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[andyc]

Thing is its twice the size of a snap on box, has a ten year warranty  The only problem? is filling it

[aaronjb]

Yeah - it would nicely replace the two Halfords bottom cabinets

[ronnyd]

Did i imagine it but on Andy C,s first link did i see a toolchest with a price tag of 10k? It,s about twenty pics down. Sorry
i can,t do links.

[Nick W]

I have a right mix.


I keep a Halfords set in the truck, because for £100 it covers everything I'm likely to need, and it doesn't matter much if I leave it at the side of the road. And yes, I have done that.


I have Halfords Industrial rollcabs and topboxes at home and work. The get both for £400 deal is how I bought the work set; the ones at home were £100 each as ex-display. I have  Britool step-up box at home, which is the same size and adds 4 more drawers.


I have Snap-on 1/4 and 3/8 sockets & ratchets in my box at work, plus 8 to 19mm spanners. Most of these were bought as promotions or secondhand; normal prices are extortionate. The ratchets are well used, as I've 'found' them over the years. I do find the basic SO tools to be excellent, but that is the absolute minimum that is acceptable considering the cost. I can't imagine ever spending the money necessary for SO boxes, and I cannot see why anyone would buy them without the tools to fill them. We no longer have the rep turn up at work, so the 'easy to warranty' doesn't really apply.


SO ratchet screwdrivers are the only ones I've found worth having, and have 3 sets; one for the truck, one for work and one at home. This is probably extravagant, but it's only money.


I have a load of Sealey stuff, which is pretty good, well priced and easy to find. Plus they do all sorts of special stuff, which tends to be much cheaper and just as good as SO equivalents.


I also have a load of unbranded stuff for odd jobs; like bearing pullers, brake windback tools and the like.


As I go to several shows each year, I often buy from traders, so I have lots of Eclipse pliers, saws snips etc, none of which were more than £5new. I once bought a number of Bahco files and handles, and got some funny looks at work when I on burnt the handles as they'd never seen that before!


I do find that it is worth buying branded cutting tools, like files, chisels, saw blades and snips.

It is also worth keeping some cheaper spanners for modifying to do awkward jobs, as heating and bending a £15 SO spanner really hurts!

[Nick W]

I need to add that I have several tools that looked so useful I had to have them. These include: 3/8 cordless impact wrench which turned out to be an expensive way of adding a couple of extra batteries to my small drill and lamp; washer jet adjuster, it was only £4 but that still rankles; multi-plug terminal removal set, a cheap jewellers screwdriver works much better.
Appearances can be deceptive!


I try not to buy stuff on a whim anymore, but I can resist anything but temptation!

[andyc]

Its like being a kid in a sweet shop isn't

[78bex]

Not a massive collection of tools, some of the older brit makes are good to watch out for at boot sales etc. I got some nice metric King Dick spanners the other year at a boot sale in the local school field, only recently noticed most of these  have the broad arrow (ex mil use) stamped on them & very nice quality.
 My socket set is a mish mash of draper, halfords & elora parts.  still got some old AF spanners & imperial stuff from years ago & can`t bring myself to get rid. A BT engineer stupidly left a lot of his kit overnight in a factory I worked in about 5 years ago. so we shared all his stuff out amongst the team I was in. I arm wrestled somene for his drill & won  I think 2 other blokes went toe to toe for his boots  they were too small for me.

[candyman]

I have a right mix.


I keep a Halfords set in the truck, because for £100 it covers everything I'm likely to need, and it doesn't matter much if I leave it at the side of the road. And yes, I have done that.


I have Halfords Industrial rollcabs and topboxes at home and work. The get both for £400 deal is how I bought the work set; the ones at home were £100 each as ex-display. I have  Britool step-up box at home, which is the same size and adds 4 more drawers.


I have Snap-on 1/4 and 3/8 sockets & ratchets in my box at work, plus 8 to 19mm spanners. Most of these were bought as promotions or secondhand; normal prices are extortionate. The ratchets are well used, as I've 'found' them over the years. I do find the basic SO tools to be excellent, but that is the absolute minimum that is acceptable considering the cost. I can't imagine ever spending the money necessary for SO boxes, and I cannot see why anyone would buy them without the tools to fill them. We no longer have the rep turn up at work, so the 'easy to warranty' doesn't really apply.


SO ratchet screwdrivers are the only ones I've found worth having, and have 3 sets; one for the truck, one for work and one at home. This is probably extravagant, but it's only money.


I have a load of Sealey stuff, which is pretty good, well priced and easy to find. Plus they do all sorts of special stuff, which tends to be much cheaper and just as good as SO equivalents.


I also have a load of unbranded stuff for odd jobs; like bearing pullers, brake windback tools and the like.


