What Brand of Tools Do you Use?

Looking at getting a new socket set & wanted to know what brands people recommend. Also should I go for 3/8 drive or 1/2 inch drive? I've looked at "Super Works Gold" from supercheap auto & "Kincrome", yet to check out sidchrome & I was thinking of going for 3/8 drive just so that everything is just that little bit more compact.

Let me know what you guys think.

Cheers
Brendan:beer

TENG TOOLS, i used them in the uk, they had lifetime warrentys and were half the price of *MAC* and *SNAP ON* but every bit as good.


Our local ford dealer*reef city ford* are the local suppliers here they are priced very well and are a top grade tool. i got the panel beater at work to get some and he is over the moon and plans to buy more...

steff.....................................

DubCrazy wrote:TENG TOOLS, i used them in the uk, they had lifetime warrentys and were half the price of *MAC* and *SNAP ON* but every bit as good.

Just checked out the SNAP ON website, 62 piece 3/8 drive socket set for a measly $3160 so I have at least ruled out Snap On. Thats about 10 times what I am looking at paying, sorry should have stated the budget first up.

Cheers
Brendan

I was going to suggest Snap-On!
I use them every day!
But for a cheap arsed set you could buy Sidchrome.
-Staggers.

Special Air Service wrote:

DubCrazy wrote:TENG TOOLS, i used them in the uk, they had lifetime warrentys and were half the price of *MAC* and *SNAP ON* but every bit as good.

Just checked out the SNAP ON website, 62 piece 3/8 drive socket set for a measly $3160 so I have at least ruled out Snap On. Thats about 10 times what I am looking at paying, sorry should have stated the budget first up.

Cheers
Brendan

thats why u should go for TENG TOOLS i used to use snap on but value for money the Teng were just as good and life time warrentys just that no matter what the name says....

steff.................

use my dad's 30 yr old sidchrome socket set..., works the charm...

Volkswagenboy wrote:But for a cheap arsed set you could buy Sidchrome.
-Staggers.

Yep I use cheap arsed sidchrome and have never had any dramas - admittedly I don't use them every day as per a mechanic would do, but they have survived quite a lot of abuse thus far!

I use Snap On/ Blue Point and Kingchome tools. I love my Blue Point Electric Screwdriver and thank god for air tools! Has made working on Mildred so much easier!

Ash x

Snap On and JBS Industrial with a bit of Blue Point on the side.Also cheap arsed nasty supercheap stuff,which i class as throw away stuff...it goes to the beach and offroad and left in unlocked cars..... Just get the best you can afford for the work you do.Snap On make the best screw drivers and their air tools etc are just blue point anyway..or something cheaper. Most of the branding is just wank factor these days so unless you use the stuff hard everyday don't waste your $$$$ on tools you wont use. I've spent 10's of thousands on tools to see them get knocked off at the workplace or "lost" in my shed. Thats money i could be using now at Jenny Craig😵😵:duh:duh😂

good quality for home use or reasonable trade use are Kinchrome, KC Tools, Kabo, Sidchrome. That's what we used to sell in that range.

Our high end range was Stahlwille and Teng and our DIY low quality was Chrometech or Supatool

i use snap om/sidchrome.

snap on used to be only tools to offer lifetime warranty, i know kincrome do now and pretty sure sidchrome do too.

sidchrome in my opinion is best value for money you can get. not the cheapest but still excellent quality tools.

yeah blue point are pretty good for air tools .etc, my air ratchet and rattle gun were blue point.

Ant

just to add..


these days for any home needs snap on are only really required for specialty tools.

i just happen to have lots on hand to use.

Anthony

hazet or dowidat. love that sexy thin german shanks 😀

71superbug wrote:i use snap om/sidchrome.

snap on used to be only tools to offer lifetime warranty, i know kincrome do now and pretty sure sidchrome do too.

sidchrome in my opinion is best value for money you can get. not the cheapest but still excellent quality tools.

yeah blue point are pretty good for air tools .etc, my air ratchet and rattle gun were blue point.



