My first set was from Sears over 20 years ago. They were carbon steel. They made & cleaned many threads. They were still working great but I couldn't read them anymore so I decided to soak them in vinegar to remove the rust. After that they crumbled like chalk. That was a hard lesson.
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Tekton 7558 Tap And Die Set
- Thread starter kingmt01
- Start date
My first set was from Sears over 20 years ago. They were carbon steel. They made & cleaned many threads. They were still working great but I couldn't read them anymore so I decided to soak them in vinegar to remove the rust. After that they crumbled like chalk. That was a hard lesson.
- Joined
- Jul 2, 2014
- Messages
- 7,571
I bought Imperial and Metric sets of Craftsman "Kromedge" carbon steel taps and hexagon dies about 40 years ago and I am still using them today. Not one has ever broken or dulled beyond usefulness. I have threaded and cleaned many, many hundreds of fasteners with them, some quite hard tool steel, some rusty and full of grit. They look and perform like new, no rust, no issues, the plastic cases are pristine and all the niches are full of the original tools. They might be the best tool purchases I ever made...
(I am also using a 1930's Craftsman 1/2" socket set that I got, well used, from my Dad in the late 1960's. Still using them today, still in great shape except for the breaker bar that I loaned to a "friend", who brought back an import one after he broke it. Cool set, made for Sears by Millers Falls, code BE, in very nice condition, including 8 point sockets and several 32nd sizes as well. The coarse tooth ratchet has a 1/2" square insert that is removed from a square hole through the center of the ratcheting mechanism and pushed in the other side to reverse it. Don't use that anymore, using a nice 60's Craftsman fine tooth ratchet instead.)
Don't for a minute think you can buy new Craftsman tools today and get the same quality!