Mud-club
Chat & Social => The Bar - General Chat => Topic started by: TDi90 on January 10, 2007, 14:12:35
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ok, for christmas i got a mechanics toolbox from mum! chuffed to bits, its just i dont have many tools to go in it. a couple of socket sets at a push, does anyone know where to get good tools, and LOTS of them?
cheers, Rob
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The obvious one is Monsuir L'Snap-on. But he's a swine. Not so much a tool seller but a tool pusher. they get you interested with maybe a screwdriver set, or astrip of sockets that they have on special offer. He'll ply you and persuade you with things like lifetime guarantee's and weekly payment plans .... before you know it your handing over half your wages each week. Oh yes, Monsuir L'Snap-on is a nefarious creature. Once you've started useing sockets that fit and dont slip you'll be addicted to them. You'll save your knuckles too.
Halfrauds do a nice range now, again they supposedly have a lifetime guarantee .... but they don't have the "feel" of snap-ons wares.
Machine Mart do the Irwin stuff. Nice gear.
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Clarke pro range at Machine Mart, cheap enough and lifetime guarantee on a lot of it (or hush hush wink wink......go round car boots looking for old cheap snap on tools, break em and get a brand new one from snap on man 8) )
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check local boot sales
i have found some good stuff if u want to rummage through the tool boxes
look for snapon britol falcom
if u find snapon u can swap it for new ones if the croam is damaged ie flaking
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cheers guys :lol:
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Was going to suggest car boots, but got beaten to it, so how about second hand shops?
If buying new, avoid anything where the chrome plating looks slightly dimpled. Its a good indicator that the tool has been made in China or India out of compressed cow dung. This means that the tool, usually a spanner, will bust and your Landy will bite you very hard, drawing blood.
If you are after the more specialist stuff try Frost Automotive on the Net.
As an after thought on this subject. I know all good mechanics never lend their tools out ( guffaw, guffaw, snigger, tee hee, that sounds rude etc etc...), but has it ever been thought of to set up a tool list, by region?
e.g, I have a set of coil spring compressors that I will probably (hopefully) never use again, but would be happy to lend them , providing they don't get busted.
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The Halfords Pro stuff is REALY good, i've got loads of it, given it loads of abuse and not broken anything...
otherwise, I'd stick to Britool, Facom or Teng... Snap-on is too expensive unless you use it all every day....
Stanley spanners are pretty good aswell, i've got some that i've had since I was a kid (am 34 now) and they're still like new....
if you keep an eye on halfords they do special offers from time to time, like buy 2, get one free... pretty good if you buy sets.
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i like britool and facom now, used be snap-on but i now call um snap-off....says it all really
and life time garuntee of tony with all his stuff aswel :lol:
dan
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Halfrauds do a nice range now, again they supposedly have a lifetime guarantee .... but they don't have the "feel" of snap-ons wares.
i would not bet on it
i have snap-on Mac, halfords Facom Brittol and Tona and various other sets
the mac tools are ace but the halfords ones have lasted longer than most of my snap-on stuff and they do have life time warrenty.
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First of all I think in fact I know Snap-On sockets and ratchets are the best. They are also vastly overpriced. Well have a shout at your MP over that and get the import duty removed.
As has been said it's the feel of Snap-On that makes them good.
I'm not over fond of Snap-On spanners though. Most of my Snap-On is 3/8 drive and it still gets used. Even at my age Snap-On is my first call for tools.
I always recomend that people buy sockets and tools not in sets but as they are needed.
I have a pair of Snap-On side cutters that were used for years every day at work. Then at home most nights, yes I did "govvy" jobs then. These side cutters are over 30 year old and will still cut straight and clean. They still get used to cut piano wire.
There's a post on tools on www.lrtech.co.uk that might help. It could be on the Defender board.
I've recently bought some Halfords ratchet combination spanners. First use looks good. Time will tell.
