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I'm in need of equiping a small workshop (general engineering).
Where would people look for a decent set of hand tools? Or would you avoid 'sets' as such and buy all bits seperately?
I'm not looking for aerospace grade but do not wish to have garbage either...any good places to start looking?
Cheers
Facebook marketplace - people retiring all the time . . . I bought dti and mag base ff an old fella who was doing same last night. It's virtually brand new and I paid 30% of what it cost new. Have to be patient though.
What are you after in particular?
Halfords Advanced stuff gets good writeups. Sometimes they have decent offers on a full set inc chest.
The trouble with buying sets is you normally end up with a lot of stuff you'll never use.
However this might be offset by the fact that a set of tools is cheaper than separates.
i'd start with a decent socket set, set of combination spanners, set of screwdrivers, couple of hammers, a vice, couple of pairs of pliers/cutters, etc. (size dependant on what you're doing - you'll need different stuff for HGV maintenance than for garden tools/general light industrial work)
Bahco tools are really good quality, same as Halfords Advanced, teng, Facom and Britool.
Halfords. I have a trade card if you’d like to order anything through that let me know. Works out a lot cheaper!!
Halfords Advanced, use one of the big sets in the back of the car to work on engines/stuff. More than upto the job.
Wera Screwdrivers
Wera ALlenkeys
Knipex Pliers
Fluke meter
Nice kit doesn't cost too much more, but lasts longer and does a better job.
Get a shadow board in a locked cabinet so stuff doesn't go walkies
In the workshop we've got two big Teng sets, quality is really good, they are spendy though!
https://www.tengtools.com/r/gb/en/Tool-Kits/1001-Piece-Black-Mega-Master-Tool-Kit-TCMM1001P
I can do 98% of stuff with the kit in the back of the car, even down to pulling a cylinder head off!
Halfords advanced, bought a complete toolkit around 17 years ago originally for DIY use and motorbike tinkering.
Has been added to over the years, however i reckon 90% of the bits are still in perfect working order and the other 10% is where i have lost stuff.
Great kit at a decent price.
Have a few Halford advanced myself, they're pretty decent tools and decent price, however the clincher for me was they have a lifetime guarantee (I can be fairly ham-fisted at times) I have only had to send 1 item back (can't remember what it was now) and they replaced it with no hassles
I'm a sparky working in some harsh conditions and can also vouch for Halfords Advanced
Halfords is great kit.
Teng, Draper expert, sykes pic and Franklin all worth a punt as is some bergen and us pro.
2and hand kit get on FB for it!
Thanks all, Halfords looking favourite!
I don't do Facebook but I'll look at other 2nd hand possibilities.
Bigyim - thanks for the offer but its going through work so would be messy to use someone else's card - will perhaps sign up for one though!
No problems. If you want to know the trade price of any of the kits send me a link and I’ll let you know.
The trade cards are fairly easy to get to be fair
Spanners = Gedore, end of thread.
Halfords wouldn't last two minutes with me. Fine for DIY fixing a car
Britool - nowadays is Chinese offshore crap but older Britool is good.
Facom are good.
Fluke for meters/scope
Record for Stilsons
Rigid for Stilsons and pipe fitting stuff
Knipex pliers
Wera hex keys and screwdrivers
Dormer drills
Bahco for adjustable nut shaggers
Set an account up MSC / J&L
https://www.mscdirect.co.uk/cgi/insrhm
Lots of second hand tool bargains to be had on ebay. Lots of my tools are upwards of 40 years old, but they were made to last so are still perfectly useable.
Halfords wouldn’t last two minutes with me. Fine for DIY fixing a car
The Halfords Pro (may now be called Advanced) stuff is really good - i think it used to be made by Sykes Pickavant, although this may also have changed.
I've used it in pretty heavy industrial applications + pulling Landrovers apart and i've not broken anything.
(I've broken lots of cheap/crap tools, including a draper Hex hey which opened up like a banana when trying to remove a pully from a Landrover alternator - cutting my hand in the process)
Is this for a workshop that is shared by other people? Or your own tools?
If the tools are shared, remember that they'll only last about a month before all the most used ones are missing. It's not worth getting anything too long lasting.
Buy sets so it is clear when one is missing. If there is a job that regularly requires a particular tool (like adjusting something), buy one just for that and attach it with a bit of string, it stops them being taken out of the sets and not being put back. You'll still end up ordering a bulk load of 10mm and 13mm sockets and spanners every year though.
We have an account with RS components and get most tools via them. They have a range of good brands (Teng, Facom, etc) but also their own 'RS Pro' range which seem to be quite good.
Halfords advanced are great. Ive had one of their socket sets fir 25 years+, the chrome hasnt even peeled off, nothings worn or broken, and you can sometimes get great deals on them.
Seems we are pretty unanimous and I agree the Halfords Advanced is great and very good value. I’ve also bought a couple of the more general Makita tool sets recently and they also seem very good..
Dont forget the wee odds and ends bits that make fabrication jobs easier.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/265130785014?hash=item3dbb06b8f6:g:OacAAOSwyHtgfqbp
Just a quick work of caution about Halfords...
I briefly worked there about 5 years ago and I'm still friends with a couple of the lads who are there - both excellent mechanics, spend most of their spare time rebuilding Landrovers. A couple of weeks ago I popped in and they showed me the ratchets from the latest version of the socket sets and spanners. They are nothing like the quality that they were, lots of play from new and they said they've had several back already with broken ratchets. They still have the lifetime warranty though.
A lifetime warranty isn't any good when your knuckles are a bloody pulp because a spanner let go or your having to dig slivers of chrome out of your hands as it flakes off.
Something I realised recently is that I had six-point (wall drive) sockets, but all my ring spanners were 12 point. For removing rusted nuts where you can't get a socket in, 6 point are the only way to avoid rounding - but were surprisingly rare.