Decent Toolkits

[S60 PNV]

..also found this thing while looking at something completely different on ebay earlier (was looking up electric tyre pumps and it came up in a related items search, somewhat oddly);

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/380535751210



I know that (a) Good Year don't really do tools so it's likely made under license by some god knows who chiense firm and (b) it's probably a bit rubbish...

but it's only £40 for the 94 piece set...

[TurboZutek]

I was desperate for a single socket when I broke down a few years ago, so quickly walked to Argos and bought this:

http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Produc...er/7001868.htm

And I have to say it's the best £40 I've ever spent. Three years later still going strong after 100's of hours of spannering; I moved this socket set to Canada with me last year they were so good.

/Just don't get put them away damp

Chris...

[Paddler Ed]

Originally Posted by TurboZutek

Just don't get put them away damp

I keep a couple of those silica sachets you get in boxes (shoes etc) in my socket set box. Did spend the other day cleaning everything bit by bit

[Volvon]

I got one similar to this years ago: http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/s...egoryId_165572

The tools themselves work ok for simple and straightforward tasks, but they will break when you get to more serious tasks. But the tool chest itself is great, ball bearing draws, solid metal case, mine has travelled thousands of miles and been submerged in flooded basements, left out in rain, snow, been bashed into etc etc, still works perfect after many years.

As the tools break I upgrade them with better quality ones. Slowly but surely you build up a decent quality tool chest good enough for most car jobs and it is reasonably mobile, weighing around 30kg fully loaded. So you can have all your tools within 2ft of you whilst under the car.

One advice I would give is if you go for something like that is get a qood 1/2" ratchet and sockets to throw in aswell, because 1/4" is inadequate for brake/suspension jobs etc and any stubborn jobs you come across where you need a bit more leverage.

Plus another tip, get a digital caliper, so you can measure any irregular or over size nuts/bolts, then you can go and buy the exact socket you need, and buy a good quality socket, it will save you more in the long run buying 1 decent quality socket that you know will fit, than if you are not sure of the size so buy a set of cheap sockets (especially for hub nuts etc.).

[m0bzy]

On a whim I bought a set of Halfords combination spanners about six or seven years ago,They have been used and abused but are still in pristine condition non of the ratchets slip.I now also have a "rack" of the most used metric sockets,again from Halfords and again as good as Snap-on sockets also in my kit.
For old 'uns,I find I still have King Dick sockets,now they must have a few years on them!!!

[Marty Dolomite]

Most of my tools are Halfords Pro range, I have only had to take a few back after breaking them and never had any problems with exchanging.
Although some people comment that the ratchets are not covered under warrenty not even SnapOn cover ratchets and if the ratchet does break,
imo they do not break if used properly, replacments are cheap and easy to replace.

[Bernard333]

The sign of a poor quality socket set is the thickness of the metal , the thinner the better . Have a look at a snap on socket compared to a cheapy they have very thin walls but are stronger than unbranded sets twice the weight . I bought a cheap Kamasa set in 1977 and still have most of it but found situations where I could not get the socket in and ended up buying snap on just so I could get at one nut which the Kamasa was too fat to get in position . Also bought a set of Sealey torx bits ' Premier Line for the Proffessional ' claimed to be chrome vanadium which sheared off the first time I used them taking a turbo apart , they have a lifetime gaurantee which they wont honour , really ****ed off with them so will not be buying any more sealey tools unless they are 50p at a car boot sale and there is no alternative .

[LJD]

Sealey tools !!!!!!!


deserves a thread of its own

Old "Black " kamasa was very well respected

[Marty Dolomite]

Originally Posted by Bernard333

The sign of a poor quality socket set is the thickness of the metal , the thinner the better . Have a look at a snap on socket compared to a cheapy they have very thin walls but are stronger than unbranded sets twice the weight ..

Sealey torx bits ' Premier Line for the Proffessional ' claimed to be chrome vanadium

I always thought it was to do with the quality and compound of the metal rather than the thickness, the reason SnapOn can make thin spanners and sockets that don't break as easily as some because they use a high grade metal?
I have seen several Snapon sockets with stress cracks.

Sealey tools will be crome vanadium as will be a lot of really cheap budget tools and some SnapOn are crome vanadium but again it is down to the compound and ratio of the metals and the treatments they go through to strenghen them.

[244T]

Tools...


I have a very mixed bag of tools, some were given to me by my father, many of these were Britool, and some of those have the W.D. crowsfoot on them with the date engraved on them, often in the '40's.

When I was at school I saved pocket money for Britool spanners etc. lately I have been scanning Ebay for further secondhand Britool items and have found some real bargains.

I aways look out for the "propper" made in England items, I understand that Britool has been sold out to the French tool manufacturer Facom and like so many things it is no longer made on these shaws



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