# Harbor Freight 60 Piece Alloy Steel SAE/Metric Tap and Die Set



## SirFatty (May 5, 2012)

I have generic set that I bought back in the 80s (not HF). For occasional use, it has worked fine over the years. I'm sure that this set will work well for you, even if the plastic case gives out (those plastic hinges are the worst).

-Dave


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## PurpLev (May 30, 2008)

good price for a good selection of threads for 'light use'

a few points to keep in mind:

1. the alloy is somewhat weak (I was able to break the 1/2" tap during a threading operation) 
2. the large tap wrench is pure garbage - it doesn't hold the taps unless you righten it with pliers, and under medium pressure will break in half (I have 2 sets - SAE and Metric, and both wrenches broke in half)

Other than that, for small light home use (sheet goods, and softer materials like plastics and aluminum) this is a ok set for the money. at least you have a variety of threads to meet each case.


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## b2rtch (Jan 20, 2010)

Sharon, 
I threaded a piece of 1/2" aluminum and 3/8" steel and the shaft of my band saw NP


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## GMman (Apr 11, 2008)

Bert I got the same set use it a few times and come back and tell us if you find them as cheap as I do, they are very cheap.
My opinion sorry Bert.


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## b2rtch (Jan 20, 2010)

Yes, this is a cheap and inexpensive set but so far it did everything I needed it to do. 
It already paid for itself several times.


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## capturedlive (Jul 13, 2012)

I agree with Bert. Cheap is cheap, but this this tap & die set got me through more than a couple of rough spots. Definitely worth the $40.


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## StumpyNubs (Sep 25, 2010)

A set like this is great to buy so you have a wide selection. Yes, they are cheap. But as they break you can replace them one at a time with good ones having the knowledge of what ones you use most and therefore want the best quality of. I think it's a good buy!


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## Dal300 (Aug 4, 2011)

Back in the 90's I had to replace my old Tap and Die set while working on a boat engine on Lake Superior. Snap-off or Mak didn't come to the docks but Matco did so I bought a set from him. (Almost $350).

The first time I used the 1/8" npt tap it snapped before I even got it past the tapered section.

I went down to a store in MPLS/St.P. and bought a cheap Northern Tool set… same as the HF set.

I've been using it since then and it works well.

For those that find them cheap, maybe trying to cut threads dry or trying to make too deep a cut without backing out could be the problem? I never try to cut without oil and always use more than needed. I also only cut a 1/8 turn in 3/16" mild steel and only about 1/32 turn in Stainless.


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## robertb574 (Jan 12, 2011)

I have had this one for several years. It has taken care of all of my occasional home and hobby needs. No breaks or noticeable deterioration.


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## sixstring (Apr 4, 2012)

I bought the same set at HF about 3 months ago to tackle a small problem on my lawn mower and it did the job well and paid itself off with that one job. Dont think I've used it since but like others have said, it's great to have around especially with the large variety of sizes.

HF is awesome for buying tools you dont use regularly or heavily.


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## b2rtch (Jan 20, 2010)

Thank you guys, and StumpyNubs what you suggest to do is what I already do, as with my router bits. I bought a cheap HF set and I replace them with better ones ( Freud) as needed


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## b2rtch (Jan 20, 2010)

Thank you guys, and StumpyNubs what you suggest to do is what I already do, as with my router bits. I bought a cheap HF set and I replace them with better ones ( Freud) as needed


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## lj61673 (Oct 31, 2011)

"*HF is awesome for buying tools you don't use regularly or heavily*"

In other words tools you can't rely on?

These Harbor Freight review threads are too funny….


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## b2rtch (Jan 20, 2010)

" In other words tools you can't rely on?" 
This is not correct.
We know what we buy. 
We buy tools which have an excellent value and we know that they are not necessarily the best but good enough for what we need them to do. 
I find it strange that so many people seem to have big problem understanding that.

I see many people around me who must have "the best" ( that they cannot afford) and who cannot pay their credit cards. 
I have no such issue.
I thanks God who gave me wisdom to manage the moeny that He gives me.

Why do I have to go through the same discussion again and again?
Yes, I like HF and most of my tools are either HF or Rigid because both offer excellent value.
Value, not brand or color or fashion, is the only that matters to me.

I make a very good living ( thanks God again) yet I buy most of my clothes second hand, I do not need new clothes but clothes in good shape and comfortable.


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## lj61673 (Oct 31, 2011)

God gives you money? is that cash or does he use PayPal?