Do not spend a lot of money on 1/4 drive. Buy cheap and replace with good as you break the larger sockets. My 10mm 1/4 drive Snap-On socket cost more than the whole set :roll:
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i get most of mine from halfords they tools are pretty kool and with a life time guarentee so if u break it take it back and u will get a new one
they have a wide range of tool in there some are pretty priceie but well worth it with the guarentee
dan
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i have snap-on mac and halfords rachets and sockets but i cant feel the difference there is a bit more smoothness in the snap-on compared to the halfords but not much.
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It's all according to how much you want to spend. but at the end of the day don't buy anything cheaper than Draper i'e not the cheapo indian spanners from the market. WHY? Cos they snap, crack, fall apart ect. Trust me a spanner that snaps on you is bloody painful.
Have fun choosing.
BTW I like halford pro too.
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Tip of the day: go and buy a vaguely decent set of hex sockets (as opposed to the 12-pointed ones which are not as useful) from the market, then throw away the ratchet and buy a decent one. There will be nothing wrong with the cheapy sockets, but the ratchet will pack in. But there's no point in buying an expensive socket set when all you really need is the ratchet.
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i got a lot of snapon stuff but i still prefer britol spanners
i still have the set i got when i started as a mechanic 26years ago
which are whitworth af and metric and still as good as new and they have a life time garrantee which stanley took over from britol a few years ago
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What ever you buy, dont buy anything that from draper. In their infant wisdom, the RAF whent cheap on most tools, ie draper and draper expert. Screwdrivers break, spaners snap and they do more damage to equipment than we do :lol: . So they are ging back to the drawing board and we might end up with Snap-On again :D .
However i use halfords pro and Teng tools and never had a problem. Just remember dont buy the cheapest set, buy the best you can afford.
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First thing is to think how often you are going to use these tools. Once a month, once a week, all day- every day or just the annual service???
I also have an assortment of 'high quality' tools and my preference is Brittool. Draper Expert are pretty good for sockets as are Halfords if you want 'mid range' tools.
Snap - on are seriously overpriced, unless you use them daily and they earn their pay and yours..
I like Facom, Teng are ok
REMEMBER anything with moving parts is NOT covered by lifetime guarantee :shock:
Try engineering suppliers as the discount to trade can be 40%+ (Snap-on wont do this) The ones we use sell Britool, Gedore,Teng, Draper and can get others
There was a Guy on here selling some new Teng stuff in 'For Sale' section
before christmas
Well that was my opinion :P
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Oh and I forgot, DONT buy a snap-on welder
They are made by Cebora, Italy and rebadged, oh and repriced :shock:
Good wellder but the sticker does not make it work better :lol:
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I've got a toolbox full of Halfrauds Pro stuff and it's great. Only problem I had is when an allen key socket thingy broke ('cos I put it on the end of a breaker bar and stood on it to try and free up a really rusted in bolt). Took it back and they replaced it no Q's asked.
As has been mentioned, buy the best you can afford. The Halfrauds Pro stuff is not that cheap, but it's readily available and they do stand by their warranty.
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good stuff, cheers for all replies!! i will go on a car boot sale hunt, and also off to halfords with my christmas money :lol: 8)
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I have a mixture of different makes. I tend to buy 1 or 2 at a time as and when I need them.
I will say that the Halford Pro are decent.
I'm testing some Newsome spanners at the moment(see if they will snap :wink: ). So far so good.
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if your not a full time mechanic/fitter,engineer,then halfrauds is good as anything used them for years noe and aint broke anything yet and i have tried!!!!!!!
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Like most people I got a lot from my dad but what I've had to buy is a mix of Halfruads newer stuff, Facom (pricey), Britool, Gedore, one or two snap-a-lot and some Machine Mart stuff.
Also got a lot of nice branded stuff in imperial when Half. stopped stocking it 2 years back, though that's little use to know now :roll:
Cash permitting it's worth having some impact sockets so you can hit them, they are great for hammering onto a rounded-off nut that's a real tight fit.
