cheap tools? socket set

jamesr123

I wanna service the focus on Monday and i'v been looking for a few basic tools like a socket set and maybe an oil filter removal tool.

I have already been to B & Q and woodies but the prices seem very expensive? 40 quid for a socket set??

surely I can pick them up cheaper than that?

TheBody

jamesr123 wrote: »

I wanna service the focus on Monday and i'v been looking for a few basic tools like a socket set and maybe an oil filter removal tool.

I have already been to B & Q and woodies but the prices seem very expensive? 40 quid for a socket set??

surely I can pick them up cheaper than that?

Hate to break it to ya but €40 is peanuts for a socket set.

Technoprisoner

halford own brand tools arent too bad value for money. the op doesnt need a full snap on set for basic servicing of the car so 40 euro could cover it

colm_mcm

Something like this
http://www.halfords.ie/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_storeId_11101_catalogId_15551_productId_818451_langId_-1_categoryId_212410

That said, having a big set with a lot of different sizes, Allen sockets, star sockets, extensions, long sockets, bendy extensions etc has proved invaluable to me and I just wouldn't have been able to do some jobs without them.

dgt

You get what you pay for....

Technoprisoner

dgt wrote: »

You get what you pay for....

hes not taking on an engine transplant...to be honest if you are doing a service all you probably need is a plug socket, rachet, extension bar, oil filter removal tool and a 17mm socket for the oil plug. oh and maybe a philips head screwdriver for the air filter box

The Pontiac

This looks good value. Great brand.

Only goes up to 13mm, and not sure if your Focus takes a bigger socket. You can always buy a separate sockets.

Use Parcel Motel for cheap delivery.

The oil filter should come off with your hands. If it doesn't then bang a screwdriver into it and twist.

dgt

Technoprisoner wrote: »

hes not taking on an engine transplant...to be honest if you are doing a service all you probably need is a plug socket, rachet, extension bar, oil filter removal tool and a 17mm socket for the oil plug. oh and maybe a philips head screwdriver for the air filter box

Too many times I've seen rounded bolts, nuts and screw heads caused by incompetent fools not concentrating. I remember being in a yard where this was the case with a tensioner for an alternator, out came this set of sockets I'd never heard of. Looked fairly good, refused to move it. Came back with a Britool spanner, it just gripped it and opened that bolt in one crack.

I also have here a miserable set of half inch deep impact sockets where the material inside rounded after a few weeks, they're no comparison to the other set of proper ones but cost at least 4 times the other set.

My point being that cheap stuff is grand for light work but when you have to deal with a mess someone else created in the past you'll wish you had the Britool/Beta/King Dick/S-K etc tools instead

bladespin

TheBody wrote: »

Hate to break it to ya but €40 is peanuts for a socket set.

Hate to break it to you but that's very expensive for a home use set, as mentioned above, it's not a professional asking.

TheBody

bladespin wrote: »

Hate to break it to you but that's very expensive for a home use set.

I disagree. €40 is prob an ok price for home use. On the price scale of socket sets, €40 is peanuts.

bladespin

TheBody wrote: »

I disagree.

Linky Basic but useful.

jamesr123

I already have a good spanner set, good trolley jacks, axle stands. Money is tight and I didnt wanna spend money and tools i'm only gonna use probably twice a year.

I only really wanted the socket and ratchet for the spark plugs

If I had the money I would go mad with the tools though lol Some really nice tool boxes in a few of the shops I visited :D

TheBody

bladespin wrote: »

Linky Basic but useful.

The sockets in that set are tiny. If you want a set to fit most size you will come across (13, 17, 19, 21, 23, 27 etc) €40 is not expensive.

jamesr123

bladespin wrote: »

Linky Basic but useful.

They'd do me

bladespin

jamesr123 wrote: »

They'd do me

http://www.maplin.co.uk/39-piece-compact-socket-set-618917

STG but Check your local Maplins.

jamesr123

jamesr123 wrote: »

I already have a good spanner set, good trolley jacks, axle stands. Money is tight and I didnt wanna spend money and tools i'm only gonna use probably twice a year.

I only really wanted the socket and ratchet for the spark plugs

If I had the money I would go mad with the tools though lol Some really nice tool boxes in a few of the shops I visited :D

If you only want it for the plugs, why not get a sparkplug tool? I got one in McQuillan Tools for €6.

Kristopherus

bladespin wrote: »

http://www.maplin.co.uk/39-piece-compact-socket-set-618917

STG but Check your local Maplins.

Anywhere but Maplins.:mad: Too many rip-off prices there:mad:.

OP have a look at the range on amazon.co.uk.

bladespin

Kristopherus wrote: »

Anywhere but Maplins.:mad: Too many rip-off prices there:mad:.

OP have a look at the range on amazon.co.uk.

True but even at their exchange rate (anglo - pulled out of their ****) that looks a reasonable set for the OP.

TheBody

bladespin wrote: »

True but even at their exchange rate (anglo - pulled out of their ****) that looks a reasonable set for the OP.