Where is the value in a tool that you can't use "regularly or heavily"?

Still not seeing the logic here.


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## b2rtch (Jan 20, 2010)

God gives me everything I have , yes sir.
' is that cash or does he use PayPal?" 
Direct deposit in my bank account every other week and once a year a very nice bonus.
Thank you for asking
"Still not seeing the logic here:" 
we obviously are not on the same wavelength.
Have a blessed day


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## lj61673 (Oct 31, 2011)

Maybe you should ask God for a Sawstop, I hear he likes Steve Gass.


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## b2rtch (Jan 20, 2010)

I hate Sawstop


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## Viktor (Jan 15, 2009)

You should not think of tools as cheap or expensive but rather cost effective or not. The latter depends on the intended use. I have the same set. I use it occasionally on aluminum and plastic for furniture and jigs. This is exactly what I bought it for. Variety of sizes, SAE and metric was a big plus. Had I envisioned heavy use on steel I would have bought a higher quality set. For me the set was cost effective. End of story.


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## b2rtch (Jan 20, 2010)

Amen. 
Viktor when you say cost effective, I say value, same thing.


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## Milo (Apr 24, 2009)

lj61673,

I guess we all aren't the "pro's" you are, blasting all our tool constantly through mind numbing amounts of heavy labor, cursing their ever flaw and failure to prove themselves worth of being in our spotless shops. Man, must be amazing to have your tools.

Us, just-plane-regular folks, like to know when something helpful, and affordable, comes along so we can add it for the rare, or not so rare, occasions we need it,

Bert bought it, liked it, and wanted others to know.

If your going to just snark at him, go somewhere else.

And yeah, God did allow him to earn the money for it. Certainly not you.

Bert, thanks for the review!


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## upinflames (Jun 24, 2012)

I have a set of these and are used in the shop for the farming, I have rebuilt Case 1270 and a Case 4690(these aint lawn tractors) and they work just fine, no breakage or snaps. I guess what I'm saying is, don't scare a future wood worker away by telling them they have to have the best or nothing at all.
If I were a newcomer to wood working and looked at all the forums for wood working, I would throw my hands up and say forget it, if I have to spend thousands of dollars for a hobby because people bash "the cheap stuff".
I have made sawdust for 30 years, I've had cheap tools, I've had name brand, to tell you the truth, I can't tell much difference.


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## b2rtch (Jan 20, 2010)

Milo, thank you.


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## b2rtch (Jan 20, 2010)

dustmagnet, thank you.


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## 280305 (Sep 28, 2008)

Bert,

Thanks for the review. This is probably the type of set that makes sense for me too. The few times that I've needed one, I've walked 1/4 mile down the road and borrowed my neighbor's set. I should probably get one like this.


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## lumberjoe (Mar 30, 2012)

For what it's worth, I've had a similar set for about 5 years. I bought it to get me out of a pinch with the intention of replacing them when it broke. I've only broken one, and it was my fault .I do treat them as if they were a bit fragile, but I treat all my tools with respect.

There is a lot of unnecessary crap in this thread. Dallas has it right. Don't try use ape strength. Oil it down and go slow. That also goes for a snap-on set costing 5 times the amount.

I also agree this is a great thing to have around, even if all you do is chase threads


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## tierraverde (Dec 1, 2009)

I was a tool & die maker for 40 years, on the shop floor and eventually an owner of a mfg. co. We purchased the best taps & dies, (Greenfield, TRW etc.) as we were using them on high speed steel tooling and production tapping of some nasty materials.
Point is, you buy what suits your needs.
Being retired, and now working in my woodshop, I rarely need a tap or a die. When I do, I go to my machinist toolbox from days of old and find a Greenfield or TRW tap, that may be 40 years old, and use it. They don't wear out.
Conversely, if I don't have the size I need in my toolbox, I go to my Harbor Freight set and use that. Good enough for the rare times I need it.
I love quality tools like anyone, but for rare occasions, to buy the best for a once a year event, is not cost effective or justifiable.


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## new2wood (Aug 10, 2009)

I bought the same set a year ago. They have come in very handy and I use them often when cleaning up hardware.


