I've made some good savings on the Pro range of tools but the best savings come with the special offers that they continually do - which kind of makes a mockery of the trade-card in my opinion.
There's never much of a saving on cleaning stuff either which is irritating as I get through loads of it
Halfrauds continually miss a trick with the increasing number of owners with classic cars - they could do a nice range of Whitiworth tools. ...And for the bikers among us I see very little in there nowadays. In fact I commented to a friend that it all seems to be bicycles, kiddies car seats and camping gear these days
My modern day Halfords experience is pretty much exclusively at their Seafield branch here in Edinburgh. I have occasionally bought stuff like screen wash, wiper blades etc from others - even as far afield as Barnstaple in Devon! - but Seafield is the only branch I have in depth knowledge of. For me their great strength is the weekend opening and the trade card gets me serious discounts on a lot of the stuff I'm looking for which perhaps I forgot to buy, or didn't know I was going to need, from the factors on the Friday or Saturday morning (things like brake Pads or shoes, brake fluid, Antifreeze - too many types and age limited to keep them all now - you get the idea) . Yes they do good special offers but they may not be relevant to a service task and may not be what, I'm looking for at that moment. So, personally, I find the trade card very useful indeed. Also there's one particular chap here at our branch who took a particular interest in my purchase of the Vortex socket sets. I bought both this one https://www.halfords.com/tools/hand...ric-vortex-socket-set-1/4in-3/8in-217695.html and the 1/2" size equivalent set. Every time I go in I get a big smile from him and he's very keen to hear of any jobs I've done using them. Don't think these sets were "big sellers" which is probably why he remembers me buying both sets? He also keeps me up to date with any specials he thinks might interest me. I suppose that's just good business on his part - hoping for a sale from the "idiot" who bought the Vortex Sockets? - but he seems genuine and to recommend useful stuff.
They have a workshop attached, but separate, but I have no experience of them - looks to much of a "Fast Fit" type operation to interest me. About half a mile away, along the seafront road, there is/was another Halfords which was a workshop only - no retail shop attached. It is/was/seemed to be a completely separate entity which took on big jobs? I've seen engines out on the floor etc. (don't know if it's even still open as I haven't been in in some time) I only ever bought tyres there - with 6 cars in the family someone seems to be always needing a tyre - but the workshop manager on the front desk seemed very knowledgeable and I was impressed by the opinions he expressed in the conversations we had whilst my tyres were being fitted. They did a good balance job too - I'm very fussy about wheel balance and it's not something which is always a "given".
Cleaning "stuff" I buy on line, not that I'm obsessed with car cleaning. I do use a 2 bucket washing system. Lucky if the car gets waxed once a year though. I think I'm probably a closet Rat Rod wannabe? Like to hoover out and clean the interior regularly, which is great now we have "Norman" (our newly acquired commercial Numatic vacuum) don't like dust on the dash in particular!
Do you think there's actually enough volume sales in classic car stuff for them? I'd like to think so, but? Agree about the lack of mechanical stuff for Motor Cycles though - Although I should qualify that by saying I'm only ever looking for spares for old machines. Our store has an upstairs too and that's all bikes. I've wandered around it just out of interest and was struck, as you mention, by the racks of special tools. Not like my old "policeman's" Raleigh at all!
PS I used to buy from Halfords in London back in the '60's. It was a quite different and less "flashy" operation then. Always a place I looked forward to visiting and still have some of the stuff I bought. Came across a fuel economy device the other day in an old box. It's a spring loaded diaphragm which fitted in the fuel line before the carburettor and was supposed to take the "pulse" effect out of the fuel delivery thus eliminating the "jogging" effect in the float chamber needle. It never made any difference I could detect on fuel consumption!
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