Beefy socket sets

Andrew,they are mostly all good nowadays as the traditional cheap countries have access to better steels.I`ve got a set of 3/4" sq drive AF and MM that cost about =A365.They go from about 22mm to 50mm and the AF about the same.I`ve had 8ft scaffold poles on them and my 16st jumping on the end of it and not burst anything yet.Slight bend in the tee bar possibly.If the sockets look well finished and no curls of metal left at the bottom from the broaching you will be alright.Avoid these one size fits all types as they may do the job but don`t do the nuts any favours. Mark.

My stuff is mainly Draper and Halfords Professional, and I've not been let down by any of it. The only tools to have caused me grief have been stuff where I've bought it cos it was too cheap to pass by.

I've got a set of Halfords ones too - have been very surprised at how well they've held up over the past 5/6 years since I bought them, had some pretty heavy use, bashed/hammered around, long extensions attached, left out in the rain (many times!) still work just as well as when new.

They are 3/8, but been looking for a 1/2in set myself as all my 1/2in bits are one-offs as and when I needed them Been looking here but all the sets look like cheap rubbish (or else are very expensive) - reckon the next time I'm in Halfords I'll buy them from there.

I'll second that! I'd like to say I've stopped buying those cheap tools, but sometimes they are just soooo cheap!!

Matt

drive

Thanks for that Mark, didn't know you hang around here, mainly see you on uk.rec.models.engineering and the various us fora! I've been looking at a metric 3/4" set from Silverline which is priced at about £40 for up to 50mm which seems incredably cheap.

In the past I've managed to buy ex military sets which are passivated rather than chromed, and almost indestructable but none are popping their heads above the parapet at the moment !

AWEM

I hang around them all Andrew.This one because we manufacture some aftermarket parts for Landrovers and thinking about designing more. Tools are incredibly cheap now,when I was an apprentice the day before yesterday a 9/16" x 11/16" Whit Britool ring spanner was a week and a half`s wages.

Have a look round any shops that sell ex-military stuff, there's one called Williamsons of Brook St, Oldham, they have them in, otherwise use Facom or Snap-On. And DON'T lend them out.

Martin

I hang around them all Andrew.This one because we manufacture some aftermarket parts for Landrovers and thinking about designing more. Tools are incredibly cheap now,when I was an apprentice the day before yesterday a 9/16" x 11/16" Whit Britool ring spanner was a week and a half`s wages.

Ah that's because you are my age group and in those days steel was produced all over Sheffield and that's Britools were made. I bought 3 sets when the factory closed and liquidated the old stock. I thought that was that until last week when I bought 2 unused 11/16 3/4 for 50p each bargain ! I did buy some shallow 1/2" sockets from Silverline for the bottom pulley bolt and they seem a quality item I'm beginning to warm to them bit like Sealey without pretentious pricing. Have a squint at the website or if you are a cheshire boy get down to Chelford on a Sunday morning the lad there has them on his stall.

Derek

Derek

There used to be two ranges at Halfords - a kind of "value" product, and the Pro range. I only ever bought the better stuff. Not sure if they still do this.

The worst tool I ever had (there's a new thread title for you) was a half-inch spanner from a tool kit I got at work. It's a book club, where they bring remaindered books and other cheap but interesting stuff. I saw this tool kit for a tenner, and it was compact and had pretty much everything you'd need for roadside repairs. Ideal to keep in the Disco, I thought. About a week later, I needed to disconect the battery. Aha, think I'll use the spanner from the new kit. It took one twist, and the jaw split. I could almost have pulled the jaws apart with my hands. The metal was softer than butter. Lesson learned!

Find your local Farm Services shop, they tend to keep the 3/4 stuff in stock at very keen prices. I got a comprehensive Draper 3/4 set recently for about £65. The quality is pretty good, I had to turn down a socket in the lathe for one of those annoying little one-off tasks, and I blunted a carbide-tipped tool getting through the chrome! Badger.

Agreed, I bought and still have just such a set over 20 years ago and it was that price then. I still see them on the shelves at farm machinery dealers occasionally. They have sockets from 15/16" to 1 1/2 and a similar metric range all in one box cw a ratchet, tommy bar and two extensions.

AJH

There's nowt wrong with Hazet or Stahlwille tools either. Same proviso about lending them applies.

In news: snipped-for-privacy@bt.com, Andrew Mawson wibbled :

Keeping a low profile in case they get posted to Afganistan or EyeRack

Possibly a different set then, mine go from 15/16" to around 2 1/2", with similar in metric, about 10 of each? Badger.

recently for

Just got a 3/4" drive 27 piece metric / AF set off eBay from Trade Tools Direct

AWEM

The only tools that should be posted to Iraq are the politicians!

Amen to that!

snip

I've broken Snap-on before now, but my Teng set hasn't let me down in the past 8 years.

Edd

Yes but do you know where to get replacements if it does? Easy to get Snap-on replaced, don't know about Facom though, they've had my long handled

Martin