Ant

Sidchrome used to have a lifetime warranty as well.Don't think they do now though. JBS industrial range have always had a lifetime warranty on hand tools except for screwdrivers,which Snap On is the best maker of and has the best warranty.

[ Edited on 14-8-06 by Mick H ]

Go to Blackwoods and get some JBS....cheap as chips and fantastic quality. Spent 10 years doing hydraulics in and around the mining industry and I still have them all. All the ratchets still work and the chrome is still there. Mind you I do look after my tools but still they have stood up to some abuse.

i have been buying sidcrome tools since i was 17 i'm now 33 and i have inherited my dads and my grandfathers sidcrome sets and i have never had any problems and my dad was a full time mechanic and his are still going strong i actually prefer using my grandfathers old rachet that shit was built to last

I've collected a fairly eclectic set of tools over the years.

My major socket set is Asahi, I also have Fuller, Sidchrome and Toledo tools. None has ever given me any problems.

My Allen keys are Unbrako and unbreakable they certainly are.

For my small set of sockets that live in the car, I have an elcheapo which has always been good to me.

My only advice with regard to tools is to never buy cheap tools as Murphy's Law rules and they will let you down at the worst possible place, at the worst possible time and in the worst possible way.

Interestingly enough I recently broke that rule and bought a cheap set of SAE/Metric stubby spanners from the hardware store for about $10. The largest of them is only about 15 cm long. It doesn't matter that they are elcheapos as they will always be used only in awkward situations and with my other tools. I recommend that you buy a set. I am constantly using them.

i only use sidchrome, so does my father and my brother, both are hard core 4wheel drivers and put their cars - and thus their tools - through some serious abuse.
sidchrome does come with a lifetime warranty still. well, my tools have them anyway.

ive been using
repco tools good price and range.
i also have snap on they do same job but look flasher

I have had a teng tools 3/8th socket set about 4 years but the ratchet has crapped out recently. Do you think I would need the receipt to get a warrentied ratchet?
I bought a set of sidchrome spanners about 6 months ago pretty happy but the plating seems a little soft, but I use my tools all day everyday and I dont go easy on them.
I would go a 1/2" socket set that goes up to at least 32mm if I was you, if you go only a 3/8 you are a bit limited.
Best to get a 1/4, 3/8, 1/2 and 3/4" sets tho really 👍

i have both 1/2 drive in metric and a/f and 3/8 drive in metric both sets are 12 point make sure you get 12 point! as for brand ? i bought them from a discount tool shop in canberra for most jobs 3/8 drive is about right but for stubbon rusted nuts and bolts the added strength of 1/2 drive helps maybe get a combined set, anyhow have a good look around before you buy compare price V quality most stuff these days is made in china better quality maybe taiwan.

Chewy wrote:Best to get a 1/4, 3/8, 1/2 and 3/4" sets tho really 👍

Eventually yeah but will probably leave the 3/4 & I'll probably be selective with the 1/2 just buy some of the bigger sizes.

Thanks all for your comments ideas.
Cheers
Brendan

I bought DOWIDAT and VBW spanners and socket set years ago...
Both made in Germany all Metric and 1/2 inch drive.
I only bought some 3/8 and 1/4 inch drive last year to do some light work on mY Beetle.

I bought a nice roll of Metric OE Ring Spanners at a Swap meet last year, and it looks like someone needed them more than Me.
They have disappeared...but I still have the 17 & 19mm spanners.

My Son has some John Deere sockets and He broke the 3/8 socket wrench a few days ago...

I saw a Crescent socket set at Dick Smiths last week..
they looked very nice... Salesman said they were best quality after Snap On....?? polished chrome too...

I would love to have some SNAP ON tools....
I just love that chome....
but I have all the spanners and sockets I need.
My Son & I share a 3/4 socket bar and sockets used on VWs.

