Good Set of Spanners Required

Torch [P4] · 1 Jun 2008 at 20:37

doing some servicing on my car and although i have a good draper socket set and torque wrench i find that my spanners are naff

so im looking for a good make and where to buy?
ideally id like the open ended / ratchet type

any one suggest some good sets?

DannyW · 1 Jun 2008 at 20:37

halfords professional

GT3 · 1 Jun 2008 at 20:38

Halfords Pro range are good for the money. Keep the reciept and if they break just take them back.

loltim · 1 Jun 2008 at 20:39

DannyW said:
halfords professional

Their £99.99 set is suprisingly really good.

Torch [P4] · 1 Jun 2008 at 20:41

cool, will check online just now cheers

Matt82 · 1 Jun 2008 at 20:42

http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/products/products/61211/spanners_tested.html

Torch [P4] · 1 Jun 2008 at 20:56

yeah i think the halfords proffesional range will do me
just found out how much my Teng Tool Box cost :eek:

http://www.teng.co.uk/tc706f-6-drawer-7-series-top-box_1290_pd.asp

got it as a present

quite liked the idea of those franklin vision spanners with the colour etc but they dont do them in ratchet form

Mr Footlong · 1 Jun 2008 at 22:02

Another vote for the big Halfords spanner sets. I have the set that always seems to be discounted from £150 to £100 in the stores and it is bombproof and has pretty well all the bits that I need for the car. I just have a couple of Torqueleader torque wrenches and a set of laser flexi head ratchet spanners to complete things, not really anything else needed for the big jobs

. Tool chests are great, got a full 2 piece Clarke chest job with the wheels etc for Chrimbo. Only manages to hold about half my tools but makse things so much easier to find over digging around multiple toolboxes.

Torch [P4] · 1 Jun 2008 at 22:20

yeah a new set of spanners and i should have everything i need to do pretty much anything on the car

even got access to a 2 tonne engine lift

Matt82 · 1 Jun 2008 at 23:04

Mr Footlong said:
Another vote for the big Halfords spanner sets. I have the set that always seems to be discounted from £150 to £100 in the stores and it is bombproof and has pretty well all the bits that I need for the car. I just have a couple of Torqueleader torque wrenches and a set of laser flexi head ratchet spanners to complete things, not really anything else needed for the big jobs . Tool chests are great, got a full 2 piece Clarke chest job with the wheels etc for Chrimbo. Only manages to hold about half my tools but makse things so much easier to find over digging around multiple toolboxes.

a £150 spanner set?

loltim · 1 Jun 2008 at 23:08

Matt82 said:
a £150 spanner set?

The OP asked for a ratchet set, you're the only one in this thread talking about spanners

GT3 · 1 Jun 2008 at 23:21

Tim said:
The OP asked for a ratchet set, you're the only one in this thread talking about spanners

Ratchet spanners, you spanner.

Torch [P4] · 1 Jun 2008 at 23:26

something like this

loltim · 1 Jun 2008 at 23:28

GT3 said:
Ratchet spanners, you spanner.

Shut up

Matt's link doesn't mention ratchet spanners

No point getting the Halfords Pro one though if you don't need all the sockets? What about a Britool set? They're good.

GT3 · 1 Jun 2008 at 23:29

I like the ones with the flexi head.

http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/...6864_crumb_33958-76859_parentcategoryrn_76864

If you can stretch to them, they are excellent imo.

cymatty · 1 Jun 2008 at 23:31

I have a mechanic friend who swears by snap on stuff, he wont use anything else.

Torch [P4] · 1 Jun 2008 at 23:34

GT3 said:
I like the ones with the flexi head.

http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/...6864_crumb_33958-76859_parentcategoryrn_76864

If you can stretch to them, they are excellent imo.

do you find that the flexi head ones are easy to control on high torque nuts ?
i did think about snap on or teng but tbh for the amount of times that i'll be working on the car i couldnt justify the extra cost

GT3 · 1 Jun 2008 at 23:36

Torch [P4];11802797 said:
do you find that the flexi head ones are easy to control on high torque nuts ?

Seem fine, but as I don't have a reciept for mine I don't fancy wrecking the ratchet in them so on bolts that need to be really tight I tend to swap to a long handled ring spanner.

Vasquez · 1 Jun 2008 at 23:43

I thought I was the only one!

I bought a halfords socket set cause they were cheap, thinking they were going to crap but they turned out to be very good for the money.

highly recommended

Malachy · 2 Jun 2008 at 01:08

cymatty said:
I have a mechanic friend who swears by snap on stuff, he wont use anything else.

this is in the same mindset as people who think vw are a prestige brand,
britool, teng, draper expert,mac, Irwin, halfords professional and many other brands are as good if not better than snap on but just without the "added snap on tax"
i usually order teng gear for my work's tool box.

i have the same flexi head rachet set by halfords as posted above
http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/...6864_crumb_33958-76859_parentcategoryrn_76864

highly reccomended, were a god send for when i replaced the clutch on the merc, downpipe bolts and clutch slave cylinder mounting bolts are impossible to get to with a ratchet and only a few degrees of movement with a normal spanner.AFAIR these spanners work with as little as 5 degrees of turn
however it is lacking the 11mm 16mm and 18mm which seem to be more common on french cars.

as for halfords warrentys i have never needed the reciept, albeit only once when i broke a torx bit by using a 1/4" drive bit on a 1/2" 3 foot long breaker bar :/ hardly part failure and more me just being a ham fisted fool.
just took it in and they swapped it there and then.

Regards
Andy