Spec Me: A Decent Socket Set

Firestar_3x said:
Indeed and i love them......

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;
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plus a healthy dose of swearing

i do have to give credit to the halfords ratchets. they do feel practically bomb proof. it feels better than the 1/2 drive laser ratchet i have, but then ive not broken the laser one so it cant be built badly, ive used it as a hammer many a time
 
Matt82 said:
yup. and all halfords bits are 12 sided so i dont see why people rave about them so much
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My 150 piece set has loads of 6 sided bits in it, from 6 to 21mm

Have you really tried using them instead of raving on about how poor they are? You're literally the only person I know that's had a bad word to say about them for the price.
 
Also, try and go for a set that has metric only pieces. I've got a 190piece draper expert set, and i've never used the old imperial sockets in 10 years ive had it. They are only useful for old cars.
 
@ Neil: 6-21mm in 1/4 size.... and maybe some deep ones. youre life is a better place with 6 sided sockets, and ive used halfords socket sets plenty of times.

the only thing you have to gain with 12 sided sockets is the occassional time you have to use them with a 12 sided fastener, ie next to never.

with a 6 sided one you have the benefit everytime because the bolt/nut will be able to handle more torque and youll be able to use them in an impact gun (within reason)

with your 12 sided set youll have to buy a 6 sider for every application you want to use an impact gun and bolts have a chance of getting round if theyre not perfect etc
 
For me the main feature of a 12 sided sockets is when access is restricted, you can get a 12 sided socket onto something much easier than a 6 sided one :)

But i agree that for all higher torque applications 6 sided is the way forward, with the lighter stuff, say injector rail fixings 12 sided has always done me fine.
 
i buy my items individually. this obviously takes time but over the years you build up a great selection of tools to tackle almost anything. never been a fan of sets as you end up not using half of it and then you get to somthing that your set doesn't cater for so you have to buy another bit anyway.
 
Dogbreath said:
I guess you don't use sockets much then, 12 point sockets are indispensable in many situations.
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this has been listed in the past already.

ocassionally flywheel pressure plate bolts (8mm or 9mm 12pt)
hub nuts
the end of crank shafts, ie to turn the crank by hand

at the moment, theyre the only situations i can think of where ive needed to buy a 12pt bit
 
When you can't see the location of the bolt / nut and have to use feel to get a socket over it, in this situation i've found 9 times out of 10 a 12 sided socket is better.
 
I bought this 1/2" drive Halfords set not so long ago, I got it for £50 though, seems to be back upto £109 now though so not such good value any more, crucially it has a 19mm deep sided socket which I was after included in it.

It is 12 sided been Halfords but it's a good set, feels really well made, the ratchet and extension bars could be wielded as very effective weapons if you so desired :p ...I just wish it would stop raining so I can use it properly!
 
Another vote for the Halford pro 150 piece set. It's often reduced to £100. Very comprehensive set with loads of tools.

I've also got a Stanley multi-head screwdriver (was about £15 iirc) which has proved very useful over the years. It can be locked into a 45 degree bend and comes with a few small hex pieces and extensions.

Inevitably you'll need more tools, but these two sets are a decent start.
 
Moeks said:
defeat a terrorist in a pinch ...is always a consideration on OcUK :p
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When I come to power my defence budget will include previsions for strategically placed naked women, since many terrorists have never seen one I figure this will instil confusion and they will run away, either that or they will get a crippling boner and have no chance of moving.

But anyways thats for another thread :p
 
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