Is there a better toolkit than the Halfords one for less ££?
Discussion
I'm debating whether to get the 200pc Halfords toolkit or the 150pc. I have most socket sizes and a few ratchets etc, enough to do major servicing on my car and other small repairs, but I like the idea of a neat and tidy toolkit containing everything I could ever want.
Is the Halfords one a good buy? Or are there better alternatives for the same or less money?
Is the Halfords one a good buy? Or are there better alternatives for the same or less money?
Acuity30 said:
I'm debating whether to get the 200pc Halfords toolkit or the 150pc. I have most socket sizes and a few ratchets etc, enough to do major servicing on my car and other small repairs, but I like the idea of a neat and tidy toolkit containing everything I could ever want.
Is the Halfords one a good buy? Or are there better alternatives for the same or less money?
Their advanced tool kits come with a lifetime guarantee so buying a cheaper kit makes no sense really for what you might save on purchase priceIs the Halfords one a good buy? Or are there better alternatives for the same or less money?
If I were OP I'd be giving some thought to the Halfords Advanced drawers and modular tool trays. They had good Black Friday deals, maybe they've done the same for New Year sales?
I love my posh tools but I have a few bits of Halfords Advanced and it feels decent quality. Plus I bet if I went to Wera with a busted ratchet they'd just insult me in German, but I've heard tales of people deliberately bending Halfords Advanced tools to fit a particular job and then getting a no questions replacement.
Unless of course you want something portable, in which case I'd say a better option is to craft your own. YouTube is chock full with videos of people showing off their carefully thought out portable toolkits (usually with Wera and Knipex stuff in there).
I love my posh tools but I have a few bits of Halfords Advanced and it feels decent quality. Plus I bet if I went to Wera with a busted ratchet they'd just insult me in German, but I've heard tales of people deliberately bending Halfords Advanced tools to fit a particular job and then getting a no questions replacement.
Unless of course you want something portable, in which case I'd say a better option is to craft your own. YouTube is chock full with videos of people showing off their carefully thought out portable toolkits (usually with Wera and Knipex stuff in there).
If you can wait, just hang around until a decent offer comes up on the Halfords stuff. I think it is difficult to beat and you get the convenience of warranty replacements from a local shop at 3pm on a sunday afternoon.
On the 150 vs 200 piece set. I got the 150 piece set, only regret is it doesn't have any deep sockets in (other than small 1/4 inch ones). In retrospect I would have gone for the 175 piece set as the 200 set only comes with ratchet spanners.
On the 150 vs 200 piece set. I got the 150 piece set, only regret is it doesn't have any deep sockets in (other than small 1/4 inch ones). In retrospect I would have gone for the 175 piece set as the 200 set only comes with ratchet spanners.
stephenjk said:
I have the advanced set and very pleased with quality of the tools. They've also improved the set recently compared to the one I bought so it is looking even better now.
The 200pc set comes with ratchet spanners which I really want. It's full price £240 at the moment. I'll wait because I don't need it desperately but I've heard it has dropped to 180 at timesI would look at the 200 piece advanced kit as a bloody good start to build a decent tool collection. The 200 piece kit you’re looking at would fill 1 of my tool cabinet draws because I have collected throughout my years as a DIY hobbiest. If I need a specialist tool or a set of Torx spanner’s I’ll buy them
Its been ages since i looked at those kits, from long experience try and make sure any sockets you buy are 6 not 12 sided, most useful method of socket storage in on clip on rails, take the whole rail to the car with your ratchet and extensions you've got almost everything you need.
Having everything in a huge open tray isn't that ideal when working on your car, unless you have a clear bench in the dry to open the toolkit what is it starts to drizzle whilst you working you end up with everything wet, better to have a manageable tool box (wheels a good option) with sizeable secure drawers, so you only expose your precious tools minimally and can quickly wheel it back under cover if it rains, and a (extendable/stackable ?) tool box takes up much less room than a huge flat pack and you can have the toolbox beside you as you work on the car, once sitting down beside your front brakes you want all tools in easy reach, a large open tooltray will be a pita overtime.
Pluis if you have to go out to a breakdown, a tool box is much easier to find boot space for and can contain jump leads gaffer tape levers huge mole grips stilsons etc, everything you are likely to need in one easily carried box.
Having everything in a huge open tray isn't that ideal when working on your car, unless you have a clear bench in the dry to open the toolkit what is it starts to drizzle whilst you working you end up with everything wet, better to have a manageable tool box (wheels a good option) with sizeable secure drawers, so you only expose your precious tools minimally and can quickly wheel it back under cover if it rains, and a (extendable/stackable ?) tool box takes up much less room than a huge flat pack and you can have the toolbox beside you as you work on the car, once sitting down beside your front brakes you want all tools in easy reach, a large open tooltray will be a pita overtime.
Pluis if you have to go out to a breakdown, a tool box is much easier to find boot space for and can contain jump leads gaffer tape levers huge mole grips stilsons etc, everything you are likely to need in one easily carried box.
