us pro torx bits / general tools

ozaudio

ozaudio

ozaudio

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Joined
23 Jan 2010
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St helens
any users of us pro tools in here? budget tools like begen / sealey / clark , but wondering how the torx bits stack up. ive had Halfords torx bits before and was ok but have snapped a few, which makes me think even expensive torx bits will break just as easy just because of the design of them

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/US-PRO-1...=item2125f81df0:g:8N4AAOSw9qJaZysk:rk:27:pf:0

also looking at a cheap 1/2" breaker bar aswell by either them or sealey
 
Bits and drivers come in varying hardnesses which is actually application specific, soft bits will sacrifice themselves before they strip a screw whereas hard ones will chew a screw to pieces. The best you can do is get a hard bit which fits perfectly, the fit is the most important part (if you've ever used a Phillips to remove a Posidriv screw you'll know why). Cheap ones can be fine up to a point, but there's nothing nicer than getting a bitch of a screw / bolt out using a solid bit. I'll happily spend more on quality stuff, never under estimate the power of good quality tools.

This is an interesting read:

https://knowledge.axminster.co.uk/screwdriver-bits/
 
most of my sockets / E-torx / ratchets / hex bits are Halfords and only ever broke a breaker bar and hex bits. to be honest I think the screw driver type of torx are what ill use most tbh as currently I only have some allen key style AM-TECH things I picked up to remove my door cards. Im just looking at bits id like to have so when I need them I have them. I noticed some Bergen ones in S2 steel, but again might be a crap fitment. I currently have about 4 Halfords torx bits left so could just buy some other sizes and a new rail for them if that works out better

I picked up a lot of sockets and spanners from boot sales but not been in ages, picked up all sorts of good brands, elora , king dick , old britool stuff. infact yesterday for £13 I picked up from facebook an old 1/2" britool made in England ratchet with some Halfords and elora sockets / extension bars / flexi joints
 
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I've got a little bit set that jas about 100 different bits including various security screw bits which are a bitch to find as nobody ever has them so the odd occasion when I've needed them, having them has been a massive help. I don't use the set much, it's purely a Plan B kind of thing but it's been a gid send numerous times. I messed around with wrong tools enough as a kid, now that I can afford the correct stuff I'll always make sure I've got it.
 
ozaudio said:
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/US-PRO-1...=item2125f81df0:g:8N4AAOSw9qJaZysk:rk:27:pf:0
Click to expand...
I bought that exact set last week. Build quality looks decent enough but I haven't used them in anger yet.

I work in the motor trade and needed a T55 the other day so had to borrow one, and my policy has always been that if I've needed to borrow something, I'll buy a cheap one for myself ASAP. That kit has a couple of other sizes I'm short of so for the price it was a no brainer. If I find myself using something regularly I'll then upgrade to a premium brand like Snap On, Mac or even Halfords Pro for the warranty, but to be fair I still have plenty of budget eBay tools that do the job well enough providing you aren't brutal with them.
 
that's the reason I want them, for when I need them. my turbo went on my car in 2017 and before fixing it searched what tools I needed, the only e-torx bit I had from a saxo vts head bolt I changed, was the one I needed for the 3 manifold bolts of the turbo, then I knew I needed a hex bit and they was on offer for £12 in Halfords so just bought a rail of them, I hate to be half way into something to find I needed the 1 tool I don't have :( managed to pick up a set of Halfords e torx sockets for £6 brand new so I bought them a couple of months back incase I ever have a Vauxhall as I know they use them


I seen the Bergen set is just as cheap but states they are made of S2 steel, sure I read some were that is the harder grade like what impact sockets are made of?

p.s are you the same paint guy from over on talkaudio.co.uk?
 
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me neither, last 2 times I was there was to read your extension thread :D

what other cheap tools have you found to be ok from ebay? looking at Draper Expert 1/2" breaker bar for £14 and along the lines are some cheap pry bars.
 
I've never had an issue with Draper stuff.

That Expert bar looks good for the money. They tend to come in two types, the ones where the bar splits at the end with the 1/2" drive pin in between tend to be much stronger that the ones with a straight bar and a large head that fits around it, if that makes sense.

