The best taps and dies sets, compared.
Top pick: Zerone 110-piece metric tap and die set Best value: GreeSuit 32-piece tap and die set 32-SL – Three taps of each coarse size, dies included, at about £21.86, with 4.3 out of 5 from 155 reviews. Updated October 2026.
A crossed nut or a gate bolt is a small job until the thread will not take the fastener. A tap cuts an internal thread in a hole, and a die cuts an external thread on a bolt or bar. In the UK you mostly meet ISO metric coarse threads, written M6 or M8, with a 60° flank. BS 3643-1:2007 and BS 3643-2:2007 cover those sizes. Tell a useful set from a weak one by the sizes and pitches you actually own, whether you get a taper, a second and a bottoming tap, whether dies are in the box, and whether reviews describe a holder that grips and cutters that survive mild steel. A metric set will not recut, or BSP pipe threads, and it is the wrong tool for brake, steering, suspension or gas-tight joints. The [taps and dies buying guide](/hub/drilling-and-accessories/taps-and-dies/sub/taps-and-dies-buying-guide) puts the same checks in the order you should make them.
A crossed nut or a gate bolt is a small job until the thread will not take the fastener. A tap cuts an internal thread in a hole, and a die cuts an external thread on a bolt or bar.
42 products checked · 56 hrs invested · +18,600 readers
Swipe for more
1-2 of 12
Personal buying guide
Question 1 of 2
Do you need to cut a bolt as well as a hole?
The Zerone 110-piece set is titled as carbon steel from M2 to M18, with wrenches and a carry case, at £92.34 and 6.02 kg. The listing line is 4.8 out of 5 from 13 ratings, the highest star average in this group, and only two review texts are shown. Both of those texts are short and positive, and neither describes a fault. Technical Details and a bullet say high speed steel, which conflicts with the carbon-steel title, and no pitch list or hardness figure is given. A bullet claims five wrenches without itemising them, and the rank is 533 in Taps & Dies. Two kind sentences are not a large sample of finished jobs, and the word professional in the bullets is seller language rather than a duty rating.
Pros
Cons
Best for: A buyer who has already opened the case and checked the sizes, and who is not relying on the 4.8 average.
Less suitable: Anyone treating 13 ratings and two texts as evidence of high-speed steel, or a first set you need to trust from the page alone.
Specifications
Common questions
What material does the listing state?
The title says carbon steel. Technical Details and a bullet say high speed steel.
How many review texts are shown?
Two short positive reviews. The listing line says 4.8 out of 5 from 13 ratings.
What is the stated weight?
Technical Details say 6.02 kg.
The Gunpla 32-piece red set is the top pick here for a coarse metric hand kit: three taps of each of M3 × 0.5, M4 × 0.7, M5 × 0.8, M6 × 1.0, M8 × 1.25, M10 × 1.5 and M12 × 1.75, at £25.98. The listing is 4.3 out of 5 from 1,536 reviews, it ranks 9 in Taps & Dies, and it includes a die holder, a screw pitch gauge, a slotted screwdriver and a tap wrench. Reviewers use the extra taps as spares and, in one case, a bottoming tap to clean 3D-printed threads to the bottom of a hole, and they report plastic, aluminium and mild steel for occasional work. Die sizes are not written out one by one, and more than one review reports a missing M3 tap on arrival. The wrench is a repeated failure: cracked after 12 holes, grub screws falling out, and square drives deforming. Owners of Volkel and Dormer taps bought the box and planned to replace the cutters, and one reviewer who already owns a separate expensive set said they would not use this one on steel.
Pros
Cons
Best for: Occasional coarse metric work from M3 to M12, including a blind hole, if you check that the M3 tap is in the case.
Less suitable: Regular cutting in steel, a fine pitch, or anyone who needs the included wrench to survive a dozen holes.
Specifications
Common questions
Are there spare taps of each size?
Yes. The bullet says three taps of each of M3, M4, M5, M6, M8, M10 and M12.
Is a pitch gauge included?
