Socket Set Advice - Whats Best

KickStarter

KickStarter

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Looking for advice for the best bang for buck socket and spanner set.

I want to avoid paying for things I have already in other sets, such as allen keys, screw driver bits etc. (Though to a certain extent I presume they are the inexpensice part of the set and used to fluff it out)

The set I use currently I purchased from Costco over 16 years ago and it's ok, it's main annoyance is that it's huge and not easy to carry or take from place to place.
It's pretty much this one here:
1743854651058.png


I've been looking at this one from Halfords which is moderatly well recomended: https://www.halfords.com/tools/hand...7QuR9aZDzaJUm42efogaAmhcEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

Or this from Hilka https://www.costco.co.uk/Home-Impro...s/Hilka-171-Piece-Mechanics-Tool-Set/p/343887

Or even down to https://www.diy.com/departments/mag...uvsllQFxaivIL0mryLYaAuV3EALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

I have T sockets and bits in a seperate set, as well as the odd much larger size from spesific things over the years.

Main use is bikes and to a lesser extent, cars


Ta!!
 
I’ve got a slightly bigger Halfords advanced set and it’s great. Haven’t touched half the bits in it! I did deform one of the hex bits on a stuck bolt and Halfords swapped it for a new one no questions asked. That’s guarantee is the biggest win for me.
 
I have one very similar to the Halfords one shown that I picked up on sale.
It’s been excellent.
 
another Halfords Advanced fan. I broke a hollow point torx socket on a stuck bolt and it was replaced as per the lifetime warranty.
 
Sounds like a fairly clear win for the Halfords thus far!!
 
Greg Masters

Post in thread 'Tools - Home Servicing and Maintenance'

(edited)_Halfords_1.png
(edited)_Halfords_2.png


If you want a decent starter tool kit, I have this 170 piece Halfords Advanced socket/wrench/etc set - brand new - still sealed - £195 collected from Leicestershire.

Interested?

This is still available.
 
Got a Halfords Advanced set and got a decent discount with a trade card if you know anybody who has one.
Good quality kit.

Al.
 
Personally, I'd buy a modest sized 3/8ths 6 point socket set, a set of combination spanners (not ratchet, they're too bulky for a lot of jobs) and then just buy the bits I needed separately - Probably a 1/4" drive socket set , maybe 1/2" ratchet and a few sockets.

Put them all in a proper tool chest and use a smaller tool box to decant the tools needed for a particular job into to take where needed.
 
Halfords advanced are very good plus come with a lifetime guarantee. We have a Draper expert set at work and it’s been very good apart from the plastic box letting stuff fall out its place every time you pick it up.

I’ve also got a separate set of Blue Point Torx sockets for the bike as the quality is clearly a lot better than the other stuff we have and fits the fasteners on the bike a bit nicer.
 
KickStarter said:
Sounds like a fairly clear win for the Halfords thus far!!
Click to expand...
I've got several Halfords advanced sets and the quality is excellent. The only suggestion I have is to check out what sockets are 1/2" 3/8" and 1/4" drive as they usually don't have complete sets of each one in their kits to make sure the kit you want has the right sized sockets for you (I have an old 1/2" socket set that I occasionally have to dib into for the odd 1/2" drive socket or extension bar etc. because of this)
 
Akulaking said:
I use Bahco stuff, extremely well made in Sweden I think, part of the Snap-on group without the Snap-on prices.
Top quality socket sets.
Click to expand...
Bahco stuff is no longer made in Sweden.
 
Akulaking said:
I use Bahco stuff, extremely well made in Sweden I think, part of the Snap-on group without the Snap-on prices.
Top quality socket sets.
Click to expand...
Ah yes didn't think of them - I've got one of their small 1/4" sets and it's great!!
 
I use Bahco tools almost daily, both professionally at work and at on my vehicles at home.

They never let me down.

As stated, snap-on quality without the bragging or the price tag.

My tip is to avoid twelve point sockets, all my Bahco are six point regardless of their size.
 
Halfords Professional (if you’re paying)as good a warranty as Snap-On?Lifetime.
WERA are also noteworthy (especially if work are paying)
 
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I think you should narrow down the tools you would like the set to contain and then start shopping. If a 3/8 set will do the job just buy the best you can. Or a 1/2 inch. JJH
 
parkys100 said:
WERA are also noteworthy (especially if work are paying)
Click to expand...
Good shout.

My work gave me a set of WERA VDE interchangeable screwdrivers, sockets, torx bits, flip head wrench etc and a 10/13mm Joker spanner in a Velcro fold up pouch.

It’s about £100 worth or so but it gets used almost daily it’s so handy.
 

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