My maturing (at last!) son asked about a source of an affordable
socket set for the odd bit of car maintenance, etc.

My something like 40 year old 1/2" drive set cost me 99p, because the
lassy in the store rang £9.99 up wrong !! - and has lasted me well.
Where should I suggest he goes for something uncomplicated - he's
prepared to pay ~£30, and with a system that makes errors like the one
I should have been honest about !!

Rob

On Wed, 01 May 2013 06:27:08 -0700, robgraham wrote:

My maturing (at last!) son asked about a source of an affordable socket
set for the odd bit of car maintenance, etc.

My something like 40 year old 1/2" drive set cost me 99p, because the
lassy in the store rang £9.99 up wrong !! - and has lasted me well.
Where should I suggest he goes for something uncomplicated - he's
prepared to pay ~£30, and with a system that makes errors like the one I
should have been honest about !!

Much as I hate suggesting them as a source, Halfrauds Pro seems to be the
best blend of quality and price.

If he's just going for one set for general lightish use, I'd start with
3/8", then - if required - supplement with 1/2" for ~17mm and up, then
1/4" for ~10mm and down.

A quick look at their website shows a decent looking 18-piece 3/8" all
metric starter kit for £20, well inside budget. Unwieldy URL, but product
code 926352. As with all these kits, it's maybe not 100% as you'd want
(9mm instead of 8mm?), but looks like a bloody good starting point.

There's also a couple of £25ish sets with more bits - but one's 1/4" and
largely too small to be useful, the other's from the non-"Pro" range with
a truly dreadful looking ratchet and bulked out with the usual useless
Dibnah sizes. Not sure I'd bother with either, but might be worth a quick
look in store.

In message , Adrian
writes
On Wed, 01 May 2013 06:27:08 -0700, robgraham wrote:

My maturing (at last!) son asked about a source of an affordable socket
set for the odd bit of car maintenance, etc.

My something like 40 year old 1/2" drive set cost me 99p, because the
lassy in the store rang £9.99 up wrong !! - and has lasted me well.
Where should I suggest he goes for something uncomplicated - he's
prepared to pay ~£30, and with a system that makes errors like the one I
should have been honest about !!

Much as I hate suggesting them as a source, Halfrauds Pro seems to be the
best blend of quality and price.

If he's just going for one set for general lightish use, I'd start with
3/8", then - if required - supplement with 1/2" for ~17mm and up, then
1/4" for ~10mm and down.

A quick look at their website shows a decent looking 18-piece 3/8" all
metric starter kit for £20, well inside budget. Unwieldy URL, but product
code 926352. As with all these kits, it's maybe not 100% as you'd want
(9mm instead of 8mm?), but looks like a bloody good starting point.

There's also a couple of £25ish sets with more bits - but one's 1/4" and
largely too small to be useful, the other's from the non-"Pro" range with
a truly dreadful looking ratchet and bulked out with the usual useless
Dibnah sizes. Not sure I'd bother with either, but might be worth a quick
look in store.
I would agree. Halfords Pro are of good quality. They do have "sales"
from time to time.
--
bert

On Wed, 01 May 2013 15:09:21 +0100, bert wrote:

A quick look at their website shows a decent looking 18-piece 3/8" all
metric starter kit for £20, well inside budget.

I would agree. Halfords Pro are of good quality. They do have "sales"
from time to time.

The kits are 50% off at the mo, so the one above is £20 not £40.

I suspect it's a bit of an Allied Carpets sale, though...

"robgraham" wrote in message
...

My maturing (at last!) son asked about a source of an affordable
socket set for the odd bit of car maintenance, etc.

My something like 40 year old 1/2" drive set cost me 99p, because the
lassy in the store rang £9.99 up wrong !! - and has lasted me well.
Where should I suggest he goes for something uncomplicated - he's
prepared to pay ~£30, and with a system that makes errors like the one
I should have been honest about !!


Hellfrauds Pro.... Lifetime guarantee as well.

Well worth the money and I use them daily on lorry loader cranes and the
like.
I lost a couple of ¼ drive ones and went in to buy replacements and the girl
at the counter said that's Ok... They're lifetime replacement even if you
lose them !
If you have anyone that has a Trade Card they often give some good discounts
to Trade bods too..... Like me ;-)

"Huge" wrote in message ...

On 2013-05-01, Adrian wrote:
On Wed, 01 May 2013 06:27:08 -0700, robgraham wrote:

My maturing (at last!) son asked about a source of an affordable socket
set for the odd bit of car maintenance, etc.