As I go to several shows each year, I often buy from traders, so I have lots of Eclipse pliers, saws snips etc, none of which were more than £5new. I once bought a number of Bahco files and handles, and got some funny looks at work when I on burnt the handles as they'd never seen that before!


I do find that it is worth buying branded cutting tools, like files, chisels, saw blades and snips.

It is also worth keeping some cheaper spanners for modifying to do awkward jobs, as heating and bending a £15 SO spanner really hurts!

 I'm probably the same. I've a lot of different makes (14 sets of spanners at last count, the dearest being SO flank drive which are great for injector pipes and a £8 set which are really thin for getting at air voss fittings on air valves), the only make I don't have are halfrauds. The big bonus with S0 and mac is the rep called every week and you got tools on the trip. £30 a week for 7 yrs fairly adds up when, at one time there was 3 vans coming in. At the minute I have 3 armstrong swivel long handle ratchets which are taking some abuse and I'm very impressed with. As said SO ratchet screwdrivers are the best and mac for non insulated crimping pliers for terminals in multiplugs.  Also with being self employed I'm better spending money on tools rather than giving it to the tax man. 
 Has the op ever been on a proper SO van? I've just finished wiring one at it still amazes me after 20 yrs. A tool for every job!

[henryd]

When I started out 25 years ago I bought a rack of 3/8 snap on deep and shallow sockets and a set of metric spanners 8-19 mm, I've had loads of other kit come and go but I've still got that initial purchase which are used all day every day, they don't seem so expensive now do they?

[Marks DTM Calib]

I have a fair mix of stuff, for sockets my preference is Teng at the moment as they are very robust, reasonably thin walled and seem stronger than my ratchets (which included a Snap on one!), spanners I also have Teng as I find the shafts of Halfords ones to thin. Home stuff is all in Machine Mart pro cabinets

At the railway I have a bigger mix, mainly as I need Whitworth and AF over there as well so there is Britool kit up to circa 90mm but there is some Teng, Halfords spanners (and a rag to protect my hens when using them!), Snap On, King Dick a real mix.

Would I buy Snap On, no as its over priced and only really makes any sense if you need stuff now and cant afford it.

Interestingly I have a Mac tools brake pipe spanner and its truly crap.

[Diamond Black Geezer]

Well, as Webby states, one of the tool threads was started by me, so my 'qualification' in answering this thread is smaller than most, (well, I've been working on cars since the age of 5, so in theory 25 years experience, but can't really count that  )

The old man's toolset is an old cheap n cheerful one, that's been added to and replaced with whatever over the years - mostly car boot sales. Included is a 1/2" Britool ratchet which must be from the 1960s, and still going strong. I'm certainly temped to keep my eye out for Britool stuff second hand. Delighted with my Halfords set so far, aside from the shortcomings mentioned in my previous thread. Fair amount of Draper, and plenty of no-name. I have to say looking at the overall condition of them you really can tell by the rounding of the teeth/facets which are the cheaper sockets - but that's from about 30+ years use and abuse. Also he does have a Snap-on ratchet (again, car boot find) but as also mentioned - for the home mechanic if bought new the price could never be justified for the home mechanic given its seldom use.

If I've learned anything, it's better to a quality used tool, than a brand new cheap-n-nasty one. 

[aaronjb]

When I started out 25 years ago I bought a rack of 3/8 snap on deep and shallow sockets and a set of metric spanners 8-19 mm, I've had loads of other kit come and go but I've still got that initial purchase which are used all day every day, they don't seem so expensive now do they?

I'd have lost most of them in that time.. they'd be pretty expensive, then!

[henryd]

When I started out 25 years ago I bought a rack of 3/8 snap on deep and shallow sockets and a set of metric spanners 8-19 mm, I've had loads of other kit come and go but I've still got that initial purchase which are used all day every day, they don't seem so expensive now do they?

I'd have lost most of them in that time.. they'd be pretty expensive, then!

I have broken a few sockets over the years from misuse hard use but always been replaced without quibble,losing stuff,now thats a bitch

[Diamond Black Geezer]

Went in my local Machine Mart in my dinner hour. Now I'm used to my Halfords Pro set (which I appreciate there are still better quality tools out there) and I must say - 'ugh!'. Honestly, there wasn't any visual difference in the quality of the casting, clearly very thin chrome in places, and overall grating 'stiffness' of moving parts, between the Clarke and the Rolson stuff! Halfords stuff looks and feels the part in comparison.

Popped over the road to another tool place, and Clarke compared with the Bahco, well, it was like stirring warm butter.. mmmm    I appreciate there's a fair price difference, but nevertheless, the £10 Clarke felt like it was a £5 toy, the £25 Bahco felt like a £50 item. 

[Nick W]

Bahco is owned by Snap-on, and some of their ratchets use the same internals.
which would explain that, as the 72tooth SO ratchets are very nice.