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sxereturn

Likes Bikes and Dirt
Hey guys,

I did a quick search and couldn't find anything recent, surprisingly.

Over the last 7 years of moving and renovating, as well as a great deal of loaning and losing, my toolbox is looking rather forlorn compared to its once former glory. I'm looking at starting fresh and am open to advice on brands, particularly their strengths and weaknesses amongst their ranges.

Money isn't a factor as long as I am getting performance for my dollars. I am looking to purchase an all new socket set (metric and imperial), T-bar Allen Keys, screwdrivers, shifters, combination spanner set (metric and imperial), torque wrench and ratcheting spanners.

Please don't just say "snap-on"...I realise I could go out and spend $10,000 tomorrow on brand new Snap-On gear and it will never fail me, but I'd prefer not to.

I'll be working on a mix of bicycles and motorcycles with more regularity than I'd prefer. Fire away, Farkineers!
 
D

Delbs

Likes Dirt
I have a large bunch of Parktool tools and workshop stands , Tru stand etc and then a smaller collection of Sidchrome gear, open and closed spanner set, 30pc socket set. Tool quality is top notch and what i would expect from the price that i paid for each kit. Cant go wrong.
 
Red Rocket

Red Rocket

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From what I've read, brands like Stanley and Sidchrome can't be relied upon to produce quality ratchets/sockets these days. A lot of people are standing behind Bahco socket sets, for quality and price. I believe their 106pce kit, including spanners, is available for just over $250 online. A family friend operates an engineering and CNC business in Queensland, and these were the kits he selected for the shop for their price and ability to handle frequent industrial use.

Example: http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/BAHCO-10..._Hand_Tools&hash=item3cb0cdea21#ht_6936wt_905
 
A

Ausfitter

Squid
SP Tools arent a bad brand. I have heard that they are from the same manufacturer as snap on, so quality would be the same, just stamped different. I have sidchrome at home and my issued toolbox at work, and i havent had any issues at all, and i use them everyday.
 
Graunched

Graunched

Likes Dirt
Bohndus for Alen keys

Spanners: KC Tools make good spanner sets for the price

1/4 drive socket: 2nd hand Starhwillie (can be found for reasonable price on ebay)

Other drive socket sets: I would just purchase from super cheap etc(not joking) and get a reasonable ratchet

Pliers: Knipex (cheap from the states ie chadstoolbox.com)

Screwdrivers: Would go snapon in this instance as they arguably do make the best screwdrivers. Check out the older style hard handled sets on ebay as they will last the longest.

Shifters: Whatever, its not a precision tool

Ratcheting spanners: The brand escapes me but you can buy the same ones from supercheap that you get from the snap-on truck with blue point engraved on them for half the price, minus the blue point engraving of course.

Torque wrench: how much you spend will determine the accuracy


Most tools you buy now will come with a lifetime guarantee, even some of the sets from super cheap. Spend more on the items you will use the most and less on those that you will use infrequently. Heaps of tools on ebay and tool stores in the states that are cheap cheap...
 
riderseventy7

riderseventy7

Likes Dirt
I personally use JBS for spanners, ratchets and sockets. They are a quality brand with accurate sizes, a solid feel when using the tool and very strong. Mitutoyo is the brand I use for measuring devices such as vernier calipers and micrometers etc, they also have a superb feel when using them and they are super accurate.

For power tools I use the Makita LXT Lithium ion range of cordless tools. Their batteries have a super fast recharge time for the amount of use you get out of them and the tools themselves are top quality. Hitachi are also worth looking at and Panasonic have some pretty impressive battery tech in there cordless tools.

There are a lot of quality brands out there as well as a lot of utter shit. It would take a while to list all the good and all the bad. To avoid the shit try not to purchase your tools from Bunnings or SuperCheap Auto etc. Go to the places the tradies go, such as Blackwoods, Gasweld, local tool shops, Plumbing/building/electrical wholesalers.
 
Red Rocket

Red Rocket

Likes Bikes and Dirt
If you're in Brisbane like me (looks like you are) then go in and have a chat to these guys about your budget/needs. The fellows at the Cooper's Plains store were extremely knowledgeable, and the prices are very good.
 
Graunched

Graunched

Likes Dirt
riderseventy7 said:
*SNIP* To avoid the shit try not to purchase your tools from Bunnings or SuperCheap Auto etc. Go to the places the tradies go, such as Blackwoods, Gasweld, local tool shops, Plumbing/building/electrical wholesalers.
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There is not much on a moto or bicycle that requires anything over 1/4 drive most of the time (at least on the dirtbikes I have owned and worked on) and the supercheap 3/8" & 1/2" drive sockets suffice. Helllll I swing spanners every day, as a tradie, at work, working on aircraft and they suffice there as well as they don't get used that often... Its cost vs amount of use......
 
