Tools.

[Jenkosowls]

Friend of mine has a variety of tools including Bergen and us pro these are older version though they have a nice weight to them no rough ages and feel tough. He used to swear by the older draper pro stuff but it's shit now and tbh Clarke now is just expensive tat especially from machine mart. If you want a tool testing pass it to him!

On the other hand bang for buck halfords advanced/pro range couple that with life time guarantee and trade card they are a nice alternative. Got a 1/2 inch torque wrench 60/300nm should be £84.99 paid 47.99 almost 50% off! If you get friendly with you local one swooping them is a breeze as tgere not suppose to swop movement tools ie ratchets

There's also
Teng
Brit tool
Mac

[THE_Liam]

My lasses grandad has some Britool stuff that's 50-60 years old and still working well. Just never gets used because its all imperial.

[ADV_93]

My lasses grandad has some Britool stuff that's 50-60 years old and still working well. Just never gets used because its all imperial.

Britool's expert range right now is brilliant! Their ratchets and tools feel proper quality and they're not too expensive either!

[daddyfixit]

I have a lot of britool as I started buying as an apprentice in the late 70's......now have shed loads of
snap-on, bluepoint, kamasa (original german stuff--not new shite), draper 3/8 and 1/2 still un-used in boxes socket sets (once made in uk). i was given one of the huge Halfords suitcase sockets set (used once to fit a doorhinge on a discovery) and that was put away again. got some teng stuff but their tamper-proof torx sockets are made of custard, their spanners are ok as they use original kamasa castings. even got sykes-pickavant dealer tools and impact sockets back in the days of old, still in my rollcabs having a rest.

[Connor]

Most of my stuff is mac, only stuff ive got from snap on/blue point was on a deal, also find that snap on blokes are dickheads compared to the mac dealers and would rather give them my money

[ADV_93]

I have a lot of britool as I started buying as an apprentice in the late 70's......now have shed loads of
snap-on, bluepoint, kamasa (original german stuff--not new shite), draper 3/8 and 1/2 still un-used in boxes socket sets (once made in uk). i was given one of the huge Halfords suitcase sockets set (used once to fit a doorhinge on a discovery) and that was put away again. got some teng stuff but their tamper-proof torx sockets are made of custard, their spanners are ok as they use original kamasa castings. even got sykes-pickavant dealer tools and impact sockets back in the days of old, still in my rollcabs having a rest.

selling any of it by any chance haha?

---

Most of my stuff is mac, only stuff ive got from snap on/blue point was on a deal, also find that snap on blokes are dickheads compared to the mac dealers and would rather give them my money

Tbf only really go on the mac tool van, they have the best deals

[Connor]

Well they're really good tool at a fair price, yes snap on is good, but over priced

[Frosty]

Most of my stuff is mac, only stuff ive got from snap on/blue point was on a deal, also find that snap on blokes are dickheads compared to the mac dealers and would rather give them my money

I find my snap on dealer a nicer bloke than the mac man.

[Tom]

You guys in the trade when you started did you just see the tool guy and they kit you out with everything you need? Always wondered how it works when you first start out. Sorry for the slight hijack :p

[ConorTRG]

You guys in the trade when you started did you just see the tool guy and they kit you out with everything you need? Always wondered how it works when you first start out. Sorry for the slight hijack :p

I didnt, i just started buying the tools then a wee small box. And just kept buying tools even though id no room in the box anymore.

Bought a beta c38 chest before christmas to store it all in.

Better buying tools first imo.

[Frosty]

You guys in the trade when you started did you just see the tool guy and they kit you out with everything you need? Always wondered how it works when you first start out. Sorry for the slight hijack :p

I started with a little draper tool box with a few tools and if I needed any thing I borrowed it from 1 of the other guys. Through the years I have kept upgrading my tool box and kept buying tools. Tbh there isn't anything I'm stuck for now and this is what box I now have which is my 4th toolbox since I started

[306Puggy]

Beautiful. If I ever get a proper job I would want one of those to go with the inevitable Impreza I would end up owning.

[bashbarnard]

I started with a cantilever box my dad gave me full o argos knock off shit then just built up. Im after a new stack atm as my current one doesnt hold all my tools. It starts getting ridiculous after a while to be fair. I always buy on deals or ebay. I wouldnt be able to afford otherwise

[ADV_93]

To be fair, i rarely go on the snap on van, only to see what deals are on, i usually see the mac man as he's good for deals and the britool expert range is brilliant.

I've been working on cars since i was about 16 and never really needed to get my own tools, but i've got my own box and set up now and it's got all the usual, but specialist tools are already there.

[Tom]

Wow frosty thats like my dream right there!

[ADV_93]

Frosty's set up is pretty mean

[Andy annear]

http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/store...yId_255215

Socket set & Spanner set for £150, scroll down right hand side, epic bargain!

[Ollie]

Unfortunately it's quantity not quality for me.

