Description
Product Overview
The Kato M12-27 is a Japanese-made synchronous tapping attachment designed to bring rigid, torque-controlled tapping capability to your drill press, radial arm drill, or machining centre. Fitted with an MT4 (Morse Taper 4) shank for direct spindle mounting, this unit handles the M12 through M27 tap range — a working range that covers the majority of structural and mechanical fastener tapping jobs in a production or toolroom environment. The Kato Tasper system uses a patented synchronous drive mechanism that compensates for feed/speed mismatch, protecting taps from breakage and producing clean, accurate threads without the operator having to manually reverse the spindle at depth.
- Synchronous tapping mechanism with adjustable torque slip clutch — The internal slip clutch disengages drive when tapping torque exceeds a set threshold, preventing tap breakage mid-hole. This is what separates a proper tapping head from a simple rigid holder: broken M20 taps in structural steel are expensive; broken taps in blind holes in a finished part are a disaster.
- MT4 Morse Taper shank — Mounts directly into any MT4 spindle without an adaptor. MT4 is common on larger radial arm drills, floor-standing pillar drills, and lathe centre tailstocks. The self-holding taper provides solid, concentric drive with no clamping hardware to set up or clock in.
- M12–M27 tapping capacity — Covers a wide band of medium-to-large tap sizes in one unit. M12 to M27 spans light structural bolting right through to heavy mechanical assemblies, making this attachment genuinely useful across fabrication, maintenance, and production tapping work.
- Collet-based tap drive with quick-change interface — Tap shanks are gripped via collets rather than a simple square drive or chuck, providing concentric tap retention and allowing rapid changeover between tap sizes. Two collets are included (see Condition section for sizes).
- Ideal for — Production or batch tapping of M12–M27 threads in steel, aluminium, and cast iron on radial arm drills or floor drills; maintenance tapping in heavy fabrication shops; toolroom tapping of large-diameter holes where broken taps are not acceptable; any operation where the spindle does not have a built-in rigid tapping cycle.
Condition
Used (Like New / Minimal Use, Full Function)
This Kato M12-27 tapper presents in excellent used condition with clear evidence of very light or minimal prior use. The knurled adjustment collar and body show no meaningful wear — the knurling is crisp and the external surfaces retain their original machine finish with only the faintest handling marks consistent with storage and careful use. The MT4 taper shank is clean and free of visible dings, bruising, or fretting that would affect seating or concentricity in the spindle. The torque clutch mechanism engages and disengages positively, and the synchronous drive operates smoothly through its range with no roughness or play that would suggest internal wear. The collets show minimal contact marking — consistent with limited tap changes — and retain their spring function. The instruction booklet (Japanese language) is present and intact, and the original accessory packaging is included. There is no damage to any functional surface. As with any used tapping head, buyers should verify clutch engagement across the torque adjustment range before putting the unit into production, and confirm collet-to-tap-shank fit for their specific tap geometry. No calibration service is required for this tool type, but a quick functional test on scrap material before first use is always sound practice.
Included:
- 1 x Kato M12-27 Synchronous Tapping Attachment — MT4 Shank
- 2 x Collets (M12–M27 range — confirm exact collet sizes with seller prior to purchase)
- 1 x C-spanner for torque clutch adjustment
- 1 x Original Japanese instruction booklet / manual
- Original accessory packaging / papers
Not included: Carrying or storage case (none observed). Additional collets outside included sizes would need to be sourced separately if a broader tap shank range is required.
Brand Information
Kato (カトウ工機 / Kato Koki) is a Japanese manufacturer with a long-standing reputation in the tapping attachment and thread-forming tooling market. Their Tasper range of synchronous tapping heads is well regarded in Japanese and export production environments for precision engineering, build quality, and long service life — sitting in the same tier as Tapmatic (USA) and Emuge (Germany) in terms of engineering integrity and industrial reliability. Japanese origin is a meaningful quality indicator for this class of tooling: the machining tolerances, internal mechanism quality, and material selection are consistent with what you’d expect from a serious Japanese industrial tooling manufacturer, not a rebadged import.
Specifications
| Feature | Specification |
|---|---|
| Brand | Kato (Kato Koki / カトウ工機) |
| Model | M12-27 (Kato Tasper) |
| Type | Synchronous Tapping Attachment / Tapping Head |
| Tapping Capacity | M12 – M27 metric |
| Shank / Mount | MT4 (Morse Taper No. 4) |
| Drive Mechanism | Synchronous drive with adjustable torque slip clutch |
| Tap Retention | Collet-based quick-change system |
| Included Collets | 2 x collets (M12–M27 range — confirm specific sizes with seller) |
| Included Accessories | C-spanner for torque adjustment, original instruction booklet, accessory packaging |
| Country of Origin | Japan |
| Condition | Used (Like New / Minimal Use) |
| Not Included | Storage/carry case; additional collets outside included sizes |
Keywords
Kato Tasper tapping head, Kato M12-27 tapper, synchronous tapping attachment MT4, Kato tapping head Australia, MT4 tapping attachment, radial arm drill tapping head, M12 to M27 tapping chuck, tapping head collet drive, Japanese tapping attachment, production tapping toolroom, drill press tapping head, Kato Koki tapper
