Socket Sets

Tom gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying:

Halfrauds Pro, rather surprisingly.

1/4" and 3/8" are the most useful sizes for car maintenance, with some 1/2" for 17mm-19mm and above. That money'll also get their rather sexy flex-head ratchet spanners.

(I'll be getting a set of those ratchet spanners for Xmas... They arrived, addressed to 'erself, today. Ah, the joys of unsubtle hints...)

What does he want to do with this socket set, repair auto boxes or do body fitting/stripping, mechanical work on car/vans, work on lorries or repair his tractor? The above really does make a difference as to suggestions!

Have a look at the Machine Mart website [1], you might actually be better off buying individual sets of sockets (on rails), ratchets, extensions and a canter-lever tool box to put them in with the sort of budget you have - just a thought...

[1] mind any line wrapping;

Get yourself down to Poundland and buy a shit load of tools for around a fiver! There ya go I've saved you £245 and don't forget; it's the thought that counts.

Why don't I have mates like this? Unless he's a 'special' mate, of course, who only visits when the wife's gone out?

Si

Half price in my local Halfords at the moment - nice to know how much you're loved, isn't it? Mind you, they really are the dogs bollocks - one of the best tool purchases I ever made. It's a shame they don't do the imperial ones in flexi-head.

Ian

As Adrian said, Halfords Pro. Beautifully made (Facom, I've heard), works well and it has a real lifetime guarantee. I broke a 6mm spanner and they replaced it without question, delay or receipt.

You can get a bloody good socket set in the range for a hundred quid.

Ian

Ian gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying:

It's the thought that counts.

Nah, the kind of person who still needs imperial tools would just mutter into their beard at the concept...

Says the man with the collection of 1940s (designed) cars ...

Ian

Ian gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying:

someone asked me for the spanner size of the battery post clamp bolts on something quite late the other day. It was quarter whitworth, I kid you not. He was astounded !!

I often use a metric socket on imperial and vice versa, 17 is a nice tight fit on an 11/16. half inch is good on rusted 13mm etc.

The UK was using metric threads since well before the Boer War. The BA thread system is metric and was adopted by the British Association for the Advancement of Science in 1884. Shame they did away with it - I still have loads in my tool box. John Weale

Me too. Those nut spinners are so useful. Mine have wooden handles with the BA socket on the end of the shaft. Made by CK around 1980 and still 100% perfect today. When I worked in the TV trade the back of the sets were held on by 4BA self tapers (the type with integral washer). I've used them on so many things over the years and they torque up very tightly into most materials, including aluminium sheet, thin steel, plastic and wood. They were brilliant to use and not found a replacement alternative in the modern world. I've even looked for 4BA self tapers on ebay and not found anything.

Mark

Oi, I use imperial as much as metric! Never had a beard.

Citroen didn't do proper metric - as in standardised metric - until the late sixties. Before that they were perfectly happy to use non standard stuff which was measured in mm. You got any of that M5x0.8 stuff on your collection?

And if all we care about is the measurement system - well, BA is entirely metric. Pitch is (0.9)^(BA number) mm, for example ...

Ian

'E's got a right nerve, that Adrian. There isn't a 2CV owner alive who doesn't have to comb bits of minestrone out of his beard occasionally. Even the clean shaven ones wear false soup strainers for public appearances.

Ian

WTF has thread pitch got to do with spanner (hexagon) size?

hehe. It's his birthday on boxing day so me and another mate are clubbing together to get something decent for both :p

Thanks for all the responses guys, will check out the Halfrauds pro set. Have to say it isn't something I'd considered but seeing some of the 14 piece sets for this sort of money I'm sure I'll get more there.

Cheers

Tom

Ian gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying:

"Imperial tools"

Ian gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying:

SWMBO would like a word with you.