What make of tools?

[NickCLotus]

Anyone suggest a reasonable make of tools that is not made of Chinesium Monkey-metal?

I need to get a set of Torx Male Sockets around T10-T70 or therabouts.

Edit:
Also need a 27mm Socket or set which includes that size.

Edited by NickCLotus on Tuesday 19th December 17:28

Edited by NickCLotus on Tuesday 19th December 17:28

[v9]

NickCLotus said:

Anyone suggest a reasonable make of tools that is not made of Chinesium Monkey-metal? I need to get a set of Torx Male Sockets around T10-T70 or therabouts.

I rate the Halfords Pro range quite highly on the quality/price matrix. Lifetime guarantee too. It breaks they replace it no questions asked.

[Grumbly]

The Halfords Pro range of tools were good, but haven't been sold for years. Their cuurent "Advanced" range aren't really any better than any of the other branded budget tools, except for the easy access to the guarantee replacements. Blue point tools are good quality without the full Snap on price penalty.

[Sigmamark7]

I used to work for Facom and unless their quality has changed over the many years since I left, they were very good and came with a lifetime guarantee.

[v9]

Grumbly said:

The Halfords Pro range of tools were good, but haven't been sold for years. Their cuurent "Advanced" range aren't really any better than any of the other branded budget tools, except for the easy access to the guarantee replacements. Blue point tools are good quality without the full Snap on price penalty.

Way to tell me I’m old and out of date dude!

Just noticed that you want a big(ish) socket so just had a look at the bigger ones in my tool box, they are mostly branded Cenata and though I’m quite a hamfisted idiot I’ve not broken one yet.

[plfrench]

I like Wera stuff. Seems well made and lasts well. Not sure if they go up to a T70 though - T60 was the largest I could see.

[NickCLotus]

v9 said:

I rate the Halfords Pro range quite highly on the quality/price matrix. Lifetime guarantee too. It breaks they replace it no questions asked.

Halfords don't seem to make the Pro range any more just the Advanced range now.

[Belle427]

I've always stuck to halfords advanced but have bought some bigger sockets from US Pro tools on ebay recently and they have been good for general car use.

[NickCLotus]

Don't mind paying a premium for good tools but looking at the torx sets and comparing £11 for the Halfords Advanced set with £65 for the Wera set, that is some serious premium.

What about Lexivon this is a suitable Torx set on Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07M9ZF35W/ref...

[SlimJim16v]

Halfords OK, Teng better.

[v9]

SlimJim16v said:

Halfords OK, Teng better.

Yep. Unlikely to have a problem with the Halfords stuff, I’ve broken a couple of bits but only little clips in the socket adapters which was annoying but didn’t stop me using the tool. Was replaced with new without question or even a receipt but I’d use something else if you’re using it day in day out to earn a crust and need 100 % reliability.
Halfords Advanced and Pro range is definitely not made of Chinesium.

[julianm]

My local engineering place sells Unior - a brand I'd always associated with cycle stuff. However, they do a good range & they sell a lot to farmers & construction who generally give tools a hard time & he's never had a complaint. Found this on ebay - https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/155877076864?epid=24047...

Edited by julianm on Wednesday 20th December 12:17

[944 Man]

NickCLotus said:

Halfords don't seem to make the Pro range any more just the Advanced range now.

Changed in 2008. I bought the new Advanced 150pc set when it was the largest.

[944 Man]

Halfords Professional/Advanced is Draper Pro. Halfords may well be cheaper though.

I can prove this btw, unlike the “it is Facom” or “it is Teng” nonsense that people used to make up.

[Belle427]

Its more than adequate for the average home mechanic, dont think in 30 years of using the likes of halfords and draper ive ever broken something.

[donkmeister]

plfrench said:

I like Wera stuff. Seems well made and lasts well. Not sure if they go up to a T70 though - T60 was the largest I could see.

I too like wera. Very well made and thought out tools. It takes occasional abuse and has never let me down.

It's definitely not a budget option, but goddamnit it's worth it.

[Jakg]

NickCLotus said:

Anyone suggest a reasonable make of tools that is not made of Chinesium Monkey-metal?

I need to get a set of Torx Male Sockets around T10-T70 or therabouts.

I like spending money on tools - not Snap-on, but quality stuff like Teng etc.

I've had quite a few cheap torx sets but I've found they tend to be more of a consumable - especially the loose torx bits.

I've found the integrated bit+bitholder ones work better and getting impact rated ones helps as well.

I got this (US Pro set - £13!) - https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/125449355038 - and was impressed.

If there was a Teng or whatever for £30 I probably would've bought that instead, but I couldn't find one at the time.

NickCLotus said:

Also need a 27mm Socket or set which includes that size.

Do you actually need a set, or just a specific socket? With larger ones you often get a bunch you don't need to get the one you do, it's not that expensive to pick up a single and then you can chose short / deep, 6pt etc (which obviously means - buy them all!)

E.G. a Britool impact 27mm for £9

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/352415071255

944 Man said:

Halfords Professional/Advanced is Draper Pro. Halfords may well be cheaper though.

I can prove this btw, unlike the “it is Facom” or “it is Teng” nonsense that people used to make up.

I can't prove this, but I doubt there's a single supplier for every Halfords tool ever made - e.g. the ratchet spanners.

[944 Man]

I agree. At the time, as it is an old story, I was confident that it was a single supplier deal, but I’d be surprised if it was the case now.

I did check a fair few items at the time as well which suggested that it was all Draper. Halfords provided a DP part number for a serviceable part on a tool after they had stopped servicing it separately.

[105.4]

Sigmamark7 said:

I used to work for Facom and unless their quality has changed over the many years since I left, they were very good and came with a lifetime guarantee.

Another +1 for Facom, especially their screwdrivers and ratchets, both of which are better than SnapOn IMO.

[gazza285]

105.4 said:

Another +1 for Facom, especially their screwdrivers and ratchets, both of which are better than SnapOn IMO.

Broken every 1/2” Facom ratchet I have bought, but then again I have also managed to break every other 1/2” ratchet I have bought as well, so that’s more operator error than the tool’s fault. The Facom ones did put up more of a fight than most of the others though, I think only the Teng ones lasted me longer.