Would agree about buying quality tools. I left school in 1976 to service my time as an engineer and bought tools then which I still have and use and had to pay for them out of mt wages every week which made you value the tools and the cost. The socket set was Britool and is still in good working order. 32 years later still buying tools and have a well organised garage at home for doing jobs.

Hi,

There are two schools of though on the quality of tool acquired.

Sure, the professional high quality tool (snap-on etc) are the tool we'd all like to have.
But do we need them? After all, we work on the/our car every few weeks and don't put tools through the same stresses that a garage mechanic would.

There is something to be said for getting a load of "cheaper" spanners or such from the likes of Lidl or Aldi until such time as a decent set is the better option or finances are available...

Des. . .;)

the only high quality tool i want are ratchets. im fed up with buying cheapo ones that last half a dozen times of use and break.
i agree with des, we dont use tools as much as a mechanic would, so why go out and buy expensive tools?
regards
cavey

I tend to mix and match....I have 2 snap-on ratchets, but use other makes of sockets with them.

Anyone know where I can buy a 7mm hex bit? No-one round here (even the "old-fashioned" proper hardware store, complete with 70 year old owner who knows where every single screw in his little treasure trove is) can supply me with one, and I'm fed up with scraping my knuckles everytime I use an allen key to release the bolts holding my brake caliper. All the sets you can buy have 6 & 8, but still can't find a 7mm.

I actually received a new complete toolkit for Christmas, but the main motivation for that was the fact that it came complete in a nice chest, which proper trays so that everything has a marked position as I dread leaving something inside the engine bay when I'm done. This way, with one quick visual check, I can see if anything is "missing in action".

When my grandfather passed away early last year, I inherited his tools, some dating from the 1930's. I even have all his all conversion charts for units of measurement etc from when he was working in engineering, he used to manufacture bombcasings during WW2. I've tried to sort through all his tools, but I'm still struggling to work out what exactly some of the more obscure items are for!

http://www.toolspot.co.uk/category/h...ivers-and-sets

Just google'd it :D Was going to recommend 5/8" then i realised it hardly be imperial (and i know little about the old skool measurements)

I do have a mixture of tools and bought a few years ago some bergen hex metric and imperial sockets and found them to be very good.The problem with some cheap spanners is that they can open out and no longer fit properly. Also as DIY home mechanic the tools are not going to get the same heavy use as a professional mechanic. As stated you pay your money and make the choice what suits your own needs.

Nothing worse though than a rounded off bolt head or burred screw head. User inexperience can cause this just as easily as cheap tools and i'm sure we've all done it at some point.

Don't forget the trusty WD40!

I agree with the rachets one as I was fed up with breaking cheap ones every five seconds whenever you gave them any type of torque. I do all my own work on my S40 T4. I ended up buying a Halford Pro Set that was reduced from £150 to £99, think its around 200 piece in its own case. When you price up the cost of one rachet, around £20-30 for something even remotely reasonable, it works out a bargain with three rachets and loads of sockets etc. plus a lifetime guarantee. Not sure if the offer is still on but might be worth a look!
Oh yes and WD40 or equivalent best tool in the box at times and Jim my dads Britool rachet set outlasted him, now thats quality we don't get anymore.

and it smells nice :swoon:

Hi,

http://www.toolspot.co.uk/products/H...o%2017mm_f.jpg
^^Clicky^^

Des. . . ;)