Best TAP & DIE Set? Craftsman vs Irwin, Bosch, Draper, Vermont American, Tekton, GearWrench

Love the closeup of the Harbor Freight set with all the scattered parts and the poorly machined dies while you quoted their product's 'exacting standards'.

I was a machinist for a defense contractor and we use Greenfield and Guhring taps. The tap sets you tested here are fine to general use and do not have a tread clearance called out, that's why they vary on how lose they cut. The Greenfield and Guhring you have to specify GH1 or GH2 depending on how you want the bolt to fit. GH1 are very close tolerance fit and are the most expensive. The GH2 has more clearance but still less than the sets you tested. Maximum holding power use the GH1.

I just love your format and tempo. No fluff, no filler, just clear concise and to the point. You've helped me make many confident decisions as a homeowner and general diy'er. Thank you.

I need you to know that I'm trying to be informative and not critical with this comment. You are possibly the best content provider that I follow, for a number of reasons. I love your videos and the time and effort you put into "covering all the bases" with each group of items you test. Having said that, I, respectfully, say that you may have come up a little short on this one. Training as a draftsman back when we had Vocational and Technical High Schools in this country that trained young people to go to work and not always to go to college, I learned that there are various "Fit" standards for American, and I can only assume, Metric, threaded fasteners. I have worked with many skilled tradesmen over the years and it is the rare one that knows this. Mechanical engineers and machinists know it, but not mechanics, or other end users, so much. When you use the "recommended" twist drill for a given thread size in a "Kit" like this, you aren't wrong, but you need to understand that there is actually a range of drills that should be used for each tap, depending on how much "Thread Engagement", expressed as a percentage, is desired from the finished hole. Of course you can, and most users eventually do, decide on a "good enough" size that gets most jobs done. The problem arises when you begin to compare the wobble in a nut of unknown thread engagement on a bolt, also of unknown thread fit standard, to a cut thread using the same twist drill for each hole with multiple brands of taps. Each tap brand could be used with a differing drill size that could possible replicate the sample nut and bolt fit, so the wobble factor rating could be considerably changed and, therefore, doesn't mean the tap is of poor quality or design. You as the end user are supposed to be aware of these things. Many taps are meant to be used with Number or Letter drills, not fractional drills. I noticed that some of your dies were adjustable dies. The ones with a split in the circumference will be adjustable. Some of them that are adjustable will have a set screw that spans the gap created by the split and can be tightened to spread the split and give a shallower cut and a tighter thread fit. The second type of adjustable die has a slit and a "V" notch in the circumference. The handle for that die will have a screw that wedges itself into the "V" and forces it apart, again making the threads shallower and tighter. How DEEP the threads are cut with both the taps and the dies, will influence the torque needed to cut the thread. That means that a very sharp die, cutting a very deep thread, could still have a high torque requirement and would yield a very sloppy thread. It doesn't make it a bad die. I don't know if you made adjustments to the dies or not, but adjusting them, and they are meant to be adjusted and usually cost more for that reason, will dramatically change your results in many ways. Likewise, It would be helpful to know if the same "standard drill" was recommended in all materials, by all the sets. One other consideration when comparing factory nuts and bolts the home shop made threaded products is the quality of the machine driving the drill. A drill running in a press will run truer and yield a smaller, rounder hole than one run in a hand drill. Even starting a tap with a drill press doesn't guarantee that it will go straight (although for the thickness of material you where using, it should). The factories that make nuts and bolts use precision machines called, you guessed it, Screw Machines, to mass produce threaded fasteners. In a machine shop, when making a one off thread, a bench tapping machine or a lathe is used to make sure everything is lined up and that would require the least amount of torque. A thread that runs out will get harder and harder to make. I'd just like your subscribers to know that if the thread is too loose feeling, they should try a smaller drill and expect it to take more torque and lube. Also be aware that some dies can be adjusted for a very snug fit. Practice on some scrap first.

I’d love to see you test different brands of “flushable” wipes. The brands say they are safe and they dissolve, but virtually every plumber says never use them 👍

The rate this man produces content is insane. Most of my subscriptions get away with a video every 2 months or so. Awesome, and glad I watched before buying a set because I truly was considering that pittsburgh set not having known anything about quality.

