This year I've asked the various family members I only want tools. Quality tools that can last and move around with me. First thing is i'm looking for a good socket set, nice large range of sockets and decent rachet (last one has finally broken) with various accessories. Can anyone recommend a set out there circa £150, and importantly a good supplier (or is it a just go to screwfix type thing?). I already have a 3/8" drive halfords torque wrench which has been quite good and borrowing my dads socket set, but I want to upgrade to the 1/2" drive stuff (presumably need an adapter?) so I can do stuff more conveniently on my car. I've been looking at http://www.tooled-up.com/NewProdsCat.asp and http://www.primetools.co.uk/index.php?page=tools&id=105 but there's soooo much choice out there it's hard to know where to start! If Santa blesses me, what would the next step be for tools? I'm thinking a battery drill maybe? I've been using an old bosch mains drill forever but it's limited to 10mm chuck and doesn't like high torque / low speed loads. The other odd one is I need a hole cutter, but those seem really expensive (for cutting metal), does anyone have experience with the ones that can vary their diameter?? What're people's thoughts?? Merry Xmas!
Ive got a halfords 'professional' socket set, cost £100 and has everything ive ever needed in it tbh, the quality is good and they offer a lifetime warranty although i doubt it actually extends to the rachet mechanisms. You could do alot worse. With regards to the drill, im a big fan of festool, but they're crazy expensive. The small 'pistol grip' makita drill & driver kits are also awesome for everyday jobs.
For hand tools I usually buy craftsmen, though I doubt they're in the UK. If you're wanting tools for auto work, you might want to get a good torque wrench.
Another vote for Halfords Professional range of tools. I've had a set that has been slowly growing over the last 10 years of owning a car (can't actually carry my toolbox any more due to the weight of it all) and only once had a socket fail on me (and even then it was only the chrome flaked off but they still replaced it under the lifetime warranty, just keep the receipt some place safe). They have a 50% sale on at the moment too so have a look round.
+1 to halfords stuff, the professional range is great quality. I'll also agree on makita for the drill, awesome quality tools from them. For the drill I would also recommend Bosch but try to steer clear of dewalt, they're fine for odd jobs around the house but don't really have the lifespan for getting worked hard
Facom, Kraftwerk, Knippex Can't go wrong with Facom, I love ever single bit of tool they offer. Expensive as hell though, but with Facom you only buy ones... Most of my stuff is Kraftwerk though, as I used to work in a shop and got a way better deal on that. I bought a whole chest with 4 drawers with just about everything I could need. Even with employee discount etc.. it still cost a pretty penny though. For pliers etc.. just one brand : Knippex . I replaced the Kraftwerk plier set that came with the chest with Knippex and never looked back. There stuff is just amazing, it's worth 10x it's weight in gold.
I like CK tools, I use CK pliers and snips and Wera screwdrivers. Most of my powertools seem to be Ryobi, not the best but do the trick. I keep buying hole cutters in different sizes - I have 2 arbors, one big and one small and then the actual cutters are £10 - £20, for metal just get a mixed metal cutter so that it can cut the metal.
I would NEVER buy Halfords tools. Being from an engineering background, I personally would only ever buy from the likes of Knipex, Bacho (socket sets for around £90 and they are the best set I've ever used), Tengtools and Wepa (make very nice compact screwdriver sets. Haupa make awesome electrical tools, such as crimpers, wire strippers, side-cutters and pliers. I wouldn't recommend CK either again, cheap, nasty stuff. Bosch make good arbours and holesaws, we'v got a fair few in the tool chests at our unit.
I wouldn't recommend Bosch for power-tools, or the likes of Black and Decker etc. We had a Bosch hammer drill a £400 go pop the first time out the box, the quick release chuck came off the body of the drill first use. We've had 2 Dewalt drills and 2 Makita 18v drills that have lasted ages, God knows how many holes they've drilled and tapped, drilled through 15mm thick steel they've been dropped from cherry-pickers, off ladders, dropped in puddles and been in dust and still work great. If you can afford Milwaukee tools, they are by far the best.
I can recommend Proxxon, we use it at the workshop. Mostly because it gets the job done and its not as costly like Hazet, which i think is the wicked stuff, when you can afford it. You have to consider that you will hardly brake any of your Tools, its more likely that you will lose them. Powertools its Makita and Fein all the way!
