Sockets, torque wrenches and allen key bits etc.

Vegeeta · May 2007

I need to get a socket set, with torque wrenches, bits that mean I can do torque on allen key heads and torx and eventually spanners.

Where can I buy the best ones as a retail customer (snap on won't sell to me)?

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Mad Splasherwmb · May 2007

I think Snap-on tools are over-rated. 50% of what you pay goes on the tool and 50% on the warranty. I rate Facom and Teng. I have a Teng 3/8 socket set with a 3/8 torque wrench and a set of 3/8 drive allen bits bought separately.

http://www.diytools.com/store/detail.as ... ctid=55430

http://www.diytools.com/store/detail.as ... ctid=61764

If you want torq bits

http://www.diytools.com/store/detail.as ... ctid=61765

And if you want a general socket set, there's loads to choose from for example

http://www.diytools.com/store/detail.as ... ctid=61661

George
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Kestrel_daos · May 2007

^I'd second Teng too.

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big_p · May 2007

why wont snap on sell to you....... where in the uk are you

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Unknown · May 2007

you will not get a kit that will cover the torque range you require for a bike.

Veg you know your stuff. make a note of the torque settings that you require also make a note of the units as this is where things tend to fall down, the small bolts on a bike will need a torque screw driver while others a 3/8ths wrench should do.

but back to tools. just get the best tools you can for the commonly used tools. and what every for the odd ones.

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Mad Splasherwmb · May 2007

The torque wrench I recommended is 5-25Nm. It'll do most of the critical stuff on a bike. I know cassette lock nuts and BBs need 40Nm but they're much easier to judge than say HTII pinch bolts.

George
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daxionwmb · May 2007

I bought a calibrated Teng 3/8 torque wrench for the bike. really good piece of kit.

I suggest you buy good quality tools, especially allen keys and spline keys.
Machine Mart stock a range quality of torque wrenches, worth the extra for calibrated tools.
T-handle allen keys are useful.

I've also changed some of the bolts on the bike to stainless or high qual steel. Less likely to round off.

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GT-Dave · May 2007

Halfords Pro range of tools are pretty good.

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monkeyfcuker · May 2007

halfords tools are sh*te wouldnt use them, snap-on are definetly not overated they are excellent tools! i use snap-on every day and anything alse feeels cheap and nasty in comparison! bit extreme price wise tho if your not using the stuff everyday! if you want the best quality and by that i mean the nicest feeling tools with zero rounding off of allenkeys etc go for snap-on without a doubt! teng tools are well, ok only slightly better than halfords in my book! a good brand to look at that isnt to pricey IMO are facom tools. def worth a look.

were have you tried buying snap-on from?

try staking out a garage and hoping on the van when it comes round[:p]

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Mad Splasherwmb · May 2007

Didn't I recommend Facom earlier [;)]. Snap-on used to be first rate, and if you've got some older stuff it'll still be going strong. I reckon in the last 5 years though they've taken cost out but left the prices the same and instead of ensuring they never get any tools back, have decided to make a bigger margin and just change any that fail under warranty.

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Mad Splasherwmb · May 2007

If you really want Snap-on, can't you just buy them here http://buy1.snapon.com/catalog/catalog.asp?tool=all

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monkeyfcuker · May 2007

[:I]<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Didn't I recommend Facom earlier<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">[:I]

learn to read michael!!

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big_p · May 2007

i think the quality of snap on tools is better than ever, the product development side of the company is huge.
they have the largest product line of any tool manufacturer which currently stands at about 14000 items, ranging from a screwdriver bit to a single man mot testing lane!!! then you've got things like flank drive plus spanners that are widely regarded as the best on the market, allen and torx bits coated in titanium nitride to make them super hard to resist rounding or snapping off and torque wrenches with gyroscopes in them so they can measure angle as well as load. snap on also owns bahco (used to be sandvic) in Sweden , eurotools in spain, knipex in the us, john bean (used to be balco) also in the us, sun diagnostics in kings Lynn , klan in germany and many more.
then there are the dealers that call to your place of work on the same day every week, without fail, who sell the tools via interest free installments, they deal with your broken tools right there and then, facom have to be posted back to a service center and halfords don't warranty ratchet mechanisms, the dealers can usually advise you on which tool you may need for a certain job and then sell you a tool box to put it in!!!!!!!!!!!!!

oh yeah, i almost forgot dont use http://buy1.snapon.com/catalog/catalog.asp?tool=all you need to find a dealer, that way you'll have access to items that are on promo.

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Unknown · May 2007

Just a couple Snap-on fans here then!
Snap-on are overated. They are not worth the money.
Plus the warranty is not all it's cracked up to be.

I've got the joys of having a company supplied tools, which means I've sampled tools made from the finest cheese, through to some pretty good stuff. And cost does not govern what's the good stuff! You can usually tell from the look/feel how good anything is going to be.

For good quality tools without the expense of Snap-on, you can't really go wrong with Facom, Britool, Sykes, or Halfords own brand pro stuff (never used halfords stuff personally, but from what I've seen and heard, it's meant to be pretty good).

Also, some of the cheap stuff is pretty good, but you really need to see it before you buy. I've got a 1/4" socket set that only cost œ20, but you'd think it cost far more as the quality is that good.

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caw35slr · June 2007

I agree that 3/8 is a size to standardize on. Apart from your generic sockets you can get a torque wrench, all the allen keys and a T25 bit in 3/8.

FYI, I bought a Halfords Pro torque wrench and it has stood up well enough for somebody who has a grand total of two bikes to fettle. I compared it's performance to a mate's SnapOn job and it was sufficiently consistent and accurate (assuming that the SnapOn was too, of course).

Investing in high quality tools is almost never a bad idea and, if I was running a shop, fettling a race team or had more demanding requirements then I'd probably shop at the top-end but don't feel you need the very best tools to do a very good job on one or two bikes. All of the previous IMHO, of course.

Of course, if money is no object its got to be monogrammed SnapOn all the way, LOL.

FYI I have shopped for tools at, but do not work for, Tooled Up and DIY Tools.

CAW
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northern_boy · June 2007

I'm with mc on this, Snap On are over rated. I know people who have had real trouble trying to get replacements for broken tools. I have also heard lots of people in the motor trade say good things about Halfords and their lifetime warranty is supposed to be top notch. I have had tools from King D1ck and Elora for 20 years now when I started work as a car mechanic and never had one break on me yet.

To be honest though, if you are buying tools to repair a bike, then they aren't going to take much stick at all, there's no need to spend a fortune on the likes of Snap On, that's like using a sledgehammer to crack open a nut. Don't buy market stall rubbish but something middle of the road, reasonably priced with a good reputation like Laser, Draper Professional etc and you will never have any trouble.

blurred · June 2007

Magura do a torque wrench. Check out wiggle or CRC. It's made for what you need it for.

ahoy-hoy · June 2007

From personal experience I can recommend Halfords Professional stuff, Beta, Britool, CK's more expensive stuff - this is the stuff that has lasted me many years without incident or breakage, putting up with some serious use and abuse on a variety of cars, bikes and anything else that needed hitting hard with the wrong tool for the job

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ratty2k · June 2007

I too recommend the Halfords pro range, used while rallying so much abuse as it was used in the open while raining covered in grit, mud etc. No failures and still going no, 11 years later.

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Unknown · June 2007

Yeah I also have had good use from Halfords Pro
Range, I have used them for years in my comms
engineer job outside all year round and were taking
big bolts here

It's great value and as I am prone to losing the odd
tool beacause it's a normaly a diffrent place everyday
not to costly to replace

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Sockets, torque wrenches and allen key bits etc.

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