I bought a set of extra long Bergen torx drivers and they have been spot on, so wouldn't hesitate to try their other stuff.

Also got a rail of super deep 3/8 sockets made by Trident which have taken everything I've thrown at them. Mac, Snap On and the cheap tool van were struggling to find anything as deep as I needed (for removing Citroen door mirrors) so chanced my arm with eBay cheapies and I'm not disappointed.
 
just checked and I have several 3/8 and 1/2" T-bars in my box of various sizes, my jack handle fits perfectly over them aswell! I remember using one of them on a 32mm drive shaft nut on my leon cupra a few years ago. will leave the breaker bar till last now I think given I pretty much have something that's just as strong or even stronger?
 
Might as well use the cash on something else then if you have something that works.

I once had to use some scaffold pole to extend my breaker bar for a hub nut :D
 
Draper expert torx keys are more in the £4 a piece so 2x us pro;

bmw uses torx on the seatbelt and back seat mechanisms, and although my Bost/french brand ~£2 t50 had worked on seatbelt, it started to round the seat bolt;
its always difficult to determine if the bolt, or tool fit was the problem... in the back of your mind you know its a £2 tool

Nnext step will be an individual 3/8 torx t50.

afaik halfords pro dont's seem to do a 3/8 torx set .. if they had that a £15 that would be a no brainer
 
I ended up ordering the us pro torx, for how many times ill use them ill take the risk, thinking back to when I use them its mostly on the interior and I have never found anything tight, infact I might even order some of the handle type torx aswell.

i ordered a new strut for the front, about to remove the old one and cant get 1 nut of, 18mm spanner to small to get enough force on it, can only find my 18mm shallow which is no good as the bolt sticks out the nut to much, leaves me with looking to now order some impact sockets or normal 1/2" sockets of decent quality so i don't round anything of , even looking at impact guns now aswell
 
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just ordered some of these on ebay, im going to test them as soon as I get them see if the 18mm will remove the very tight nut I currently have, wil also test the 17mm on my wheels bolts to see if I can really tighten / crack them loose with out them cracking, if they crack and/or start to round the bolts/nuts ill just get a refund of ebay and buy some draper expert ones instead.
 
All Bergen stuff will eventually become US Pro - personally I've been pleasantly surprised by them and they are excellent value for money.
I've managed to snap many Halfords Pro Torx bits - yes you can swap them but it's still a hassle to get yourself to a local store with the car in pieces while you are trying to undo something and have broken the only T40 you had...
 
jpaul said:
us-pro seem to be made by bergen i concluded eg
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/US-Pro-b...Socket-Set-Long-Torx-Tamper-1373/261340184156 ?

subsequently saw halfords pro torx set £13 art 323633899310

seems to be quite a lot of new britool stuff too - do they have ranges of different quality like draper ... the torque wrench i have of theirs is good
Click to expand...


already seen them Halfords ones, but been security I thought they would be weaker having some material removed from the middle
 
yes - true ... I don't have personal experience with halfords pro robustness .. their advertising has got to me.

...have just built up a collection of facom sockets as I needed them, even,
some (regrettably), multi face OGV ones, but I don't think I would try a wheel nut with them.
 
hopefully these Bergen torx / sockets turn out to be of decent budget quality. other people ask me to do little jobs like oil / filter , brakes , suspension ect aswell as all my own jobs on my car, so only really light use, not enough to warrant spending big money on them. I read some were a good saying , buy budget tools and if it brakes then replace it with something decent , if nothing brakes than you didn't need the more expensive tools to start with.
 
It's just finding the right balance, Snap On for example are ridiculously overpriced, but buy too cheap and even basic maintenance can be frustrated (think caliper bolts that need odd allen sizes etc. ) even basic jobs as a disc change needs decent tools.

Personally I have a halfords Pro set for most things and a medium size Bahco set for bolts / nuts that I know will require force. The Bahco stuff is significantly better built than Halfords and will no doubt last me a lifetime on casual DIY use.
Halfords Pro - already managed to break plenty torx bits and I'm sure sockets would have failed as well if I didn't have the Bahco set.
 
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