VanDiesel99 said:
no such thing as 'everything you could ever want'.
Tools are something you add to as your needs and vehicles change and/or you become ever more confident to take on ever bigger jobs.
Just buy what you need, as you need it, to supplement what you've already got.
I tend to agree with this. I have had sets with socket sizes I never used. I trimmed the set down to the bare minimum of pieces. Tools are something you add to as your needs and vehicles change and/or you become ever more confident to take on ever bigger jobs.
Just buy what you need, as you need it, to supplement what you've already got.
What I do need is a new torque wrench. As cars have got bigger, so have wheel fasteners, and hence torques.
Acuity30 said:
I'm debating whether to get the 200pc Halfords toolkit or the 150pc. I have most socket sizes and a few ratchets etc, enough to do major servicing on my car and other small repairs, but I like the idea of a neat and tidy toolkit containing everything I could ever want.
Is the Halfords one a good buy? Or are there better alternatives for the same or less money?
If you look at Ebay or Facebook you can often find big tool trolleys for around £400-£500Is the Halfords one a good buy? Or are there better alternatives for the same or less money?
Of course they're cheap Chinese rubbish. But, they will be perfect for a home mechanic.
I've had my Halfords Advanced set for 10+ years, think it was a 150pc, can't remember to be honest.
All the above fluff about precious tools getting in the rain, b
ks to that, leave the box open in the rain where you need it and crack on, if something somehow gets too rusty to work, they'll replace it for free on a Sunday afternoon, which is frankly worth more than whatever promises you get on an expensive tool, when it breaks and you need to finish the job before it gets dark / starts raining again...
Yes it's a lovely idea to keep all of your tools neatly arranged in a wheely chest with a fine veneer of WD40 on them, but the reality is at some point you're going to be need to get a rusty 13mm bolt off that's rounding as you apply torque, and you'll find that hammering on a 1/2" grips it like a champion and you manage to replace the lower arm and get on with your life or whatever
Or maybe that spanner doesn't quite fit in the gap, but it would do if you bent it in half.
The bigger the set the better, and then you can just add to it as and when you come across the weird E bits or whatever oddity you need for a job.
Also, pro tip, assuming it's removable you can slip the handle of your trolley jack over the end of your poor halfords advanced ratchet and use it to apply ungodly amounts of torque. It will survive this, even if it has been left out in the snow on occasion.
In summary, yes, they're an absolutely excellent start, and I cannot overstate the significance of the ability to get a bit replaced somewhere locally during the weekend. You know, that time when we do stuff to our cars.
All the above fluff about precious tools getting in the rain, b
ks to that, leave the box open in the rain where you need it and crack on, if something somehow gets too rusty to work, they'll replace it for free on a Sunday afternoon, which is frankly worth more than whatever promises you get on an expensive tool, when it breaks and you need to finish the job before it gets dark / starts raining again...Yes it's a lovely idea to keep all of your tools neatly arranged in a wheely chest with a fine veneer of WD40 on them, but the reality is at some point you're going to be need to get a rusty 13mm bolt off that's rounding as you apply torque, and you'll find that hammering on a 1/2" grips it like a champion and you manage to replace the lower arm and get on with your life or whatever
Or maybe that spanner doesn't quite fit in the gap, but it would do if you bent it in half.The bigger the set the better, and then you can just add to it as and when you come across the weird E bits or whatever oddity you need for a job.
Also, pro tip, assuming it's removable you can slip the handle of your trolley jack over the end of your poor halfords advanced ratchet and use it to apply ungodly amounts of torque. It will survive this, even if it has been left out in the snow on occasion.
In summary, yes, they're an absolutely excellent start, and I cannot overstate the significance of the ability to get a bit replaced somewhere locally during the weekend. You know, that time when we do stuff to our cars.
Smint said:
Or you look after your tools, using 6 sided sockets so they don't round off, and never need to stop half way through a job and beg a lift to the nearest Halfords to replace a tool you yourself ruined through neglect, but pray carry on bodging and scarpering.
What a wet blanketAcuity30 said:
Smint said:
Or you look after your tools, using 6 sided sockets so they don't round off, and never need to stop half way through a job and beg a lift to the nearest Halfords to replace a tool you yourself ruined through neglect, but pray carry on bodging and scarpering.
What a wet blanketQuite a bit of my stuff is Halfords, with some MAC, Facom , Blue Point, Astro Pneumatic, Ingersol Rand, Clarke’s, (excellent ratchets), and Snap On thrown in as well.
Just this last weekend I’ve taken all of my tools out of my three toolboxes, cleaned them all and wiped them all down with WD-40.
I look after my tools. Primarily because there’s a lot of money invested in them and I like to look after my stuff. Even though quite a lot of them are over 20 years old, besides being a bit scratched through use, they’re all in tip-top condition.
If that makes me whet, or ghay, then I frankly don’t care.
Edited by 105.4 on Friday 6th January 21:54
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