Harbor freight tap & die sets

[Soundguy]

I see in the last few fliers, HF has a pretty large tap and die set.. for uh.. pretty cheap.

I am in need of a set to pretty much just 'chase' existing threads.. vs really cutting new threads.

Anyone got one? they good enough to be thread chases?

Soundguy

 

[Dusty]

I don't have a HF unit, but I do have a cheap one that I use for chasing threads. Since it doesn't have to do much to chase threads, I can't see how you need to have an expensive set. I do have a Snap-On set, but I can count on one hand the amount of times that I have used it in the past 35+ years. I bought a retiring mechanics tools back in the 1960's and he had in it the box. I would say that there is a good 20% of those tools that I never have use for, since they are specialized for cars that just about don't exist any longer. As an example, a socket to remove screwed in ball joints on Chrysler products.

 

[Sully2]

I see in the last few fliers, HF has a pretty large tap and die set.. for uh.. pretty cheap.
I am in need of a set to pretty much just 'chase' existing threads.. vs really cutting new threads.
Anyone got one? they good enough to be thread chases?
Soundguy

My farmer friend bought a set but he said it didnt have ( cant remember if it was all fine threads or all course threads??) both course and fine threads in it. It will work for cleaning out old threads and do fine for that job

 

[kossetx]

Chris, My experiance in this is limited, but here goes. I've had to use T&D all my adult life at times, both on the job and for me. I always used shop sets which were good quality tools. I was building a planing form for my flay rods 6 years ago. It required tapping a 1/4" hole 3X every 5" on 2 3/4X3/4" pieces of cold rolled steel 10' long, which was a lot of tapping. I bought a american made Irwin bit from HD. On the 1st hole the tap chipped. On the 5th hole it broke, and I had never broken a tap before. I go buy a new one at HD and was as careful as I could be. It broke on the 7th tap. It had been a while since I had tapped something and I couldn't figure what I was doing wrong.

I want to a guy who has a machine that will take out broken taps to have them removed. He explained the store taps are so hard their brittle and told me go to a machine shop supply to get my taps.

I went to a MSS and bought 3-1/4" taps. I took them home and tapped the last 140+ holes with ONE of them.

My moral. It cost me 25.00 to remove the 1st tap and 20 for the 2nd, plus major agrivation. IMHO, skip the HFT taps even though they may not be brittle due to their region of manufacture.

Have a Merry Christmas, Mark

 

[texbaylea]

My experience with cheap tap and die sets is that they work for chasing threards but not for tapping new holes. Go slow, back out frequently and use plenty of lubricant.

Vernon

 

[Kays Supply]

I have the HF set. Mine is the set that goes from 1/8" to 1/2" Both threads. I have used it for chasing and tapping. It has worked OK. I broke a 1/2" die. If I remember correctly, I think I dropped it. Like mentioned in other posts, I would get better quality for hard use, but the way I use them ,these have done fine.

 

[kenmac]

I bought A 20 ton shop press from H.F.last week for $179.95 & found almost the same press at homier.com for $99.00 I think shipping would have been $25.00. I'am going to have to start checking with homier & check their prices vs H.F.

 

[QRTRHRS]

I bought A 20 ton shop press from H.F.last week for $179.95 & found almost the same press at homier.com for $99.00 I think shipping would have been $25.00. I'am going to have to start checking with homier & check their prices vs H.F.

You can get HB's flyers online. Watch patiently and the item you want will often come up at a reduced price, sometimes for half the normal price.

They have internet sales prices which if ordered, would have shipping added but I have gotten the internet price at the store by asking and skipped the shipping costs.

 

[Soundguy]

I have a few odd taps, all high quality ones, for the stuff i tap alot.. 1/4 3/8 and 3/4 However... I have a project coming up that will just require lots of chasing thru cast iron.. so coarse threads.. and large.. probably 7/16 and 1/2 stuff.

For what it would cost me for one of those taps from a good MSS.. i can get the large harbor freigh tap and die set.

i think i may take my chaces since i am just chasing old paint and 40 ys of grease out of existing threads.

Soundguy

 

[Birdman253]

Soundguy,

Just for chasing paint, rust, etc. from existing threads, they should work fine. I have, many times, cut a slot in a bolt with a hacksaw to make a "tap" to do this exact same thing. I finally did the same thing you are talking about, bought a cheap set for this type of job.

Only difference, mine weren't from Harbor Freight, they were from a church "garage sale." Made in China, and from the price still listed on the box, unbelievably cheap. I went ahead, thinking, if they are cr*p, I didn't spend much, and the money did go to a good cause.

Five years later, I am still using them, and they are working fine.

Good luck, and Merry Christmas!