# Tap & Die set recommendations



## RockyHill

Jeff broke one of the taps from his Craftsman set. Haven't seen if Sears will replace it or not. This set has gotten several years of use and he's thinking of getting some individual ones in the sizes he uses most and using the older ones for the rough jobs. May be a better $$$ deal to buy in a set though. I've been looking online and some are made from materials that hadn't been discovered when he got this set . I know the professional tools would be great but not looking to put that kind of money into occasional use tools. I'm finding lots of what looks like what might turn out to be high price junk in my e-bay and other online shopping.

Any recommendations for some good "for the money" choices.

Thanks

Shelia


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## Bonfire

Blackhawk maybe? SK, Matco


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## stack em up

I've been very happy with my Mac Tools sets. Probably more than ya wanna spend, but for me, it's well worth the cash. Snap-On set is nice except they have a star pattern in their dies, so you can't use a standard wrench on them.


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## CaseIH84

McMaster-Carr has them. They have online shopping and also sell them as individuals or sets.


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## RockyHill

Thanks, will look at all of these.

Shelia


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## FCF

From decades in the machine shop I agree with the McMaster-Carr sourcing. While we used a vendor to come in once a week to replenish our inventory McMaster was the go-to place for quick delivery, selection and ease of ordering.


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## Grateful11

I'd just replace the taps as they break instead of a whole set. I've never seen a really good quality set of taps anyway unless you're going to pay $100's for a set of name brand high speed taps, stay clear of high carbon taps. IMHO the best taps in the world are made by Emuge but are very specific for the job at hand.


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## 8350HiTech

I bought my set out of the back of a truck so I don't have much to add here


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## RockyHill

McMaster-Carr was new to me. Went to the website and am sure I'll be visiting them frequently.

From what I already thought and prices of the sets that look the best, probably getting individual ones will be the best route.

8350 - it wasn't a "midnight auto supply" kind of truck was it? 

Shelia


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## Grateful11

8350HiTech said:


> I bought my set out of the back of a truck so I don't have much to add here


But if that set you bought gets you out of a bind one day and back in business it will be worth it. I've seen sets like that that a tap may only tap or clean up one hole but sometimes that's all you need to get you back in business.


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## broadriverhay

I've been a machinist for years. We buy ours from MSC Direct online. Make sure you buy made in the USA. A broken tap is your worst nightmare. Cheap or dull taps mean broken taps. Spiral point taps are also a great choice , we use them for about everything and then run a bottom tap if necessary.


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## RockyHill

When Jeff is needing to use a tap, usually it is a "fix problem" situation and a broken tap makes the problem multiple times worse.

Have ordered some things from MSC Direct. McMaster-Carr looked a lot like their product line.

Shelia


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## 8350HiTech

Grateful11 said:


> But if that set you bought gets you out of a bind one day and back in business it will be worth it. I've seen sets like that that a tap may only tap or clean up one hole but sometimes that's all you need to get you back in business.


Exactly. I think I might have opened the box ten times since I bought them. But they've been well worth it.

Btw, the guy a bought them from was a travelling salesman. At least I think he was...


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## Grateful11

OT: There are huge differences in tap qualities, here's an example. Where I once worked they tapped 3 holes in the ends of axles 1"-8 about 1 3/4" deep with a large Cincinnati-Milacron CNC Lathe with Live Tooling . This material was pre-heat treated to 28-32 Rockwell C (Rc). No tap they could find made in the US(Cleveland, R&N, etc) or Japan(OSG) could get more than 20 holes tapped before the tap was shot. A sales Rep suggested they try an Emuge spiral flute(pulls chips of the hole as it going in) with either TiCn or TiAln coated tap from Germany, I think the first tap got something over 110 holes. I've seen these taps by Emuge tap holes in Nitronic 50 Naval grade stainless hole after hole, it was mind blowing at the number of tapped holes we could get with those Emuge taps.


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## CaseIH84

RockyHill said:


> When Jeff is needing to use a tap, usually it is a "fix problem" situation and a broken tap makes the problem multiple times worse.
> 
> Have ordered some things from MSC Direct. McMaster-Carr looked a lot like their product line.
> 
> Shelia


MSC and McMaster-Carr do carry about the same stuff. You could also try Grainger. We use all of them at work. Probably use McMaster-Carr the most. Also their shipping is very fast.


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## IH 1586

CaseIH84 said:


> MSC and McMaster-Carr do carry about the same stuff. You could also try Grainger. We use all of them at work. Probably use McMaster-Carr the most. Also their shipping is very fast.


If you are a Farm Bureau member use Grainger. Free shipping, lower costs, and if they have it in stock, I have it the next day. I have compared prices as a member and non member and what I was going to order, as a member was $90 and a non member was about $200 and that was without shipping.


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## mlappin

Couldn't tell yah, all my taps and dies came from an auction of a guy who used to be a machinist.


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## 560Dennis

I would look for a Greenfield , even if it is not complete , Craiglist , ebay , I think I would try that , I need to do the same thing , myself , but it's not something you use very day , so even if it has some surface rust , I will work. , 
Swap meet , are good if you can see it up close , look at all the diies and see if they are not broken . These new sets are not that good one maybe two uses and they are degraded . I don't think the steel or the heat treatment is that good. 
Good luck hope his helps


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## ARD Farm

broadriverhay said:


> I've been a machinist for years. We buy ours from MSC Direct online. Make sure you buy made in the USA. A broken tap is your worst nightmare. Cheap or dull taps mean broken taps. Spiral point taps are also a great choice , we use them for about everything and then run a bottom tap if necessary.


Got my journeymans card from Standard Products in Cleveland, Ohio decades ago. Somehow the garage got added on to and on to and now it's a custom job shop and I have a couple employees.

I basically buy everything in tooling from MSC, from taps and dies to Valenite inserts to chucking reamers to Cat 40 accessories. I prefer Cleveland Twist myself. My dad was a metalurgist there. Alaways buy American in tooling, even hand taps.

It's a fun business to be in. Much more expensive than haying and ag tractors, but, at least the rain isn't an issue....lol


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## 560Dennis

Well , I did not take your advice or mine , I got a $25 Dollar use it once and throw away Tap and Die Set at Autozone. 
What's my excuse? ,Well I had to fix the Loader on my grandson's Pedal Tractor. I deserve any and all critizum , But I got to get that tractor going. I'm not going to disappoint that kid on Father Day .


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## ARD Farm

You gotta do what you gotta do. Just don't expect a long life out of it.


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## 560Dennis

ARD Farm said:


> You gotta do what you gotta do. Just don't expect a long life out of it.


Got it done, Buy junk make junk ,

the 8 32 die has burrs on it. pitiful just pitiful

But it made the little guy smile guy smile


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## ARD Farm

Thats all that counts I guess.

I have so much tooling laying around I'll probably never run out because I keep buing more 'cause I can't find what I want. Opened a drawer the other day and it was full of Valenite inserts. No wonder I couldn't find what I wanted...it was in that drawer.

Tough getting old and senile....


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## 560Dennis

yep , ain't downsizing a futile effort / I'm done


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