Yes. A screw pitch gauge is listed, with a die holder, a slotted screwdriver and a tap wrench.
Which die sizes are listed?
The bullets do not list die sizes one by one. The title calls it a tap and dies set, and a die holder is included.
The Gunpla 40-piece set, model OT569, lists 16 taps and 16 dies in coarse and fine pairs, from M3 × 0.5 and M3 × 0.6 through to M12 × 1.5 and M12 × 1.75, at £25.60. A pitch gauge, a T-handle, a die holder, a tap wrench and a slotted screwdriver are named, and the listing is 4.3 out of 5 from 1,453 reviews. Reviewers restored damaged threads, extended a snapped alternator-bolt thread, cleaned a wheel-stud thread, and shortened a chandelier tube once the pitch was identified. The case is a standing complaint: cut-outs too big, clips that do not hold, and pieces that fall out and mix. Reviewers say the cutters are not HSS and feel soft, one die had no slot so an M12 × 1.5 could not be adjusted, and dies were weak even on brass. One review says it is not for stainless, and the named pieces add up to 37 against a 40-piece title.
Pros
Cons
Best for: Home tinkering where the fastener might be fine or coarse, once you have identified the pitch.
Less suitable: Stainless, a blind hole that needs a bottoming tap of the same pitch, or a die you need to adjust.
Specifications
Common questions
Does this set include fine pitches?
Yes. The bullet lists pairs such as M6 x 0.75 and M6 x 1.0, and M10 x 1.25 and M10 x 1.5, for both taps and dies.
Is a pitch gauge included?
Yes, with a slotted screwdriver, a T-handle, a die holder and a tap wrench.
Are the dies described as adjustable?
The listing does not say the dies are split. One review says a die had no slot and could not be adjusted.
The GreeSuit 32-SL is the best value here when you want three taps of each coarse size: three each of M3 × 0.5, M4 × 0.7, M5 × 0.8, M6 × 1.0, M8 × 1.25, M10 × 1.5 and M12 × 1.75, plus one die of each, at £21.86. The listing is 4.3 out of 5 from 155 reviews, and reviewers name those three leads as taper, intermediate and bottoming. An M10 motorcycle socket cut well, cast-iron gate bolts were drilled and retapped, and one review says the case holds each piece, a little tight. The bullets claim hardened tungsten alloy steel and bearing steel at 55 HRC. A review says the dies are not split, so the diameter cannot be varied, and the listing does not claim split dies. The metal is still called cheap and soft, eighteen review texts sit behind the 155 ratings, and there is no tap extender when access is awkward.
Pros
Cons
Best for: Occasional coarse threads from M3 to M12, including a blind hole, when £21.86 matters more than the largest review count.
Less suitable: A fine-pitch bolt, a die you need to adjust, or weekly cutting in steel.
Specifications
Common questions
How many taps of each size are listed?
Three of each of M3, M4, M5, M6, M8, M10 and M12. Reviews describe them as taper, intermediate and bottoming taps.
What hardness is claimed?
The bullets say 55 HRC.
Can the dies be adjusted?
A review says the dies are not split, so the diameter cannot be varied. The listing does not claim split dies.
The Gunpla 20-piece set pairs one tap and one die at nine coarse sizes from M3 × 0.5 to M12 × 1.75, with a die holder and a tap wrench, at £16.98. The listing is 4.2 out of 5 from 1,831 reviews, the largest count among these twelve, and reviewers use it for a double-glazed window handle, a motorcycle renovation, captive nuts, and threads in ash and oak. One reviewer tapped a test hole in 20 mm unhardened tool-steel plate, and mild steel is described as fine when the cut is slow. The moulded case is a repeated complaint: thin plastic, with tools that move unless the box stays flat. Taps are called soft or blunt, including on aluminium, and dies are described as unable to start a thread. Wrenches snap or crack in the reviews, including an M12 job in steel and a handle that broke while cutting a 10 mm thread, and the seller states hardened tungsten alloy steel with no HRC figure.