My something like 40 year old 1/2" drive set cost me 99p, because the
lassy in the store rang £9.99 up wrong !! - and has lasted me well.
Where should I suggest he goes for something uncomplicated - he's
prepared to pay ~£30, and with a system that makes errors like the one I
should have been honest about !!

Much as I hate suggesting them as a source, Halfrauds Pro seems to be the
best blend of quality and price.

I bought a set of ratchet ring spanners a few months ago from them. They
seem
to be OK.

I will agree that I have also heard good reports on Halfords, but question
your ethics of not pointing out the stores error!

Mike

On 01/05/2013 15:09, bert wrote:
In message , Adrian

If he's just going for one set for general lightish use, I'd start with
3/8", then - if required - supplement with 1/2" for ~17mm and up, then
1/4" for ~10mm and down.


+1

Only really need half inch for cylinder heads, crankshaft bearing caps,
and suspension bits. Quarter inch is also often really useful on modern
cars.

Often need ring and open end spanners too.

On 01/05/2013 14:37, Adrian wrote:
On Wed, 01 May 2013 06:27:08 -0700, robgraham wrote:

My maturing (at last!) son asked about a source of an affordable socket
set for the odd bit of car maintenance, etc.

My something like 40 year old 1/2" drive set cost me 99p, because the
lassy in the store rang £9.99 up wrong !! - and has lasted me well.
Where should I suggest he goes for something uncomplicated - he's
prepared to pay ~£30, and with a system that makes errors like the one I
should have been honest about !!

Much as I hate suggesting them as a source, Halfrauds Pro seems to be the
best blend of quality and price.

The Pro range are also guaranteed for life - take a damaged piece in and
they replace it. Ratchet mechanisms are not covered, but from what I've
heard elsewhere, they often exchange them anyway.

The only poor items in my set are the Torx bits. The bits consist of the
bit itself, permanently mounted into a square drive base. All sizes neck
down to the same size hex where they are attached to the base and I have
snapped two T55s while tightening cylinder-head bolts. They were being
torqued up with a torque wrench too, so were not being abused such as
you might when releasing a stuck fastening.

SteveW

On Wed, 1 May 2013 06:27:08 -0700 (PDT), robgraham
wrote:

My maturing (at last!) son asked about a source of an affordable
socket set for the odd bit of car maintenance, etc.

Halford Pro range for tools you won't have to replace because they're
cheap ****.

On 01/05/2013 20:19, SteveW wrote:
On 01/05/2013 14:37, Adrian wrote:
On Wed, 01 May 2013 06:27:08 -0700, robgraham wrote:

My maturing (at last!) son asked about a source of an affordable socket
set for the odd bit of car maintenance, etc.

My something like 40 year old 1/2" drive set cost me 99p, because the
lassy in the store rang £9.99 up wrong !! - and has lasted me well.
Where should I suggest he goes for something uncomplicated - he's
prepared to pay ~£30, and with a system that makes errors like the one I
should have been honest about !!

Much as I hate suggesting them as a source, Halfrauds Pro seems to be the
best blend of quality and price.

The Pro range are also guaranteed for life - take a damaged piece in and
they replace it. Ratchet mechanisms are not covered, but from what I've
heard elsewhere, they often exchange them anyway.

The only poor items in my set are the Torx bits. The bits consist of the
bit itself, permanently mounted into a square drive base. All sizes neck
down to the same size hex where they are attached to the base and I have
snapped two T55s while tightening cylinder-head bolts. They were being
torqued up with a torque wrench too, so were not being abused such as
you might when releasing a stuck fastening.

SteveW

+1 on the Torx bits - just mullered one. Now to see how eager they are
to honour the guarantee.

Biggles

On 01/05/2013 15:09, bert wrote:
Snipped
I would agree. Halfords Pro are of good quality. They do have "sales"
from time to time.

Their sales on socket sets are usually around bank holidays.

Biggles

newshound wrote:
Often need ring and open end spanners too.

I have a nice 48-piece set of those from Screwstation for about 30 quid.
Ah, think it was this one:
http://www.screwfix.com/p/spanner-set-48pcs/91602
The spanners are fine, but the roll they came on is getting a bit tatty and
liable to lose them.

Theo

Grimly Curmudgeon wrote:
On Wed, 1 May 2013 06:27:08 -0700 (PDT), robgraham
wrote:

My maturing (at last!) son asked about a source of an affordable
socket set for the odd bit of car maintenance, etc.

