Recommendation sought for a tap and die set

[syncropatrick]

I have need of some taps and dies. I've never owned a set and its been more than 2 decades since I last used a tap or die.

There's a bewildering variety of sets out there. Can anyone recommend a good quality set for a home vehicle mechanic who will be starting new threads as well as cleaning existing ones, both internal and external?

[Ian Hulley]

Hall or Presto are the names we use in industry.

[Plasticman]

yes^^^ avoid draper,and all the other cheapo stuff, when you find some you fancy post it up here,
also consider what sizes you will most likely be using.
mm

[Dazco]

Have a look at this place http://www.tracytools.com/. I know my brother has had some gear off em and rates em.
I get all mine from work , what sizes are you after I might be able to get you a few taps , you'll need a tap and die holder as well , don't get crappy Ali ones they break too easily. Let me know about tap sizes. Just thought on , another good source are auto jumbles , you can find some good stuff at these ( and some cack).
Daz

[bigherb]

For a set the Lidl one is not bad. But as above it is best to buy the quality ones, Sherwood and Dormer are other good makes. A ratchet handle is also very handy for automotive work.

[KINGPRAWN]

NEVER EVER EVER EVER buy cheap taps.... If/when they snap, you'll have SO much fun trying to drill them out!!!!

[Ian Hulley]

Agreed on Dormer

There's a place in the world for cheap tools .... it's called the dustbin. Same as van spares buy the very best you can afford or don't buy them at all. I remember the bruised knuckles and cuts caused by Hu Flung Dung spanners and sockets when I was a kid.

[KINGPRAWN]

Agreed on Dormer

There's a place in the world for cheap tools .... it's called the dustbin. Same as van spares buy the very best you can afford or don't buy them at all. I remember the bruised knuckles and cuts caused by Hu Flung Dung spanners and sockets when I was a kid.

Words so wise it's not even funny!!!!

[syncropatrick]

Thanks chaps.

I'm moving into an area I know little about. I'm getting lost with metric coarse and fine, UNF, UNC, BSF, BSW and BA, carbon steel and and high speed steel.
Are most threads on the T25 metric coarse or fine?

A pitch gauge and ratchet wrench would be useful in the set.

If poss I'd like to spend well under £100, so these below are out.
Terrax at £100. http://uk.farnell.com/terrax/a245030/ta ... dp/1849257 no ratchet wrench.
Duratool any good at £119? http://uk.farnell.com/duratool/hs40/tap ... dp/3606788 has ratchet wrench.
Voelkel at £123. http://uk.farnell.com/voelkel/49101/tap ... dp/8444129 no ratchet wrench.
Dormer are defo out of my price range at £300+ http://uk.farnell.com/dormer/l12010m/ta ... dp/1477487

I'm avoiding Draper, Silverline, Sealey, Toolzone, Laser and Rolson.

Procraft at £62. http://www.amazon.co.uk/Ratchet-Alloy-S ... 18&sr=8-38
Cheaper Duratool at £32. http://uk.farnell.com/jsp/displayProduc ... ctlistings
The offerings from Screwfix don't get great reviews. http://www.screwfix.com/search.do?fh_se ... ew_size=20
Clarke from MachineMart are inexpensive. http://www.machinemart.co.uk/shop/searc ... ory/page/1
Tracy Tools could be alright. http://www.tracytools.com/index.php?rou ... uct_id=573 but no pitch gauge or ratchet wrench.

[Ian Hulley]

Most threads on a VW are standard Metric Coarse, there are some Metric Fine as well including some oddball sizes but almost all are standard.

[syncropatrick]

Most threads on a VW are standard Metric Coarse, there are some Metric Fine as well including some oddball sizes but almost all are standard.

Ta.

[Plasticman]

cant ever recall using a ratchet drive as such, i like a positive T bar so I can feel the tap working and also keep it at 90' to the hole, also you can feel the resistance offered so get to know when to back off and then go again , often cheaper taps are very hard, not the right word but they have little give and either cut or snap , s/hand i buy specific ones , good old presto and dormer, a few other sheffield makes as well ,
m6/8/10 are your main ones . so concentrate on taper/run and plug taps,
also invest in a thread file, fits almost any diameter thread http://www.chronos.ltd.uk/acatalog/Thre ... Files.html this sort of thing but a good quality one
mm

[Plasticman]

give andytat a shout
mm

[Dazco]

Personally I would go for HSS taps, you are only gonna probably need the following M5x0.8 M6x1 M8x1.25 M10x1.5 M12x1.75 possibly m4 and m14. As mm says use a T bar more feel from it. No real need for pitch gauges as you will more often than not be tapping or using a standard pitch die. Another useful addition would be Zeus reference guide or a book called the pocket ref. loads of useful info in these .

[Ian and Lins]

I'm OK for taps and dies as I built up what I wanted one at a time years ago. Can you still buy individual t & d's? I did buy a massive cheap set years ago and ...put it in the bin after a few years.