I've got a set of the aldi tap and dies, although I have a "real" set in tungsten too I use in the workshop proper. I bought them for throwing in the van as a get out of jail card if we have problems at a meeting but Ive used them a fair few times and theyve been fine. A couple of months back I saw a tap only set in aldi in like a drill storage box that had both the taps and the associated perfectly sized tapping drill for that size along with a funky handle that splits in two to fit in the box too, and theyre fine too. Great in fact, grab and go the two sets and have it all in two boxes.
The trick is not to let them bind up and start to twist, as thats when they will break, but that *should* be a function of using the correct size drill, not the nearest size you happen to have lying round in the drillbit box. Some sellers on ebay are supplying the wrong tapping size drill with their "sets" as the fractional size drills are more expensive than the nearest mm size.
I like to use them in the cordless drill, as the shank slips in the chuck stopping them getting over torqued and breaking, plus I'm lazy and it saves all that winding round business. In fact the only time Im guaranteed to break a tap is when I power tap in the mill.
The trick is not to let them bind up and start to twist, as thats when they will break, but that *should* be a function of using the correct size drill, not the nearest size you happen to have lying round in the drillbit box. Some sellers on ebay are supplying the wrong tapping size drill with their "sets" as the fractional size drills are more expensive than the nearest mm size.
I like to use them in the cordless drill, as the shank slips in the chuck stopping them getting over torqued and breaking, plus I'm lazy and it saves all that winding round business. In fact the only time Im guaranteed to break a tap is when I power tap in the mill.
