I need a tap and die set so I stopped in Sears. Sears sets are all made in China now and it was 200 bucks for the biggest set they had. I look on net with Google and see a Vermont American set 75 pcs probably bigger than Sears for 222 plus 15 shipping. Same exact set on Graingers was FIVE HUNDRED AND FIFTY DOLLARS! I mean give me a break that is robbery! I guess buyer beware:beatsme I sent a email to sears as usual and told them to stick there crap from China!
Dormer,SKF,Osbourne,Greenfield those brands are the Snap On of the tap and die world..MHO I have a friend who started turning wrenches and went with a cheap set ..he broke one in an exhaust port on a V block head.. He drilled it out ..not knowing that he shouldnt be able to ..His journeyman,also his father threw the whole shot in the garbage , he drilled a shank after hearing the story.. If it matter's to ya ..the sets are nice ..but ..for general work and thread restoration all you really need are plug taps and adjustable die's ..a few handles ..like everything get the ones you need most right now and then build your set over time .. the smaller sizes its easy to get taper/plug/bottom set's and the die's cheap ..respectivly.. Ive been away for abit ..Atco isnt ill is he ? I thought he would have fielded a better response than mine on this:notworthy
Just don't waste your money on Snap On tap and die sets, they are extremely hard and brittle....break far too easily....this, I know for sure!
You miss read it my friend .. Dormer,SKF,Osbourne,Greenfield are to taps and dies ..what Snap on is to hand tools wrenches and such ..
I've bought Vermont American tools in the past thinking with that name I was getting American made tools. Not so. With one purchase I happened to read the package and it said "Made in (insert foreign country)". I can't remember which country it was, but it wasn't USA
i got a 70 piece Mastercraft tap and die set from Canadian tire for 69.99 down from 149.99. have not snapped a tap yet and if i do it has a lifetime warranty so you can't go wrong
hope not all the one I see for sale separately in the store say made in USA:beatsme Their drill bits too. I cannot fathom 550 vs 220
Actually ..its a lifetime warranty with the receipt..they changed the policy because people were buying item's at garage sales,picking them out of the scrap heap,stolen tool's and returning them for cash or replacement.. I just went through this ..no receipt no replacement..in one other occasion an item was replaced with notice that there was no further warranty because there was no receipt..
hhaha i'm glad you told me about that cause my g/f was giving me grief for the fact that i have file folders filled with receipts that in her words i would never need. i always keep any receipts for tools i buy and most anything else for that matter.
Amazon.com is good for tools, too. They bought out thetoolcrib.com a few years back. I have to agree about Sears. It's frustrating to walk into what used to be a hallmark of USA made quality tools only to find the inferior Chinese replicas of tools sitting on the shelves.
Wish i heard that about 4 years ago :Banghead
you were right i canceled them Guess I will go with MAC my friend just bought some and they were made here except for the handles