METRIC TAPS

Sutton Tools metric taps are premium threading tools widely used across Australian trades and workshop industries. They are classified into two main tiers based on their build material: High-Speed Steel (HSS) for industrial machine or heavy-duty manual use, and Carbon Alloy Steel for routine maintenance, automotive work, and general DIY applications.

M3 X 0.5 The Breakdown

• M: Stands for Metric. This indicates the fastener uses the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) metric thread system.
• 3: Represents 3 millimeters. This is the nominal major diameter, which is the outside measurement of the thread's ridges.
• 0.5: Represents 0.5 millimeters. This is the thread pitch, which is the precise distance from the peak of one thread to the peak of the next

• Design: Features a long, gradual lead-in chamfer spanning 7 to 10 threads.
• Purpose: It aligns the tool perfectly straight and starts cutting the thread with minimal effort.
• Best For: Starting any manual threading project or threading completely through open holes. 

• Design: Features a moderate lead-in chamfer spanning 3 to 5 threads.
• Purpose: It deepens the initial grooves cut by the taper tap and drives the thread closer to the floor of a hole.
• Best For: Deepening threads or acting as a single-pass starter tap in softer materials or open through-holes. 

• Design: Features a very short chamfer of only 1 to 2 threads, making it almost flat at the cutting tip.
• Purpose: It cuts a full, usable thread all the way down to the absolute flat bottom of a blind hole.
• Best For: Finishing blind holes where a bolt needs to screw in as deeply as possible.