Spec Me: A Decent Socket Set

Skeeter

Skeeter

Skeeter

Caporegime
Joined
8 Mar 2007
Posts
37,146
Location
Surrey
Hi all

Im looking for a half decent socket set. Not a massive 100 million piece set, but enough to be able to do routine maintenance to my car and bike and random household things. I've heard mentioned on here that the Halfords sets are (surprisingly) good, but never really looked into it? Any recomendations or deals out there at the moment?

Cheers
 
for what you want i recon a single 3/8 drive set will do the trick. typically theyll range from 6mm-24mm or more.

personally i wont use a set that have 12 sided sockets, 6 sided sockets only for me as 12 sided can chew up nuts and bolts that arnt perfect.

then decide on your budget and go from there

you could even try and get a kit with a load of hex and torx bits too as theyre always useful
 
We buy Mac Tool stuff at work, sometimes Britool.

But its easy for us, as the demonstration/sales van comes to us, and we just pay what ever we can every week on our accounts.

Top quality stuff.
 
Matt82 said:
for what you want i recon a single 3/8 drive set will do the trick. typically theyll range from 6mm-24mm or more.

personally i wont use a set that have 12 sided sockets, 6 sided sockets only for me as 12 sided can chew up nuts and bolts that arnt perfect.

then decide on your budget and go from there

you could even try and get a kit with a load of hex and torx bits too as theyre always useful
Click to expand...

So true. Had this happen to me Saturday, RAGE :mad:.

dscf9202.jpg
 
Chris1712 said:
So true. Had this happen to me Saturday, RAGE :mad:.

dscf9202.jpg
Click to expand...

yup. and all halfords bits are 12 sided so i dont see why people rave about them so much

ive not rounded a nut in years and ive worked on some right old manky cars, with impact guns too

you could never use an imact gun with a 12 point bit

so my advice is to avoid halfords sockets (unless youre trying to get off locking wheel nuts where youve lost the key)
 
Matt82 said:
yup. and all halfords bits are 12 sided so i dont see why people rave about them so much
Click to expand...

Should have gone to specsavers tbh.

For 100notes my 150pcs Pro Halfords kit has been bob on, i've had to add bits to it along the years but i've never rounded anything off with it and i've used it on some major jobs on both my Mx-5 and Passat.

If you work on an old ****box then perhaps you should try heating things up before you forcefully try and remove them.
 
Last edited:
Matt82 said:
for what you want i recon a single 3/8 drive set will do the trick. typically theyll range from 6mm-24mm or more.

personally i wont use a set that have 12 sided sockets, 6 sided sockets only for me as 12 sided can chew up nuts and bolts that arnt perfect.

then decide on your budget and go from there

you could even try and get a kit with a load of hex and torx bits too as theyre always useful
Click to expand...

Great advice. :cool:
 
I would go for at least an 1/2" drive if you intend to do heavy work on cars. Machine mart Do their own Clarke brand which is usually made by other companies (most probably draper, britool or sealey) and it's usually top stuff for the money.
Halfords do a good range in their 'professional' series, but halfords are expensive for everything, so if you want the most bang for the buck, i would go to a local tools and work gear supplier.
 
Last edited:
Hex and Torx would be usefull. They seem to pop up all over the place on my Clio :(

I did look at the 150pc Halfords set the other day, looked decent. £100 is the top end of my budget really.

Edit: That 6 sided set looks good Bledd.
 
Last edited:
Firestar_3x said:
Should have gone to specsavers tbh.

For 100notes my 150pcs Pro Halfords kit has been bob on, i've had to add bits to it along the years but i've never rounded anything off with it and i've used it on some major jobs on both my Mx-5 and Passat.

If you work on an old ****box then perhaps you should try heating things up before you forcefully try and remove them.
Click to expand...

ahem major job = fitting LED WASHER JETS i bet :cool:

and a friend of mine had a couple big halfords sets, the clips that kept the box shut had broken off so id pick it up, box would open and sockets would go everywhere

never eeeever gonna buy a halfords set ever.


http://www.machinemart.co.uk/shop/p...socket-set/path/socket-sets-sockets-tool-sets

not bad for £32, and 6 sided

http://www.machinemart.co.uk/shop/p...c-socket-s/path/socket-sets-sockets-tool-sets
 
My brother just said not to go for anything less than a 1/2" set, but he does only work with heavy farm machinery..

I just tell him which tools I want for the weekend, and he borrows them from his work
 
Matt82 said:
ahem major job = fitting LED WASHER JETS i bet :cool:
Click to expand...

Indeed and i love them......

But on a more serious note, the box clips are a little poor but lets be honest unless you buy something in a metal box it doesn't really get too much better.

With additions (such as a few deeper reach sockets) impact sockets and a breaker bar, my halfords kit has now done the following bigger jobs;

3 engine swaps
3 turbo changes
2 supercharger installs
1 diff change
1 total suspension change
1 Cam change
2 Full brake upgrades

Not bad for £100 plus another £50 odd.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom