Socket set
- Thread starter Simon0001
- Start date
Soldato
Halfords professional.
I use them at work and for DIY
I should add, a 3/8th and 1/4” drive set is a good place to start.
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Soldato
+1 for these. Although you will need to add on to any of their packaged sets in time this is an excellent place to start.
Soldato
+2 for halfords professional, but get a smaller 6 pointed set as well as the bigger sets are 12 point, there not great at times. unless they have changed that in recent years?
Permabanned
I’ve had my draper set for 12+ years and still use it pretty much daily.
Caporegime
I have used plenty over the years from cheap ebay tat to the expensive ones. At the end of the day a socket is a socket. I have used plenty of cheap ones in rattle guns too.
I have an old Hilka set passed down from my father. Must be at least 50 years old.
I would keep an eye out on Lidl/Aldi. They often have a Diy week with cheap sets every now and again.
You cannot go wrong with a Halford Pro set though as they cover the basics.
Personally I would want a 1/4", 3/8" and 1/2" set with an array of short and long spanners. That will cover you for most things.
Also some form of impact driver/rattle gun and a breaker bar will save your arms no end. Battery can be good if you need on the move and go but if you have a space to tinker I much rather have good old cable as they punch a lot of power for the price and never go flat.
I have an old Hilka set passed down from my father. Must be at least 50 years old.
I would keep an eye out on Lidl/Aldi. They often have a Diy week with cheap sets every now and again.
You cannot go wrong with a Halford Pro set though as they cover the basics.
Personally I would want a 1/4", 3/8" and 1/2" set with an array of short and long spanners. That will cover you for most things.
Also some form of impact driver/rattle gun and a breaker bar will save your arms no end. Battery can be good if you need on the move and go but if you have a space to tinker I much rather have good old cable as they punch a lot of power for the price and never go flat.
+3 for halfords professional esp when they are on offer like buy 2 items and get the third free. last time they did that I got the socket set, set of pliers, set of ratchet spanners, set of adjustable wrenches, set of screwdrivers and set of normal spanners.
Was a steal for the amount of tools I got and even got free cases to keep them in and the lifetime guarantee is genuine. Quality tools.
Was a steal for the amount of tools I got and even got free cases to keep them in and the lifetime guarantee is genuine. Quality tools.
I used to think that then one day when I was doing one of my school engagement activities I was working on a giant mechanical carnival piece we were doing with a local primary school. Socket slipped clean off the ratchet (admittedly under a fair bit of torque) and I ended up punching the sharp end of an M6 bolt. Surrounded by 10 year olds I couldn't yell the string of expletives I wanted to so I had to settle for flinging said socket and ratchet over the adjacent road and into the river Yare
I subsequently bought a Halfords pro set and have been happy with it for, nearly 20 years now having had one component replaced after 3 years just because it became a bit loose in the ratchet.
Halfords socket sets are great value for money. Bit of advice though, if they still do it don’t get the black set. They look awesome and I love mine. But if you drop a socket in a dark engine bay, they are pain to find. Lesson learned the hard way.
Commissario
Everyone saying Halfords Professional, is Halfords Advanced the same thing?
Underboss
on their website, it all says Halfords Advanced
then further up the money chain, you have advanced professional
Halfords advanced is good enough
example :
Halfords Advanced Professional 21 Piece Socket Set 3/4" | Halfords UK
Shop the latest at Halfords UK
www.halfords.com
against
Halfords Advanced 100 Pc Socket Set | Halfords UK
Shop the latest Get to grips with the Halfords Advanced 100 Piece Socket and Ratchet Spanner Set. at Halfords UK
www.halfords.com
Don
2nd this, got 2 Bahco socket sets and have coped with everything I've thrown at them (basic car stuff, pedal bikes and various DIY)
Feel like quality products and not too expensive
Soldato
Many years ago there wasn't Halfords Advanced, it was only Professional. I believe the tools were made for them by Snap-On, but that could just be hearsay or whatever. That arrangement went and they released the Advanced range, of which some of the tools are called Advanced Professional for reasons I can't quite discern.
Advanced or Professional, the tools are still very decent quality for the money. They have a fairly wide range of useful tools available at short notice in store as well which does come in handy, although they used to carry absolutely everything in bigger stores and now a large chunk is online only.
Advanced or Professional, the tools are still very decent quality for the money. They have a fairly wide range of useful tools available at short notice in store as well which does come in handy, although they used to carry absolutely everything in bigger stores and now a large chunk is online only.
Teng tools or Bahco, find sets on sale. You can get good discounts if you look around.
What i used to do ( before we left the EU ) was to buy top end German ( Stahlwille ) replacement sockets that i used the most. Such as 13, 17 and 19mm.
Also replaced the ratchet with Hazet ones.
Would cost a bomb to do that these days i expect.
What i used to do ( before we left the EU ) was to buy top end German ( Stahlwille ) replacement sockets that i used the most. Such as 13, 17 and 19mm.
Also replaced the ratchet with Hazet ones.
Would cost a bomb to do that these days i expect.
Permabanned
For the hobbyist just buy something for a reasonable price. You really don’t need to pay snap on prices to get decent gear, they make an absolute killing in markup on snap on stuff.
I use my gear as part of my job, so used daily and put under much more stress/wear and tear than your average diy hobbyist. The vast majority of my tools I’ve owned for many years and none of it cost a fortune.
I use my gear as part of my job, so used daily and put under much more stress/wear and tear than your average diy hobbyist. The vast majority of my tools I’ve owned for many years and none of it cost a fortune.
They are expensive, but their quality and warranty is second to none.