I know this is more than you've asked about, but here are some of the brands that you'll find in my tool collection: Draper - Most of my sockets, some of my screwrivers, crimp tools and a lot of the power tools like heat guns, router, jigsaw etc and some of my larger pliers and snips Elora - Spanners Sealey - My tap & die sets, most of my spanners and a bunch of small stuff like precision screwdriver sets Knippex - All my side cutters, some of my wire strippers, small PCB snips etc Duratool - All my static safe tools like tweezers and other component placing devices Dremel - My dremel multitools, glue gun etc. Metcal - Rework stations and wands Antex - All the smaller irons Bosch - Cordless drill, hammer drill and SDS bits and electric screwdriver (IXO) Panasonic - Cordless drill Record - Vices Stripmaster - Wire strippers and cutters Stanley - car jacks and axle stands Notable and noteworthy: The Bosch SDS hammer drill is used every day and is now 4 years old. It gets as much use as my Panasonic cordless, and both of them are bulletproof. Whoever mentioned that Bosch aren't reliable got a dud. My drill and cordless have done more work than any of the rest of my power tools and are still going strong. The draper screwdrivers are the most durable around. A couple of my sets are well over 6 years old and still as good as the day I bought them. Good tools last and these are a great example. The Elora spanners are at least as old as me - they're an old set of Dads and they've seen a serious amount of work both in his hands and mine. Still as good as they day they were new. Most of the rest of my car oriented stuff like torque wrench, engine stand, hacksaws, allen keys, spark plug sockets, car jacks, axle stands etc are a mixture of Draper and Sealey and Stanley
My Bosch GBH 2-26 DFR drill is 4 years old and drills about 50 holes in concrete walls most days. Another guy I do work for occasionally has one too, and his does twice as much work as mine 6 days of the week. I have no doubt that they're a good drill. If you're in the building or demo trade then I understand, but don't trash the whole brand because they "ain't up to the type of work" you do. That's ridiculous. That's akin to a Subaru WRC driver saying "Ford road cars are crap, they aren't up to the sort of driving that I do". I also have a smaller Makita hammer drill, but it doesn't get as much use as the Bosch. The bosch is a weapon in comparison.
I got these for my Dad 2 years ago for Christmas, they were only about £30 then. Nothing has so much as even hinted at breaking, and they've been used plenty to restore and work on a number of cars with very seized, old, rusty bolts. I know its 3/8 drive, but its done pretty much everything we've needed, only occasionally needing to get out the old 1/2" set for really stubborn/tight bolts. Being 3/8 you've got more accessibility to things in tight spaces. Also heard plenty of good things about all of the Halfords tools.
As I said, the Bosch gear I've used isn't up to spec for me. I've had bad experiences with them on several occasions. Cheaper tools from Makita and Dewalt hold their charge longer, have more torque and have been thoroughly bashed around and still work after some serious abuse. I work in quarries, just to give you an idea of what they go through. Milwaukee power-tools walk all over any of them so...
+1 for the Halfords pro set, 13eightyfour got his after using mine. It's never let me down, I have used mine for a few years to work on my motorbikes and cars.
Alright, I've gone for the Halfords pro 150 piece socket/spanner set, got it for £89 with their sale. It's got a huge variety of sockets etc in which kinda sold it for me. I have been looking at the more 'quality' makes as people have suggested but the sheer price of them does take some getting used to! I think as the exact ones in the halfords wear out I can replace them individually with quality makes, but still have the variety for that obscure socket I'll need at some point. Next is the power tools, got say ~£100 to play with here. I'm quite liking the idea of an impact wrench too (used them in the past but always borrowed them), and there are a few cordless drill/impact wrench deals going too so I'm gonna do some more research on that based on people's brands here. I don't have a compressor so it'd have to be electric, unless an air one + compressor fits into the budget. I actually already have a halfords pro torque wrench (the smaller one) and it's not broken yet (touch wood). Is it worth getting a bigger one too or finding a torque multiplier?
If you have £100 for a cordless, BnQ had a hitachi 18v cordless for £99. Comes with two batteries, case etc. When the girlfriend moved house I did everything I needed in the whole house with the one drill. Fine for brick (hammer), wood, metal etc had no issues at all. Although there are trends above, I'd take recommendations with a pinch of salt as i find for everyone who like a brand there are many queuing up to tell you they are pants. Personally I've had no problems with hitachi, dewalt, metabo, matika and all the gear I have for bike / car is halfords pro line and it's lasted me years.
I've got a 14.4V Draper drill which was £19 from Asda, Draper elec screwdriver, £6.50, various spanners/screwdrivers etc from the market, £10 ish... Pretty much done everything I've ever needed without a problem.
Totally forgot to mention regarding cordless power tools but this is SO important. Having two batteries is the most genius addition to cordless power tools EVER! (You've probably already thought that but I though I should just highlight the point just incase )
