46 replies to this topic

[northern-cooper]

If you are buying them to use every day then go for the best.
If you are using just for a hobby just get the best you can afford.
Some motor factors sell a brand called laser witch appear to be ok and you can buy them in single spanners ect
but not from the £1 shop or pound land lol

[oliver122]

nope dont really have anyone that will do that do that sort of thing with me im in engineering , so i wanted a good tool set and then i can always use them for work if i ever come to sell my mini (wont happen mind)

[minwaar]

Laser are part of the same company that own Kamasa...

Don't have any Laser stuff myself but I do rate my Kamasa tools.

[david@skeggyminis]

snap on will take old tools in as part ex i got a cheap set of spanners from a market for £8.50 and snap on give me £30.00 off when i traded them in

[oliver122]

cheers for that david , might go raid my familys tool boxes see what i can 'borrow' haha might be worth buy some cheap tools and trading them in :)

[Cooperman]

If you are an apprentice you may find that your bank will give you a bank loan to buy the tools you'll need for your training. Don't forget that as an apprentice, all costs of tools are allowable against tax as is the interest on any loan to buy them.
Always buy good quality, but I think you've realised that. Halfords professional range is really excellent value as are the established names like Britool, Elora, Snap-On and Draper's Professional range.
List & cost what you need, then go and talk to a bank customer advisor.

[twizzy1red]

i've been in the trade as a technician for the past 30 years now and still have snap-on tools that are as good as new. Yes, they do initially cost more but do come with a genuine lifetime guarantee and the quality is second to non. If you look around any motorsport paddock, you will find that all the top teams use snap-on and that's for a reason. Rule of thumb is buy the best you can afford, but if you can afford snap-on, get them as the saying is "buy once and buy the best"!!. After loosing a couple of knuckles with slipping ratchets, etc, you will wish that you had bought the best in the first place!!! (this is my own personal opinion and not that of any other body or company).

[JmayfairJ]

snap on is good but these days most places do lifetime guarantee, my dad has some kennedy proffesional stuff and halfords stuff and to be fair they do the job just fine, plus if its fairly late and you break a tool working on your mini at least you know somewhere like halfrauds is open fairly late on weekdays, like cooperman said, halfords is priced really well so dont be put off by the name.

i'm on an apprenticeship as well and i know thats what id go for, plus i wouldnt borrow money to buy tools id save up and accumulate tools over time you will just spend ages paying off the loan and still find you have to go borrow tools from someone at work

[richh999]

I use draper tools and for electric I use makita 18v range. I'm a farmer/mechanic/student and so have put all my tools through some of the roughest kinda work all conditions and I've never had any issues with them..
I've even used the spanners as hammers before when need out in the fields, ha..

I've used other brands some aren't great, often breaking but these are good.. snap-on also is good but you do pay for them when others are cheaper..

[R1minimagic]

Actually Clarke ratchets are pretty much identical to Halfords Pro, i have both and can't see any difference apart from the logo. I do find the changeover switch is a bit of a pain as it flips too easily. i also have Proxxon sets and they are very good quality but same problem with the switch

[Cooperman]

I've had my Elora socket set, 1/2" drive, for43 years and it's still going strong. Most of it is original still.
I have a lot of 'Craftsman' stuff from the USA and it's very good.

[R1minimagic]

Yes the US tools are usually pretty good, i think i have some Craftsman stuff too, they are well priced IIRC

[midridge2]

i have snap on tools but dont work in the trade now and the problem is i have about £150 of screwdrivers that need new shanks and there is no snap on mobile vans in this area to get them replaced, so remember that if you need replacements at a later date.
i use to buy them on a weekley payment but i dont remember having interest added.

one of my bosses father had a snap on ratchet that he had from the second world war when he was flying in american bomber, they were standard kit with the usa aircrew, he swapped it for 3 new ones from the snap on rep.

[valve bounce]

for work the stuff im using every day i only buy snap on and blue point, we have a van comes around every 2weeks and i have an account i usally give £50 every time he's round even if i dont get any thing some times im in the debt others im in credit.

every one say snap on is over priced but thats only if you pay full price there are usually 2 promotion magazines per month, most things in this are often half price of buy one get one free. i bought a multi meter last month retail price of £165, i payed £70+vat. and a few month before that i bought a set of 9 screw driver £110 and got a set of 9 torx screw drivers (normally £100) for free.


so its only expensive if you make it expensive

[charie t]

Snap on are doing an offer at the moment, its based at apprentices, and is a roll cab with sockets (short and deep), extentions, ratchet, screw drivers, mole grips, spanners, pliers, hammers.£2200 worth of snap on kit for just £999. I already have 2 snap on boxes full of their kit so i don't need one but, Its such a good deal im thinking of getting another one.