A bonus for craftsman and Irwin is that you can buy single taps and dies to replace worn ones. I believe it’s the same with gear wrench. Not so with many of these sets. Or if you are made entirely out of money, snap-on or Mac offers a similar arrangement.

I invested in Irwin sets a long time ago. What I have found is that carbon steel taps and dies are single use only. The teeth on the taps break when tapping steel. Over the years, I have purchased individual HHS taps made in the USA, replacing damaged taps in the set. The difference in cutting and longevity is amazing.

I think a video on rivet nuts would be pretty interesting. I’ve been looking at them to put on my pickup bed so I can easily remove and remount my toolbox. With just a bolt from the top instead of having to get a nut underneath the edge. My old truck it was easy to do, but my new one is impossible to get under the back corners of the tool box with my hand and a nut. I’m mostly curious how much torque the standard round ones can handle before twisting loose. I’ve seen these hex shaped rivet nuts also. For them a small hole is drilled, then a tool pulled through the hole to make it hex shaped, then the hex shaped rivet nut is crushed into that. Looks like it could take a ton of torque without being spun out.

Such thorough testing! Was nice seeing the exact same tap & die set that I own being tested, the Craftsman. Thanks for all the work you put into making these great videos!

This channel always helps me choose what tools I want to spend my money on. Thank you for all the great information and great videos. I'm on my way out the door to pick me up a tap and die set now. This is one of the best channels on YouTube!

Obviously these tests are for pure strength and quality. I was taught as a steel fabricator by trade that when tapping by hand use plenty of cutting compound, keep straight as possible, and turn a 180-360 then reverse 90 or so till you feel the swarf break loose an repeat until hole is tapped. I have an el' cheapo set in the shed for around the house. Using this method gives me a nice clean thread and they have lasted years with occasional use. Sure it takes longer but works a treat. My boss that taught me was probably tight about replacing taps. However it works well and minimizes wear.

14:00 a small error you made is the split dies are meant for adjusting how tight/loose the thread is, by clamping it in the vice, you are making it as loose as it can make the thread by means of collapsing it to it's maximum cut. This would also increase torque/wear on the die.

I tried using a harbor freight tap to cut a hole in an engine block. IT DID NOT CUT FOR ANYTHING. got a good quality hardened tap and worked perfect. Learned my lesson 😂

I literally watch your videos every time im looking at purchasing a tool. Not only that, your car vids are highly informative! You are a true service to the public. Thank you for your diligent testing!

I was rooting for Irwin from the start and I’d have to say it didn’t let me down… They make really good tools for the price and they’ll last as long as you don’t abuse them. I love my Irwin tools. Definitely gonna have to pick up this tap and die kit.

The first problem I see is that these are, as expected, “hand taps”. Hand taps aren’t meant to be driven continuously through the material. You are supposed to turn forwards a turn or two (at the most), and then turn a half turn backwards to clear the chips. You need to do this until the entire thread is cut. That’s NOT what was done here. Therefore, these sets were not used properly. I can’t take these sets seriously since they weren’t used properly. The other problem is the way he was tapping. Yes, he started the tap straight. But, in reality, you have to tap it straight. That’s not what he did. In order to get an accurately cut thread, you have to use a tap wrench with handles on both sides, applying pressure evenly on both handles, watching the tap while you’re tapping, so that it doesn’t wobble and make a bigger tapped hole. With the dies, you are supposed to be doing these by hand as well, clearing chips as you go. Handheld die wrenches aren’t required to clear chips without some help. I always recommend that people not buy these sets unless you almost never have to use them but have no idea which ones you will need when you do. Otherwise, buy spiral tooth taps that will allow you to tap continuously through making batter threads and much lower force. Buy what you need when you do. You’ll be happier in the long run.

As an aircraft mechanic who does heavy maintenance I really appreciate the videos you put out. You help make my life and my coworkers lives much easier!

Fun fact:snap on taps, which I'm pretty sure are made by Irwin, are warranteed for breakage but not against getting dull, which happens over time. So when they get dull, put them in a vise and break them with a hammer:instant warranty. We been doing this for years. This tip courtesy of my local snap on dealer

A few ideas for future tests: 1) Rivet nut tools 2) Rivet nuts 3) Insulated coffee mugs Thanks Todd, your videos are my “go to source” before I buy tools