Tools - What Set up and where to Buy.

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Tools - What Set up and where to Buy.

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OK so a thread about what tools you like and why, am looking for a decent set up so i dont always have to reply on my friend who has almost everything under the sun.

So what kind of set up should i be looking to get:

Ratchet and Socket wise i have a couple of basic sets on Draper, and one B&Q special, both were very cheap but want something better, ie sockets fall off ratchets while in use as no lock. But they do for the boot of the car and sitting in the garage. But want something better.

Would be a metric set up. Sadly as my garage is full of 20yr old Britool AF stuff.

Also have a decent garage trolley jack, and axel stands, creeper, chocks, a bottle jack, wheel braces, basic multimeter, extensive screwdriver collection , and a great set of ramps that used to hold a landrover but that after 20+yrs i wouldnt trust to be under!

So suggest a set up, where to buy and cost if known. Have halfords trade card so if you know the discount price add that as well. (y)
 
Sealey tools are pretty good. I tend to find you only need a few sizes like 10, 13, & 17 seem to be most common whenever I'm working on the cars. couple of extension bars. Some extra long sockets can be useful for clearing difficult stuff and a decent torque wrench. I love tools :)
 
Here are my tools.. I bought them a while ago I am very proud of them, and its more of a complete set than you will find in any socket set.. I bought the basic box and added to it. It is portable, sturdy, convenient and a joy to use far more so then any plastic box set... I would buy them like me and customize the tool selection. I have too much to list in my tool box when I come now to do a job its just me and the one box I mostly need it takes a lot of time out of searching for that tool you want when you need it. They may no be snap on but who's going to snap a socket with a ratchet ?.. Most sets go up in sizes like maybe 28,30,32 and miss inbetween sizes . I looked into getting a good set and this was the best option for me..

cut from another thread..

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Hey I just thought I would show off my new tools as I am extremely happy and proud of them. In the past I used to use my dads I have never had a set of my own. I finally have a decent set of tools. Its now a joy to work on things, as I have almost everything I need its all in one box and its portable. The amount of time I have spent tying to find the correct tools in the past and walking too and fro, from the job to the garage in anger are now gone.. I have used tools alot over the past 10 years & I no doubt will uses these much in years to come.. I couldn't find a set of tools that fitted the bill for me so I bought a basic set and added to it. When I say this is a comprehensive set I mean it..... I do have another box with tools in but these are my prise collection Although they are not snap on I don't work in a garage I am not liable to snap any. I paid in all around £160 and its more than you will get in any comparative set !! I just love em.
 

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every now and then Lidl sell sockets., the last one they had is pretty good.,
the small ratchet is a little flimsey but the half inch one is really sturdy and the sockets and screw bits are made of good metal and are very sturdy.,.,
good set if you dont wanna spend mad money and it has all the torx, allen, flat head and philips head bits too.,.,and in GBP i rekon about 30quid-ish,.
 
I got a full set of Halfords pro range, nothing bad to say about any of it - really pleased with it all. Got bought it all for my 21st from parents as i wanted something useful that i could keep - tools ;) https://www.fiatforum.com/gallery/showgallery.php?cat=1334&ppuser=

Only thing thats not too great is the 3/8 normal sockets are multi point, i prefer a good 6 point socket - so bought an extra set of sealey sockets. IIRC, the deep sockets are 6 sided though so not all bad :)

A good torque wrench is essential!

Basically get a good socket set with extentions etc, torque wrench and good set of spanners. then basically add to them as and when you need...
 
all my tools are from america, unless you can get craftsman out here i wouldnt bother looking, unless you feel like forking out for snap-on. i spent roughly $3k on my snap on tool set and maybe $2k on my craftsman. right now they are on a ship comeing from california, and im s|-|iting myself... i alsho have halfords pro-range. good for the money.. but i prefer my craftsman and snap-on sets. been building them up since i was 13.


Edit: Husky-PRO are good tools aswell, but i havent got a scooby if they are available out here.
 
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that orange set looks like halfords value one that they had on offer a while ago, Gaz bought one

That's because it is, although I have added lots too it and rearranged the box also lined the bottom in carpet. The set had no big sockets in it although I have every size up to 32 now, and deep drives 10-24. You cant beat the cantilever box design (y)
 
moved here as car care section is supposed to be for cleaning type of care ;)

Sorry though seen as it had tyres, exhaust stuff it was for general car care. (y)


Thanks for the replys guys have just got the new Clarke Pro Catalouge in and there's so many nice shiney tools in it! - Aart from the fact they've sent me the 2005 cat which has loads of the stuff i'm interested in missing.(n)
 
3ft Extension bar (1/2" drive minimum) and a 1m length of 40 x 40 x 1mm square tube. I know nothing that and a little bit of brute force and ignorance wont either crack (so can be undone using ratchet) or shear (resulting in lots of swearing)
 
I have Halfords-pro 3/8" socket set and it's really good, can take ALL the abuse I can give it! I use Tool-lux combi-wrenches (£10 for a set of 8,9,10,11,12,13,15,17,19,22 from the Range :eek:) and they're pretty good too. My pliers are all cheapo draper and they're good for the price, but I wouldn't recomend draper nut splitters...they're crap! Mole grips are Focus own brand and they're really good...for the £10 I paid for the pair (small and large) and all this is stuffed in a Halfords shiney red 6 drawer box...ex display so it was only £25 instead of £70 (y)
 
I have two "Tona" sets (1/2" and 1/4"). They are very durable and I am happy with them.
The only set better than these I worked with was my father-in-law s set the brand of which I do not know. I only know it had "Werkstatt Qualitat", i.e. "Workshop Quality" in German printed on the metal box. The "brand" was three letter, something like IAW.
I remember I was unable to locate the manufacturer. Posssibly a surplus sale from a German factory :confused:
 
I would recommend Snap-on tools to anyone particularly for older cars. Yes they are expensive but because they are made to such a high tolerance the fit on nuts and bolts of spanners and sockets is the best you can get so less rounded nuts and bolts and less trouble. I probably have close to ten grands worth built up over a few years but the basics could be bought £300 or so.
 
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