Impact sockets are snapon the rest of my stuff is draper expert. Also have the biggest halfords tool kit, 170 piece?

Only because I got it cheap (£80) since a mate works there. It's handy to throw in the boot of the car.


[attachment=13896]

[ADV_93]

Unfortunately it's quantity not quality for me.

Impact sockets are snapon the rest of my stuff is draper expert. Also have the biggest halfords tool kit, 170 piece?

Only because I got it cheap (£80) since a mate works there. It's handy to throw in the boot of the car.

That's a lot of boxes mate! Draper expert? What's your experience like with them?

[ally406]

Mostly Halfords and Clark stuff here. If you catch Halfords on a 50% off sale you really can't beat them. The only time one has broke was a torx bit on a Sunday which I really needed to finish the job. Went down to the shop, they exchanged a 2 year old item with no receipt on the spot no questions asked. I would very much doubt I could get a replacement on any other brand within 15 minutes on a Sunday.

B&Q "Torque" branded tools seem to be the same stuff and often cheaper (Halfords and B&Q have the same parent company), but you don't get the warranty.

Aldi/Lidle stuff generally punches above their weight. Got a set of ratchet spanners for £7.99 and they're still going 3 years on. You'd struggle to get a single ratchet spanner for £7.99 most other places......certainly a good choice for the first time buyer.

[Ollie]

Unfortunately it's quantity not quality for me.

Impact sockets are snapon the rest of my stuff is draper expert. Also have the biggest halfords tool kit, 170 piece?

Only because I got it cheap (£80) since a mate works there. It's handy to throw in the boot of the car.

That's a lot of boxes mate! Draper expert? What's your experience like with them?

Let's see, top left is a snap on box. Seems to hold twice as much as anything else well worth it. The two on the left are not branded. Got them for free so can't complain! The rest are draper experts. Great boxes maybe a little small. Good value though!!

[John1.4]

i've bought loads of stuff over the years, never had much time for the snap-on stuff, never 'felt' right.. i work on the philosophy - 'if it hasn't broken by now it's a keeper, if it has broken, i'll not buy that brand again'

i use b&q allen keys, hammer, halfords ratchets and sockets (mostly) and their socket rails, screwdrivers are all random and comfortable, mostly solid handled - good for bashing with hammer, breaker bar / brake kit stuff / spring compressors and ratchet spanners all draper
the rest of it i can't even remember where it came from.. i need less than half of it, and i like more than half of it twice as much as it deserves

[tonytony]

Depends on how much you use them and how much you depend on them.
If you are using them to make a living you need the best quality. They will last longer and also speed the job up by doing the job right, not rounding nuts etc.
If you are just an occasional DIYer buy cheap just to get you by.
But it is less heart breaking hammering a cheap undersized socket onto a rounded bolt head than an expensive one. Also the snap-on man won't honour the lifetime guarantee when he see's the hammer marks.

[Toms306]

Hmm, I really need some sort of organisation for my tools.... A lockable box would be good, but needs to be light enough for me to move around when needed...hmm...

[mspdan]

i have few bergen sets, hammer through screwdrivers and impact socket.. I thought they were german made, never had any issues with them and they have been used for all sorts they are not designed for.

My socket set, spanners and ratchet spanners are all blue point with warranty just replaced when broken. I have a 6 foot bar i was using on the end of my 3/8 bluepoint ratchet when i forgot my breaker bar and had to change the wheel on my sprinter.

Anyone who knows sprinter know the wheels are absolute ***** to get off and i was stood on it and it didnt break, cant rate stuff enough and its cheaper than snapon and im pretty sure its made in the same place!

[ConorTRG]

This is mine:

[joe1joe]

Would use cheap sockets say sealey or draper and snap on ratchet, cheap ratchet fail!

[tonytony]

Would use cheap sockets say sealey or draper and snap on ratchet, cheap ratchet fail!

I agree. Although my britool rartchet wasn't cheap I went through quite a few innards before I bought one from partco that has lasted longer

[anto]

Ive finally learnt that buying cheap tools is a false economy. That said, i dont believe you need to spend a complete fortune on Snap On to get quality.
Ive just got myself a Halfords top box where i had a wee cantilever box before.
Have had a Halfords Pro 150piece socket/ spanner set for a few years now - brilliant, would be lost without it.
CK screwdrivers - good
Irwin vice grips - just ok
CK pliers - good
B&Q long nose pliers - shite
Stanley BIG screwdriver - good (This replaced my da's "big red screwdriver" which i broke. Felt awful having to tell him id broke it, it was like part of the family)

Various hammers, spanners, screwdrivers, pliers, vice grips of my da's. They have lasted probably since my granda's time so they are decent quality.

My da's old Draper 1/2" socket set - good, lasted for years. Ratchet still works perfectly.
My da's old Kamasa 1/2" socket set - as above

Challenge Extreme (Argos) ratchet spanners - fcuking useless
Lidl drill bit set - fcuking useless, be better drilling with my finger