ER16 Collets -- Best bang for buck?

[cwm9]

I've got my Taig set up, but I dont' have enough collets yet.

I've been burned in the past by cheap tools, and so I've been hunting for a set of collets that's neither "too good" nor will burn me.

Here are my concerns:

On the 'higher end', Royal brand collet's advertising claims their collets are "superior" because they are ground to the exact diameter for each size, and their TIR is .0002. They imply I will need both an English AND metric set, as you are supposed to use the exact collet size for the tool in question, but this will result in superior accuracy, gripping, and tool life. The cost for both sets would run a little north of $300! Can the Taig even take advantage of a .0002" TIR?

On the other end is the $35 eBay set where the collets fit a range of shaft diameters. The downside is the TIR is often .0005"-.0006", and I have seen many people complain about their crappy quality.

There's a big difference between spending $35 and $300.

I don't need crazy outrageous accuracy, but I don't want to be buying increasingly expensive sets of collets until I finally find something decent. I just want a good set of collets that 'Just Works', and will last me a good long time without going overboard, and gives good accuracy appropriate to the Taig's abilities.

That is, what's the best bang for the buck out there?

Thanks!

[BobWarfield]

Try Maritool.com. Runout is quoted at 0.0004" and they're a little over $100. I have a set of Er32's I got from them that are very nice.

[cwm9]

A related question is, are either inch or metric mills more common? Perhaps I could buy a nice set of only inch set or only metric that would meet all my needs...

[USMCPOP]

Ask Frank Mari at Maritool.

http://www.maritool.com/

[sergizmo]

Try Maritool.com. Runout is quoted at 0.0004" and they're a little over $100. I have a set of Er32's I got from them that are very nice.

On the site it says .0003". Very good for the price. That is fine for a Taig and frankly most other machines.

[cwm9]

Thanks for the help. I purchased a complete set of imperial collets, along with a few different endmills to get me started.

Metric seems to be the more commonly sold set of collets, but since almost every end mill I'd be interested in is imperial, that made more sense.

Oddly, even Meritools cutters are imperial though their collet set is metric... Strange.

[philbur]

An ER collet set covers a stepless range from the largest to the smallest diameter so a metric set will hold imperial cutters and visa versa. You will find that some even have dual markings. However each collet will hold most accurately at its maximum diameter.

Phil

Thanks for the help. I purchased a complete set of imperial collets, along with a few different endmills to get me started.

Metric seems to be the more commonly sold set of collets, but since almost every end mill I'd be interested in is imperial, that made more sense.

Oddly, even Meritools cutters are imperial though their collet set is metric... Strange.