Halford Pro range for tools you won't have to replace because they're
cheap ****.

I was given a 1/2" drive Elora set for my 21st B'day. I'm 59 now and it
is still in perfect condition (better than I am!!).
I think Elora has morphed into Draper Expert in a number of cases but
the quality still seems to be there from what I read.
More and more though I find there is little room around engines to fit
1/2" socketry in. So 3/8" and even 1/4" is needed as well as slim
combination spanners and even the odd sacrificial spanner for cutting
and welding into an obscure angle to get around an obstacle.

On Wed, 1 May 2013 15:09:21 +0100, bert ] wrote:

In message , Adrian
writes
On Wed, 01 May 2013 06:27:08 -0700, robgraham wrote:

My maturing (at last!) son asked about a source of an affordable socket
set for the odd bit of car maintenance, etc.

My something like 40 year old 1/2" drive set cost me 99p, because the
lassy in the store rang £9.99 up wrong !! - and has lasted me well.
Where should I suggest he goes for something uncomplicated - he's
prepared to pay ~£30, and with a system that makes errors like the one I
should have been honest about !!

Much as I hate suggesting them as a source, Halfrauds Pro seems to be the
best blend of quality and price.

If he's just going for one set for general lightish use, I'd start with
3/8", then - if required - supplement with 1/2" for ~17mm and up, then
1/4" for ~10mm and down.

A quick look at their website shows a decent looking 18-piece 3/8" all
metric starter kit for £20, well inside budget. Unwieldy URL, but product
code 926352. As with all these kits, it's maybe not 100% as you'd want
(9mm instead of 8mm?), but looks like a bloody good starting point.

There's also a couple of £25ish sets with more bits - but one's 1/4" and
largely too small to be useful, the other's from the non-"Pro" range with
a truly dreadful looking ratchet and bulked out with the usual useless
Dibnah sizes. Not sure I'd bother with either, but might be worth a quick
look in store.
I would agree. Halfords Pro are of good quality. They do have "sales"
from time to time.

I just snapped a Halfords Pro socket using a normal socket wrench.
That definitely wasn't "good quality". IMHO buying cheap is not worth
it.
--
(\__/) M.
(='.'=) If a man stands in a forest and no woman is around
(")_(") is he still wrong?

On Thu, 02 May 2013 01:17:54 +0100, Biggles
wrote:

On 01/05/2013 20:19, SteveW wrote:
On 01/05/2013 14:37, Adrian wrote:
On Wed, 01 May 2013 06:27:08 -0700, robgraham wrote:

My maturing (at last!) son asked about a source of an affordable socket
set for the odd bit of car maintenance, etc.

My something like 40 year old 1/2" drive set cost me 99p, because the
lassy in the store rang £9.99 up wrong !! - and has lasted me well.
Where should I suggest he goes for something uncomplicated - he's
prepared to pay ~£30, and with a system that makes errors like the one I
should have been honest about !!

Much as I hate suggesting them as a source, Halfrauds Pro seems to be the
best blend of quality and price.

The Pro range are also guaranteed for life - take a damaged piece in and
they replace it. Ratchet mechanisms are not covered, but from what I've
heard elsewhere, they often exchange them anyway.

The only poor items in my set are the Torx bits. The bits consist of the
bit itself, permanently mounted into a square drive base. All sizes neck
down to the same size hex where they are attached to the base and I have
snapped two T55s while tightening cylinder-head bolts. They were being
torqued up with a torque wrench too, so were not being abused such as
you might when releasing a stuck fastening.

SteveW

+1 on the Torx bits - just mullered one. Now to see how eager they are
to honour the guarantee.

IME they won't without the original receipt.
--
(\__/) M.
(='.'=) If a man stands in a forest and no woman is around
(")_(") is he still wrong?

I presume this isn't their pro version but the style of ratchet in
this set is (from experience) prone to jamming:

http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/s...egoryId_255215

On Thu, 02 May 2013 06:13:09 -0700, mike wrote:

I presume this isn't their pro version but the style of ratchet in this
set is (from experience) prone to jamming:

No, that's not the pro range - it'd say in the item title if t'were.

That's the cheap-chocolate-and-cheese-mix range.

In article ,
Mark wrote:
I just snapped a Halfords Pro socket using a normal socket wrench.
That definitely wasn't "good quality". IMHO buying cheap is not worth
it.

It's possible to break any socket if enough say sideways pressure is
applied.

