jecuk
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| posted on 14/3/06 at 07:55 AM |
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Good quality but not stupidly expensive tool sets
Are the sets of tools on machine mart and screwfix reasonable quality. Need a full set to take to rae meetings but don't exactly want to go down
the halfords let alone snap-on routes.
Spanners, sockets, adjustable wrenches etc.
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darrens
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| posted on 14/3/06 at 08:21 AM |
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screwdrivers that come in the sets aren't up to much but rest is ok.
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Hellfire
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| posted on 14/3/06 at 08:37 AM |
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You pay your money... usually money expended vs quality is a good rule of thumb with tooling.
S
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NS Dev
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| posted on 14/3/06 at 08:52 AM |
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Agreed.
Halfords professional sets are not a bad balance. The quality is certainly good. If they knocked their profit margins down a bit and got rid of some
of the "halFrauds" part of their name they would be a bargain.
The machine mart professional stuff is good. The cheap stuff is made of cheese.
Retro RWD is the way forward...........automotive fabrication, car restoration, sheetmetal work, engine conversion
retro car restoration and tuning
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mookaloid
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| posted on 14/3/06 at 10:09 AM |
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Good quality tools are cheaper in the long run...
If you buy poor quality tools now, you will only have to go out and buy good ones later so save yourself some money, buy the good ones first
Buy cheap, buy twice!
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britishtrident
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| posted on 14/3/06 at 10:35 AM |
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Halford pro sockets flankdrive are dreadful tolerances aren't tight enough -- I have a set in which 2 sockets were way oversize before they
were ever used --- what sizes 10mm and 13mm of course.
With sockets it pays to have a good 12 point set and a cheap 6 point set. Also you need to buy the hex sizes that are not usually included as
manufacturers are increasingly using "odd" hex sizes.
For screw drivers look for "hammer through" types.
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MikeR
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| posted on 14/3/06 at 11:49 AM |
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quote:
Originally posted by mookaloid
Good quality tools are cheaper in the long run...
If you buy poor quality tools now, you will only have to go out and buy good ones later so save yourself some money, buy the good ones first
Buy cheap, buy twice!
completely disagree with this.
I bought a 30 quid SDS drill from Aldi / Lidl / whomever. Its lasted me perfectly well for the jobs i've done. I have set my expectations and it
exceeds them. Mate is in the building trade. He's got the same. Says it will last 12 months, maybe 6 and he'll buy another. Still works
out cheaper than the 200 quid professional one that will last him 2 years and he get lots of spare bits.
I got a set of spanners from Argos 5 years ago. They don't get huge amounts of abuse and have lasted me very well. If one breaks, i'll
think why it broke and either by a cheap replacement set or an expensive individual one.
I've now got a 60 quid, 2hp, 7.3cfm compressor with 3 year warrenty. Its cheap but i can see it doing everything i want of it with ease. So
should i have spent 200 quid on one???
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David Jenkins
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| posted on 14/3/06 at 11:52 AM |
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A lot depends on who I'm buying off - I've got a cheapo SDS masonary drill from Screwfix. It works really well, but if it breaks then I
know that Screwfix will replace it without question, unless it's obvious that I've misused it.
David
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v8kid
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| posted on 14/3/06 at 11:52 AM |
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I've used and abused a Halfords pro socket and spanner set for 5 years now and have only managed to break 2 3/8" extensions (with a
strongarm and 1/2 to 3/8 adaptor) and one 12mm socket (hammered on a buggered 1/2" bolt) All replaced without question. Agree their other stuff
is overpriced however.
Take as many tools as you can to race meets cos when you need them you need them.
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jecuk
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| posted on 14/3/06 at 11:54 AM |
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Some of the replies seem to suggest I am planning to buy rubbish. I have no problem buying expensive tools but often for non-professional use, less
expensive tools are fine. That is the balance I am trying to strike, not to save money at any cost.
[Edited on 14/3/06 by jecuk]
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D Beddows
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| posted on 14/3/06 at 02:16 PM |
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If you're going racing on a 'locost' type of budget ie pit facilities = back of your tow car, I wouldn't bother spending loads
on fancy tools as they'll only end up in a puddle or get forgotten somewhere 200 miles from where you live. I had (actualy still have most of) a
cheapo Kasmsa set which cost about £25 from a downmarket Halfords type place which did the job perfectly and I left the good stuff safe at home.
My top tips would be
a: buy a cheapo socket set (go for one that grips on the flats of the nut/bolt not the corners obviously) and spanners BUT buy a decent quality
ratchet(s)
b: work out which sizes of spanner/socket you need to use the most and the size of anything that is critical you need to tighten or don't round
off and buy good quality sockets in those sizes (should only be about 3 or 4)
You'll never seem to have exactly what you need anyway so it's cheaper in the long run to ruin cheap tools by emergency bodging procedures
rather than snap-on stuff!
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DIY Si
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| posted on 14/3/06 at 02:35 PM |
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Have to agree with the cheap route. I brought one of ahlfrauds box set things in a sale 3 years ago. I've built two engines, fixed god knows
what on everyone's car and I've yet to break a single thing. Cheap tools are ok, as long as you don't play silly buggers with them.