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Cash permitting it's worth having some impact sockets so you can hit them, they are great for hammering onto a rounded-off nut that's a real tight fit.
Is that to get the nut off, or just to ease your frustration?
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Works for both :)
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I have a vast array of different tool makes from the market cheapies to KingDick Britool Teng and Snap-On also have a couple of pieces from Bachco as well. Incidently the first decent set came from Kamasa when they first made them - the first company other than Snap-On to offer replacements for broken tools.
The only Torque wrench I like is the original Britool ones - worth buying and looking after.
I was once told to buy cheap for the lesser used tools sockets and spanners but go for the expensive stuff when buying ratchets and frequently used sockets and spanners, the 17, 14, 13, 10 sizes.
Best advice for tools that break a lot such as screwdrivers is buy from Snap-On (Halfords if it's local) because you can then at least change them on a weekly basis
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The only Torque wrench I like is the original Britool ones - worth buying and looking after.
Yes I have two of those. A 1/2" drive and a 3/8" drive. The half inch one I boiught in 1969 !!! I had it checked and re-calibrated a couple of years ago and it cost more for the re-calibration than it did new.
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Just digging this up to ask what people think of Sealey Tools? I've ordered one of their 1/4in ratchets and a set of sockets to match, the ratchet turned up this morning and looks well made, the chrome is good and the ratchet feels precise.
Main reason I ask is that they appear to be a near-copy of the Halfords Pro range, but at a fraction of the price. Looking at the 1/2in ratchet it's £17 cheaper than the Halfords one if bought on Amazon.
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Depends on what you want them for is this box in the back of the landy (get me home kit) or is it left at home where you could spend more money.
For back of landy somewhere like B&Q or Halfords tool kit will do.
http://www.tengtools.co.uk/Teng_Tools
I know BriSCa stock car drivers use them but the are a major sponcer so how good they not sure but they do seem to be cheaper than snap on or facom.
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This is really a case of buying some halfway decent kit for home use - I realise Halfords Pro seem to be some of the best but as I said the Sealey range seems pretty good too, although I've not used it yet.
Checking the Halfords site their Pro ratchets have 45 teeth while this Sealey one has 49.
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im using halfords pro and bluepoint stuff
ive been told that the blue point stuff is just re branded snap-on stuff.....weather this is true or not i dont know but its still good stuff.
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I will ONLY use BETA.
Quality brand, used across the world and the tool of choice for the Ferrari F1 team and any other Ferrari motorsport venture.
Oh and I'm a Beta trader so that helps :)
Same lifetime promises as snap on. And not vastly overpriced.
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list in order of Expense
Snap-on the Best but Very Expensive
Mac tools - second best also very expensive
facom - very strong Well made and slightly cheaper than above
blue point - Snap-on quality cheaper price
Signet - Great Quality, fairly strong same warranty as snap-on and mac
Halfords Pro - Made By signet
teng - strong screwdriver bits and sockets but spanners and rachets can be prone to failure
Sealey - decent quality but tend to have failures on spanners and ratchets
not used Beta so cant say how they work
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I also rate Halfords Pro as I have various ones that have been reliable over 5 years + recently got a Trade card and as most other places are closed on sunday they get my vote, I think they are good value.
Draper are OK but only the expert or standard stuff, the Draper Value is not good although I have one of there tool sets in the back of the car that I use to take legs and wheels of tabels etc so they fit in the back. I did have a draper side cutter explode on me once mind you.
Avoid Rolson and Blackspur, frequently sold at car boots, markets and unfortunatley some inependent Iron Mongers. That said if its not a load bearing item, like tweezers or such.
A great place to pick up superb kit is auctions and farm sales. I got a few boxes of rusty tools containing huge king dick spanners, 1/2 in long handle elora ratchets and a good quality breaker bar. Also various other vintage spanners (unfortunatley got cucked by mother in law during a put the wrong bin out.
