3CorsaMeal
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Registered: 11th Apr 02
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i have all the rachet spanners and never had a problem with them, but i only use them to turn things without any pressure, then i use a normal spanner to tighten up.
i would of thought the normal socket rachets were good for undoing tight things, unless i'm wrong
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Mertin
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Registered: 12th Oct 05
Location: Scotland
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I use halfords for personal and agricultural / hgv and have no problems. Ratchet mech was stickin but nothin a bit of oil couldnt sort and free it up
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tom_simes
Show Staff
Organiser: South Wales
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Registered: 12th Jan 05
Location: Undy, Newport Drives: Skoda Octavia vRS estate
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For those interested, Halfords have currently got a half price offer on their 150 piece socket set, but it's online only and on until Monday:
Halfords 150 piece socket set - £99.99 web offer
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3CorsaMeal
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Registered: 11th Apr 02
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quote:
Originally posted by tom_simes
For those interested, Halfords have currently got a half price offer on their 150 piece socket set, but it's online only and on until Monday:
Halfords 150 piece socket set - £99.99 web offer
they do that sale every few months 
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Edd
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Registered: 8th Nov 04
Location: Glasgow
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you will have no issues with silverline
thats what i use and they are spot on
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alan-g-w
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Registered: 9th Nov 07
Location: Glasgow
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Just what I was thinking Edd. What do you do for a living?
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spikedjack
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Registered: 16th Oct 08
Location: wolverhampton/cannock
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Britool if you can get it, otherwise, halfords advanced/pro
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alan-g-w
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Registered: 9th Nov 07
Location: Glasgow
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see, I'd say Britool and Silverline are on a par. Then Halfords, then Marksmen and such shite. The likes of Snap On and Blue Point are proving to be a bit pricey for now.
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LeeM
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Registered: 26th Sep 05
Location: Liverpool
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ive got halfords at home and teng at college. my halfords stuf is better quality. i dont pussy about with my own tools and ive yt to fuck a ratchet or ratchet spanner
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John
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Registered: 30th Jun 03
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All we've managed to break in the halfords 150pc kit is the allen bits.
The ratchets have stood up to a massive bar being stuck on the end of them for really tight bolts.
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LeeM
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Registered: 26th Sep 05
Location: Liverpool
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actually ive twisted a couple of the torx bits
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alan-g-w
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Registered: 9th Nov 07
Location: Glasgow
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What do the both of you do? As said, I've had experience of the Halfords stuff and while it's not nearly the worst I've had I don't like the feel of it. For example the spanners are too thin and end up digging into my hands. Plus I'll freely admit I want a better name on my stuff, I've had budget stuff and I'm now wanting to build up a collection of tools to last me the reast of my career.
Granted the Halfords brand will do but another thing against them is the fact the brand is quite young - I still use Gedore, Facom and Britool equipment that m dad was using 30 years ago. I'm willing to pay extra for piece of mind basically.
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alan-g-w
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Registered: 9th Nov 07
Location: Glasgow
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quote:
Originally posted by LeeM
actually ive twisted a couple of the torx bits
See, this sort of thing puts me off. We had a Sealey (which in itself isn't a great make) torx bit set in Aggreko whose sole purpose was to remove the chocolate allen hex plugs that were prone to rounding off due to someone using the wrong loctite. They used to get battered with 3lb hammers into the plugs and not one of them broke in any way. I've also never seen the britool allen sockets we used round off, and they were undoing some pretty tight stuff. There is a reason that the Halfords stuff is generally cheaper.
[Edited on 24-09-2010 by alan-g-w]
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John
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Registered: 30th Jun 03
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I don't go near a socket for my day job 
Brother is a mechanic though and in general he finds them fine, a couple of niggles I think but good value.
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alan-g-w
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Registered: 9th Nov 07
Location: Glasgow
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Aye no doubt good value, just don't want to be 100ft up at the top of a crusher tower when the allen socket I need rounds off.
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John
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Registered: 30th Jun 03
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The torx/allen sockets we have broken so if that's a worry probably better to get something that's got better reviews for that.
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craig8
Premium Member
Registered: 31st Dec 04
Location: Glasgow
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quote:
Originally posted by alan-g-w
And even with the warranty on Halfords stuff, the place I'm working is on site accomodation with the quarry only accessible by sea and the only way to get back to civilisation is a 45min boat journey. And I don't think Oban has a halfords 
Anyone in any engineering trades got any recommendations?
glensander quarry?
i do heavy plant engineering and mainly i use halfords half inch sockets, franklin deep impact sockets and laser impact sockets, laser and facom half inch ratchets, laser breaker bar, facom and snap-on 3/8 ratchets, gedore 3/8 sockets, britool 3/4 ratchet, sockets and breaker bar, facom spanners 7mm to 51mm, britool shifters, franklin pry bars, halfords flexi ratchet spanners, britool extra long spanners 10mm to 19mm and some other stuff i cant think of justnow
the stuff you posted up will do you fine and you wont believe how handy ratchet spanners come in when you are working on plant, a 3/4 set and a bigg scaffold bar is a must though on heavy plant
E36 328
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LeeM
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Registered: 26th Sep 05
Location: Liverpool
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I'm just a mechanic so it's fine for me!
