Halfords Tools bargains

Bought my set 7 or so years ago. Been great for fixing motorbikes & push bikes as well as various other jobs inc. Building cots, dinning chairs.
The hardly used sockets show some rust, but never had a problem.
 
Got the same set as the OP on Friday, and used it to strip all the fairing off my bike, very useful, got tired and annoyed of trying to route around all my dad's tools, only not to be able to find a 6mm allen key, so decided to buy this, would prefer it if the sockets were 6 sided and not 12 though, but for £99 I'm not gonna argue.
 
I think I'm the only person ever to have paid the full price for this kit; when I got it they had a free tool cabinet included instead of the money off - probably what they do for their legal-requirement time at the full asking price I guess, because I've never seen it be full price since.
 
GeX said:
I bought the older version of this set back in 2006, got it for £90 (down from £199, and I paid in cash - cashier counted it wrong twice and gave me a tenner back?!).

The hinges are dead on the box, but the tools are good - only ever broke one thing and that was one of the E bits (flippin Smart car!) - which was exchanged with no quibbles!

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I have the even older version of this and the ops kit, from 1998. Bought for me when I was 18. It got stolen last year from the garage and only had a few bits missing. It's pretty much been through hell and back, stripping engines, cars, putting engines back in, bikes, plumbing, kitchens, the lot and was still in great nick. No sprogs replaced in the ratchets either, although I lost one.

I recently needed a new socket set so got the cut down version of the Ops which is just all the sockets for about £45
 
I've got the same lovely kit too. I didn't know it was so popular!
I also purchased a huge torque wrench from Halfords, it's lovely.
 
Yeah I bought one of these a year or so ago, awesome bit of kit especially with the lifetime warranty on the tools :)
 
As someone who as absolutely no car mechanic experience, but a Focus TDCi that's just about to be out of warranty.... what can I actually DO myself with such tools (and whatever else I'd need)?
 
Yep i've got the same kit as GeX too, much better that the newer kit, it's been fantastic over the last 4 years or so and has been given hell!
 
You deffo can't have this kit as your only tools, i've got most of the Halfords Pro range and a couple of the black roll cabs, i've never really had an issue with 12 sided sockets but none of my cars have been that 'old', but i've got a range of 6 sided impact sockets for things like hub and pully nuts.
 
if you think about it, its £33 for a 1/2 drive set, £33 for a 3/8 drive set and £33 for a 1/4 drive set, but imo, i just wouldnt rely on 12pt sockets for really important stuff as youre so much more prone to kiling the fastener

for that reason im out. its good value for the amount of metal you get, but the 12pt thing will let you down so many times

plus, why the need for so much imperial?
 
I got a 2ton Trolley jack for 25 quid tuther week, There's cheaper but the one i got has low clearance, Also there Turtle wash & wax is being thrown into deals at the counter for a couple of quid, I have to say the staff in the Hinckley branch are great. :cool:
 
Whilst on this subject, does anyone know how clarke pro stuff compares? Cheap, 6 pointed and from I understand, a lifetime warranty too, so seems perfect.
 
They might as well just price this permanently at £99. It's at £99 for more days of the year than it's the "RRP" :p

Jono said:
As someone who as absolutely no car mechanic experience, but a Focus TDCi that's just about to be out of warranty.... what can I actually DO myself with such tools (and whatever else I'd need)?
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Lots of stuff potentially, depending on how "brave" you are. Changing brake pads and discs for instance, changing your own oil, at a minimum.

Other stuff like wheel bearings etc
 
Matt82 said:
if you think about it, its £33 for a 1/2 drive set, £33 for a 3/8 drive set and £33 for a 1/4 drive set, but imo, i just wouldnt rely on 12pt sockets for really important stuff as youre so much more prone to kiling the fastener

for that reason im out. its good value for the amount of metal you get, but the 12pt thing will let you down so many times

plus, why the need for so much imperial?
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Loads more than that, mate. Ratchet spanners sold it for me - wanted that luxury ever since I started spannering 10-ish years ago! Was only 'reduced' to £120 when I bought it though :(. All it's missing is adaptors to allow you to use the 1/4" and 3/8" drive sockets with your 1/2" breaker bar :). Imperials are useful when you need to hammer a slightly smaller socket onto a rounded metric bolt :)

Had a little quality issue with the chrome plating peeling off a couple of allen key bits, but otherwise all decent stuff. They are pretty good on their lifetime warranty too - I'm reminded of the time I was stripping my first Sierra XR4x4 for my kit-car donor bits. Got three hub nuts off with my 2' breaker bar that I'd just bought from Halfords with no problems, but the last rear one was stuck. I ended up bouncing on about 6' of 'extension pipe' and the breaker bar broke. Back to Halfords, no questions asked, new bar. I was back in an hour having broken the second one. Again no questions asked (I dare say questions might have been asked if it wasn't a spotty teenager serving me ;)) - breaker bar number three. This time I thought better of bouncing on the extension pipe and towed it to a garage to get the pros to do it for some beer money. It was there I learned the Sierra rear hub nuts are one side right handed thread and one side left handed thread:D So I'd broken two breaker bars doing up a nut nice and tight:D Can't fault Halfords lifetime warranty though!
 
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Joshy said:
Whilst on this subject, does anyone know how clarke pro stuff compares? Cheap, 6 pointed and from I understand, a lifetime warranty too, so seems perfect.
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i own this
http://www.machinemart.co.uk/shop/p...socket-set/path/socket-sets-sockets-tool-sets

12pt because occassionally you need 12pt stuff. i use it for casual stuff, goes from 6mm to 20 something. really versitile.

i also own (the laser version) of this
http://www.machinemart.co.uk/shop/p...c-socket-s/path/socket-sets-sockets-tool-sets

exactly the same, but in a blue rather than red.

epic. unburstable. ive owned it for years, ive used it with impact guns, with a breaker and 3ft of scaffold pole. all 6pt and untouchable.

and this
http://www.google.co.uk/products/ca...=X&ei=_jycTfKJG47NswbrzbnFBg&ved=0CGsQ8wIwAw#

is completely unbeatable. all 6pt. covers all sizes and nearly all deeps too
 
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