I cant decide about Tool Zone stuff seems to be very common and I haev ended up buying it in a hurry. Most of it isnt very good so id rather avoid it.
Stanley is good, great screwdrivers.
Black and decker can be ok, but the cheap end, especially the christmas gimmick gift stuff is poor.
I reckon clarke is variable, I doubt they make all or any of thier stuff so quality depends on the factory they source it from, I frequently see stuff wiht various badges what is obviously the same item. I have some of teh clarke top end air tools and impact sockets and they feel fine.
I think seaey are similar but make more of thier own kit or at least have a key supplier thats good enough quality for the average home user.
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Sanp on have had some high profile law suits in America due to injury caused by failing tools. I know this isn't indicative of poor quality but over the years they have started producing some poor quality item, compared to the snap on 'classic' stuff.
If you can get second hand snap on mate, go for that. I would.
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From a trade point of view, as i use my tools every day, snap on is the only one i use, not cheep and not as good as they used to be , but wouldnt use anything else,
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I've got a selection of the halfords pro stuff and quite happy with all of it. The problem usually for me is the person holding the tools!
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My other thought is one of buying decent ratchet handles, but cheaper sockets. I come from a family of amateur mechanics and I don't think any of us have ever broken a socket, but cheap handles aren't usually nice to use, and that's the point of contact between you and the tool so to speak.
By "cheaper" I mean £15 Sealey, not £5 dodgy!
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I Have a set of teng spanners set of teng screw drivers and a set of teng 3/8 drive sockets I've had them 12 years and swear by them .
I also trawl the car boot for snap on , facom, britool ,king dick ,elora(old stuff) and Beta .
My lovely wife bought me a 3/4" draper set for xmas :dance: it's great for the big stuff on the disco :clap: :clap:
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What ever you buy, dont buy anything that from draper.
I have a 30 year old Draper socket set. Not a single problem! Only added a different ratchet as the original is not very ergonomic.
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Semtex.
A very useful bit of kit to have at the bottom of the toolbox. It shifts those most stubborn bolts, although it might make you somewhat unpopular with the neighbours.
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Semtex.
A very useful bit of kit to have at the bottom of the toolbox. It shifts those most stubborn bolts, although it might make you somewhat unpopular with the neighbours.
i should be ok then my neibours dont like me anyway they always moaning and reporting me to the counsil and police for things i have never and will never do
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dont forget good old 'King dick' got some rather large spanners and a 3/8 socket set of theirs and its old and great !
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dont forget good old 'King dick' got some rather large spanners and a 3/8 socket set of theirs and its old and great !
yes i have a few of these they were all my dads then he passed them on to me but before that they came from both my grandads and they have been used as hammers and spanners they are HUGE
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I have a rather large tool box full of Teng and I swear by them also. I've never had a single issue with any of there kit. I'd recommend them to anyone.
Mark.
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I have a rather large tool box full of Teng and I swear by them also. I've never had a single issue with any of there kit. I'd recommend them to anyone.
Mark.
do you use them day in, day out???? if not then they will be good but if they are used all day every day like mine then they tend to wear out and fail,
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Interesting that someone mentioned Rolson (in terms of "don't" :lol: ). I have one giant adjustable spanner of theirs which I have yet to find a use for apart from holding the other end of towbar bolts while torquing them up. However, it was £8 and looks impressive in the toolbox... :dance:
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Another issue is dont abuse tools, no matter how good. My halford's pro ratchet is now a bit iffy due to me putting an extension tube on it, or whacking it with a hammer. Im older and wiser now and only use breaker bars or long handled ratchets that are designed for that level of use.
Another brand im not sure about is US Pro, seem to be sold at car shows etc. seem ok and I have some very nice high cobolt drills by them, but sometimes they seem too cheap.
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I have a rather large tool box full of Teng and I swear by them also. I've never had a single issue with any of there kit. I'd recommend them to anyone.
