For reasons I won't bore you with I have ended up with £500 in vouchers to use at a variety of High Street shops such as Argos, but one of the shops is Halfords and I thought I might buy myself one of their socket sets and maybe a few other bots n bobs, axle stands etc.

Has anyone bought from here before and if so are they any good? ie. are they gonna turn to chalk when the come across a stubborn nut etc?

Thanks

all the professional range is good quality and has a lifetime guarantee that's pretty no quibble.

unless you're going to buy snap on, you'll not find any issue with it

tom

I've a few odd sockets from there, no problems so far, had some tough use too. Another good thing I noticed they sell spares, like ratchet wheels so when things do start to wear you can revive without buying all new. But the pro range is lifetime guaranteed anyway.

Halfords own brand tools are very good, I have bought many often to replace broken tools by well known makes. They come with a lifetime guarantee which they do honour even when it’s obviously your fault. I have never snapped any of their spanners, ratchets or sockets even when totally abusing them, like using a big ratchet as a hammer . Their ratchet spanners can take unbelievable loads without stripping even tight wheel nuts can be removed.

Another vote for 'yes' on the professional range. I was under the impression they are made by Teng, which are reasonable anyway.

However, the lifetime warranty is the thing that sells it for me. Lets face it, we use our tools at the weekend, and Halfords is open 7 days. It's happened a couple of times that I've broken the one socket I need. Quick drive down there, and I have a brand new one. They don't quibble or argue, just replace.

Not that they break anyway... unless you really abuse them!

Their torque wrenches arn't bad either for the price.

Chris

I bought the professional socket set for £100 and the tap and die for £20.

Both are excellent and I would highly recommend for the price

Pro range is great imo.
Picked up some ratchet spanners and a socket set over crimbo, nice solid feel and the have worked faultlessly on the Indy in the last month.
Can't quibble with a lifetime warrenty.
Get yourself a trade card and get even more for your money

Yep, I have a Halfords Pro range socket set.

Excellent. Have had one screwdriver ended socket shatter on the first use. local shop replaced it without even questiong me.

Cant fault it.

Halfords pro range is good stuff for the money, most of my sockets and decent spanners are from that range.

They are pretty strong, and take a lot of abuse, i haven't broken anything except through blatant abuse - i broke a saw handle when using it to level and engine block into place and it was replaced without any discussion.

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Originally posted by wilkingj
Yep, I have a Halfords Pro range socket set.

Excellent. Have had one screwdriver ended socket shatter on the first use. local shop replaced it without even questiong me.

Cant fault it.

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got the big proffesional socket set, its had some serious hammer and still ok,

Ray

After many years as a Snap-off nut. Poor after sales service led me to the Halfords Pro range.

I have not bought anything else since.

Halfords Pro rule

Ronnie

Another vote for the pro range. I only have the ratchets but never had a poblem with them. Would buy again. The ratchet spanners look handy.

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Originally posted by DarrenW
Another vote for the pro range. I only have the ratchets but never had a poblem with them. Would buy again. The ratchet spanners look handy.

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quote:

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Originally posted by UncleFista

quote:

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Originally posted by DarrenW
Another vote for the pro range. I only have the ratchets but never had a poblem with them. Would buy again. The ratchet spanners look handy.

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Just to note, their ratchet spanners are no longer covered by the "lifetime" warranty...

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I've used Halfords flexi head ratchect spanners for my build and they've been fine

hmm time toget some shares in Halfords

Another thumbs up for the Pro range tool set.

The only damage mine has picked up over the years has been down to my gross stupidity and abuse.

I've one slightly spirally Torx tipped socket after it was used on the impact driver to strip a crusty old diff and a couple of the small spanners have some tiny marks around the open jaws, mostly where I've resorted to a hammer to loosen stubborn nuts.

The warrenty doesn't cover stupidity
jk

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Originally posted by ChrisW
I was under the impression they are made by Teng, which are reasonable anyway.




I don't think so as I have some of thier tools and there not as good as the Halfords ones. I even snapped my Teng Long Tommy Bar trying to get some Landy wheel nuts off just pulling on it, I wasn't pleased.

[Edited on 30/1/08 by Mr Whippy]

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bassett - 30/1/08 at 05:22 PM

I work there and think there pretty good as long as you stick to the professional range. Only had a few hex sockets back and replace over the counter. havent seen more than 1 3/8 ratchet back

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andrew.carwithen - 30/1/08 at 05:35 PM

I recommend the 'professional' range too.
I've had my pro socket set for three years and the only socket to fail was the torx socket when undoing the Sierra diff/driveshaft bolts which were seriously tight. (It managed to undo all of them until failing on last one.)
Anyway, Halfords replaced it no problem.

Andy.

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Mansfield - 30/1/08 at 05:56 PM

I have the biggest set they do, have had it for 7-8 years. It has provided me with years of excellent service and I would buy another one tomorrow if this one was nicked. Good selection of deep sockets and some rachet spanners too.

The only thing I have broken was a torx bit that I hammered into a knackered allen head I tried to turn with the 1/2" ratchet. To be fair I would have been more suprised I that hadn't broke.

The only thing I would complain about is if you lose the foam pad that seperates the top and bottom tools some of the sockets fall out when you pick it up by the handles.

Watch out for the offers they do on the big set - I think the lowest I have seen is £99 - lot of good tools for the money.

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ash_hammond - 30/1/08 at 06:09 PM

Halfords Professional all the way, has given me good service.

Also if you can lay your hands on a Halfords trade card it gives you 10% off the entire Pro Range.

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NS Dev - 30/1/08 at 07:25 PM

yep, here too and I'm pretty fussy, I have snap-on, facom, britool and halfords pro, all just dandy, never broken any of them under "reasonable use"

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britishtrident - 30/1/08 at 08:37 PM

Spanners seem OK but had a bad experience with the pro range sockets, two of the sockets in a set were oversize and useless for serious work (10 & 13 mm !!!) , rather than take the sockets back I just replaced from my stock of odd sockets but it dosen't say much for the quality control.

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eznfrank - 30/1/08 at 10:25 PM

bloody hell, didn't expect that many responses! So, general consensus is pretty good then, bonus, at least i don't have to spend my vouchers on useless kitchen appliances from argos!

Thanks

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