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DaveyLC
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Registered: 8th Oct 08
Location: Berkshire
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quote:
Originally posted by John
All we've managed to break in the halfords 150pc kit is the allen bits.
The ratchets have stood up to a massive bar being stuck on the end of them for really tight bolts.
I've battered fuck out of various halfords advanced ractchets with a 5lb mallet.. Never had a problem with them either 
I've snapped about 3 1/2" -> 3/8" adaptors, god knows how many UJ's (I keep 3 now because I keep snapping them with the impact gun).. A couple of torx bits and one 3/8 13m socket exploded on me..
All were replaced no questions asked.
[Edited on 25-09-2010 by DaveyLC]
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alan-g-w
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Registered: 9th Nov 07
Location: Glasgow
User status: Offline
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quote:
Originally posted by craig8
quote:
Originally posted by alan-g-w
And even with the warranty on Halfords stuff, the place I'm working is on site accomodation with the quarry only accessible by sea and the only way to get back to civilisation is a 45min boat journey. And I don't think Oban has a halfords
Anyone in any engineering trades got any recommendations?
glensander quarry?
i do heavy plant engineering and mainly i use halfords half inch sockets, franklin deep impact sockets and laser impact sockets, laser and facom half inch ratchets, laser breaker bar, facom and snap-on 3/8 ratchets, gedore 3/8 sockets, britool 3/4 ratchet, sockets and breaker bar, facom spanners 7mm to 51mm, britool shifters, franklin pry bars, halfords flexi ratchet spanners, britool extra long spanners 10mm to 19mm and some other stuff i cant think of justnow
the stuff you posted up will do you fine and you wont believe how handy ratchet spanners come in when you are working on plant, a 3/4 set and a bigg scaffold bar is a must though on heavy plant
 can't say yet mate waiting on the contract for the place coming through.
That's a good list bud, thanks. As said, I'm wanting to build on the stuff I've got - I'm still using a split top carry box so I'll maybe need to look into chests at some point as well! I'll keep all that in mind for future, all sounds useful especially the deep impacts.
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harrisp
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Registered: 15th Dec 07
Location: Derbyshire
User status: Offline
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quote:
Originally posted by DaveyLC
quote:
Originally posted by John
All we've managed to break in the halfords 150pc kit is the allen bits.
The ratchets have stood up to a massive bar being stuck on the end of them for really tight bolts.
I've battered fuck out of various halfords advanced ractchets with a 5lb mallet.. Never had a problem with them either
I've snapped about 3 1/2" -> 3/8" adaptors, god knows how many UJ's (I keep 3 now because I keep snapping them with the impact gun).. A couple of torx bits and one 3/8 13m socket exploded on me..
All were replaced no questions asked.
[Edited on 25-09-2010 by DaveyLC]
Ive broke a halfords ratchet, one of those flexy ones with the long handle, mate got a puncture and changing his wheel with a 3/8 ratchet (all we had) jumping up and down on it (kwik fit had impact gunned his wheel nuts on ) it just started slipping a bit but could still use it.
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alan-g-w
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Registered: 9th Nov 07
Location: Glasgow
User status: Offline
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Slipping ratchet's are dangerous as fuck, I nearly took a knuckle off using a burst torque wrench.
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Chrissy
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Registered: 28th Jan 06
Location: Sunny Glasgow Drives: Astra J
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I work at Bill's Tool Store in Glasgow.. With regards to Britool stuff.. It's not how it used to be.
We've stopped carrying Britool stuff as most of it is now made in China. We were getting loads of the ratchets back broken.
>>>> Chris <<<<
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alan-g-w
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Registered: 9th Nov 07
Location: Glasgow
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That's actually somewhere I was going to come down and have a look mate. With regards to Britool, I was still using it at the old work and it still seemed top notch - we were using 12 point sockets in 400Nm impact guns and they were fine... I know what you mean but we had about 4 1/2" ratchets and 6 or 7 3/8" ratchets and in about 3 months of them getting used every day they never even faded. As said, they've got a nice feel to them as well. Are the ratchets you're talking about the ones with the rubber handles and red vertical writing on them?
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