Use them for their inteneded purpose and they'll last ages. And as said above, if you do leave some out in the rain/forget them and go home, hey
you only spent a few quid on them in the first place.
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minordelay
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| posted on 14/3/06 at 02:41 PM |
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I have some snap on (quite a lot actually) but for general use I have always used cheaper spanners and screwdrivers. the taskmaster range at brown
brothers/partco is quite good. I havn't used Halfords yet but they do a good discount if you get one of there trade cards. Always some good
deals in the mags for sealey and draper stuff too, I have seen some good toolkits in the freeads from time to time.
Expensive tools are nice but it's like losing a brother if they go missing!!!
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David Jenkins
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| posted on 14/3/06 at 02:48 PM |
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The only cheap tools I've regretted buying have been screwdrivers - some of them were as soft as putty. Now I mostly use a deWalt handle with
1/4" hex inserts - the inserts are tough and properly shaped, and you can usually find a tip to fit.
Otherwise I'll use stuff from Draper, or similar.
David
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NS Dev
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| posted on 14/3/06 at 04:14 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by D Beddows
If you're going racing on a 'locost' type of budget ie pit facilities = back of your tow car, I wouldn't bother spending loads
on fancy tools as they'll only end up in a puddle or get forgotten somewhere 200 miles from where you live. I had (actualy still have most of) a
cheapo Kasmsa set which cost about £25 from a downmarket Halfords type place which did the job perfectly and I left the good stuff safe at home.
My top tips would be
a: buy a cheapo socket set (go for one that grips on the flats of the nut/bolt not the corners obviously) and spanners BUT buy a decent quality
ratchet(s)
b: work out which sizes of spanner/socket you need to use the most and the size of anything that is critical you need to tighten or don't round
off and buy good quality sockets in those sizes (should only be about 3 or 4)
You'll never seem to have exactly what you need anyway so it's cheaper in the long run to ruin cheap tools by emergency bodging procedures
rather than snap-on stuff!
................and the other thing here that I tend to do is design the car with the minimum number of different bolt head sizes to start with.
Being an agricultural engineering type I remember Harry Ferguson's approach with his early tractors, where he used only 4 bolt sizes and
supplied 2 double ended spanners with the tractor.....simple toolkit!
Retro RWD is the way forward...........automotive fabrication, car restoration, sheetmetal work, engine conversion
retro car restoration and tuning
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JB
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| posted on 14/3/06 at 05:59 PM |
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Ecomomic Tools
I find Britool a good compromise between quality and price for spanners and sockets.
Keep an eye on Ebay you can pick up some bargains (but not Snap On). I bought quite a lot of Facom from Ebay. They have a life time warrenty.
John
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oliwb
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| posted on 14/3/06 at 07:06 PM |
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I almost always buy Draper.....get a good deal on them as I know the rep personaly, makes warranty claims fairly easy!! I've given up on cheap
tools, bought a draper value socket set once, snapped the 13mm socket the first time it was used and the rep let me keep the old set and deducted the
price of it £12 (IIRC) off an expert set.....can't be bothered with tools that don't do what they're supposed to! Now on I only buy
the expert or proffessional. Bought some of the halford proffessional ratchet spanners this time last year and they've not been abused but are
buggered now......its almost impossible to get them to stay on one setting without reversing! Need to take them back but have been putting it off due
to the fact that I know the warranty claim wont be as easy as with Draper! Oli.
If your not living life on the edge you're taking up too much room!
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DIY Si
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| posted on 14/3/06 at 10:16 PM |
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You might be suprised with them. I brpught my welder from them (yes, I know NOW that I shouln't have done it) and broke it with in a week. Just
walked in, told the spotty oik on the desk about it and picked up a new one ansd walked out. Also came with a new real of wire, since i'd just
used up the one they give you!
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MikeRJ
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| posted on 14/3/06 at 11:55 PM |
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Halfords Pro, Teng, Facom and Britool are all very good quality tools for reasonable money. Kamasa stuff used to be very good (I still have a
complete 3/8" socket set I bought when I was 14), but quality seems to have gone very much downhill now.
Snap On/Bluepoint certainly make nice tools, but they are vastly overpriced IMO.
Learnt my lesson when it comes to power tools though. I've been through 2 cheapo chinese angle grinders, a Clarke "mid-range"
grinder and now my Skill grinder is starting to vibrate. The next one will be a professional quality one.
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britishtrident
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| posted on 15/3/06 at 10:47 AM |
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quote:
Originally posted by NS Dev
................and the other thing here that I tend to do is design the car with the minimum number of different bolt head sizes to start with.
Being an agricultural engineering type I remember Harry Ferguson's approach with his early tractors, where he used only 4 bolt sizes and
supplied 2 double ended spanners with the tractor.....simple toolkit!
Sadly Harry Ferguson didn't design the current Ford range you need every socket size going to work on one --- great fun having to go and buy an
18mm socket in the middle of a simple job.
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