Tap drill ≈ 20 − 2.5 = 17.5 mm. Fine M20 × 2 uses 18.0 mm; M20 × 1.5 uses 18.5 mm. Normal clearance is about 22 mm. Do not hand-tap M20 in tool steel — thread mill or a machine tap.
Common metric tap drills: M3 tap drill size · M6 tap drill 5.0 mm · M8 tap drill size · M10 tap drill 8.5 mm · M12 tap drill 10.2 mm · M24 tap drill 21.0 mm.
Formula
Major Ø 20 mm
Pitch 2.5 mm
Tap drill 17.5 mm
Minor Ø 17.294 mm
M20 × 2.5 at a glance
Tap drill vs clearance hole
Tap this hole (then cut the thread): 17.5 mm. Bolt must pass (clearance): 21.4 mm normal. That is why “M20 × 2.5 drill size” can mean two different holes — this page lists both.
How we use this in the toolroom
At M20 the chart is the easy part. The job is chip evacuation and keeping the tap on axis. We thread-mill these in hardened plate.
Accurate Industries in Pune still looks these sizes up the same way: tap drill ≈ major − pitch, then a clearance hole for the bolt. AlwaysReach is that chart in the browser — our story.
Full metric and imperial lookup lives on the thread & tap drill calculator. After tapping, check a locational bore on the ISO tolerance calculator. Other pages: M8 × 1.25, M10 × 1.5, M12 × 1.75, M6 × 1, M16 × 2, M4 × 0.7, M5 × 0.8, 1/4-20 UNC, M3 × 0.5, M24 × 3, 5/16-18 UNC, 3/8-16 UNC, 1/2-13 UNC, UNC chart, UNF chart, BSW chart, UNEF chart, BSF chart.