Jam Mad Posted January 7, 2002 Share Posted January 7, 2002 i'm going to be building a collection of garage basics over the next month or so, and need a bit of guidance on good makes. i know facom are very good, but are draper ? halfords own ? anyone with a particularly good value ( ie good tools for the money, not necessarily cheap ) recommendation ? thanks folks, j Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EFA Posted January 7, 2002 Share Posted January 7, 2002 Draper are pretty poor. Halfords Professional range are no Snap On, but they are not bad. Fat Arn The NOW PROVEN R500 Eaterid=red> See the Lotus Seven Club 4 Counties Area Website hereid=green> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
I reply to every thread Posted January 7, 2002 Share Posted January 7, 2002 I've always found Teng Tools pretty good value. They stand up pretty well to abuse as well. Lifetime guarantee I think. (When the ratchet snaps it cuts your wrists in the process!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy N Posted January 7, 2002 Share Posted January 7, 2002 Machine Mart do a range of what they call professional tools with lifetime guarantee. They also do budget ranges also. This could be a reasonable value for money starting point based on how much use is intended for the kit you are looking to buy. Cheers, Andy N. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jam Mad Posted January 7, 2002 Author Share Posted January 7, 2002 aves.. is this wrist cutting a good thing ?!?!? does lifetime guarantee perhaps mean in this case " in YOUR lifetime.. before the ratchet cuts your wrists " ?!?!?! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blatman Posted January 7, 2002 Share Posted January 7, 2002 Halfords Pro stuff is OK as stated, and also has a lifetime guarantee. The best thing I've found is the 3/8"1/4" socket set with a set of metric ratchet spanners. About 59 quid IIRC. Great little tool kit. If you can afford Facom, then I would reccommend them too. Also, don't be too put off buying cheap quality tools like allen keys/torx/spline drives. It's much better to round off a cheap allen key than an immovable/siezed/inaccessable allen bolt......... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caterhamnut Posted January 7, 2002 Share Posted January 7, 2002 James, I know how much you like to use halfords, but I too have found their spanners(tools, not the staff) to be pretty good. Lasted fine through years of VW servicing! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JampJ Posted January 7, 2002 Share Posted January 7, 2002 Halfords PROFESSIONAL are excellent finish and quality and best of all they've got a sale on at the moment.The ratchet spanners are good value and nice to use,there are 3 imperial ones available(individual).The metric ones come individually or in a set- good value!!!Good luck. John Hall. C7 POW. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pierre Gillet Posted January 7, 2002 Share Posted January 7, 2002 Just got a FACOM torque wrench, the new design, and less expensive ( about 150 euros). Really something else... Pierre Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CHRIS CLARK Posted January 7, 2002 Share Posted January 7, 2002 Most of my tools are Snap-On (from my aircraft engineering days), but I have found that some of the cheap 'Kamasa' type tools are good for grinding up to create 'specials' ie. thin ring & o e spanners, open ring spanner (slotted) etc. Am I alone (& I very much doubt it!) in liking the feel of your 'own' tools?; no comments please! When you try to use someone elses tools they just don't have that familiar touch! Oh to climb on that Snap On van with a few thousand pounds burning a hole in my pocket. Then to leave with those ten, quarter drive deep sockets and probably very little change these days!!!! Snap On Tools = poor apprentices!!!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul D Jones Posted January 7, 2002 Share Posted January 7, 2002 I get 40 percent off Facom and its good stuff only ever broken the screwdrivers due to inapropriate use but just replaced then under warrenty contact me if you want to use my discount. Paul Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bricol Posted January 7, 2002 Share Posted January 7, 2002 used a fair few Craftsman tools - benefits of working in the states and a large case coming home. Similar warrenty to Snap on - if it breaks they'll change - but only in the states unfortunately. Decent price as well - found in Sears - could spend all day in their hardware section! And I'm still using a Kamasa socket set (with new rachet tho') I bought off a stall on Stoneleigh 12 years ago! and Draper budget spanners I bought from Woolworths even longer ago than that - treated with care, I've only broke one when trying to undo a seized bolt on a metro stat housing using a large lump hammer to hit it round . . the wrong way! and still using some of my dads (and probably his dads) King Dick stuff. even got a 1/2" hexagonal drive socket set - lost the rachet when at school ad could never find another. Only seen one other similar set - one of our older members of staff at work had a very much smaller set. Bri Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alex Wong1697456877 Posted January 8, 2002 Share Posted January 8, 2002 I use Halford Professional as well. Once you get used to the feel of a certain brand, anything else feels strange. Facom and Teng Tools feel very odd to me. Funny how you get used to one brand. