them, and buy middle range quality. |
|
Quoted:
NO to harbor freight or ANY Chinese made tap and die set. You are MUCH better off, in terms of both money AND quality, to buy good quality taps and dies individually from such catalogs as the MSC and Enco catalogs. Buy at LEAST Polish made HSS taps and dies. The Poles make some good tools at a good price. Buying American and top brands will cost you more but you can be very sure that the tools will work well and leave good quality threads that are to spec if you do your part properly. I seriously doubt you need EVERY size. Do you really need OOOO-256 or 1-8? You'll be money ahead to just buy the ones you need, when you need them, and buy middle range quality. Well no I don't need every size obviously but looking for pretty much the biggest set I can get. I already have the most commonly used ones but seem to be running into sizes I don't have and getting tired of it so now I'm looking for a big set. |
|
Quoted:
Willing to spend $500 or so. For size think garage setting. Quoted:
Quoted:
How much do you want to spend? Are we talking a few hundred, thousand? "Every size" gets pricey. Willing to spend $500 or so. For size think garage setting. I have a Snap On set in the garage. Both standard and metric threads up to 1/2" with the tap drills for them. It works well enough for my use, but they sure don't cut like a spiral point machine shop grade tap. |
|
Quoted: Well no I don't need every size obviously but looking for pretty much the biggest set I can get. I already have the most commonly used ones but seem to be running into sizes I don't have and getting tired of it so now I'm looking for a big set. Quoted: Quoted: NO to harbor freight or ANY Chinese made tap and die set. You are MUCH better off, in terms of both money AND quality, to buy good quality taps and dies individually from such catalogs as the MSC and Enco catalogs. Buy at LEAST Polish made HSS taps and dies. The Poles make some good tools at a good price. Buying American and top brands will cost you more but you can be very sure that the tools will work well and leave good quality threads that are to spec if you do your part properly. I seriously doubt you need EVERY size. Do you really need OOOO-256 or 1-8? You'll be money ahead to just buy the ones you need, when you need them, and buy middle range quality. Well no I don't need every size obviously but looking for pretty much the biggest set I can get. I already have the most commonly used ones but seem to be running into sizes I don't have and getting tired of it so now I'm looking for a big set. A GOOD set will cost you a lot of money. Over a grand for quality 3 tap sets for all common sizes from 2-56 to 1-8. You would PROBABLY be better off to buy just the ones you need when you need them. But buy good ones. I can't stress this enough: DON'T BUY CHEAP CHINESE TAPS AND DIES. A penny spent on them is a penny WASTED. |
I have three sets, all Snap On. First set goes up to 1/2" and it's equal in metric, second set is all standard and goes up to an 1" waiting for a decent deal on eBay to pick up the metric counterpart to it. The last set contains no dies, it's just pipe taps. If your buying on a whim, remember to use cutting oil or at least a good oil for lubricant and go slow back and fourth, the last thing you want to do is break a tap. It's super hard to remove sometimes. 
|
|
Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
How much do you want to spend? Are we talking a few hundred, thousand? "Every size" gets pricey. Willing to spend $500 or so. For size think garage setting. Pick out one of these. Thanks again for that link. I ended up getting the 75/piece set. I got very lucky and my tool guy came in yesterday with that exact set with him and on sale for $295. Even better is he will warranty every single piece in that set. |
|
Quoted:
There is no lifetime guarantee on taps. They break often if you use them a lot (for your job). They are like drill bits, they are a disposable item. My work provides mine but a craftsman set should be the most complete unless you go insane and spend the money to get snap-on. Edit: Hanson is a good brand. Shop the estate sales and garage sales. I have two full sets of Craftsman that are 50 years old and never used that I spent less than $20.00 on. Just FWIW I bought a Vermont American set from my tool guy and every piece in the set has a lifetime warranty. It may only be through his company and not Vermonts but they will stand behind them. |
|
Quoted:
Just FWIW I bought a Vermont American set from my tool guy and every piece in the set has a lifetime warranty. It may only be through his company and not Vermonts but they will stand behind them. Quoted:
Quoted:
There is no lifetime guarantee on taps. They break often if you use them a lot (for your job). They are like drill bits, they are a disposable item. My work provides mine but a craftsman set should be the most complete unless you go insane and spend the money to get snap-on. Edit: Hanson is a good brand. Shop the estate sales and garage sales. I have two full sets of Craftsman that are 50 years old and never used that I spent less than $20.00 on. Just FWIW I bought a Vermont American set from my tool guy and every piece in the set has a lifetime warranty. It may only be through his company and not Vermonts but they will stand behind them. I can see hand taps being warranteed, because you'd die of the carpal tunnel before you wore one out. Obviously machine tool is a completely different environment and it's a consumable. Posted Via AR15.Com Mobile |
|
Quoted:
Hell no. mscdirect.com Pick your poison. Chicom cheap to high end. Anything you could want. Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
harbor freight No Hell no. mscdirect.com Pick your poison. Chicom cheap to high end. Anything you could want. And delivered before you order. 
