Tap and Die set? (1 Viewer)

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JohnnyC

Long ago TLCA# 2231
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UpState Ny, Wells Me
This is the set i invested in a few years ago.
It's a USA made Irwin Hanson 76pc set with both metric and standard taps & dies. Very nice quality, i love it.

Tap and Die 76 pc. Combination SAE and Metric Set : eBay Motors (item 390152756890 end time Mar-06-10 11:39:06 PST)

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I have the Snap-On Metric and SAE sets and they are awesome. Plus you can't beat the warranty.
 
2x on Irwin. But if you break a lot and deals with rust a lot, Snap- on or Sears will be your best bet. I'm assuming you're using cutting oil.
 
2x on Irwin. But if you break a lot and deals with rust a lot, Snap- on or Sears will be your best bet. I'm assuming you're using cutting oil.

In the past i used to use "nuts off" a penetrating oil with the tap...but have not bought a can in years...I did use oil the last time...and snap...hollow crap tap...it was only the second time i used it also.

i will check on snapon and sears...and see who carries Irwin so i can check them out....


thanks for the responces....any others?
 
I've always had good luck with Irwin. That being said just about anything Travers sells is going to be good stuff.

Best thing is to not buy a set but just those individual taps that all cruisers use. It's not that many. And heck I hardly ever uses Dies. I think they are just a waste of money buying real good ones.


Www.travers.com

Good people plus they have a tech support division that really know their stuff.
 
Your comment about rust implies you're using these for cleaning up existing threads. You should really use re-threading taps and dies for that. "Regular" taps and dies are for cutting new threads.

Snap On has a comprehensive metric and standard set here:

RTD48, Kit, Master Rethreading, U.S./Metric

I posted that link in another thread and someone else responded with this from Sears:

http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_00942275000P?mv=rr

Based on the pics I'm pretty sure those are from the same manufacturer. Snap On resells a lot of tools from other manufacturers. I don't know who really makes these but if Snap On puts them on their trucks....
 
My advice is to get the best taps you can afford. Like Greenfield, Cleveland or Chicago Latrobe. Irwin is pretty good. Craftsman is probably OK for very infrequent use. Anything less and you're asking for frustration.

Above all- get a can of Tap-Magic. Tap Magic Metal Cutting Fluids I don't know what the hell is in- but you'll never use anything else again after seeing how easy it makes your cutting tools run.
 
I have both bluepoint and craftsman sets. The bluepoint seems to be nicer, unfortunately, I broke an 1/8" tap a long time ago, don't know how to get it replaced (even though it has the life time warranty). For those of us have no access to Snapon truck, I think Craftsman is a better choice. Nothing beats the ability to walk in the store and get a new one!
 
I have both bluepoint and craftsman sets. The bluepoint seems to be nicer, unfortunately, I broke an 1/8" tap a long time ago, don't know how to get it replaced (even though it has the life time warranty). For those of us have no access to Snapon truck, I think Craftsman is a better choice. Nothing beats the ability to walk in the store and get a new one!

Never mind with the Craftsman. Heard from news that Sears is to sell Craftsman to Ace. Not sure how the warranty works now... :rolleyes:
 
If your snapping taps at an alarming rate then your probably tapping incorrectly, i'd focus on technique or you'll just end up snapping expensive taps instead of cheap ones.
 
If your snapping taps at an alarming rate then your probably tapping incorrectly, i'd focus on technique or you'll just end up snapping expensive taps instead of cheap ones.

not snapping tons of taps...but...all you need to do is brake one and the annoiance factor sets in...i'm snapping taps (2 different sets...4 taps over 8 years) because of poor quality taps...we purchase the lowest bidder stuff...they are hollow inside...not solid steel.

looking for good quality stuff...not china crap...all the sugestions are really good...i like the Irwin and think i may go that rout. :)
 
They are hollow?:eek: How is that even possible? By the time the flutes are ground out, the core is the only thing that holds the tap together. Can you post up pics? I'd be curious to see more.
 
i was just actually trying to find the last one...the tap has a very fine hole...the size of a needle...i was interested to see how far it went ...so at the time i stuck a wire in and it went 1/4" one side of the brake and 3/8" the other end.

If it were just one tap i would say ohhh well what the h...but the two sets...same company (that there's one issue...no name box...except for the made in china on the bottom) all hollow...

garbage ...just garbage.
 
here's some pics of the inferior taps from china...notice the taps arent even labled :rolleyes:

the broken tap i put a wire inside the hole

Aren't they all looked like this - small hole in the middle. IIRC, my H.S.S. (US made) is the same.
 

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