Just note that the biggest size in that set is only 13mm. You will often need bigger sizes. See here if you don't believe me!!

http://www.cwfasteners.co.uk/spannerandkeysizes.htm

Gary ITR

The Pontiac wrote: »

This looks good value. Great brand.

Only goes up to 13mm, and not sure if your Focus takes a bigger socket. You can always buy a separate sockets.

Use Parcel Motel for cheap delivery.

The oil filter should come off with your hands. If it doesn't then bang a screwdriver into it and twist.

That's only a 1/4inch drive and won't last pissing time if you start using it to take off tight or bigger nuts/bolts

bladespin

TheBody wrote: »

Just note that the biggest size in that set is only 13mm. You will often need bigger sizes. See here if you don't believe me!!

http://www.cwfasteners.co.uk/spannerandkeysizes.htm

Lol, I've a Teng box in the cabinet but for the starter a cheapo set is grand, take a basic set and build on it, buy as good as you can justify/afford and build a collection.

gctest50

These are nice :

http://www.ebay.ie/itm/Facom-Large-1-2-Drive-Socket-Set-10-32mm-Ratchet-More-/180695532324?pt=UK_Hand_Tools_Equipment&hash=item2a124b0324


get one of these if it has a spin on oil filter

http://www.ebay.ie/itm/Teng-9120-Oil-Filter-Wrench-chain-strap-120mm-Cap-1-2i-/290764747122?pt=UK_Hand_Tools_Equipment&hash=item43b2edf172


.

cena

I need a 32mm socket to remove the oil filter housing on my mothers 07 astra

TheBody

bladespin wrote: »

Lol, I've a Teng box in the cabinet but for the starter a cheapo set is grand, take a basic set and build on it, buy as good as you can justify/afford and build a collection.

I'm not arguing with you on buying a cheap set. What I'm saying is the set you suggested will be useless to most people doing any work on a car unless their car is made from mechano. Fair enough, you may need small sizes if you need to work on some small electrical stuff for example but the VAST majority of the time you will need sizes above 10mm.

Gary ITR

cena wrote: »

I need a 32mm socket to remove the oil filter housing on my mothers 07 astra

Most 1/2inch sets come with a 32, if not you can buy sockets singly

bargainbucket

Here's a cheap set too get you started and they deliver for €6

cena

Gary ITR wrote: »

Most 1/2inch sets come with a 32, if not you can buy sockets singly

I got a set from argos but it only goes up to 22mm socket. 5.5mm sockets are hard to find too

bladespin

TheBody wrote: »

I'm not arguing with you on buying a cheap set. What I'm saying is the set you suggested will be useless to most people doing any work on a car unless their car is made from mechano. Fair enough, you may need small sizes if you need to work on some small electrical stuff for example but the VAST majority of the time you will need sizes above 10mm.

Most of my work is on bikes, you'll rarely need anything bigger than 8mm bar you're changing tyres or a chain, there's no mechano in there at all I can assure you.

Katunga

Halfords professional are great value tool for anything lifetime warranty. The only bad thing about they don't have much imperial tools. But most people don't need them. I mainly use imperial tool for work though.

TrailerBob

Katunga wrote: »

Halfords professional are great value tool for anything lifetime warranty. The only bad thing about they don't have much imperial tools. But most people don't need them. I mainly use imperial tool for work though.

Have to agree, I used to sell Teng, King Tony, Snap-On etc in my old job, and I bought a Halfords Professional set. It's a 140 pc metric and imperial, ( I work on old tractors). Have to say its been quite impressive. The breaker bar was the only weakness I found and that was bought outside the set.

OP, €40 is not a lot for a socket set. You could buy a set for half that in Argos, but it would bend opening a bottle of 7up... Just get a reasonable set and it will last years.

JP 1800

The best value for quality socket set is the S-K socket set sold in Lidl, the quality is very good and in my opinion better than the Halfords professional range, this is from my own personal experience having worked with most of the sets already mentioned, but my Teng screwdriver set is the business.

flutered

jamesr123 wrote: »

I already have a good spanner set, good trolley jacks, axle stands. Money is tight and I didnt wanna spend money and tools i'm only gonna use probably twice a year.

I only really wanted the socket and ratchet for the spark plugs

If I had the money I would go mad with the tools though lol Some really nice tool boxes in a few of the shops I visited :D

all you are going to get are knuckle skinners.

jimgoose

Caulfield Industrial have some tidy sets at good prices. Look at the Channel Lock stuff - American, IIRC. With your budget you'll be staying away from their Gedore and Bahco stuff, though. Personally I find the 150-piece Halfords Pro set hard to beat, at 125 Euro.

http://www.caulfieldindustrial.com/socket-sets-!779-cat.html?bizpageno=1

jimgoose

jamesr123 wrote: »

I wanna service the focus on Monday and i'v been looking for a few basic tools like a socket set and maybe an oil filter removal tool.

I have already been to B & Q and woodies but the prices seem very expensive? 40 quid for a socket set??

surely I can pick them up cheaper than that?

B&Q stock "Torq" brand socket sets and tools, including torque wrenches. It's nice stuff - I believe they are the same as the Halfords Pro ones, all made by Mac Tools in the USA - and the prices, while good value, are about the same as Halfords.