Mark.
do you use them day in, day out???? if not then they will be good but if they are used all day every day like mine then they tend to wear out and fail,
They don't get used every day - Just on weekends when I need to fix something I've broke on one of either my cars or one of my mates. Some of my teng stuff is getting on for 6-7 years old now and they still perform as good now as they did on day one. But I do tend to look after my tools very well and only ever use them for there intended purpose. You'll never see me putting an extension tube on the end of a ratchet...lol
Mark.
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I like the finish on the teng stuff it's not so slippy when oily , it's sort of shot blast but smooth finished.. not like the very shiney snap on or halfrauds pro...
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I have recently started to buy some tools from BAHCO.
I have a large adjustable and a 40 piece socket set and some spanners.
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Bahco are they the ones with the fish on them???
if they are I have a couple of ajustables and a Hacksaw from them very good tools...
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Yes - a fish and a hook
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I also rate Halfords Pro as I have various ones that have been reliable over 5 years + recently got a Trade card and as most other places are closed on sunday they get my vote, I think they are good value.
How did you get on getting a trade card from Hellfords, i tried the Rhyl branch and told to forget it, then the Chester store and had no problems, but don't do the trade card for the pro range of tools :(
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I do like the Bacho tools Now have a 1/2" socket set to add to my original tools I bought with their name — can't really fault them
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I got my card by asking, bloke new me as I bought a sprog seat the day before. HE said "are you trade" I said no, but iv got a farm, with loads of cars and machinery etc. I dont think he minded
They have an offer on where you buy a set of pro sockets/ratchets and get a free tool case worth about £130 (sockets are about £140)
Very good deal if someone is looking to start off. Also those nice ratchet spanners are still half price.
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My first ever socket set was a Halfords 1/2 inch starter set as a present when I got my first car in about 1984.
I still have most of it although the ratchet suffered last year undoing 32mm wheel nuts with me jumping on it.
Most of the rest are Halfords professional and used for odd repairs and servicing, certainly not heavy use but I'm confident that they usually dont jump off the nut/bolt when I do have to put a bit of effort into moving a fastener.
The only brand I have not got on well with is Ting-Ting.
A bag of chinese spanners got mixed in with the tools, these were bought to do a roadside fanbelt fit as the only set available in a Welsh newsagents/motoring store.
They were fine for this and went in the boot until getting put in with proper tools during a tidy up.
Not sure what brand they were but when I used one by mistake to try and remove a bolt not moved in about 15 years it neatly removed every corner of the head like a hot knife though butter.
As it bounced down the garden path followed by a tirade of abuse it made a melodious Ting-Ting-Ting sound hence the name.
More use as a wind chime if I ever find it again though its probably rusted away by now.
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The other occasional source of good stuff would be Aldi. Some of the stuff is rubbish but you can also find things worth buying, like the set of ratchet spanners, tap and die kit, and the "mouse"- type sander I've bought there over the past couple of years.
Another issue is dont abuse tools, no matter how good. My halford's pro ratchet is now a bit iffy due to me putting an extension tube on it, or whacking it with a hammer. Im older and wiser now and only use breaker bars or long handled ratchets that are designed for that level of use.
You can get repair/overhaul kits for the Halfords Pro ratchets, may be worth a look.
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I have got a 1/4" drive teng set in a little blow molded case. I abuse it more than i really should, over using the 13mm when really i should be using the 1/2" drive. Real nice quality really and it was free too :dance:
Also have got the large halfords socket set which seems fairly good too.
I bought a cheapo set of spanners from the local army surplus, £12.50 for 10mm to 24mm and they seem right good for what i do with them.
Also have a stash of 1960's king dick spanners which seem brill.
Gavin.