|
|
Quoted:
I can see hand taps being warranteed, because you'd die of the carpal tunnel before you wore one out. Obviously machine tool is a completely different environment and it's a consumable. Posted Via AR15.Com Mobile Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
There is no lifetime guarantee on taps. They break often if you use them a lot (for your job). They are like drill bits, they are a disposable item. My work provides mine but a craftsman set should be the most complete unless you go insane and spend the money to get snap-on. Edit: Hanson is a good brand. Shop the estate sales and garage sales. I have two full sets of Craftsman that are 50 years old and never used that I spent less than $20.00 on. Just FWIW I bought a Vermont American set from my tool guy and every piece in the set has a lifetime warranty. It may only be through his company and not Vermonts but they will stand behind them. I can see hand taps being warranteed, because you'd die of the carpal tunnel before you wore one out. Obviously machine tool is a completely different environment and it's a consumable. Posted Via AR15.Com Mobile Just what is a "Hand Tap"? Anything under 5/8 that will fit in a tap wrench? Taps are perishable tooling, just like End Mills, Reamers, Drills If you have never wore a tap out. You must not have taped many holes in your life. Or just soft materials. I've worn more out than I can count.
|
|
Quoted:
And delivered before you order. Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
harbor freight No Hell no. mscdirect.com Pick your poison. Chicom cheap to high end. Anything you could want. And delivered before you order. Lube not included.
MSC is great for having it in stock and getting it to your door in a damn hurry. Not so great on price. |
|
If you use taps and dies often you will break one. I recommend this http://www.waltontools.com/products/remvtap.htm they have saved my ass more than once.
|
|
Quoted:
I bought a set from Sears for like $80 a long time ago and they worked great. Still have them. Has every tons of sizes in metric and standard. No issues. Don't buy the little bottle of cutting oil. What's a good brand of cutting oil? I have almost always only used motor oil. Haven't used real cutting oil since college. |
|
Quoted:
Just what is a "Hand Tap"? Anything under 5/8 that will fit in a tap wrench? Taps are perishable tooling, just like End Mills, Reamers, Drills If you have never wore a tap out. You must not have taped many holes in your life. Or just soft materials. I've worn more out than I can count.
Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
There is no lifetime guarantee on taps. They break often if you use them a lot (for your job). They are like drill bits, they are a disposable item. My work provides mine but a craftsman set should be the most complete unless you go insane and spend the money to get snap-on. Edit: Hanson is a good brand. Shop the estate sales and garage sales. I have two full sets of Craftsman that are 50 years old and never used that I spent less than $20.00 on. Just FWIW I bought a Vermont American set from my tool guy and every piece in the set has a lifetime warranty. It may only be through his company and not Vermonts but they will stand behind them. I can see hand taps being warranteed, because you'd die of the carpal tunnel before you wore one out. Obviously machine tool is a completely different environment and it's a consumable. Posted Via AR15.Com Mobile Just what is a "Hand Tap"? Anything under 5/8 that will fit in a tap wrench? Taps are perishable tooling, just like End Mills, Reamers, Drills If you have never wore a tap out. You must not have taped many holes in your life. Or just soft materials. I've worn more out than I can count.
You don't know the difference between hand taps and machine taps? 
And drills are perishable? Did everyone stop sharpening them and not tell me or something? |
|
Quoted:
If you use taps and dies often you will break one.I recommend this http://www.waltontools.com/products/remvtap.htm they have saved my ass more than once. Thank you. Will be getting this. |
|
Quoted:
What's a good brand of cutting oil? I have almost always only used motor oil. Haven't used real cutting oil since college. Quoted:
Quoted:
I bought a set from Sears for like $80 a long time ago and they worked great. Still have them. Has every tons of sizes in metric and standard. No issues. Don't buy the little bottle of cutting oil. What's a good brand of cutting oil? I have almost always only used motor oil. Haven't used real cutting oil since college. I use kerosene, WD40, or Alumtap on aluminum. For steel I use Tap Magic or Moly Dee if it's something that I think might warrant it. |
|
Quoted:
Friends don't let friends buy from Grainger....
Go to Enco. Sign up for their email specials. Buy from Hot Deals catalog. Spend your savings on ammo.
Cleveland and OSG are the two brands that I like best. Not the cheapest, but definitely not the most expensive, and usually on sale. Edit: also Greenfield. Thanks to chophead for the reminder. Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
How much do you want to spend? Are we talking a few hundred, thousand? "Every size" gets pricey. Willing to spend $500 or so. For size think garage setting. Pick out one of these. I have never heard of that brand. Thanks for the link. Friends don't let friends buy from Grainger....
Go to Enco. Sign up for their email specials. Buy from Hot Deals catalog. Spend your savings on ammo.
Cleveland and OSG are the two brands that I like best. Not the cheapest, but definitely not the most expensive, and usually on sale. Edit: also Greenfield. Thanks to chophead for the reminder. ^^^ Use-Enco.com Good deals. |