Socket and Spanner sets

[Heebee_GB]

Can anyone recommend a decent quality yet reasonably priced socket set, and/or spanner set to use for general van maintenance at home?
What do you all use? I've got a few bits and pieces but thought I might ask for a full set off Santa.

 

[ProfessorWheeto]

Halfords Professional isn't bad gear. I use Britool, GearWrench, Blue Point and Snap On but they are for daily abuse

 

[Justin & Muttley]

Halfords Professional isn't bad gear. I use Britool, GearWrench, Blue Point and Snap On but they are for daily abuse

I agree - my main toolkit is Halfrauds Professional but I pick up Snap-On when I can. The Halfords stuff is good quality and comfortable to use - it seems pretty robust too and most of it carries a lifetime guarantee.

 

[who?]

Yeah, I bought a Halfords Professional socket set a couple of years ago for £99 and its really good, plus you can add to it easily.

 

[dave]

halfords professional range is good value, reasonable price and if i remember correctly they have a lifetime warrenty on build/materials

 

[slammedresto]

Halfords as said above

blag a trade card, or find a mate with one for some discount, although they often have goods deals on

 

[Heebee_GB]

Cheers gents. Looks like I'll be heading to Halfords in the sales.
Thanks again.
Gary.

 

[froggy]

I use a mixture of britool, draper expert, beta, roubuck, teng, snap op, eloma basically anything i lay my hands on at the right price.
As with most things buy the best you can afford. I tend to find the sockets pretty much the same, the money is in the ratchet and to be honest you need a mixture of 1/4", 3/8" and 1/2 drive sets. i also have a 3/4" breaker bar for the awkward nults but this is a monster and most bolts shear before loosening

 

[Doris]

another one for Halfords pro. and there is a sale on their tools atm

 

[angus]

Got my Halfords stuff when I got my van, back in 1990 - still going strong.

 

[Araon]

Halfords, britool, teng, snap on and King Dick (mainly because I'm very childish but they are very good tools)

 

[Clem]

Halfords Pro is good, but the lifetime warranty doesnt apply to moving parts ... socket ratchets and ratchet spanners. :roll: To be fair if you push it, they can and will exchange bust ones, I stripped a 19mm ratchet spanner, but worth noting.

 

[Araon]

They swapped my breaker bar without issue after it errr broke

 

[Sydney1]

Got my Halfords stuff when I got my van, back in 1990 - still going strong.

And the sockets? :lol:

 

[Guest]

i have the big pro halfords set (£200 reduced to £100), the lifetime guarantee is great, ive only snapped a philips head socket in the 5 years ive had it they replaced it no quibbles. the spanners are pretty good quality they have a set of 3 ratchet head spanners which are brilliant for tight spaces.

 

[clyde]

Like many ive got bits and pieces from all over the place and stuff ive liberated from work, but my main socket set is a draper expert and they usually have some good deals at this time of year, and ive got a open spanner/ratchet ring set from halfords pro range and some open/ring spanners also by draper that i keep in the van.
They all have pretty decent offers on at this time of year its just a case of finding the set for you. £100 off a set from halfords is no good if it dosent have the socket size and fitting size you require.

 

[Guest]

the only socket i had to buy other than this set was for the rear hub, but there arent to may sets that carry a socket that big. I think it cost me @ £20 on its own :shock:

 

[angus]

Obviously a 1/2" socket will fit any 1/2" drive, but it quite handy being able to pop down to Halfords and get any extras one might need if required.
Friend had a Halfords set from a good 5-6 years ago, and the case had broken - he rang them up and they sent a new case (slightly different design, but worked) out right away, no questions.
As always, no doubt service can vary depending on who you speak to...

 

[sparkywig]

Picked one of these up for £25, as it had been "damaged".

http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_storeId_10001_catalogId_10151_productId_728767_langId_-1_categoryId_165572" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I needed a tool chest for the garage anyway and for the money I can replace any bits with decent stuff as it wears/breaks.

 

[Pete B]

I started buying Snap-on when an apprentice and still have 99% of that stuff 30 years on. Failures are 3/8" drive ratchet ( the second mechanism to fail in such a short space of time) and the 1/2" breaker bar which for some reason gave way with a length of scaffold pole stuck on the end and me bouncing up and down on it.
Snap -on is great but like a footballer, the cost is disgustingly, rediculously, obscene. Have seen the Halfords stuff and it does seem to be very good at a not too silly price.
Personally I now use a fair bit of 'Kennedy' tools. Not so pretty to look at but they fit properly are nice to use and are fairly cheap. Price matters so I have tools to take on site for work, tools for at home and tools to keep in the bus.
Britool and King Dick are classic top quality kit and I hear good things about Teng Tools.
For Gods sake do NOT buy from Argos, mail order, pound shops or market stalls. If it costs the same as a pound of cheddar cheese, then chances are that's what it is made from.