IRWIN FOR NOW

Irwin is better than junk but not much, it's primarily for chasing existing threads.
Both of the sets above are either Chicago Latrobe or Hertal.
My opinion is you spend a little more for a quality set.you can see if something is missing and you can track it down.
Not having to look through banks of drawers for a tap then another for the correct size drill helps to eliminate stress and makes you more productive.
The more you do in this "hobby" then the more people will come to you asking if you can do this or fix that.
Buy mid grade if you can.
 
winegrower>>>>>>>interested to know why it was better than Irwin
 
How are the house brand taps that the tool houses sell, like KBC tools or Travers tools. They are also HSS, but are almost certainly imports. KBC also sells domestic Reiff & Nestor (at the premium price). I'm not familiar with these. I recognize Morse, Card, Greenfield, Nachi, and of course, YG-1.
 
riversidedan,
I will not attempt to speak for others.
You should buy what you can afford.
There is value in learning to extract broken taps (hopefully it happens in parts of low consequence).
Using great machines and great tooling is a pleasure. However, not everyone has access to the $ to make that happen.
Machinists of prior generations didn't have the luxury of modern machines and tooling. Somehow they did really good stuff.
If you have a Machinery's Handbook look at all the factors which are integrated into a tap or drill.
I find it quickly overwhelming. Not only the many angles and tolerances, but also the grades of metal.
Good stuff is... well... always better... and it generally costs more.
But always buy only what you can afford. If this is your hobby, then please prioritize the house payment and keeping the kids fed.

My first tap/die set was a Craftsman. Carbon steel. All the taps are long ago broken. I learned heaps, and am still learning.
Those who have posted above are completely correct. However, you need to identify your priorities whatever they may be.
If you intend to generate a profit from your shop, then get a bank loan and buy only good stuff!

Stay safe, do good work and have fun.

Daryl
MN
 
riversidedan said:
winegrower>>>>>>>interested to know why it was better than Irwin
Click to expand...
You actually can feel the difference. A good tap, you can actually feel and hear it cutting, with lower torque. Cheap taps feel mushy, always like they could snap, the chips jam easier, etc. Also, with better taps, you can choose the style depending on the task…taper taps for through hole, bottoming taps for blind holes, spiral point to push the chips ahead of the tap, spiral flute to pull the chips out of the hole, roll taps to form instead of cut threads, etc.

For fun, maybe try tapping stainless with a cheap tap…I include Irwin in this challenge. Then try the same hole with a good brand tap. You will never go back. :)

I believe anyone who hangs around this site, has a lathe, mill, maybe a bunch of hand and power tools…can afford a good tap. We’re not talking carbide end mills here…that’s another thread altogether.
 
Taps are definitely one area where it'll cost you more to go cheap.

I never realized how much of a difference there is until a machinist friend gave me a bunch of taps they didn't need at the shop. Recently I started tapping a hole with an Irwin and despite nearly 45 years experience and plenty of oil the ...tard broke on me. Well, I looked in my box and picked out a Morse spiral tap and was done in record time.

Once you buy one good tap and use it you'll not want to ever mess with hardware store grade stuff ever again. Taping the part is often the final step after you've spent hours making it, how much time do you want to spend removing a broken tap and fixing the damage?

As tempting as it is to buy an entire set the smart way is to buy quality drills and taps for the project you are doing today, sets are for cleaning up threads that are already there.

John
 
I got an Ace Hanson HSS Tap and Die Set for my High school graduation (4 decades ago) I still have it, some of the taps have never been used some have been replaced countless times. Most of the dies have never been used and when they have, it was mainly for chasing threads.

If I was starting out on a budget, with what I know now and with McMaster able to deliver whatever tap I want the next day, I would only buy high quality taps, as needed. Then after time acquire a set tailored exactly to my needs.

But no, I suffer from THS, Tool Hoarders Syndrome, and I now, by way of auctions, eBay and Craigslist, have hundreds of Taps & Dies of all kinds most of which I will never use. However, I do have comfort knowing they are there...
 
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