Unless you do a lot of threading, you might not need a complete set of taps and dies. My approach has been to buy used well-made sets on ebay, recognizing that some of them will be dull. Those can usually be touched up by honing the tap (dies are more difficult). But often one can just replace the most dull taps with new ones. If you don't need a whole set, buy them as you need them. I like the taps I've been getting from McMaster-Carr.
Really, I need about four sizes often enough to wear them out--10-24, 1/4-20, 3/8-16, and 1/2-13. I'm not sure I've ever needed to tap for a 5/16 or 7/16 thread, and the taps I have in my old sets are still sharp in those sizes. And all the fine-thread taps in the used sets I've collected have been sharp. In those most-used sizes, I've bought new ones from McMaster, and they were made by U.S. companies and reasonably priced, even in plug/taper/bottom sets.
If you do a lot of production tapping, you'll want to invest in a good set, but bring your checkbook. Most of us would do better to make sure we have a decent set of drills and reamers so that we aren't asking them taps to do too much work. And most home mechanics are using taps and dies for cleaning up threads rather than cutting new threads in hard steel.
I have a couple of sets of import taps and dies, but I find them only useful for cleaning up threads, not for cutting well-fitting fresh threads.
Rick "for whom 3/8-16 gets used as much as all the rest combined" Denney
Really, I need about four sizes often enough to wear them out--10-24, 1/4-20, 3/8-16, and 1/2-13. I'm not sure I've ever needed to tap for a 5/16 or 7/16 thread, and the taps I have in my old sets are still sharp in those sizes. And all the fine-thread taps in the used sets I've collected have been sharp. In those most-used sizes, I've bought new ones from McMaster, and they were made by U.S. companies and reasonably priced, even in plug/taper/bottom sets.
If you do a lot of production tapping, you'll want to invest in a good set, but bring your checkbook. Most of us would do better to make sure we have a decent set of drills and reamers so that we aren't asking them taps to do too much work. And most home mechanics are using taps and dies for cleaning up threads rather than cutting new threads in hard steel.
I have a couple of sets of import taps and dies, but I find them only useful for cleaning up threads, not for cutting well-fitting fresh threads.
Rick "for whom 3/8-16 gets used as much as all the rest combined" Denney
