Metric threads·M2×0.25
M2×0.25
Tap drill
1.75 mm

M2×0.25 thread — 1.75 mm tap drill, 1.693 mm minor diameter

Fine

M2×0.25 is a fine thread: 2 mm across with a 0.25 mm pitch. The bolt’s minor diameter is 1.693 mm, the tap drill 1.75 mm and the stress area 2.45 mm².

Outside diameter
2 mm
Pitch
0.25 mm (Fine)
Pitch diameter
1.838 mm
Minor diameter (bolt)
1.693 mm
Minor diameter (nut)
1.729 mm
Thread height
0.153 mm
Stress area
2.45 mm²
Threads per inch
101.6

The thread is a 60° triangle

ISO defines the thread profile as an equilateral 60° triangle. Its height H is 0.866 × pitch, and every other diameter is that triangle cut back by a fixed fraction of H.

H = 0.866 × 0.25 = 0.217 mm · 1.838 = 2 − 0.75 × 0.217

The stress area sets the strength

A bolt’s load capacity is worked out from this area, not from the outside diameter. It is the area of a circle whose diameter is the average of the pitch and minor diameters.

Other pitches at this diameter

A tighter pitch cuts shallower, leaving a thicker core. That is why fine threads suit thin walls and places that vibrate.

One size up and down

The 35 coarse threads

Each diameter has one default pitch. When someone just says “M8”, they mean M8×1.25.

How to read this

  • The number after M is the outside diameter in mm; the number after × is the pitch in mm.
  • H = 0.866 × pitch. The pitch diameter is d − 0.75H, the nut’s minor diameter d − 1.25H.
  • Take the tap drill as outside diameter minus pitch, then pick the nearest drill you own.
  • Load capacity comes from the stress area, not from the outside diameter.

Frequently asked questions

Q. What drill do I need to tap M2×0.25?

1.75 mm — the 2 mm outside diameter minus the 0.25 mm pitch. Use the nearest drill you have.

Q. What is the minor diameter of M2×0.25?

1.693 mm on the bolt and 1.729 mm in the nut, with the pitch diameter between them at 1.838 mm.

Q. Is it a coarse or a fine thread?

Fine. There is a coarse pitch for this diameter too, so the pitch must always be written out.

Q. How much load does it take?

Its stress area is 2.45 mm². Multiply that by the bolt’s strength grade to get the load it carries.