So I've moved away from where my Dad's lifetime collection of tools are kept...

I've got to start from scratch now and have tried to mix and match the tools that I reckon I require but it seems a lot more economical to get a complete kit!?

What are people's opinions of Draper or Sealey? These are the kits I'm looking at at the moment. Thinking around 200 to 300 quid...

http://www.tooled-up.com/Product.asp?PID=124885

http://www.tool-supplies.co.uk/sealey-tools.php/cPath/250/products_id/5177

Any people got anymore ideas? Websites? Makes?

Any help'd be much appreciated!

Thanks,

Chris.

for me personally, a lot of that stuff wouldnt get used. If you read the list and think its all useful, the price seems ok. I prefer number 2, but ive not looked at either closely.

My approach would be to buy all the parts seperately. Id find good sockets, a compressor and a windy gun more useful than most of that stuff

i bought cheap ones to start with then the ones i used more i replaced with snap on tools

Both kits look like reasonable value to me. Draper do sveral different lines of tools ranging from budget to professional - I expect Sealey do the same.

Personally I've built up tools over the last 20 years and tend to buy bits and pieces as I need them, but if you want to get started building buying a kit could save a bit of time and money.

As I'm sure others will tell you - quality tools are treasured posessions that should outlast you. Buy the best you can afford and look after them - I rarely lend a tool out to anyone.

A good selection here aswell

machine mart

sealey or draper are pretty much fine for the diy mechanic. the draper expert range is actually pretty good kit.

not sure i'd go for a full kit like the ones you have shown here though, there'll be no end of stuff there you won't use and the always bulk them kits out with four million zip ties and such.

personally if i was starting a tool kit again (thank god i don't need to!) i'd buy a decent 3/8 drive socket set, a decent set of combi spanners, torque wrench, maybe a knocking stick too. then just build as you need to. you could pretty much strip most major components on a car with the kit mentioned above.

Teng full kit ...Well you can never hav a FUll kit........

Try ebay. Quite a bit of new Britool and Facom for sale.

I've got Britool stuff I pinched off my old man as a kid. Covered in hammer rash and still going strong. And he abused them before I had them.

I think some Sealey tools have a lifetime gurantee. Halfords have, if you don't mind the name.

Halfords professional range, I got a 1/4 & 3/8 socket set all in one box for about £35. they also have a lifetime guarantee. So far dont two land rovers and only broke 1 screwdriver (socket) and one x point. Replaced with out so much of a "how did you do that"!. Good quality for a diy garage.

I also like Kamasa tools.. had some nearly 30 years and still going strong. as are my Dads bedford spanners which he obtained when he was demobbed from the war!.

Dont buy the most expensive... you wont use them to that extent. buy cheaper and replace with good quality as they wear out. ones like 10,13,17,19mm get the most use!.
Wouldnt be without my compressor and welder, and cheap angle grinders.. all 3 of them to save changing the heads over
at less than £15 for the angry grinders... they break... thro away (or keep for spares) and buy another cheapo one.

When I started from scratch again a few years back, I avoided 1 million piece sets.

I bought a 1/2" drive metric socket set which goes from 10mm to 22mm and a roll of spanners which do the same. I've tried to add items where required and just bought one decent quality item rather than a seemingly better value 'set' of items. Before you know where you are you'll be good to go and you won't have chucked out any 'bargains'.

If you go into an old fashioned tool shop they will be able to help you out.

Bedford offset ring spanners by any chance ? I've a load of those too !

I took a Halfords torx bit back (twice) before I'd realised Mr Ford had loctited the torx in for a reason, and they just swapped them over, no hassle.

You can get reasonably priced tools with a lifetime gurantee now. And god do I need that gurantee.

I would go for draper out of the 2 myself. Most of the seally stuff ive had is broken. I think the only 2 i have left is my clutch alignment tool and my timing light. U wont find u need all of the tools in those kits but they are very good value. Ideal if u want a nice kit straight away.

The halfrauds range of tools are bloody good. I got a 1/2 socket set for home ages ago. I regularly use the sockets on a 21 inch snap on breaker bar and ive yet to break anything. The only thing is the halfords plasic coated ratchets are crap.

Kamasa and taskmaster arnt bad either. Avoid the very cheap stuff its soft as poo after a curry.

here is a nice starter set.

http://buy1.snapon.com/catalog/item.asp?P65=&tool=all&item_ID=65545&group_ID=2294&store=uk&dir=catalog

Andrew

I bought a set of these and I think they are really good

http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?catalogId=10151&storeId=10001&productId=216036&categoryId=31482&langI d=-1&parent_category_rn=31482&crumb=33958-33943-31482&varient=&CarSelectorCatalogId=

Ratchet ring spanners with swivel heads

I also have some of those sockets which drive on the flats of nuts and fit metric and imperial sizes. I have had them for getting on for 20 years and they are still getting rusty nuts and bolts off which ordinary 12 point sockets just turn the edges off.

I've always wanted a decent set of screwdrivers but they are probably wasted on me as they tend to get used as chisels etc.

Good luck anyway

Mark

oh yes and a torque wrench


have a look at this

http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/product_test/61211/spanners_tested.html



[Edited on 20/10/05 by mookaloid]

if only landrover did a lifetime garuntee on those tools they supply to undo wheel nuts ive bent three of them now ive got a big halfords bar and 27mm socket

Fantastic replies people! Thanks a million!

I suppose this is one question that everyone can have some sort of input or opinion on as we wouldn't be on this forum otherwise!

I've always been very impressed with the Halfords Professional range and also with some Sealey stuff... As most of you say, start small and build up the kit as you break the less well made components.

What I might do is invest in a really nice set of Teng or similar quality sockets and spanners and then get a nice 6 drawer box or similar to store all the other bits and pieces as and when I need them...

Anymore advice? Ranges of socket size? Metric and Imperial spanners?

Last question is whether a cheap drill is worth it in the long run? Bosch, Makita, DeWalt?

Is it worth going cordless on a drill?

Thanks again,

Chris.

LMAO!

Just clicked on that link Aboardman...

24 and a half K!!!!

quote:

---

Originally posted by Winston Todge
Last question is whether a cheap drill is worth it in the long run? Bosch, Makita, DeWalt?

Is it worth going cordless on a drill?

Thanks again,

Chris.

---

when it comes to hand drills get the most versitile you can you know forward reverse speed adjustable and hammer . but the drill that you will apreciate most is a bench mounted drill press you can do so much with them and drill straight holes as well.
as for spanners as others have said you will find that if you buy a kit there will be a lot of tools that never leave the tool box so why buy them? get a good ratchet handle some extensions and the most common socke t s if your working on metric stuff it is usually 8 10 12 1 4 17 ect some good combination spanners . personally I always look at tools at garrage sales or swop meets and pick up good quality stuff if it is cheap . there is alot to be said for buying things as you need them .

Ive got 3 brothers so my dad learned early on 4 sons = no tools in the toolbox ...He got his own back by saying if we wanted tools we would have to buy our own So I did...

Been collecting them since I was 12..

I think that a good 3/8 socket set is the place to start....

If you're in and out of scrappies (who isn't!) and poaching both imperial and metric stuff, then Metrinch socket and spanner sets are very handy. One socket/spanner covers both the metric size and its imperial counterpart.
They save you carrying a load of superfulous tools around. Most cars I have built have been a mixture of imperial and metric components.
I call them Nearasdammits.