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## b2rtch (Jan 20, 2010)

Thank you all. 
For reasons that after many years I still cannot understand, it seems that for some people nothing good can come trough the doors of HF.
I have been using HF tools since I came tho this country 33 years ago. 
I made living as an heavy equipment mechanic with them for over 20 years. 
They always served me well. 
For some if a tool does not say "Snap-On" or "Festool" it is crap. 
By principal I refuse to buy a brand name tool (except for Craftsman and Rigid), or anything else (I never buy a Levis jean), as they are too expensive for what they are. 
As wrote again and again, I am looking not for a brand or for "prestige" but for value and certainly when it comes to value, HF is #1


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## lj61673 (Oct 31, 2011)

Quite a few members here insist on rationalizing buying this junk by repeating this inane mantra "its a good value for the price". And its always with the same disclaimer; "I can afford the better tool but the HF tool does the same thing for a fraction of the price….blah blah blah….."

Any tool that can't be counted on to perform every time it is reached for, in my opinion has ZERO value. Any tool that works ok as long as you "don't use it regularly or heavily" has ZERO value.

Just one mans opinion. Of course God doesn't sign my paycheck so I could be wrong….


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## b2rtch (Jan 20, 2010)

"Any tool that can't be counted on to perform every time it is reached for" 
No tool , what ever the price , offers this guaranty, believe me. 
I work daily with multimillion dollars machines and tools and they are very often down.
I shall "unwatch" this post as you will not change my mind, and I shall not change yours. 
Keep buying tools you cannot afford, the people who sale them to you, love people like you.


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## lj61673 (Oct 31, 2011)

First of all you will not "unwatch" this thread. If you did you couldn't continue to read all the affirmation you desperately need for buying from HF.

Secondly, who says I buy tools I can't afford? Is that how you justify your purchases, buy convincing yourself that the only people that buy high quality tools do so while running up their credit cards?

Buy what you like, but stop making asinine assumptions about what others purchase.


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## lumberjoe (Mar 30, 2012)

lj61673, I do see your point to some extent, but I think your are missing 1 of 2 key elements in product design:

1 - The quality of work the tool will yield - you are focused on this
2 - Duty cycle - you are missing the boat on this one

Like many here, woodworking is a hobby for me. I am not a professional, and I do not make a living with my tools. I definitely can afford the best, however that will come at an expense to other things. I have kids that need to go to college one day, and I also have a wife with some expensive hobbies, so I need to be cognizant of her "fun budget" as well.

If number 1 is not there, the tool is not worth buying. If you cannot get good results, this will lead to frustration and ultimately a repurchase of a more expensive tool which costs you more in the long run.

However this tap and die set is a perfect example of #2. It is something that performs very well when needed. I am not going to say this 40$ set is manufactured to the same standards that the sets my dad uses (to make a living) is. However he has thousands invested, and uses them many times a day. For me, I may use it once or twice a year. Even if I only get 10 uses for each tap or die, at a minimum I am looking at a 5 year lifespan. The ROI for this set less than 1.00 per year for the entire set. 
If I were to follow your methodology, I would get what a professional would still consider mediocre set (Fastenal) 40 piece set at a cost of almost 800.00. To get the same ROI, I would have to use this set for about 400 years.

When you look at things that way, it really doesn't make sense.

*TL;DR* 
A lot of people here are not "cheap", but take calculated risks where the value proposition is nearly guaranteed.


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## tierraverde (Dec 1, 2009)

lumberjoe
+100


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## OnlyJustME (Nov 22, 2011)

I have several Harbor Freight brand tools i thought i was going to use once or twice and then toss. To my surprise they are still going strong and 1 even outlasted a makita that i bought well after the HF. 
I bought them thinking it would be not needed after or really abused on the job. I prefer to spend less money when i can and be surprised in tool performance than to spend a lot and be disappointed in the tool.

The one tool was a 4-1/2" angle grinder i bought for $15 that has been used and abused (and i mean abused; cutting through 100's of feet of 1/2" steel plate on one job, grinding down concrete on another and concrete dust will kill tool motors) on construction jobs many times. The Makita 4-1/2" angle grinder went to a few of the same jobs and i had to get it repaired after them. Cost me 3 times more than the HF but didn't come close to lasting as long. Where is the value in that?

So what tool would you buy? I have been able to rely on the HF grinder every time i've picked it up(over 3 years). i bought more so i could keep one for steel and one for masonry.
I'm glad you can spend more than you need to on tools. It is a ruff economy out there.


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## tierraverde (Dec 1, 2009)

OK, which one will you purchase for occasional usage








The grey box is Harbor Freight. 60 pieces…....Price $39.95








The blue box is Greenfield. 24 pieces…......Price $1420.00

Lj61673 must have a Bentley pick-up to go for lumber. HA!