Halfords Pro range isn't cheap.

--
*Procrastinate now

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

On Thu, 02 May 2013 16:02:22 +0100, Dave Plowman (News) wrote:

Halfords Pro range isn't cheap.

Viewed absolutely, it's very inexpensive, but not "cheap" - with all the
negative connotations of quality that implies.

Viewed comparitively?
Compared to Snap-On? It's dirt cheap.
Compared to something like this - http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B000LFTR9E?
It's superb value and quality. Even at the non-50%-off £40.
Compared to the chocolate-vanadium ****e you find in supermarket/petrol
station unbranded kits? It's Snap-On...

In article ,
Adrian wrote:
Halfords Pro range isn't cheap.

Viewed absolutely, it's very inexpensive, but not "cheap" - with all the
negative connotations of quality that implies.

Viewed comparitively?
Compared to Snap-On? It's dirt cheap.

Everything is cheap compared to the vastly over priced and over hyped
Snap-On.

--
*Upon the advice of my attorney, my shirt bears no message at this time

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

Adrian wrote:

On Thu, 02 May 2013 16:02:22 +0100, Dave Plowman (News) wrote:

Halfords Pro range isn't cheap.

Viewed absolutely, it's very inexpensive, but not "cheap" - with all
the negative connotations of quality that implies.

Viewed comparitively?
Compared to Snap-On? It's dirt cheap.
Compared to something like this -
http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B000LFTR9E? It's superb value and
quality. Even at the non-50%-off £40. Compared to the
chocolate-vanadium ****e you find in supermarket/petrol station
unbranded kits? It's Snap-On...

I think I am in shock. I bought my Gedore socket set, with Whitworth
and A/F sizes, in about 1961 from a mail order catalogue when I was
earning five guineas (£5.25p) per week and at the time they did not
seem particularly expensive. I just looked on the Gedore web site and
a similar set (only A/F and metric these days) are £452.00. How
things have changed. I can vouch for the quality though as thay are
still in fully usable condition despite stripping umpteen engines in
umpteen cars in that time, sometimes with all the extension rods, T bar
etc joined together to give enough leverage for stuck bolts.

--
Tinkerer

In message , Mark
writes
On Wed, 1 May 2013 15:09:21 +0100, bert ] wrote:

In message , Adrian
writes
On Wed, 01 May 2013 06:27:08 -0700, robgraham wrote:

My maturing (at last!) son asked about a source of an affordable socket
set for the odd bit of car maintenance, etc.

My something like 40 year old 1/2" drive set cost me 99p, because the
lassy in the store rang £9.99 up wrong !! - and has lasted me well.
Where should I suggest he goes for something uncomplicated - he's
prepared to pay ~£30, and with a system that makes errors like the one I
should have been honest about !!

Much as I hate suggesting them as a source, Halfrauds Pro seems to be the
best blend of quality and price.

If he's just going for one set for general lightish use, I'd start with
3/8", then - if required - supplement with 1/2" for ~17mm and up, then
1/4" for ~10mm and down.

A quick look at their website shows a decent looking 18-piece 3/8" all
metric starter kit for £20, well inside budget. Unwieldy URL, but product
code 926352. As with all these kits, it's maybe not 100% as you'd want
(9mm instead of 8mm?), but looks like a bloody good starting point.

There's also a couple of £25ish sets with more bits - but one's 1/4" and
largely too small to be useful, the other's from the non-"Pro" range with
a truly dreadful looking ratchet and bulked out with the usual useless
Dibnah sizes. Not sure I'd bother with either, but might be worth a quick
look in store.
I would agree. Halfords Pro are of good quality. They do have "sales"
from time to time.

I just snapped a Halfords Pro socket using a normal socket wrench.
That definitely wasn't "good quality". IMHO buying cheap is not worth
it.
Take it back and demand a replacement.
--
bert

In message , "Dave Plowman (News)"
writes
In article ,
Adrian wrote:
Halfords Pro range isn't cheap.

Viewed absolutely, it's very inexpensive, but not "cheap" - with all the
negative connotations of quality that implies.

Viewed comparitively?
Compared to Snap-On? It's dirt cheap.

Everything is cheap compared to the vastly over priced and over hyped
Snap-On.

Even Brit Tool?
--
bert

On 02/05/2013 11:21, Bob Minchin wrote:
Grimly Curmudgeon wrote:
On Wed, 1 May 2013 06:27:08 -0700 (PDT), robgraham
wrote:

My maturing (at last!) son asked about a source of an affordable
socket set for the odd bit of car maintenance, etc.

