Quality tools

Russ

Russ

Club Member
Hey all,

Just thought i'd ask for some advice from some seasoned mechanics.

Looking to start buying better quality tools. Obviously have a snap on catalogue, but really I think their prices are silly. I think a lot of it you pay for the name, and there are many tool companys now that offer a life time guarantee.

Example, general snap on torque wrench, £200 + VAT, same from Teng Tools, £48.

Are there are brands people recommend? I was in the rally service area for the Somerset Stages on Saturday, and a friend who only buys snap on had some Teng Tools bits in his sets. Are they any good?

Just don't want to throw money away, but want to get tools for life and don't mind paying extra for that.

Cheers
 
What you are buying with Snap on are tools for life, and they need to be used ever day of aforementioned life in order to recoup the costs, in the end, a good tradesman can use a bit of old pipe and a potato peeler to fix your car where as all the snapon kit in the world doesnt make a good tradesman.

I have had good experiences with Teng, Kamasa, Makita, Bahco amongst other brands.
 
I can strongly reccommend the 'Halfords professional' range.

I wouldnt buy there usual tat, just because its not upto the job, but the pro stuff is great, lifetime guarentee aswell.

Hope that helps

Rich
 
:280Z: having had all my snapon stuff knicked a few years ago ( still not been able to claim from the company i worked for:( ) about £10000 worth. i now have cheaper things i like facom had it for years but iv got halfords pro stuff too iv changed only 1 thing under the lifetime garentee and they changed it within mins of being in the shop cant say fairer than that there range is a bit limited but for genral work its very good there quarter drive socket set in the little black box is worth its weight in gold and there rachet spanners are good too. iv got some taskmaster aswell you find them at brown brothers / and partco there quite good and with lifetime garentee look and feel like abit like snapon

martin w
 
as above, the Halfords stuff is good value for money. I've got snap-on stuff over 25 years old and as good as new, but on price and easy to obtain I now go for Halfods or Clarke (machine mart)
 
Yer my uncle keeps on about the Halfords pro stuff, but it's, well, it's Halfords ;) I'm sure its very good though, just remembering to keep the bloody receipts.

I only buy Makita power tools now, just love the colour :)
 
:280Z: i didnt have my recept and they still changed it for me most of the tools have halfords on them so should not be a prob


martin w
 
Ahh nice. I thought they might get funny in case you had knicked it, no proof of purchase, but I guess if it's an exchange then it doesn't matter so much.

Think I will check out the Teng stuff, sent off for their free catalogue today and asked for a price list, got a nice e-mail saying

Hello Russell
Your catalogue has gone out to you. The prices in the catalogue are list prices. When you log onto our site www.teng.co.uk you will see it is a lot cheaper than that. Also when you check out there is a discount. The max postage is £1.50. Delivery is free on all orders over £100.00.

Regards
Toolshack
Click to expand...

Sounds pretty good :) Lot more helpful than Snap on were, do you know how hard it is to get prices from them?
 
:280Z: my old snap on guy was a real a*s i spent £1000s and still had to ask more than once about fixing stuff never told you prices unless you were going to buy it other tool marks are just as good now i think if you look at teng some of it will be good and some not so like some of there rachets are cheep looking and feel off balence if you know what i mean


martin w
 
I buy Halfords Pro these days. Can't afford the proper pukka makes but never had any probs with the Halfords kit. Have to admit to having some cheap crap too which I bought years ago before I knew better. How some of it has survived is beyond me!
 
I've had some cheap spanners and socket set made in India for donkeys years and never had a problem, but I once had a Britool socket with an allen bit that fitted into it for the head studs and first the spring that holds the bit in broke then the bit broke, now I have a German Gedore all in one and it looks a lot stronger.
 
I have those Sealey ratchety spanners (bought through our club tool shop and earning us 5% commission) and they are brilliant, but other Sealeys stuff is a bit rubbish sometimes.

I think it's a case of get your hands on it and check it out. Teng seems a good place to start as they aren't cheapo by the looks of things, but from what I've used seem ok. I'll do my best to get hands on with anything I buy first.

Cheers, oh and has anyone seen those roller cabinets I linked to before? For the money they seem great! And in stainless they should last forever and be bloody hard wearing. Getting fed up of my bro leaving my tools everywhere you see...
 
i have got Snap-on ,britool,taskmaster , bergen and US PRO-tool and Teng.all i can say is that Snap-on is overrated and overpriced !!! their guarantee is only as good if they keep coming round!!!! we did not see our driver for about 6 months bceause we had not brought anymore tools from him .the US PRO-tool stuff and Bergen tools is nearly the same as Snap-on but only about 20% of the Snap-on price or less.anyone offering a lifetime guarantee has to be fairly good and Britool can be brought fairly cheap from Brown Bros and Partco and their Taskmaster range is good aswell.the only tools that i thought were not quite up to scratch were my spanners from Halfords as they seem just be slightly oversized and can slip of the nut/bolt when very tight when using the open end.but at the end of the day EACH TO THEIR OWN !!!!!
 
I also have a lot of the Halfrauds pro stuff and on the whole apart from the same open end spanner issue that Moggy mentions above, they have been superb! I have also got their black, US made, Pro roll cabs and they are also bloody good, didn't think much of the cheaper UK made red ones though.
 
Russ said:
Cheers, oh and has anyone seen those roller cabinets I linked to before? For the money they seem great! And in stainless they should last forever and be bloody hard wearing. Getting fed up of my bro leaving my tools everywhere you see...
Click to expand...

Makro, if you have a card, have them in at the minute... I would tell you the price, but the missus seems to have chucked it in the bin!

I'll ask her tomorrow if anyone is interested. It looks just like those large red (I think they're snapon) cabinets :)
 
Mark,
on the face of it these look a good buy. I haven't seen them in Makro but the catalogue states: 6 drawer metal storage - tough industrial powder coated finish - all steel construction - secure key locking system
dimensions: 940mm(H), 626mm(W), 300mm(D)
PRICE £59.99 +VAT = £70.49 (SSP £135.00)

The catalogue picture shows a 4 drawer chest with a lockable lid carry handles on each side sitting on top of a roll cabinet with 2 top drawers over an opening door.
This offer is on until Tuesday 7 Nov 06
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top