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I also avoid JCB and RAC, Had a JCB "tough workshop" 4way socket that broke before id even used it as i dropped it from waste height. Correct me if im wring but all JCB stuff looks like they got the cheapest rubbish they could find and stuck a JCB sticker on it (except the diggers) RAC is the same rebranded tat ( IMHO)
I also avoid Challenge and Challenge extreme like the plague (usually found at argos then car boot sales)
And I hate anything camo or balck for "outdoor use" anyone who spend time outdoors knows that if you drop something back or cammo in a field at dusk then thats it lost, unless you tread on it. The idea of a camoflage torch to me is madness! (even if you or me for that matter is out shooting cammo for clothes, orange for gadgets!)
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I know nothing about tools ..........(I only have a cheep small Halford's socket set, 1 spanner (10 mm at one end and 14mm on the other), cheep screw driver and a not so cheep screw driver that has detachable ends and can either be stubby or long! That's the extent of my tool kit, oh and a cheep set of jump leads (much used) and a foot pump!)............
But I had a good look round a Snap-on sales rep long wheel based transit stuffed to the gills with tools. All I can say, it must be like a chocoholic going into a chocolate factory! I spent most of my time going "what is this for?"!
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A bit like me when the mrs drags me round the local saddlery :D
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But I had a good look round a Snap-on sales rep long wheel based transit stuffed to the gills with tools. All I can say, it must be like a chocoholic going into a chocolate factory!
Thats why I'm always skint :doh: :doh:
Just cann't resist a "bargain"
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Most of mine is Halfords pro.
I only live half a mile away from store so best for me and they never quible breakages.
Tool box is industrial range.
I do have some large satin finish rolson spanners (6-32mm).
I have had them around 5 years and they do get USED. 8mm one broke holding top of pro-comp shock but rest are good.
I also have a V-large adjustable. I bought it for bottom brackets on mountain bikes but its ideal for LR stuff.
Better to save up and get good stuff with warranty .
I dont personally rate snap-off.
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most of mine are from relatives old garages !! a few bits and bobs are from ScrewFix, but nothing special. Toolbox is a cardboard box.
DT.
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Well I've been in trade for about 11 years :roll: No matter whats tools I've used the best ones are snap on :cool: Where i have had other tool supplier try it on with the life time grantee
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Well I've been in trade for about 11 years :roll: No matter whats tools I've used the best ones are snap on :cool: Where i have had other tool supplier try it on with the life time grantee
Too right arron 90k later im still buying snapon , where will it end? :huh:
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Too right arron 90k later im still buying snapon , where will it end? :huh:
tool Junkie!! :lol: :police:
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Well I've worked out I've got about 45 K :roll: No matter what anybody says its an addiction :lol:
So in theory when I'm your age :lol: I'll be close to 90 k
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anyone got or used one of these?
http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_storeId_10001_catalogId_10151_productId_162491_langId_-1_categoryId_165667
any use?
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anyone got or used one of these?
http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_storeId_10001_catalogId_10151_productId_162491_langId_-1_categoryId_165667
any use?
I had one in the works van for about a year then it fell to bits...First the draw locking mechanism packed up and then it started to go on the joins underneath where the sheets are welded together..
I'd say it's ideal for occasional use, personally I don't think much to Halfords toolboxes except the black ones and they aint big enough for me lol
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take it back and swap it? or is it an example of the lifetime warantee not covering moving parts?
I use halfords pro stuff - but even their normal tools seems fairly indestructable .. had to use the lifetime garuantee twice, flaky chrome and I had 2 sockets the same size in the set ... d'oh!
each time it was "sorry about that - here's a new one out the box" I was happy with that.
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take it back and swap it? or is it an example of the lifetime warantee not covering moving parts?
Too be honest mate I didn't....I changed jobs and got a bigger van so my old Sykes top box went in and I passed that one on too a mate...
Mind you I only paid about 20 quid for mine as they'd got em marked up wrong :-$
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Mind you I only paid about 20 quid for mine as they'd got em marked up wrong :-$
:lol:
"free" is my favourite price but a close second is "very cheap cos we made a mistake" ;)