Ended up just getting the Halfords kits after being called out to sort a wiper linkage and didn't have my tool kit.
Decided to just get it and leave it in the boot. £118 lighter I walked out. The toolkit isn't light though.
Thought I'd do a mini review and take photos of everything. Yes it's all listed on the Halfords website but this is so much easier to see and understand.
First impressions you get a cardboard box that's pretty heavy and covered in a clear plastic wrap. A quick careful cutting with a Stanley knife along one edge of the wrap (so it could be taken back if I change my mind
) and it's out.
First impressions of the plastic box, pretty sturdy! Nice soft rubber grip. Go to open it up and cheap plastic clips are holding it shut. I'll see how long these last, not holding my breath though!
Open it up and it's rammed full of tools!
In terms of ratchets, bars and extentions you get what you see here:
1/2" drive- Ratchet 45 tooth 8 degree's motion
- Universal joint
- Short wobble extention 125mm
3/8th drive- Ratchet 45 tooth 8 degree's motion
- Short breaker bar
- Medium length wobble extension 150mm
- Short wobble extention 75mm
- Universal joint
1/4" drive- Ratchet 45 tooth 8 degree's motion 140mm length
- Screwdriver type handle attatchment with 1/4" connection on top
- Medium length wobble extention 100mm
All feel pretty nice in the hand. I always find they are slightly too thin and do hurt a little when undoing really tight nuts and bolts with them.
The ratchets move freely enough but the ratchet mechanism feels quite snappy when it moves. I think I'll be packing mine with grease to aid that and also under the advice that they will last longer.
The breaker bar is fine it just seems a bit pointless being that short. I'm sure the ratchet will take all the abuse possible by hand.
You also get three adaptors: 1/4" to 3/8", 3/8" to 1/4" & 3/8" to 1/2"
Onto sockets.
SAE, all 12 point:
3/8": 3/8, 7/16, 1/2, 9/16, 5/8, 11/16, 3/4, 13/16, 7/8
1/2": 15/16, 1, 1-1/16, 1-1/4
6 point SAE 1/4" drive: 15/16, 1, 1-1/16, 1-1/4
Metric 12 point normal length
3/8": 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19mm
1/2": 20, 21, 22, 24, 27, 30, 32mm
Impact, all 1/2 6 point: 13, 14, 15, 17, 19, 21, 23mm
1/4": 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13mm
1/4" long sockets, 6 point: 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9mm
3/8" long sockets, 12 point: 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 17, 19mm
1/2" long sockets, 6 point: 20, 21, 22, 24mm
Also the normal 10 and 14mm spark plug sockets in 3/8" drive with the rubber plug grip:
E-Torx sockets
3/8": 8, 10, 11, 12, 14mm
1/2": 16, 18, 20mm
You get some bit sockets, all 3/8":
Slotted: 4, 5.5, 6.5
Philips: 1, 2, 3:
Hex: 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 10mm
Torx: TX-10, TX-20, TX-30, TX-40, TX-45, TX-50, TX-55, TX-60
30 piece screwdriver bit and a 1/4" square adaptor: Slotted 4, 5.5, 6.5, Hex 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, Phillips 1, 2, 3, Pozi 1, 2, 3,Torx T10, 15, 20, 25, 27, 30, 40, Tamper Torx T10, 15, 20, 25, 27, 30, 40
All bits are sharp and well made. All the security Torx bits have been made central which is a big thing to me!
Ratchet spanners, these are brilliant. Really nice feel and ratchet is good. Feel better than a Bluepoint set I had before. Only thing I dislike is there is a decent range but things like 9, 11 and 18mm are missing. 9 I can't remember using but 11 and 18mm are used quite frequently. Most clutches I've come across have 11mm bolts.
8, 10, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 19mm
Lastly, a set of allen keys tucked neatly away: 1.5, 2, 2.5, 3, 4, 5, 5.5, 6, 8, 10mm
Pros:
- Amazing price
- Good range and awesome to chuck in the boot. Probably pretty much every tool an average joe would need in terms of socketry all bar a big breaker bar.
- Lifetime warrenty
- Ratchet spanners are amazing
Cons:
- Certain size bits missing such as 9, 11 and 18mm spanners.
- Ratchets in the bars although tight feel a bit too harsh
- Not much in terms of extensions. No small 1/4" extention and no longer 1/2 extention
- Box clips feel super cheap.
All in all a great set and reccomended. My only vice is it only comes in 12 point. Although 12 point fits all I prefer 6 point unless 12 poin is neccesary. Luckily I have other sets which are 6 point.
With a breaker bar and a decent set of extensions and a few other bits this would probably be all an average person would need alongside jacks, stands and screwdrivers.
Deffo reccomended at that price though!