Halford Pro range for tools you won't have to replace because they're
cheap ****.

I was given a 1/2" drive Elora set for my 21st B'day. I'm 59 now and it
is still in perfect condition (better than I am!!).
I think Elora has morphed into Draper Expert in a number of cases but
the quality still seems to be there from what I read.
More and more though I find there is little room around engines to fit
1/2" socketry in. So 3/8" and even 1/4" is needed as well as slim
combination spanners and even the odd sacrificial spanner for cutting
and welding into an obscure angle to get around an obstacle.


Your mention of welding sacrificial spanners interests me. So far, I've
only MIG welded nice forgiving mild steel, and a bit of stainless.

I would imagine that quality spanners would have relatively high amounts
of carbon and other alloying elements, so might be tricky to weld? Would
cheaper softer spanners be more weldable?

On 02/05/2013 13:25, Mark wrote:
On Thu, 02 May 2013 01:17:54 +0100, Biggles
wrote:

On 01/05/2013 20:19, SteveW wrote:
On 01/05/2013 14:37, Adrian wrote:
On Wed, 01 May 2013 06:27:08 -0700, robgraham wrote:

My maturing (at last!) son asked about a source of an affordable socket
set for the odd bit of car maintenance, etc.

My something like 40 year old 1/2" drive set cost me 99p, because the
lassy in the store rang £9.99 up wrong !! - and has lasted me well.
Where should I suggest he goes for something uncomplicated - he's
prepared to pay ~£30, and with a system that makes errors like the one I
should have been honest about !!

Much as I hate suggesting them as a source, Halfrauds Pro seems to be the
best blend of quality and price.

The Pro range are also guaranteed for life - take a damaged piece in and
they replace it. Ratchet mechanisms are not covered, but from what I've
heard elsewhere, they often exchange them anyway.

The only poor items in my set are the Torx bits. The bits consist of the
bit itself, permanently mounted into a square drive base. All sizes neck
down to the same size hex where they are attached to the base and I have
snapped two T55s while tightening cylinder-head bolts. They were being
torqued up with a torque wrench too, so were not being abused such as
you might when releasing a stuck fastening.

SteveW

+1 on the Torx bits - just mullered one. Now to see how eager they are
to honour the guarantee.

IME they won't without the original receipt.

I've taken a few back (torx and screwdrivers) and had no problems
without a receipt - I can't see why there should be as the Halfords name
is marked into them. As it happens, I don't have a receipt 'cos the set
was a present - okay fair enough, it was one I specifically asked for.

SteveW

On 02/05/2013 13:25, Mark wrote:
On Thu, 02 May 2013 01:17:54 +0100, Biggles
wrote:

On 01/05/2013 20:19, SteveW wrote:
On 01/05/2013 14:37, Adrian wrote:
On Wed, 01 May 2013 06:27:08 -0700, robgraham wrote:

My maturing (at last!) son asked about a source of an affordable socket
set for the odd bit of car maintenance, etc.

My something like 40 year old 1/2" drive set cost me 99p, because the
lassy in the store rang £9.99 up wrong !! - and has lasted me well.
Where should I suggest he goes for something uncomplicated - he's
prepared to pay ~£30, and with a system that makes errors like the one I
should have been honest about !!

Much as I hate suggesting them as a source, Halfrauds Pro seems to be the
best blend of quality and price.

The Pro range are also guaranteed for life - take a damaged piece in and
they replace it. Ratchet mechanisms are not covered, but from what I've
heard elsewhere, they often exchange them anyway.

The only poor items in my set are the Torx bits. The bits consist of the
bit itself, permanently mounted into a square drive base. All sizes neck
down to the same size hex where they are attached to the base and I have
snapped two T55s while tightening cylinder-head bolts. They were being
torqued up with a torque wrench too, so were not being abused such as
you might when releasing a stuck fastening.

SteveW

+1 on the Torx bits - just mullered one. Now to see how eager they are
to honour the guarantee.

IME they won't without the original receipt.

So a lifetime guarantee lasts as long as the receipt itself? That would
be really good if printed using one of those thermal systems that go all
black after a short time in heat/light! Maybe an ordinary till receipt
really isn't adequate in this sort of situation?

