Socket Set Recommendation
Discussion
Having spent yesterday evening getting no closer to an answer I thought i would ask here and see if anyone has a suggestion.
I recently became vexed with my old Alfa and in attempting to remove a wheel snapped my breaker bar - only to find out one of the studs was reversed and I was actually tightening the remaining bolt.
It was about time I had a complete set of sockets anyway as I have been using a bitsa set for ages.
However, some of the bits I have are really very useful - but it has a hex drive for the imperial stuff.
What I need is a mixed set of sockets AF/Whitworth/Metric with a breaker bar, torque wrench and a decent selection of wobble bars. Mixed drives are OK.
Everything I keep finding has either one or more of these missing or comes with loads of bits I simply don't need to duplicate. Screwdrivers, pliers etc.
So, does anyone have any recommendations? I have been looking at Teng and Siegen kit price range - snap-on although nice is just too expensive, I don't use them that much.
Draper stuff looks good, but they are the chief suspects for selling tool kits not socket sets.
Thanks
I recently became vexed with my old Alfa and in attempting to remove a wheel snapped my breaker bar - only to find out one of the studs was reversed and I was actually tightening the remaining bolt.
It was about time I had a complete set of sockets anyway as I have been using a bitsa set for ages.
However, some of the bits I have are really very useful - but it has a hex drive for the imperial stuff.
What I need is a mixed set of sockets AF/Whitworth/Metric with a breaker bar, torque wrench and a decent selection of wobble bars. Mixed drives are OK.
Everything I keep finding has either one or more of these missing or comes with loads of bits I simply don't need to duplicate. Screwdrivers, pliers etc.
So, does anyone have any recommendations? I have been looking at Teng and Siegen kit price range - snap-on although nice is just too expensive, I don't use them that much.
Draper stuff looks good, but they are the chief suspects for selling tool kits not socket sets.
Thanks
Why buy a set, I have the cheapest set I could find in the house for use with IKEA type stuff. My car set has been built up over the years to reflect what I need MM, AF and some Witworth, and good ratchets and drives the sockets in the most usable sizes 10mm to say 19 are top quaility the big ones are cheaper stuff on the baseis that you don't get access problems so thicker is OK and they don't get used very often so don't spend to much money.
Just bought an air ratchet, run it off a domestic (cheapish) compressor with a 50 liter tank, fantasit tool should have bought one years ago.
Just bought an air ratchet, run it off a domestic (cheapish) compressor with a 50 liter tank, fantasit tool should have bought one years ago.
Thanks,
The thought process behind the set approach is that I tend to use the tools in different places. One car and bike are in Lux the others in the UK.
At the moment I have a cantilever tool box full of bits and pieces and a standing cabinet.
If I can get everything into one box that doesn't fill the boot too much and I know what is in there it will make life a little easier.
I agree somewhat with your approach as it is what I have been doing so far. It has just become a pain having snapped the best bit of kit in the box, and the bit I cannot replace on its own.
The thought process behind the set approach is that I tend to use the tools in different places. One car and bike are in Lux the others in the UK.
At the moment I have a cantilever tool box full of bits and pieces and a standing cabinet.
If I can get everything into one box that doesn't fill the boot too much and I know what is in there it will make life a little easier.
I agree somewhat with your approach as it is what I have been doing so far. It has just become a pain having snapped the best bit of kit in the box, and the bit I cannot replace on its own.
Metric/Whit/Af all in one set is going to be hard to find. What you could do is buy a set of each (so three boxes rather than one), in a common drive size (3/8inch is great for most car work) and go from there.
In terms of make, I have a 3/8inch Teng set which was an 18th birthday present, and it's simply superb. Lifetime warranty is honoured everytime I break something (which is pretty rarely.) Although I was also given a 1/4inch Halfords set for Christmas by a friend, and that is excellent as well - more than enough for a hobbyist (as opposed to a pro), like me. Nicely made, good thick chrome, accurate sizes and a very nice ratchet.
Shop around. Handle some sets and work out what you like. Then buy.
Oli.
In terms of make, I have a 3/8inch Teng set which was an 18th birthday present, and it's simply superb. Lifetime warranty is honoured everytime I break something (which is pretty rarely.) Although I was also given a 1/4inch Halfords set for Christmas by a friend, and that is excellent as well - more than enough for a hobbyist (as opposed to a pro), like me. Nicely made, good thick chrome, accurate sizes and a very nice ratchet.
Shop around. Handle some sets and work out what you like. Then buy.
Oli.
a lot of the six wall drive socket sizes cross over from af to metric with the added bonus of not rounding heads off .i have a lot of bergen tools which i have never had fail .
like these .
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/BERGEN-17-PCE-3-8-OPTI-DRIVE...
