Tool Talk Time

Thinking of upgrading some of my cheap nasty worn out tools for some better bits, just a couple of things at a time. Some nice pliars, side cutters, long nose, mole grips and plumbers grips as all mine are cheap stuff I got out of Screwfix when offers were on and now after 10 years hard service they are badly worn.

Obviously I don't have the pocket for Snap-On, and although its good I feel it is somewhat over rated.

I'm looking at stuff like:-

Decent New Stuff
Irimo
Bahco
Blue Point
Mac
Halfords Pro
Teng

The Good Old Stuff
Facom
Kamasa
Britool
Elora
Gedore
Gordon
Bedford Vanadium
Sykes Pickavant

Anyone have any suggestions, feed back, opinions on what tools they like and which they don't?
What did well for the money?
What you'd buy again?

For the cost and ease (if it's a good store) I go with Halfords pro if you can get a trade card you get a discount too. I have some snap on, blue point is snap on but the budget range and just as good quaility, I don't like facom and not had my hands on any of the others. If your going for any spanner/socket sets I wholely recommend the halfords through range its brill does have some limitations where I need to use the conventional stuff but it is my go to set for every job now.

All my ratchets, sockets, spanners and extensions are all Halfords Pro, which I have worked pretty damn hard for the last 10 years and it's taken it. Not broken a single thing except for my breaker bar which popped the knuckle last month. Any one buying a socket set, I recommend they get a Halfords Pro/Advanced set as its pretty serious stuff.

Irimo and Bahco are made by snap on, Irimo comes with a lifetime warranty too.

Much as I hate to agree about Halfwits range they're made by Sykes Pickavant so will be as good a quality as you'll need. Most of my stuff is years old, most spanners & screwdrivers are Sykes( sadly no longer producing their own range) as are my sockets. Draper Expert are ok, ussd to have Stahlwille pliers but Homobase had a sale on Stanley Dynagrip pliers so I updated them, pretty happy with them but again nla.
Best tool I've bought lately was a 24v cordless impact gun. Brilliant. Was a cheapy by the close to qiality name of Boschmann... But its good value for money and works pretty well.
Would recommend Bahco, have a couple of shifters, still good 25 years down the line.
Laser seem to have moved offbthe really cheap cheese tool line to reasonable quality, never tried any tho.

One tip I was told for anyone else reading this starting a tool collection, buy a midrange socket set, when the ratchets break replace with top quality, same as the most used sockets that wear out, replace with the best. That way you have spent the money on the most used tools but not a fortune on the occasional items,

I like that tip Logi. I've always used draper expert and never broken anything. I did wear out my ratchet though which started slipping but you can buy service sets to replace the rachet part pretty cheaply. Pretty fiddly job though

I have always used Draper , and never been disappointed . although I know Halfords do give a good run for the money .

knipex or CK for Pliers and Side cutters, agreed halfords pro, I put a wanted advert in the free paper and got loads of stuff

Knipex are the daddy of side cutters!

I wouldn't normally recommend any silverline stuff as it's really poor quality cheap crap, but their 1/2 sockets are pretty damn good and have a life time warranty. I have a couple a mate left at my house years ago and they have grown on me, so much so I might get a full set of 1/2 metric sockets because they are 6 sided sockets and grip really well.

I bought a set of Bergan flare nut spanners earlier in the week, but I'm not all that pleased with them. They are a very good standard spanner, but not great for flare nuts as they are 12 point stars, where to bite onto a rotten flare nut you need 6 sided jaws, so gone for some Sealey ones instead.

Its a fine line between spending enough to get something decent, not getting your pant ripped off Snap-on style, and buying cheap crap that isn't upto the job.

Thought I'd post up some more of my favourite tool brands:-

Gordon - old spanners, say "Made in Sheffield" on them. Very good quality, take abuse all day.

Elora - german stuff, been around forever, and very good stuff.

Gedore - again german stuff, have loads of old bits that might be twice my age and perfect still.


If you see any of these spanners or sockets at car boot sales, snap them up, as they are as good as you can get!


I bought some more Britool stuff recently and took it back, totally crap, poor machining and casting, poor fit, looks very Chinese monkey metal.

Thinking of trying a few Hilka bits, but not sure.... anyone have any opinions?