Drill and tap a variety of hole sizes. These taps and drill bits are for use on metal and plastic.

Carbon steel taps are for thread repair and occasional tapping.

High-speed steel taps and drill bits have a longer tool life than carbon steel. Uncoated high-speed steel taps and drill bits are strong enough for most jobs but don’t last as long as other high-speed steel taps and drill bits. Use them for small-scale jobs. Titanium-nitride (TiN) coated taps resist heat and wear better than uncoated taps, letting them last up to twice as long. Titanium-nitride (TiN) coated drill bits last longer and can drill at higher speeds than uncoated and oxide-coated drill bits. Black-oxide coated and black-and-gold-oxide coated taps and drill bits cut with less friction than uncoated taps and drill bits.

Cobalt steel taps and drill bits have higher strength and wear resistance than carbon steel and high-speed steel taps and drill bits.

Taper-chamfer taps have 7-10 chamfered threads at the tip for cutting into the workpiece. They require less torque than other chamfer types, making them a good choice for starting threads and tapping through holes. However, a longer taper means that they cannot thread as close to the bottom of closed-end holes.

Plug-chamfer taps are a versatile choice for most tapping applications. With 3-5 chamfered cutting threads, they require moderate torque and are often used for start-to-finish tapping of through holes and closed-end holes. However, they do not start threads as easily as taper chamfers. When using them to tap closed-end holes, be sure to leave sufficient space at the bottom for chips to accumulate.

Bottoming-chamfer taps cut into the workpiece with just 1-2 chamfered threads. This short chamfer lets them thread holes closer to the bottom than other taps, but they require more torque to start threads.