Pros
Cons
Best for: Occasional coarse metric threads from M3 to M12, when you want a large review sample and you will cut slowly.
Less suitable: A commercial workshop, a fine pitch, or a job that depends on the included wrench staying intact.
Specifications
Common questions
Which sizes are in this 20-piece set?
The bullets list M3, M4, M5, M6, M7, M8, M9, M10 and M12, with one tap and one die of each.
What metals does the seller say it can thread?
The listing names aluminium, brass, carbon alloy steel, cast iron and bronze.
Is a storage case included?
A moulded storage case is claimed. Reviews describe the case as thin plastic.
The CYH set is an adjustable T-handle ratchet wrench and five taps, M3, M4, M5, M6 and M8, at £6.46, and the package line does not list a die. The listing is 4.2 out of 5 from 262 reviews, and reviewers report threads in carbon steel, in 20 × 40 mm aluminium extrusion, M4 in cast iron, and rusty threads for a van roof rack. The ratchet is liked for a clock bush and a broken door screw, and the jaw capacity is stated as 0.32 inches. Several reviews say the jaws will not grip the M3 tap even when fully tightened, and the reviews disagree on whether M6 and M8 stay in the jaws. A reviewer describes the taps as a single taper, useful for through holes and a poor match for blind holes. The bullets say chrome-plated bearing steel, while the spec string also lists alloy steel, aluminium, metal, silver and wood.
Pros
Cons
Best for: Tidying a through-hole thread from M4 to M8 when you already own dies, after you have tested the M3 grip.
Less suitable: Cutting a bolt, finishing a blind hole, or anyone who needs the M3 tap to stay in these jaws.
Specifications
Common questions
Are dies included?
No. The package line lists one adjustable ratchet wrench and five taps: M3, M4, M5, M6 and M8.
Do reviews say the wrench holds the M3 tap?
Several reviews say the jaws do not grip the M3 tap. Other reviewers report using the larger taps.
What jaw capacity is stated?
The listing says 0.32 inches.
The GreeSuit 32-piece listing gives three taps of each of M3, M4, M5, M6, M8, M10 and M12, and one die of each, at £22.88. That cutter list is 28 pieces against a 32-piece title, so the holders are not itemised, and the bullets claim tungsten alloy steel and bearing steel heat treated to 55 HRC. The listing is 4.1 out of 5 from 339 reviews, and reviewers used it for light jobs, including a gearbox mounting and a retap after a broken bolt. The holder is called weaker than the cutters, and the case turns up dented, with hinge rivets missing and pieces falling out. Taps blunted after about three holes in aluminium, a 4 mm tap snapped, and one tap shattered in the workpiece. One buyer returned it because it did not fit a boiler pipe, and no fine pitches are listed.
Pros
Cons
Best for: Light re-cutting of coarse M3 to M12 threads when you want a spare tap of each size.
Less suitable: A boiler or other pipe thread, a case that will live loose in a van, or heavy cutting in steel.
Specifications
Common questions
How are the pieces arranged?
The bullet lists three taps of each of seven sizes and one die of each. That is 28 cutters. The title says 32 pieces.
What hardness is claimed?
The bullets say the steel is heat treated to 55 HRC.
What case is claimed?
The bullets say a stainless steel case with size-marked slots. Reviews also describe a dented lid and failed hinges.
The Faankiton 110-piece set lists 35 taper taps, 35 plug taps and 35 dies from M2 to M18, with fine pitches such as M6 × 0.75 beside M6 × 1, at £83.99. It weighs 5.9 kg, the listing is 4.1 out of 5 from 303 reviews, and it ranks 5 in Taps & Dies. The bullets name two tap wrenches, two die wrenches and a T-type wrench, and they claim thin stainless, soft steel, iron, copper, aluminium and wood. A bullet says carbon steel, Technical Details say tungsten steel, and the included-components line says carbide rotary burrs, which the tap-and-die bullets do not describe. Short reviews say it will do a job, including an M10 bolt after a mangled thread, and one reviewer used it on wood. Those review paragraphs match the 20-piece Faankiton listing, including a 40-piece metric and SAE write-up, so they are one shared text, and the seller’s word plug is not defined.