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roger King Posted January 8, 2002 Share Posted January 8, 2002 Jammy, I've got Snap-on, Kamasa, Facom, Britool, Stahlwille, Draper, King Dick, Halfords, etc. To be honest (and notwithstanding your views expressed elsewhere), I think that if I was buying for a non professional environment, I would probably go mainly for the Halfords stuff. It's not too expensive, quite reasonable quality and fairly easy to get. A lot of these tool companies seem to simply buy stuff in and then give it their own branding. In particular, some Draper stuff is of really poor quality but other items are first rate. I've had more Snap-on sockets break than Kamasa (Snap-off?), but with the warranty this is no problem. M. Gillet, Qu'est que c'est un Euro? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tgracing Posted January 8, 2002 Share Posted January 8, 2002 I agree with the positive comments on the Halfords Pro stuff. The ratchet spanners were INVALUABLE when building my car. Their torque wrenches are good too, especially the ones with vast ranges (if you can encourage the staff to find them). They also do some useful gadgets for making tricky jobs easier. (Spanner adapters, etc.) I also have a Draper 1/4" socket/driver set which is actually very good quality. I use Machine Mart for odds and sods where quality isn't an issue. Best bargain was heavy duty axle stands (£7) from Costco! Davebo C7 CAR Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fast Westie Posted January 8, 2002 Share Posted January 8, 2002 Roger A Euro is 6.558957 French Francs, or 40.33 Belgium Francs, or about £0.62, or ... biggrin.gif The car in front is a Westfie1d wink.gif Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oilyhands Posted January 8, 2002 Share Posted January 8, 2002 Someone bought me a Halfords Pro socket and ratchet spanner set for doing them a head, it is very good indeed and the ratchet spanners are a boon, over the years I have accumulated Britool, Draper, Snap-on,Kamasa and a legion of other makes. If I was buying new and from scratch I'd go for Halfords, they are good quality, inexpensive and any damaged ones can be replaced in your local high street. Oily Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jason Plato Posted January 8, 2002 Share Posted January 8, 2002 Had a big set of halfords Pro , from er' of the nearside for xmas . Cant fault them ( or her !! ) Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roger King Posted January 8, 2002 Share Posted January 8, 2002 Fast Westie, Perhaps, bearing in mind that we are now in 2002, I should really ask Qu'est que c'est un Franc?! Edited by - roger king on 8 Jan 2002 13:04:22 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fast Westie Posted January 8, 2002 Share Posted January 8, 2002 Roger I think is that old fashioned money they used in France blush.gif The car in front is a Westfie1d wink.gif Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pierre Gillet Posted January 8, 2002 Share Posted January 8, 2002 Roger, the euro is the currency that I hope you guys will finally go for in UK.It would really lighten my Caterham spare parts bills... A la santé de l'euro! Chers, Pierre Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
I reply to every thread Posted January 8, 2002 Share Posted January 8, 2002 In your dreams Pierre! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pierre Gillet Posted January 8, 2002 Share Posted January 8, 2002 I am serious! I heard (French radio) that Mr Blair gets more and more interested... Pierre Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
metal mickey Posted January 8, 2002 Share Posted January 8, 2002 Pierre, There's only one thimg Mr Blair is interested in - President Blair . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jam Mad Posted January 21, 2002 Author Share Posted January 21, 2002 i always like to conclude threads where possible... and the latest issue of ccc has a review of socket sets. first place goes to teng tools kit no mr3839 second to the halfords 90 piece. the best reviewed was made by bacho, but cost a bomb... facom and snap on were conspicuously absent. teng, here i come ! smile.gif Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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