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/BERGEN-22-PC-1-4-3-8-DR-SUPE...
http://www.directsupplyukltd.co.uk/products/met-03...
like these .
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/BERGEN-17-PCE-3-8-OPTI-DRIVE...
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/BERGEN-22-PC-1-4-3-8-DR-SUPE...
http://www.directsupplyukltd.co.uk/products/met-03...
Edited by bimsb6 on Saturday 13th June 19:23
Edited by bimsb6 on Saturday 13th June 19:27
draper stuff shows its age quite quickly
personally, I've found the clarke professional (machine mart) and Halfords professional stuff good.
but rather than carting a huge case around with say, an 11mm and an 18mm socket in that never gets used, what I've done is gone to somewhere like tooledup.com and just bought decent 6 sided sockets for the sizes I use the most: 10mm, 12, 14, 17 and 21 (toyota).
But you're after 3 different types, so that might not be applicable in your case.
hth
Ian
personally, I've found the clarke professional (machine mart) and Halfords professional stuff good.
but rather than carting a huge case around with say, an 11mm and an 18mm socket in that never gets used, what I've done is gone to somewhere like tooledup.com and just bought decent 6 sided sockets for the sizes I use the most: 10mm, 12, 14, 17 and 21 (toyota).
But you're after 3 different types, so that might not be applicable in your case.
hth
Ian
Ian Geary said:
draper stuff shows its age quite quickly
personally, I've found the clarke professional (machine mart) and Halfords professional stuff good.
but rather than carting a huge case around with say, an 11mm and an 18mm socket in that never gets used, what I've done is gone to somewhere like tooledup.com and just bought decent 6 sided sockets for the sizes I use the most: 10mm, 12, 14, 17 and 21 (toyota).
But you're after 3 different types, so that might not be applicable in your case.
hth
Ian
Draper expert and Halfords professional are the same product and both carry lifetime warranties...personally, I've found the clarke professional (machine mart) and Halfords professional stuff good.
but rather than carting a huge case around with say, an 11mm and an 18mm socket in that never gets used, what I've done is gone to somewhere like tooledup.com and just bought decent 6 sided sockets for the sizes I use the most: 10mm, 12, 14, 17 and 21 (toyota).
But you're after 3 different types, so that might not be applicable in your case.
hth
Ian
If you want a really decent set that will deal with both metric and imperial sizes, take a look at the Richmond Metrinch range.
It might sound like a gimmick, but these work really well - I've had two sets (both stolen, ultimately
) and have used the for many years. Apart from the compatibility between metric and imperial sizes, the 'wall drive' design of the sockets and spanners (difficult to describe, but they are designed to grip the flats of the nuts and bolts instead of the corners, like normal sockets) means they are very effective at gripping rounded-off nuts where a hex spanner would just make the situation worse.
Not cheap, but they'll last you a lifetime (unless some b
d nicks them...).
It might sound like a gimmick, but these work really well - I've had two sets (both stolen, ultimately
) and have used the for many years. Apart from the compatibility between metric and imperial sizes, the 'wall drive' design of the sockets and spanners (difficult to describe, but they are designed to grip the flats of the nuts and bolts instead of the corners, like normal sockets) means they are very effective at gripping rounded-off nuts where a hex spanner would just make the situation worse.Not cheap, but they'll last you a lifetime (unless some b
d nicks them...).zcacogp said:
davemac250 said:
... neither will the TVR (be metric) when it arrives.
Really? What age of TVR?Oli.
There is the possibility of picking up a friends Tasmin that needs a little TLC, although not huge amounts of work doing - certainly nothing like the Alfa has generated.
That and have been helping a friend out with his Cerb, all the suspension bolts have been 11/16th - which surprised me to say the least.
Yep, that makes sense as it was made in Europe who have been metric for a long time now 
The Cerb certainly has some imperial bolts within the suspension as 11/16th was an exact fit. 19mm being slightly too big and rounding the heads.
Haven't done anything else with that car so no idea if this is limited to the suspension or is carried on throughout the rest of the vehicle design/specs.
And TVR certainly like to walk their own path.
Problem is I also have a boat in the UK with AF fittings on the engine so everything gets mixed up.
Apologies to the poster who rec'd the Richmond set also, I started at the bottom and worked up the list.
The Cerb certainly has some imperial bolts within the suspension as 11/16th was an exact fit. 19mm being slightly too big and rounding the heads.
Haven't done anything else with that car so no idea if this is limited to the suspension or is carried on throughout the rest of the vehicle design/specs.
And TVR certainly like to walk their own path.
Problem is I also have a boat in the UK with AF fittings on the engine so everything gets mixed up.
Apologies to the poster who rec'd the Richmond set also, I started at the bottom and worked up the list.
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