Spanner (as in hand tool not person) question

SpeedFreak

SpeedFreak

SpeedFreak

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Open ended spanners can have a bulge in the jaw that helps prevent rounding off nuts. Does anyone know a decent manufacturer who does these? I was looking at Britool but they don't appear to have them.

Also, does anyone have a combination spanner with a ratchet mechanism? If so, are they any good and what brand did you go for? My concern with any I have seen so far is that they're thicker than normal combination spanners by quite a bit. My budget is around £80 for about 10 spanners between 8mm and 20mm. I'll probably up the budget a bit if combis are worth it, however I may just get a 1/2 inch socket set and forgo the ratchets.

Thanks for any help ( I have already googled a lot)

P.S SnapOn are way over budget :)
 
Not sure what the bulge is you're talking about. Got a pic? You don't mean brake nipple spanners do you?



Halfords Pro are probably some of the best spanners you can get. They fit so well I've never rounded anything off. The Britool pro range are also very good if you can find them, I think MSC J&L still stock them.

As for ratchet spanners, again, Halfords Pro get good reviews and everyone I know who has them loves them.
 
Do you mean like surface drive / wall drive that you get on sockets?

Spanner%20%26%20bolt.jpg

Nut.jpg
 
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halfords professional range are very good indeed, they also come with a lifetime guarantee.

stay away from there budget stuff though, this tends to be pap!
 
TheCrow said:
Do you mean like surface drive / wall drive that you get on sockets?

Spanner%20%26%20bolt.jpg

Nut.jpg
Click to expand...

That seems like it. I'll have a look at the halfords ones too. It's mostly for fitting Chrome plated brass nuts. I have some hex ones which are OK but can nick the corners of the chrome.

what brand are those in the picture?
 
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We use Snap-On at work and the vast majority of their Spanners/Sockets/Ratchets etc are rubbsh which really surprised me considering the cost. My personal toolbox is full of the Halford Pro range and it's much better IMO.
 
I've got Sealey wall drive sockets and they've also never rounded anything off. Nice ratchet too, I recommend them :)

ianh said:
We use Snap-On at work and the vast majority of their Spanners/Sockets/Ratchets etc are rubbsh which really surprised me considering the cost. My personal toolbox is full of the Halford Pro range and it's much better IMO.
Click to expand...
You're not the first person who has said Snap-On spanners aren't much cop. A chap I know in the auto business stopped using them some time back when they refused to replace a driver that had broken. His justification was it's fine having a lifetime warranty but it's not much use if you can't rely on your tools to not break and it's even less use when they try and argue that you forced your tools and refuse to replace them. So that was it...
 
Do a search for "Draper 8224/12/MM" or "Draper 64605" (both are the same thing).
I would recommend them (I've got then for my motorbike).
 
Brilliant, thanks for the feedback guys. I'll have a look at the halfords stuff this week to see how it looks. I picked up a few hex headed spanners which do the trick with the chromed items with no marring. I was also looking on ebay at some SnapOn stuff but it's way over budget. Teng are looking very good as are Facom.
 
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