Lee

Check out the crescent set that Bunnings are selling.
1/4 3/8 1/2 sockets - short and long - ratchet handles +spanners. metric and imperial.
Not snapon but good value

I got Snap-On, Sidchrome, Kingchrome, Stahlwille, Hazet, and some awesome Original VW Factory tools such as Dial indicator, spanners, flywheel lock, sockets. My tool box is full of everything, i even got the tool for undoing the relief valve screws. Building engines is easy cause i got everything i need to build properly. Cheers Damo.

come on Anthony these are your Dads & you know it

the only tools you own is my dam tie down strap

what ever last I get 2 years out of a angle grinder 1 of my fav tools.

check out cash converters sometimes some real bargains come up , just take your time and you'll be able to build yourself up a excellent range of tools . just stick to the quality brands the other avd members have mentioned and you'll be surprised what you end up with for the price .keep a lookout for tool boxes as well ive picked up a couple of great chest boxes for next to nothing compared to new prices .

I have built, maintained, restored - and destroyed - a dozen or so cars (VWs, a Ford, Holdens) since 1995 with a no-name $39.99 1/2-inch drive socket set that I can't even remember where I bought it from. The ratchet finally broke two weeks ago because I was using it as a hammer and I had to replace the 13mm socket once as I wore it out using it on so many VW bolts. I'm happy with that!

But yesterday I bought myself a nice shiny new Super Cheap Gold set for using at home; the old set will now stay in the boot of my car for wrecking yard raids!

Since I got my beetles recently I went out and bought a small supatool set. 3/8 drive. The rest of my life I've only had the cheapest tools in the world so these seem awesome to me. All though I had to borrow the father in-law's 3/4 drive set to get the axel nuts off. The darn shifter just kept rounding everything off.

In light of this thread maybe I should invest.

I go with VWCool. I have no idea what brand my tools are but they do the job. Sure I'd like some expensive spanners, especially a set of ratchet spanners...mmm ratchet spannersss....😵‍💫

Anyway, the only thing I'm anal about is buying bosch power tools. I find they are middle of the range but have really lasted me. As for everything else, you can buy 12 sets of cheapo spanners for the price of one set of Snapons. Why waste ya money?

clearance auctions are always good for picking up bargains too

i've got heaps quality tools from various auctions i've been to over the years
best score was probably the hardly used kinchrome 3/4 drive socket set i got for $17 :thumb

-Joel

pete wood wrote:I go with VWCool. I have no idea what brand my tools are but they do the job. Sure I'd like some expensive spanners, especially a set of ratchet spanners...mmm ratchet spannersss....😵‍💫

Anyway, the only thing I'm anal about is buying bosch power tools. I find they are middle of the range but have really lasted me. As for everything else, you can buy 12 sets of cheapo spanners for the price of one set of Snapons. Why waste ya money?

These tools you have Pete are they rare? he he just kidding. I have crap tools, mostly given to me or bought from Supercheap on sale cos i am tightarse. But my suggestion is to borrow or steal what you can...and then buy what you have to.

H

JBS from Blackwoods. i use them everyday, all day and have never broken them. some of their tools are identical to SNAP ON!!
but all of the known name brands are good, just stay right away from the cheap junk, there is a reason its cheap!

for the shed i go for the cheapest with a lifetime warrantee. have mixture of fuller, toledo, sidchrome, kingchrome, king craft, dowdait and more. the fuller openenders are the only things i'm suss on. the 8 & 10mm have copped heaps of work and are showing the signs.

for the toolkit in the buggy, anything will do. apart from a cheap 3/8 socket and a cheap combo set, usually look at 2nd hand shops and get the bits as needed.

i know kingchrome lifetime works without any questions and without a reciept and not even at the original shop. i spun the 1/4 tip off 3/8 to 1/4 adapter beint a bit too enthusiastic. took it back to the closest shop that retailed kingchrome and swapped it over. in and out in 3min. excellent.

i always buy repco
never broken a tool only left them in cars
if i was to spend the money id go stahlwillie