Tap n die set recommendations

[AshimotoK0]

Well here is one definitely NOT to buy. An engineer where I work said one day that the firm had bought a tap & die set German quality and I would never be stuck for a metric odd-ball size tap or die again.

Fast forward a year and I found the remains of it in the big wheelie rubbish bit at work, less it's wrenches & die holders. I was told by everyone who had used it that the quality was sh*te. of course I blagged it from the bin and it's useful for clearing out threads but no use for heavy duty 'normal' engineeering use.

My main set just consists of items bought  from Autojumbles & car boots. Just look for Dormer, Hall, Presto, Guhring and you can't go wrong IMHO.

Here is the remains of the SH*TE set :-

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[WestYorkshireBiker]

Thanks. Brilliant info.

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[Tomb]

Trying to not get involved, I say with a twitch. Tom (Toolmaker - OCD flaring up as I type)

Did someone mention Trefolex? mmmmm I can smell it now, still have a tin in my garage. Wasn't it dropped for health and safety reasons?

Tallow. mmmmm.
Hate the smell of the ROCOL tapping lube, even washing hands won't get the smell off.


Run as fast as you can from CARBON STEEL!!!! only HSS

[adespin]

 I have used these in the past, not cheap but always top quality. https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwjGvM6GnqzqAhVpSxUIHRQ4BScQFjAAegQIAhAD&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.chronos.ltd.uk%2F&usg=AOvVaw2jOkgyA5ll_kom8wVQN_1p

[davefirestorm]

Recall a cancer scare Regards Rocol way back in 80s but formula changed and they retained the horrendous pong too ,I have a tin of Trefolex obtained years ago which I use spareingly when tapping brings back memories of Tech college when doing apprenticeship 😁

[mike the bike]

I find that the sets are half full of stuff that you'll never ever use.  It's probably best to invest in individual, good quality taps in the sizes that you'll need.  And make a box for them.

[Rob62]

Avoid carbon steel, go for hss (high speed steel)....

[Moorey]

Trefolex is still readily available. A tin at home will last forever. 

[jshonda]

With taps and dies, you get what you pay for. Go for known brands like Warrior, Presto, etc. They must be HSS, and slpit diesso you can 'fernurgle' a thread as required, Buy as you require or you will be paying for tools you don't use (trust me, I have tools people have never even heard of). Over the years my collection of t's & d's include metric course, up tp 25mm, many metric fine up to 26mm, bsf, bsp, whitworth, unc, unf, ba, and a full set of Venezuelan Beaver's Trap thread! (and many specials,some l/hand thread). Yup, a man can't live without taps and dies!

[WestYorkshireBiker]

With taps and dies, you get what you pay for. Go for known brands like Warrior, Presto, etc. They must be HSS, and slpit diesso you can 'fernurgle' a thread as required, Buy as you require or you will be paying for tools you don't use (trust me, I have tools people have never even heard of). Over the years my collection of t's & d's include metric course, up tp 25mm, many metric fine up to 26mm, bsf, bsp, whitworth, unc, unf, ba, and a full set of Venezuelan Beaver's Trap thread! (and many specials,some l/hand thread). Yup, a man can't live without taps and dies!

Thanks. Pretty much doing that. Just buying what I need.

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[commando1954]

Make sure that the dies are split ones so you can adjust them and the set has metric fine sizes as well.

[matthewmosse]

If just cleaning threads a crap set of plug or bottoming taps and dies is ok, not the very crappiest, they might not even be the right size! Having a good selection of metric fine and standard threads is st that stage more useful than boxes of extremely expensive top notch gear. That's if your just rebuilding a standard bike, in my opinion at any rate. Decent taps and dies are however very worthwhile if you start making parts from scratch, but go down that road and a lathe is surely also essential, plus welding and oxy acetylene gear. Soon the bikes get kicked out to another shed if you go down that route. I'd just buy the toos as required but a Tracey tools basic tap and die set is a good investment, despite a filing cabinet of better presto etc kit, my go to tap and die set is still the tracy tools basic £20 or so blue box of taps and dies for inperial, for metric I have a similar set by Sealey, while I'm very happy with their pro line sockets and spanners, their m6 to m24 metric fine and coarse tap and die set is not that good to be honest, tap and die wrenches fragile, taps fine for basic work but the bigger sizes I've needed to re grind using a diamond burr to even get to start cutting a thread, it was that or drill out to a larger size than stated in my Zeus bible, by almost 1mm. Not very good for fabrication, absolutely fine for thread cleaning.

[ka-ja]

The quality of tools an individual buys should be governed by their use, and while a good few mid-range tools are great for the home mechanic, tools for use in industry on a daily basis, have to be far superior to home use tools. Apart from the safety aspects of heavy usage, "professional" tools lessen the need for constant replacement of worn out or broken tools that are in constant use.

[fogrider]

I now only buy HQSS taps and dies from The Tap-die Company in London. He will  ALWAYS insist you buy a full set, but as someone said earlier, just buy the ones you need. ( he does give in and sells you singles ! ).  Tap-die full sets are mighty expensive, but they're the best I've ever used. Cut stainless perfectly.
His website is worth a look for the info he has on it.
Regards from sunny Hull.
Terry.

[ST1100]

I found use of a designated drilling and cutting oil extremely helpful... even with relatively cheap bits...
The stuff I'm using sticks to the bits like honey and extends the lifetime of all drills, taps and dies massively...