--
Rod

On 02/05/2013 19:27, bert wrote:
In message , Mark
writes
On Wed, 1 May 2013 15:09:21 +0100, bert ] wrote:

In message , Adrian
writes
On Wed, 01 May 2013 06:27:08 -0700, robgraham wrote:

My maturing (at last!) son asked about a source of an affordable
socket
set for the odd bit of car maintenance, etc.

My something like 40 year old 1/2" drive set cost me 99p, because the
lassy in the store rang £9.99 up wrong !! - and has lasted me well.
Where should I suggest he goes for something uncomplicated - he's
prepared to pay ~£30, and with a system that makes errors like the
one I
should have been honest about !!

Much as I hate suggesting them as a source, Halfrauds Pro seems to
be the
best blend of quality and price.

If he's just going for one set for general lightish use, I'd start with
3/8", then - if required - supplement with 1/2" for ~17mm and up, then
1/4" for ~10mm and down.

A quick look at their website shows a decent looking 18-piece 3/8" all
metric starter kit for £20, well inside budget. Unwieldy URL, but
product
code 926352. As with all these kits, it's maybe not 100% as you'd want
(9mm instead of 8mm?), but looks like a bloody good starting point.

There's also a couple of £25ish sets with more bits - but one's 1/4"
and
largely too small to be useful, the other's from the non-"Pro" range
with
a truly dreadful looking ratchet and bulked out with the usual useless
Dibnah sizes. Not sure I'd bother with either, but might be worth a
quick
look in store.
I would agree. Halfords Pro are of good quality. They do have "sales"
from time to time.

I just snapped a Halfords Pro socket using a normal socket wrench.
That definitely wasn't "good quality". IMHO buying cheap is not worth
it.
Take it back and demand a replacement.

I bought a 100 piece Halfords socket set for £50, as it was reduced from
£100 in 1991. My GF at the time and her Mum called me stupid for wasting
my money (I was a poor hard up student at the time)

It was 1/4 drive, 1.2 drive and 3/4 drive and had all the sockets from
4mm to 25mm and 1/4 inch to 1 inch.

Roll on 2013, and I still have it, with no broken sockets. However the
original case is long gone, the tray inserts have now relocated to a
proper tool chest cabinet.

Regards,

S.

On Thu, 02 May 2013 22:18:02 +0100, SteveW
wrote:

On 02/05/2013 13:25, Mark wrote:
On Thu, 02 May 2013 01:17:54 +0100, Biggles
wrote:

On 01/05/2013 20:19, SteveW wrote:
On 01/05/2013 14:37, Adrian wrote:
On Wed, 01 May 2013 06:27:08 -0700, robgraham wrote:

My maturing (at last!) son asked about a source of an affordable socket
set for the odd bit of car maintenance, etc.

My something like 40 year old 1/2" drive set cost me 99p, because the
lassy in the store rang £9.99 up wrong !! - and has lasted me well.
Where should I suggest he goes for something uncomplicated - he's
prepared to pay ~£30, and with a system that makes errors like the one I
should have been honest about !!

Much as I hate suggesting them as a source, Halfrauds Pro seems to be the
best blend of quality and price.

The Pro range are also guaranteed for life - take a damaged piece in and
they replace it. Ratchet mechanisms are not covered, but from what I've
heard elsewhere, they often exchange them anyway.

The only poor items in my set are the Torx bits. The bits consist of the
bit itself, permanently mounted into a square drive base. All sizes neck
down to the same size hex where they are attached to the base and I have
snapped two T55s while tightening cylinder-head bolts. They were being
torqued up with a torque wrench too, so were not being abused such as
you might when releasing a stuck fastening.

SteveW

+1 on the Torx bits - just mullered one. Now to see how eager they are
to honour the guarantee.

IME they won't without the original receipt.

I've taken a few back (torx and screwdrivers) and had no problems
without a receipt - I can't see why there should be as the Halfords name
is marked into them.

It shouldn't, I agree - but the T&Cs on their web site explicitly say
they won't honour the warranty without the receipt. Did you take the
whole set(s) back or did they just exchange individual items?

As it happens, I don't have a receipt 'cos the set
was a present - okay fair enough, it was one I specifically asked for.

IIRC mine was a pressie too.
--
(\__/) M.
(='.'=) If a man stands in a forest and no woman is around
(")_(") is he still wrong?

MrWeld wrote:
On 02/05/2013 11:21, Bob Minchin wrote:
Grimly Curmudgeon wrote:
On Wed, 1 May 2013 06:27:08 -0700 (PDT), robgraham
wrote:

My maturing (at last!) son asked about a source of an affordable
socket set for the odd bit of car maintenance, etc.

