Starter Tool Kit, Will Halfords/Clarke Do The Job?

[AlexMG]

Not too sure whether it's best to spend the extra money and get a more premium one or if a ~~£100 job will be suitable.

I wont be using it for an engine swap, just the usual bits and bobs, but does anyone have any experience with tool kits in this price range?

I don't want to buy the kit and it all wears down very quickly as the purpose of buying these tools is to make the job easier!

Cheers.

[Jon999]

What sort of jobs? I've got a Halfords Advanced 150pc socket / spanner set that does 99% of car related tasks. Shame half the sockets are imperial which never get used.

[Lefty]

The halfords pro stuff is good. Don't pay rrp, the £250 set is often reduced to £125!

[AlexMG]

Jon999 said:

What sort of jobs? I've got a Halfords Advanced 150pc socket / spanner set that does 99% of car related tasks. Shame half the sockets are imperial which never get used.

Servicing to begin with and I also need to change things like the Drop Links.

In the distant future and onto the next car I will probably move onto more advance stuff but at the moment just a basic starter kit that wont fall apart.

[Jon999]

AlexMG said:

Jon999 said:

What sort of jobs? I've got a Halfords Advanced 150pc socket / spanner set that does 99% of car related tasks. Shame half the sockets are imperial which never get used.

Servicing to begin with and I also need to change things like the Drop Links.

In the distant future and onto the next car I will probably move onto more advance stuff but at the moment just a basic starter kit that wont fall apart.

This is the one, done me well for the past two years.

http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/...

The 170 piece one is only £10 more at the moment, probably worth it tbh http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/...

I've just bought myself a cordless impact wrench and tbh now I wouldn't be without that either, makes things so much faster / easier. Especially when doing droplinks etc where bolts are likely to snap.

Edited by Jon999 on Monday 14th April 19:33

[Dave_]

I bought the 200 piece one years ago and i HAVE done engine swaps with it. Very good quality and its never broke. Other than me losing a 17mm spanner its as new.

Add a decent breaker bar, screwdriver set and a torque bar and you can tackle just about anything.

[AlexMG]

Funnily enough I was looking at one before!

I can't imagine an Air/Wired one would be as useful as the Wireless so I found this one...

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Clarke-CIR220-Cordless-450...

I wouldn't mind spending more on one as this will be an item I will keep for quite a long time!

[kambites]

I've owned both and had significant problems with neither through ten+ years of relatively heavy DIY use. The Clark stuff rusted a bit when it had to live in a shed while I was rebuilding the garage and doesn't feel as well built as the Halfords Pro, though.

Neither is in the same league as something like Snap-on, but then they're less than half the price.

[McWigglebum4th]

Teng is of a similar price to halford pro range and i think they are ex cellent quality


And you buy cheap tools you invest in decent tools

[kambites]

McWigglebum4th said:

And you buy cheap tools you invest in decent tools

If you're a professional mechanic, I'd agree entirely. As an amateur looking to service your own cars once a year, it's absolutely not true. Mid-range tools will last an amateur mechanic several lifetimes if they're looked after.

I bought a number of cheap tools from places like Lidl and Aldi and they've lasted fine through what is probably significantly higher usage than most people would give them at home.

[996TT02]

AlexMG said:

Funnily enough I was looking at one before!

I can't imagine an Air/Wired one would be as useful as the Wireless so I found this one...

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Clarke-CIR220-Cordless-450...

I wouldn't mind spending more on one as this will be an item I will keep for quite a long time!

I'd only use any impact wrench without torque adjustabilty to undo stuff. Unfortunately the one above, the only two reviews say that it is not powerful enough to undo wheel nuts, and after doing them up a wrench is needed to tighten. Sort of defeats the object, if I were to use this item only to speed up unscrewing, I may as well use a power screwdriver I have, which I do, actually.

Shame because something like that could be very useful, if it were powerful enough and if it had variable torque.

[reaper668]

I've got a Halfords Pro kit. It has taken some real abuse over the few years and it is still going strong. I also have their flexi head ratchet spanners. I'd be lost without them. Great kit for the price.

[AlexMG]

996TT02 said:

I'd only use any impact wrench without torque adjustabilty to undo stuff. Unfortunately the one above, the only two reviews say that it is not powerful enough to undo wheel nuts, and after doing them up a wrench is needed to tighten. Sort of defeats the object, if I were to use this item only to speed up unscrewing, I may as well use a power screwdriver I have, which I do, actually.

Shame because something like that could be very useful, if it were powerful enough and if it had variable torque.

Thanks, do you have any recommendations on what impact wrench would be suitable?

[kambites]

Never use an impact wrench for tightening up bolts unless the required torque is "as much as possible". The very nature of how an impact wrench works means they can't really be calibrated to tighten to a particular torque.

For loosening, I wouldn't bother with a battery one; they tend to be horribly underpowered. You're better off with a socket set, a breaker bar, and as a last resort one of the impact wrenches that you hit with a hammer, IMO.

[f1nn]

I was bought a 150 PC Halfords kit in 2005.

I've used it for engine conversions and engine swaps on cars, general rebuilds, tinkering with 6 or 7 bikes, general round the house use....everything.

It has been heavily used and has served me well.

What has went wrong? I've broke a torx head which I replaced, the 10mm ratchet spanner is jammed, and I thought the 1/2 drive ratchet was knackered, but I took it apart, cleaned and regreased and it has been fine.

I'd buy another in a heart beat.

[Jon999]

Impact wrench is for nut removal. Not suitable to tighten back up apart from speeding things up. Spin them up using the wrench (variable speed) then use a torque wrench to finally tighten.

I got this one which has managed everything I've tried with it easily despite mixed reviews. Tried it on rusted bolts on a boat trailer that I thought would never come off and it whipped them off no problem after a few blows. Quite expensive though if you don't already have a one+ battery / charger (I did).

http://www.ryobi-direct.com/acatalog/Ryobi_BIW180M...

Edited by Jon999 on Monday 14th April 20:23

[steve_bmw]

I really abuse my halfords tool set, undoing really tight bolts with extensions on the ratchet ect, I've had it ten years and the only thing that has broken is a 17 deep socket, replaced under warrantee.
Brilliant tool sets.