Pros
Cons
Best for: A garage that needs the listed fine pitches up to M18 and will read the steel line on the page before buying.
Less suitable: Anyone adding the 303 reviews to the 20-piece count, or a pocket kit for one coarse size.
Specifications
Common questions
How many taps and dies does the listing claim?
A bullet says 35 taper taps, 35 plug taps and 35 dies, covering M2 to M18, including fine pitches.
What material is stated?
A bullet says carbon steel. Technical Details say tungsten steel. Both lines are on the listing.
How heavy is the packaged set?
Technical Details say 5.9 kg, in a box of 44.79 x 33.7 x 6.8 cm.
The Faankiton 20-piece set is a hand kit of nine metric taps and nine matching dies from M3 × 0.5 to M12 × 1.75, with a tap wrench stated as M3–M12 and a 25 mm die wrench, sold at £14.99. On amazon.co.uk it is 4.1 out of 5 from 298 reviews, and many short reviews call it enough for a one-off repair, including a damaged thread that then took a new M10 bolt and a thread cut in wood. You get one cutter of each listed size, the pitches match metric coarse, and there is no second or bottoming tap in the contents. Technical Details say bearing steel, while the bullets also say carbon steel and HRC 56 hardened bearing steel, and the listing does not choose between those lines. Reviewers describe taps that flatten, a T-handle that snapped on first use, an M4 tap missing with two M3 taps instead, and shank stamps that are hard to read. The review paragraphs largely repeat the 110-piece Faankiton listing, including a write-up of a 40-piece metric and SAE kit, so that overlap is one shared sample.
Pros
Cons
Best for: A one-off coarse metric repair from M3 to M12, if you check the case for a missing M4 before you start.
Less suitable: A blind hole that needs a bottoming tap, a fine pitch, or anyone adding these reviews to the 110-piece count.
Specifications
Common questions
Does this set include dies as well as taps?
The listing says nine metric taps and nine metric dies from M3 to M12, plus a tap wrench and a 25 mm die wrench.
What material does the listing state?
Technical Details say bearing steel. A bullet also says carbon steel and HRC 56 hardened bearing steel. The listing does not choose between those lines.
Does it come with a case?
Yes. The listing claims a storage case with slots.
The QWORK 12-piece set is titled M6–M12 in bearing steel at HRC 53, with a die holder, a tap wrench and a case, at £9.99 and 410 g. The listing is 4.0 out of 5 from 282 reviews, and a size-by-size list is not in the bullets. Reviewers tapped M6 holes for a gate, put an M8 thread on copper tube for a garden water feature, and describe normal steel and aluminium as adequate for a starter set. A review says the tap rounds off on hardened steel, beside a listing claim for aluminium, brass, carbon alloy steel, cast iron and bronze. Holders will not keep their grip, a thread on the tap holder failed, and dies are described as ground flat on both sides and hard to start. An M10 tap would not enter an existing M10 hole in one review, and reviewers who expected M3 or M4 say the holder will not grip those sizes even though the title does not list them.
Pros
Cons
Best for: Occasional M6 to M12 threads in aluminium or mild steel, if you check the pieces in the case against the title.
Less suitable: Hardened steel, M3 or M4, or a job that needs every pitch written on the listing.
Specifications
Common questions
What size range is on the title?
The title says M6–M12, in a 12-piece set. A size-by-size list is not in the bullets.
What hardness is claimed?
The title says HRC 53 bearing steel.
What do reviews say about hardened steel?
A review says the tap rounds off on hardened steel. The listing claims aluminium, brass, carbon alloy steel, cast iron and bronze.