Halford Pro range for tools you won't have to replace because they're
cheap ****.

I was given a 1/2" drive Elora set for my 21st B'day. I'm 59 now and it
is still in perfect condition (better than I am!!).
I think Elora has morphed into Draper Expert in a number of cases but
the quality still seems to be there from what I read.
More and more though I find there is little room around engines to fit
1/2" socketry in. So 3/8" and even 1/4" is needed as well as slim
combination spanners and even the odd sacrificial spanner for cutting
and welding into an obscure angle to get around an obstacle.


Your mention of welding sacrificial spanners interests me. So far, I've
only MIG welded nice forgiving mild steel, and a bit of stainless.

I would imagine that quality spanners would have relatively high amounts
of carbon and other alloying elements, so might be tricky to weld? Would
cheaper softer spanners be more weldable?
I suppose the spanners I choose to sacrifice tend to be the no-name ones
rather than the quality brands.
The welds are not pretty but seem to 'stick' OK and get me out of
trouble for a one off job.

On 03/05/2013 09:15, Mark wrote:
On Thu, 02 May 2013 22:18:02 +0100, SteveW
wrote:

On 02/05/2013 13:25, Mark wrote:
On Thu, 02 May 2013 01:17:54 +0100, Biggles
wrote:

On 01/05/2013 20:19, SteveW wrote:
On 01/05/2013 14:37, Adrian wrote:
On Wed, 01 May 2013 06:27:08 -0700, robgraham wrote:

My maturing (at last!) son asked about a source of an affordable socket
set for the odd bit of car maintenance, etc.

My something like 40 year old 1/2" drive set cost me 99p, because the
lassy in the store rang £9.99 up wrong !! - and has lasted me well.
Where should I suggest he goes for something uncomplicated - he's
prepared to pay ~£30, and with a system that makes errors like the one I
should have been honest about !!

Much as I hate suggesting them as a source, Halfrauds Pro seems to be the
best blend of quality and price.

The Pro range are also guaranteed for life - take a damaged piece in and
they replace it. Ratchet mechanisms are not covered, but from what I've
heard elsewhere, they often exchange them anyway.

The only poor items in my set are the Torx bits. The bits consist of the
bit itself, permanently mounted into a square drive base. All sizes neck
down to the same size hex where they are attached to the base and I have
snapped two T55s while tightening cylinder-head bolts. They were being
torqued up with a torque wrench too, so were not being abused such as
you might when releasing a stuck fastening.

SteveW

+1 on the Torx bits - just mullered one. Now to see how eager they are
to honour the guarantee.

IME they won't without the original receipt.

I've taken a few back (torx and screwdrivers) and had no problems
without a receipt - I can't see why there should be as the Halfords name
is marked into them.

It shouldn't, I agree - but the T&Cs on their web site explicitly say
they won't honour the warranty without the receipt. Did you take the
whole set(s) back or did they just exchange individual items?

Individual items.

SteveW

On Thu, 02 May 2013 17:05:41 +0100, "Dave Plowman (News)"
wrote:

Everything is cheap compared to the vastly over priced and over hyped
Snap-On.

They're not over-priced if you're using them to earn a living. That
lifetime guarantee and the certainty of the S-O bloke being around in
his van (also the payment scheme) makes them affordable.

On Thu, 02 May 2013 13:24:11 +0100, Mark
wrote:

I just snapped a Halfords Pro socket using a normal socket wrench.

****ing gorilla.

On Thu, 02 May 2013 20:59:48 +0100, MrWeld MrWeld wrote:

Your mention of welding sacrificial spanners interests me. So far, I've
only MIG welded nice forgiving mild steel, and a bit of stainless.

I would imagine that quality spanners would have relatively high amounts
of carbon and other alloying elements, so might be tricky to weld? Would
cheaper softer spanners be more weldable?

Not really a problem. I've cut and welded various spanners and sockets
over the years with whatever mig set was to hand.

In article ,
Grimly Curmudgeon wrote:
On Thu, 02 May 2013 17:05:41 +0100, "Dave Plowman (News)"
wrote:

Everything is cheap compared to the vastly over priced and over hyped
Snap-On.

They're not over-priced if you're using them to earn a living. That
lifetime guarantee and the certainty of the S-O bloke being around in
his van (also the payment scheme) makes them affordable.

You've just given the reasons they have this mystique. They are sold on
favourable terms to garage mechanics. Nothing whatsoever to do with
quality or value. They simply found a niche market.

