I recently did and inventory of my tools in preperation for black friday, and I'm ready for some Non-Harbor Freight taps and dies. I've bought most of my tools from sears, and most on black friday. I know these can be fighting words, but I like the Craftsman tools i've bought. I don't see myself becoming a professional mechanice any time soon, so Craftsman tools are perfect for what I do.

My Dad bought a Craftsman Tap and Die set back in the early 70s. It came with the great craftsman warranty that all their hand tools have. luckly for him he kept the receipt, and the warrenty info because some time in the 80s they changed their policy and stopped covering taps and dies. So every time he wants to ues the warrenty its like pulling teeth, and in the last few years hes been sending his taps and dies directly to sears because the stores will no longer deal with him. You have to love Dad stick'n to his guns Anyway, back to the Tap and Die question.

So my question is, What is a good middle of the road brand, made in America (Germany or Japan works also, some where that knows what quality control means) I looked at Craftsman because they are made in the USA, but would love to find a better deal, and I would love not to give Sears my business after the greef they have given my old man.

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I can't answer your question, but I will tell you something I learned recently about taps: 2-flute taps don't break, and cut like butta'. I don't know what 3 and 4 flute are for. I just grab a 2 flute now and I'm always happy with the results.

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1998 C230 330,000 miles (currently dead of second failed EIS, yours will fail too, turning you into the dealer's personal human cash machine)
1988 F150 144,000 miles (leaks all the colors of the rainbow)
Previous stars: 1981 Brava 210,000 miles, 1978 128 150,000 miles, 1977 B200 Van 175,000 miles, 1972 Vega (great, if rusty, car), 1972 Celica, 1986.5 Supra

I sympathize with your dad. I ran into a clueless clerk at Sear's on Saturday while trying to return a 3/8 drive, full polish ratchet. The clerk tried to give me a bad refurb of a lower grade item. He also said "No, we don't have a catalog you can check. Try a different store." Oops. Pay no attention to the catalog and the online computer right behind you...

On topic with the tap and die set: I bought a cheap metric set at Northern Tools after I bought my Coupe this summer. I tried to use it simply to clean out rusty threads and it had trouble even cutting and cleaning those. I bought the Craftsman Pro set at like a 50% on sale price and consider it a good deal. It cuts smooth and clean and has a good variety of thread pitch in the set.

From my perspective, paying a little extra for the quality, even with Sear's current level of service, is better than having tools that don't work. I think the 'middle of the road but still quality' tool manufacturers are extinct.

I will agree with Yak, that there is usually a big difference in tool usabilty and the price paid. I will worn you that some Sears Craftsman stuff is made in China. I looked at a set of needle nose pliers this morning, I have. They were a Christmas gift probably 5 years ago.
If you are looking at US made stuff, then you might look at some of the tool sales places. I'd probably look at MSC Supply. I do have an older catalog in front of me. They do list some sets. The US stuff is twice the price of Imports. Vermont, Greenfield, Cleveland Twist Drill and OSC/Sossner are probably US made, or at least were.
Tom

i own a race shop and we have snap on with the special coatings < very hard to use and will brake in a flash < But after learning to use them their is nothing better, you also have to take a loan to own

I also have a Hanson set real strong not very expensive good production units and the taps come in point type, standard everyone sells, and bottom type to extend the thread all the way - industrial supply house stuff made in the USA

and we also have craftsman good for what you are looking to do, Quality is good they the taps and dies work well the drivers are not up to speed but it will do anythoing you need -- cheap as this stuff goes

in the machine shop we have many 2 / 3 and 4 type flute taps as well as other specials for different work and a 2 flute does not stick as much as a 3 or 4 BUT the key is to buy a real good tapping fluid just like motor oil and a lot of stuff today tapping fluids can also be china crap -

trick to tapping we inploy is a tapping block its nothing more than a steel block to help keep the work straight not always possable to use under a hood - also when tapping always hold what you are doing as straight as possable and only turn by hand in 1/4 of a turn and than reverse 1/2 turn to un hook the chips from cutting -- hope that helps -

the cheap china stuff will brake off in what you are doing and it will , cost the price of a snap on set to have some one fix it for you -- only by good stuff junk is just that - jz

I didn't know Craftsman didn't cover the taps and dies anymore. Back in the 80's I had a good friend that built a 50' steel sail boat and when it was time to install the teak on the deck he bought 3 dozen of Craftsman taps of the size he needed and about once a month he would take them all back to Sears and exchange them for new ones because they were totally worn out. There was never an issue, of course this guy was an ex mercenary among other things and had a lot of scars on his face so people tended to not argue with him.

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1983 300SD
200000miles

I had the same experence as Yak a few months back. I broke my dads Craftsman "Vice Grip" knock off. When I took it in to change it out they tried to give me on that looked like a RoBo grip with the stacked sheet metal insted of the solid steel like the one I broke. They had the solid steel one, but they put some plastic handles on it and called it Proffessional Grade.... but the one I had was from the 80s before there was Proffessional Grade. I had to explain to the clerk that I wasn't going to leave unless the plyers I was leaving with were the same design as the ones I broke.

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