The FOURROBBER 41-piece set is sold as ground high-speed steel from M3 to M12, with a 5° ratchet bow and a reversing lever, at £49.99. The listing is 3.9 out of 5 from 15 reviews, and 12 review texts are shown, so the sample is short. Reviewers who like it point to the short swing where a full turn will not fit, to labelled slots, and to usable cuts in mild steel, aluminium and plastic for DIY. One reviewer says the count covers coarse and fine, but the bullets do not list each size, so that remains a review statement. The ratchet is the part they single out as weak: teeth that are not fine enough, a mechanism that feels plasticky, and wear with moderate use. Taps are called brittle, the set is described as light DIY rather than regular engineering work, and no HRC number sits beside the HSS claim.
Pros
Cons
Best for: A tight space where a 5° swing is the reason you are buying, and you accept a short review sample.
Less suitable: Regular engineering work, or anyone who needs each size written down before paying £49.99.
Specifications
Common questions
Does this set have a ratchet handle?
Yes. The title and bullets describe a 5° ratchet bow with a reversing lever.
What steel is claimed?
The bullets say ground high-speed steel. No HRC number is given.
Are individual sizes listed?
The title says M3 to M12 and 41 pieces. The bullets do not list each size.
The EZO seven-piece set names an adjustable tap wrench and taps in M3, M4, M5, M6 and M8, at £7.49, and no die size is listed. The listing is 2.2 out of 5 from six reviews, and all six texts are on the listing. One reviewer used it to mend an AGA and called it good value, and another said it did cut a thread, though the cut was rough. Several reviews say the wrench will not grip the M3 tap, and the smallest tap broke in a brass hole and stuck in a part the reviewer priced at £35. A bullet claims a storage box, while reviews describe a bag, brown residue and no case. Technical Details list a weight of 10 g and included components of cotter pins, which conflict with the tap title, and no steel grade is stated.
Pros
Cons
Best for: A buyer who only needs a spare M4, M5, M6 or M8 tap and will hold it in a different wrench.
Less suitable: Any job that needs a die, an M3 tap held in this wrench, or a case that matches the bullet.
Specifications
Common questions
Are dies included?
The title lists an adjustable tap wrench and taps in M3, M4, M5, M6 and M8. No die size is listed.
Does the listing include a case?
A bullet claims a storage box. Reviews say the set arrived in a bag with no case.
Do reviews say the wrench holds the smallest tap?
Several reviews say the wrench will not grip the M3 tap, and one says that tap broke in a brass hole.
We shortlisted 42 amazon.co.uk tap and die listings and compared the 12 on this page. There is no laboratory test behind the notes. Each one follows the listing contents, the stated steel and hardness lines, and the amazon.co.uk star rating with its review count, captured on 15 October 2026. A high average from a handful of ratings is a smaller sample than a mid-4 rating from more than a thousand reviews.
Thread form and pitch
25%Metric coarse is the default (M6 × 1, M8 × 1.25, M10 × 1.5, M12 × 1.75). A fine pitch has to be named in full. Whitworth and BSP need different tools.
Taps, dies and lead
25%A die repairs a bolt. A blind hole needs a bottoming tap after the taper. In the UK, plug often means bottoming; a listing that only says plug has not defined the lead.
Steel claim for the job
20%Bearing steel, tungsten alloy, carbon steel and high-speed steel are seller claims, including where the page contradicts itself. A stated HRC figure is not a result we measured.
Case, markings and reviews
15%Marked slots help only if the pieces stay put. The review count beside the stars matters more than a high average from a short sample.
Price against the contents
15%Shelf prices are the amazon.co.uk figures on these twelve listings, from about £6.46 to about £92.34, read next to what the bullets actually list.
A tap and die set is worth buying only when the pitches in the box are the pitches on your fasteners. Start with the thread form, then check you have a die as well as a tap, then check the lead if the hole is blind. The steel line and the review count come after those three. Prices below are amazon.co.uk shelf prices on 15 October 2026.
A tap cuts an internal thread in a hole. A die cuts an external thread on a bolt or bar. In the UK you mostly meet ISO metric coarse threads. The flank is 60°, and the size is written M6 or M8. BS 3643-1:2007 and BS 3643-2:2007 cover those selected metric sizes, as set out in the RS guide to metric bolt sizes. You buy the cutters as a hand set with a wrench and a die stock. BS ISO 529:2017 covers short machine taps and hand taps, and it replaced BS 949-1:1992 on 31 March 2017.
