GEARWRENCH 77 Piece SAE/Metric Ratcheting Tap and Die Set -3887

nice set, works great

Worth money

I was a diehard Craftsman tool guy because my grandfathers (both mechanics) had been and had instilled that in my dad, too. Then Craftsman moved production overseas, quality truly did suffer, and they became snippy about replacing damaged tools. Honestly, it’s more important to me that the tool not be prone to failing in the first place, but that’s another story. Point is, with my old favorite rapidly losing my trust I began looking for other brands that cared about quality. GearWrench has been doing a good job about that. I bought this set because I saw one at work and it gave the impression of being well made. Have now had my own set three years and am very pleased that it’s still my favorite of the 4 tap & die sets I own. This morning I went back to a large Craftsman set I bought shortly before getting this set, mainly because it was closer to my project than the GearWrench. It reminded me immediately why I don’t buy craftsman anymore - the brand new M10-1.25 die destroyed a stud full of paint that I was trying to chase. I triple-checked that I’d used the right die, hadn’t forced anything, etc. and then got a new stud and carefully tried the same die on it. Nope. Got the GearWrench die - yep, perfect and smooth fit. Compared the two dies and I can’t tell exactly what’s wrong but I *think* the M10-1.25 marking on the Craftsman is wrong, and it’s actually M10-1.5. Regardless, one more strike against the old stand-by and one more notch up the scorecard for GearWrench. I will absolutely buy this set again.

UPDATE 5/31/21: I have used this set a couple dozen times and have had no problems at all. The taps and dies seem to have remained sharp and continue good service. Appreciate the tool set sizes an selection in this kit. It's quality is quite better than most I would say and good enough for the average home mechanic. Very happy with purchase. ORIGINAL REVIEW: This is my first purchased tap and die set--I inherited an earlier smaller Chinese set of which the craftsmanship wasn't as good as this one. I chose this item solely based on customer reviews. My first experience out of the box was a good one. I particularly appreciate the design of the T-handle which is used for both the dies, but also the taps via an index holder adapter which snaps into the handle. This is a very cool idea and actually seems to work well. The ergonomics of the handle are good and the ratchet function makes handling pleasant. Fit and finish is very good. I would consider this a medium duty tool suitable for the shade tree mechanic doing automotive and household work. You just don't want to cheap out on a tap and die set (you'll hate yourself at the sound of that first SNAP). On the other hand, a Snap-On set is cost prohibitive. I can't speak to the metallurgy of the carbon steel used in the GearWrench cutters but again customer reviews seem to indicate they may be decent quality. So my first impression is a positive one.

I did quite a bit of shopping for a decent tap set for my home workshop. The price here seemed low but reviews were decent so I took a shot. That was in 2021 and after nearly 5 years I am super satisfied with this tap set. I have tapped hundreds and hundreds of holes mostly without fail. When there was a failure it was on me! I have only replaced the 5mm tap because I broke it doing something stupid. I have a couple of gripes (minor): - The case latches are cheap and pop off from time to time. I have glued the top part back on multiple times and it lasts for about a year before I need to re-glue. An annoyance, but something that should be an easy fix for the manufacturer. - It would have been nice to get a non-ratcheting tap handle - It would have been nice to have flat ends with a detent for using a tap follower with the non-ratching tap handle. The pyramid shape top makes this impossible - The hexagonal dies do not work with other types of die holders With all that said, I am super satisfied and would buy it again.

Starting with speed of delivery, outstanding customer service, the set itself which for an item not used often, I tried it on three different dies and they worked perfectly. I did try a set that was half the cost it did not do well sent it back for this one and I am so happy with the gearwrench 77 piece set, well worth the price. I have to get used to using the ratchet, mine is a small 50 or so year old craftsman , but I am going to like this one

I really like this tool brand. I used to be loyal to a tool brand until they brought the price up and the quality down. The case in very nice keeps everything organized and easy to read sizes. It's a little bit pricey but I am in need of the tools. They make very nice threads on bolts and nuts

As I’ve stated in some of my other reviews, I don’t really like to write or read reviews of products that haven’t been used yet. However, in this case, these are not a tool that I would ever use frequently, and had no immediate use for when I bought this set. This was purchased more as an “in case I need it” item. I have needed something in the past for occasionally chasing threads, and maybe occasionally actually threading something. I’ve seen some of the really cheap stuff. I didn’t want to waste my money on total junk. Some research on Amazon, and I came across this set. It got good reviews. I’ve used some other tools made by Gearwrench, and found the quality to be good. I would put their stuff on par with Craftsman brand tools. Upon initial inspection, the steel looks good. Again, I have not actually used these yet. I would hesitate to use these in any kind of commercial setting, but I’m thinking they will be plenty good for occasional home use. If and when I use these, and there are any negatives, I will update my review accordingly. Overall, these appear to be in the very good value range.

I got this for less than 100 USD in Singapore, for what I got, I can't complain. Die cutter can't bite into stainless steel properly. Mild steel and other metals aren't problem. Ratchet handle isn't very good, it's not stable in XY axis, you will have problem threading a screw with the die... unless the rod you have for making the screw you have is properly tapered at the top and fastened. Achieving 90 degree angle consistently is hard. I couldn't cut a chamfered 10mm rod, because when I press hard on handle to make it bite, ratcheting center will wobble. Coming to the taps, cheaper tap I got from China (a local, less known brand) cuts better into mild steel vs this one. I didn't attempt with harder metals. It's acceptable quality for softer metals. Thread gauges for measuring pitch, they are fine so far, tested normal and very fine threads, the match is good. I wish the ratcheting handle was better, not sure if I need to separately buy a die handle now. You can probably use a vertical press drill, attach your rod there and put the die in the drill vise, cut the initial 2-3 threads before moving onto ratchet. Not good for my taste.

As described. It's a shame that not all taps are bottoming taps, some are pointed and not doubles.

Quality product

I used this 5 times...

Me gusto mucho su distribución y organización de las piezas, y está muy completo!!