What material for tap & die sets?

[mike77]

Thanks for the advice so far. Every time I've used a tap or die before, it's been at a shop that already owned them so I'm trying to learn enough to avoid buying the wrong tools.
Another question, round or hex dies? Is there an advantage or disadvantage to either one? Obviously if I already owned one style I'd tend to that. It seems like some suppliers have specialty dies in hex and standard in round. Others have standard in both styles.

Mike

[Gadget]

I might be wrong but I think the round dies are split and can be made slightly smaller or larger which allows a rough first cut and finer finish cut. The hex dies give you more torque though.

[Nick]

Snap-on, Mac, matco, or cornwell tools. Check them out on line comete with warranty and financing available. Best bet

And you get to see the big red/blue/? truck roll up into your driveway.

Craigslist usually has mechanic's boxes half-filled with nice name brand gear fairly cheap locally. You might try similar. Most warranties are "original purchaser" though.

[SICFabrications]

I don't like the round dies for the simple reason that you gotta use that stupid handle. With the hex ones, you can use a ratchet and socket or wrench, which trust me, there will be times when ya wish you had the ability to use a wrench. The t handle won't fit unless you can get the bolt to a vise. What about studs for a set of headers or studded heads on an old small
Block Chevy??? T handle is a dog that won't hunt

[Nick]

What about studs for a set of headers or studded heads on an old small
Block Chevy??? T handle is a dog that won't hunt

Truth.

No idea on the price here, but just spotted a Snap-On TD-2425 Tap and Die set for $145 locally. Garage Journal has listings between $125-$165 new in box. Even the HF's range from $30-$65... Even I'd go for the nicer ones for that small a difference.

[SpyGuy]

As others have said, avoid carbon steel. It's a waste of money and time, and will often ruin the work piece.
TiN is a coating. The question is, what is underneath. I'd rather have a quality plain HSS cutting tool, than a TiN-coated piece of junk.

You don't always get what you pay for, but you never get what you don't pay for!

[undercut]

As others have said, avoid carbon steel. It's a waste of money and time, and will often ruin the work piece. TiN is a coating. The question is, what is underneath. I'd rather have a quality plain HSS cutting tool, than a TiN-coated piece of junk. You don't always get what you pay for, but you never get what you don't pay for!

Thanks for the tip about the TiN. I've seen a few sets on sale with TiN and have been tempted. Definitely don't get the ones that require you to use the handles. Hex version give you a lot more flexibility on what you can use to torque it around.

[SpyGuy]

I don't like the round dies for the simple reason that you gotta use that stupid handle. With the hex ones, you can use a ratchet and socket or wrench, which trust me, there will be times when ya wish you had the ability to use a wrench. The t handle won't fit unless you can get the bolt to a vise. What about studs for a set of headers or studded heads on an old small
Block Chevy??? T handle is a dog that won't hunt

With all due respect, you are using the wrong tool. A taps and dies are for cutting new threads where none existed before. What you are describing is thread restoring. For that you want a re-threading tool, like this set made by Snap-On.

[SpyGuy]

Thanks for the tip about the TiN. I've seen a few sets on sale with TiN and have been tempted.

For example, Harbor Freight sells cutting tools that are TiN coated. I've seen TiN drill sets and I'm sure they offer TiN tap & die sets too. I wouldn't touch any of them with a 10-foot pole: beneath the TiN coating, they are still junk. Don't get me wrong, HF offers some very good deals on tools, and I do own HF tools. But you have to know what to buy and what to avoid. The cutting tools are to be avoided.

And for the record, TiN (Titanium Nitride) is not the only coating available, nor is it the "be all, end all" coating. TiN is a good general purpose coating that provides higher surface hardness and improved lubricity. But there are other coatings that are better and/or more cost effective for particular applications. Examples of other coatings are: Steam Oxide, Nitride, Titanium Carbonitride (TiCN), Titanium Aluminum Nitrade (TiAIN), and PVD or CVD Diamond (PVD = Physical Vapor Deposition; CVD = Chemical Vapor Deposition). There are also taps made of solid carbide, with and without coatings.

But once again, let me emphasize that a high-quality plain HSS cutting tool will perform infinitely better than any fancy-coated low-quality (read "low price") cutting tool.