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## lj61673 (Oct 31, 2011)

Those are the only two choices of tap and die sets available? Anywhere?

Wow, you really did your homework, didn't you?


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## lumberjoe (Mar 30, 2012)

lj61673, are you 6 years old? Because that reminds me a lot of something my 6 year old would say when she feels threatened and needs to retaliate.

Instead of adding useless banter to a review that may help people that look for an occasional use tap and die set, why don't you post a suggestion of a set *you have actually used* as an alternative. Also you should post for the record that you have never laid your hands on these, so your opinion is based on fables and lore, not founded in any sort of factual information.


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## tierraverde (Dec 1, 2009)

lj61673
Of course not. Just a representation of what can be spent on the low end or high end.
It's called an illustration Mr. Big Wallet.


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## 280305 (Sep 28, 2008)

This morning my Ford Ranger wouldn't start. I plan to upgrade to this:


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## tierraverde (Dec 1, 2009)

Yea, I wouldn't settle for less.


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## OnlyJustME (Nov 22, 2011)

lol a porsche el camino.


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## Raymond (Mar 12, 2008)

Amen Bert I agree totally. I have many HF tools and Ridgid as well. I have the same tap and die set and it has served me well and I have only broken one and that was my fault not the tool. There is great value in HF tools or Tool Shop tools at Menards. I to am given a good living by god and like Bert I to chose to wear second hand or clearence. My wife is a great shopper. I like used tools as well. You get some great deals on tools with experience.


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## Tennessee (Jul 8, 2011)

Bert, I too own this set. It sits on top of the other two "more expensive" tap and die sets I've bought over the decades, and they both have broken parts where this one has held.
I also bought the HF pipe threading set, and one nice day at the mechanical contractor where I work, the RIGID pipe dies got their 3/4" stolen, so I ran home and got my HF 3/4" pipe die. Arguably made by the same "cheap" company or same "cheap" country that the tap and die set was made in.
Three days later I got my 3/4" pipe die back, with triple Kudos from the guys on how well it held up, how it directly fit into the handle as they used it on a power threader, and where in the heck did I get it? Ha…Harbor Freight! Needless to say, some red HF boxes started showing up on the trucks!


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## MarkDavisson (Apr 26, 2009)

I have purchased many tools from HF. I believe many of their tools represent outstanding value. Others, not so much. But I have developed a pretty good sense of which ones do and which ones don't.

Glad to read the review of this tap & die set. Thanks for taking your time to share your experience!


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## whitewulf (May 11, 2010)

HF is fine to retap dirty or damaged threads, in wood, metal, etc. If you are breaking tap handles, proper tapping lube or larger tapdrill might help. Whether Machinist or Mechanic, they will cost you more in time, what with removing broken taps, and such.


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## AaronK (Nov 30, 2008)

thanks for the review, bert. It's not often that I have needed to tap new holes (have never done it home actually, since I never had the tools), and I can't imagine having to do it in non-sheet steel. I've often wondered about the quality of the HF tap/die sets. I think this is what I will reach for when the time comes to purchase.


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## MarkDavisson (Apr 26, 2009)

On sale right now for $24.99.


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## blockhead (May 5, 2009)

I completely agree Bert. This is one of the few things I've purchased from HF. I've only needed to use it a few times in the last year, but it has paid for itself many times over in that time. Doesn't make much sense to pay 5 times the price for a fraction of the bits in my case. It's a purchase I certainly do not regret.


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## b2rtch (Jan 20, 2010)

This 'cheap " set saved my butt this weekend again.
I bought a used 20 years old snow blower that I restored to like new condition.
Upon diss-assembly I found the oblique bearing frozen on the main shaft frozen by the rust. I tried everything I could think off t remove it , I ended up cutting it with a torch.
But in the meantime I had damaged the treads at the end of the shaft in which the retaining cap-screw goes.
Upon re-assembly I was able to use my "cheap" set to restore these treads and to screw the cap-screw in.
A new shaft would have cost me over $60.00 ( the bearing that I had to cut is over $45.00)
One more time , thank you Harbor Freight


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## Dal300 (Aug 4, 2011)

Bert, even though you and I disagree sometimes, I have to agree with you on this one.

I have a Greenlee, a Matco and a Ridgid set. Unless I'm working with really hard steel I use my HF set.

That is over 90% of the time.


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