I'd suggest you compare Snap on screwdrivers to Wera - then tell me how
fabulous their quality is.

--
*Why doesn't glue stick to the inside of the bottle?

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

In article ,
Grimly Curmudgeon wrote:
On Thu, 02 May 2013 13:24:11 +0100, Mark
wrote:

I just snapped a Halfords Pro socket using a normal socket wrench.

****ing gorilla.

I'm willing to bet it wasn't done with just properly applied torque. More
likely a sideways load too.

--
*OK, who stopped payment on my reality check?

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

On Sat, 04 May 2013 13:59:16 +0100, "Dave Plowman (News)"
wrote:

I'd suggest you compare Snap on screwdrivers to Wera - then tell me how
fabulous their quality is.

I've only ever broken one S-O 'driver in my life and that was due to
owner abuse. Replaced FOC next time I happened to bump into a S-O rep,
in another part of the country, hundreds of miles away, no questions
asked.

In article ,
Grimly Curmudgeon wrote:
I'd suggest you compare Snap on screwdrivers to Wera - then tell me how
fabulous their quality is.

I've only ever broken one S-O 'driver in my life and that was due to
owner abuse. Replaced FOC next time I happened to bump into a S-O rep,
in another part of the country, hundreds of miles away, no questions
asked.

Not disputing their warranty for broken tools - but would they have
replaced a cross head type that had gone blunt simply through use?

--
*When the going gets tough, use duct tape

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

On Fri, 03 May 2013 23:45:34 +0100, SteveW
wrote:

On 03/05/2013 09:15, Mark wrote:
On Thu, 02 May 2013 22:18:02 +0100, SteveW
wrote:

On 02/05/2013 13:25, Mark wrote:
On Thu, 02 May 2013 01:17:54 +0100, Biggles
wrote:

On 01/05/2013 20:19, SteveW wrote:
On 01/05/2013 14:37, Adrian wrote:
On Wed, 01 May 2013 06:27:08 -0700, robgraham wrote:

My maturing (at last!) son asked about a source of an affordable socket
set for the odd bit of car maintenance, etc.

My something like 40 year old 1/2" drive set cost me 99p, because the
lassy in the store rang £9.99 up wrong !! - and has lasted me well.
Where should I suggest he goes for something uncomplicated - he's
prepared to pay ~£30, and with a system that makes errors like the one I
should have been honest about !!

Much as I hate suggesting them as a source, Halfrauds Pro seems to be the
best blend of quality and price.

The Pro range are also guaranteed for life - take a damaged piece in and
they replace it. Ratchet mechanisms are not covered, but from what I've
heard elsewhere, they often exchange them anyway.

The only poor items in my set are the Torx bits. The bits consist of the
bit itself, permanently mounted into a square drive base. All sizes neck
down to the same size hex where they are attached to the base and I have
snapped two T55s while tightening cylinder-head bolts. They were being
torqued up with a torque wrench too, so were not being abused such as
you might when releasing a stuck fastening.

SteveW

+1 on the Torx bits - just mullered one. Now to see how eager they are
to honour the guarantee.

IME they won't without the original receipt.

I've taken a few back (torx and screwdrivers) and had no problems
without a receipt - I can't see why there should be as the Halfords name
is marked into them.

It shouldn't, I agree - but the T&Cs on their web site explicitly say
they won't honour the warranty without the receipt. Did you take the
whole set(s) back or did they just exchange individual items?

Individual items.

I tried to take the socket back. They did eventually replace the
broken one but it took a little persuasion ;-)

(Initially they said I needed the original receipt *and* all the
original packaging).
--
(\__/) M.
(='.'=) If a man stands in a forest and no woman is around
(")_(") is he still wrong?

In article
,
robgraham wrote:
My maturing (at last!) son asked about a source of an affordable
socket set for the odd bit of car maintenance, etc.

My something like 40 year old 1/2" drive set cost me 99p, because the
lassy in the store rang £9.99 up wrong !! - and has lasted me well.
Where should I suggest he goes for something uncomplicated - he's
prepared to pay ~£30, and with a system that makes errors like the one
I should have been honest about !!

Lidl are doing a tool kit next Monday for 70 quid which includes a
comprehensive socket set. I've found Lidl hand tools ok for normal DIY and
pretty good value - so might be worth a look.

--
*WHERE DO FOREST RANGERS GO TO "GET AWAY FROM IT ALL?"

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.