The tapping hole is smaller than the bolt. For metric coarse, a rule of thumb is diameter minus pitch: M6 at 5.0 mm, M8 at 6.8 mm, M10 at 8.5 mm, M12 at 10.2 mm. A hole drilled to the bolt size has no metal left for the thread.
The taper tap starts the thread. The bottoming tap finishes a blind hole after that. Starting on the short lead in a fresh hole is how small taps snap. In UK listings, plug often means the bottoming tap, which is the opposite of common US usage.
CYH and EZO list taps and an adjustable wrench. Neither package line lists a die size. You cannot restore a bolt thread with those kits. If the job might be a stud or a bar, buy a set that states the dies.
Metric coarse is the default on a UK hand set: M6 × 1, M8 × 1.25, M10 × 1.5 and M12 × 1.75, a 60° flank under BS 3643-1:2007 and BS 3643-2:2007. A fine pitch is a different thread and has to be written in full. On this page the Gunpla 40-piece set and the Faankiton 110-piece set list fine pitches. The 20-piece kits and the coarse 32-piece kits do not. You need a die as well as a tap if the job might be a bolt. CYH and EZO list taps and no die.
The steel line is a claim, not a result we measured. Listings here say bearing steel, tungsten alloy steel, carbon steel or high-speed steel, and some pages contradict themselves. Faankiton states bearing steel and carbon steel on the 20-piece set, and carbon steel and tungsten steel on the 110-piece set. Zerone’s title says carbon steel and the technical details say high-speed steel. FOURROBBER is the set sold as ground high-speed steel, with no HRC number and 3.9 from 15 reviews.
Three typical situations, each with a recommendation from this comparison.
You straighten a crossed nut or a gate bolt a few times a year. Match that to a cased coarse set from M3 to M12, and drill the tapping size rather than the bolt diameter. The Gunpla 32-piece set is the top pick when you also want a third tap for a blind hole.
You meet M8, M10 and M12 on non-safety fasteners, and imperial and metric parts in the same box. A pitch gauge belongs in the kit. The Gunpla 40-piece set lists coarse and fine pairs and includes that gauge. Leave brake, steering, suspension and gas threads alone.
If you cut new threads in steel most weeks, buy a stated high-speed steel tap for that size. The FOURROBBER 41-piece set is the one sold as ground high-speed steel, with a 5° ratchet. It is 3.9 from 15 reviews, and reviewers call it light DIY, so read that limit before you treat it as workshop kit.
For occasional coarse metric work from M3 to M12, including a blind hole, the Gunpla 32-piece set is the top pick: three taps of each size, a pitch gauge, and 4.3 out of 5 from 1,536 reviews, at about £25.98. Check that the M3 tap is in the case, and do not expect the included wrench to survive hard use. If about £21.86 matters more than that review count, the GreeSuit 32-SL is the best value, with three leads that reviewers call taper, intermediate and bottoming. Neither set recuts BSP, Whitworth, brake or gas threads.
GreeSuit 32-piece tap and die set 32-SL
Three taps of each coarse size, dies included, at about £21.86, with 4.3 out of 5 from 155 reviews.
Editorial
Products Compared publishes British-English buying guides based on amazon.co.uk listings and public UK sources. We do not run a lab and we do not invent test scores.
Guides on what to look for, how to use a product, and common mistakes.
Sources from the research digest. amazon.co.uk listings in this category were captured on 15 October 2026. We did not run a laboratory test.
Expert source (DIY & tools): Charlie White (Charlie DIYte) (external profile) – public expert commentary used as a research source, not as a contributor to our pages.
This page contains affiliate links to amazon.co.uk. If you buy through these links we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. We compared amazon.co.uk listings and public UK sources. We did not run a laboratory test, and a commission does not change which set is the top pick or the best value.
