Tool brands! Recommendations please..

bb1boy · Post by **bb1boy** » Mon Sep 02, 2013 4:06 pm

Hi guys,

I am looking to buy a set of spanners and possibly a socket set, I don't want to spend Snap-On money, but at the same time I don't want to buy those bendy chrome-vanadium spanner sets you can get for 99p

What do people here use/recommend?

I hear good things about Halfrauds Professional and Teng tools..

Thoughts/opinions?

Post by **indigolemon** » Mon Sep 02, 2013 4:14 pm

I have a mix of hellfrauds and Teng, and both are amazing. Teng sell a lot of stuff on the bay quite cheap, but then hellfrauds do good deals sometimes so it's always worth checking.

I would say the Teng stuff is better quality overall though, I prefer using the Teng stuff.

bb1boy · Post by **bb1boy** » Mon Sep 02, 2013 4:17 pm

Nice one, thanks bud

Post by **Merlin** » Mon Sep 02, 2013 4:17 pm

I have a Crescent tool set (spanner and sockets) from Costco or some where and none of it has broken despite the punishment it has gone through. I think it was in the region of £60 or something.

Edit - this exact one

http://forums.sv650.org/showthread.php?t=147439

bb1boy · Post by **bb1boy** » Mon Sep 02, 2013 4:24 pm

~£60? ..and you vouch for it's hardiness? That's not bad. Like I say, I have a history of bending spanners, especially cheap ones.

Post by **4thgenphil** » Mon Sep 02, 2013 4:39 pm

i rate halfords stuff, no the basic crap though! and when you break it you get a new one ( on some stuff)

Post by **Merlin** » Mon Sep 02, 2013 4:42 pm

bb1boy wrote:~£60? ..and you vouch for it's hardiness? That's not bad. Like I say, I have a history of bending spanners, especially cheap ones.

It was that cheap because it was in Costco. I would think it would be more expensive from other places. Yeah I would vouch for its durability. In lieu of physical strength I go for the hammer approach and nothing has bent or snapped.

bb1boy · Post by **bb1boy** » Mon Sep 02, 2013 4:47 pm

@4thgenphil, my mate almost suffered an injustice at the mercy of the Halfrauds check out chicks - he went back with a broken Professional socket set ratchet handle and to replace it they asked to see the receipt. Fair enough you say, but when the receipt gets to a certain age, due to the nature of the paper they use, it goes blank! He was refused a refund/replacement so took it up with the management, they said it was his own fault for not photocopying the receipt when he bought the tool! After a 'debate' he got his replacement ..just a word of warning.

Post by **indigolemon** » Mon Sep 02, 2013 4:50 pm

bb1boy wrote:@4thgenphil, my mate almost suffered an injustice at the mercy of the Halfrauds check out chicks - he went back with a broken Professional socket set ratchet handle and to replace it they asked to see the receipt. Fair enough you say, but when the receipt gets to a certain age, due to the nature of the paper they use, it goes blank! He was refused a refund/replacement so took it up with the management, they said it was his own fault for not photocopying the receipt when he bought the tool! After a 'debate' he got his replacement ..just a word of warning.

Given they all have 'Halfords Professional' stamped on them, that's rank ...

Confused · Post by **Confused** » Mon Sep 02, 2013 5:01 pm

Halfords Professional aren't too bad - especially if you get them on one of their money-off offers.

I've personally got a Blue-Point service set, this one, and my dad also has an identical set that he uses at home. Have not found anything (other than hub nuts) that this set hasn't had the required tool for, and neither myself nor my dad have had an issue with any of the bits in over 3 years of heavy use (my dad uses them almost daily)

Add on a 1/2" breaker bar (I have one of these) and 1/2" impact socket set (I have these), and you've got pretty much all you need. As I rarely use spanners, for the situations I do use them, I've been able to make do with some fairly cheap spanners without any issues.