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Wellsey

Wellsey

Likes Bikes and Dirt
www.tradetools.com

These guys do an inhouse range of tools called "force"

Excellent value for money with lifetime warranty. Eg, complete metric open/ring spanner roll including every single size from 6mm to 32mm for $100. 22 piece ratchet ring spanner set for $140 bucks. T-handle torx and allen key sets for 35 bucks a piece.

These tools are very good quality, made in India I think. Pretty much all my tools are from this range and I'm very happy.

The steel is probably not as hard as snap-on or kincrome etc, (I have rounded a spanner being an idiot with it, which they replaced without question) but for the home mechanic they are perfect.

EDIT- Here's a link to the force range - http://www.tradetools.com/forceproducts
 
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Steve-0

Steve-0

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Graunched said:
Bohndus for Alen keys
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+1. I've put 4 foot handles on the end of 5mm allen keys a few times. Many snapped bolts, not a single bent or rounded allen key yet after 3 years.

Wellsey said:
Trade Tools Force
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Pretty good gear for the price, but I still wouldn't class it as "quality".

I've mainly got sidchrome everything,
-The ratcheting spanners and ring spanners are great.
-Socket sets are awesome too.
-Shifter spanners are above average but not perfect. I've tried Bahco and Bahco shifter spanner is better.
-Sidcrome Screwdrivers suck, so do stanley, and kincrome, and cabac. Still searching for a decent set of screw drivers :/

Can't really comment on what's top of the range but yeh, My 2c. Buying the best tools you can afford is always the best option because bad tools not only break often, but wreck what your working on. If you want a cheap set to get to work asap, Kincrome do complete tool boxes for like $1000-$2000. It's the cheaper version of sidcrome, but still good enough.

Edit: If you need a cordless drill, I'd actually stay away from Hitachi for thick steel.. We have broken two workshop ones in 24months. Both times it was the chuck. I'm using milwaukee at the moment and farking love that shit. I drill 16mm Construstion steel and upto 4mm thick stainless.
 
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cooki_monsta

cooki_monsta

Likes Dirt
As previously stated, bondhus for Allen keys, I use a variety of other tools, kinchrome for socket sets, spanners, long arm spanners, ratcheting spanners, digital torque wrench and vernier. Makita lxt power tools with almost everything they make and I use draper impact sockets.

These tools have treated me very well, spend up once and you will never look back
 
Registered Nutcase

Registered Nutcase

Likes Bikes and Dirt
Steve-0 said:
+1. I've put 4 foot handles on the end of 5mm allen keys a few times. Many snapped bolts, not a single bent or rounded allen key yet after 3 years.



Pretty good gear for the price, but I still wouldn't class it as "quality".

I've mainly got sidchrome everything,
-The ratcheting spanners and ring spanners are great.
-Socket sets are awesome too.
-Shifter spanners are above average but not perfect. I've tried Bahco and Bahco shifter spanner is better.
-Sidcrome Screwdrivers suck, so do stanley, and kincrome, and cabac. Still searching for a decent set of screw drivers :/

Can't really comment on what's top of the range but yeh, My 2c. Buying the best tools you can afford is always the best option because bad tools not only break often, but wreck what your working on. If you want a cheap set to get to work asap, Kincrome do complete tool boxes for like $1000-$2000. It's the cheaper version of sidcrome, but still good enough.

Edit: If you need a cordless drill, I'd actually stay away from Hitachi for thick steel.. We have broken two workshop ones in 24months. Both times it was the chuck. I'm using milwaukee at the moment and farking love that shit. I drill 16mm Construstion steel and upto 4mm thick stainless.
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I can not recommend snap on enough! their screwdrivers will not let you down, they are regarded as one of their best products.

http://buy1.snapon.com/catalog/catalog1.asp?tool=&Cat_ID=118847&Cat_NAME=Screwdrivers&store=snapon-store
 
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FatGuts

FatGuts

Likes Dirt
Try the Repco brand, I am a motor mechanic by trade and have been using Repco tools since they came out & have no complaints at all. Their warranty is good, I have a 21mm socket that I have been using on the rattle gun & it has not split the sides. Pretty well priced to.

You can beat Nipex for pliers/sidecutters as mentioned, better than Snap on.

If you want pipe spanners, snap on or Stahwillie.

But for your everyday tools, Repco is the go.
 
F

frensham

Likes Dirt
Park Tools for everything bike related (including allen keys). Sidchrome for everything else. Some of my Park Tools are over 15 years old and my Sidchrome spanners and sockets are more than thirty years old and still look like new.
 
FatGuts

FatGuts

Likes Dirt
Graunched said:
And thats the issue... they are not made like they used to be...
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Yup, I started out with Sidchrome tools, there was not much else around at the time, the first thing to break was the socket attatchement of the breaker bar & wasnt it a hell of a time getting warranty on it. 20 years later I only have a few spanners left of my original kit & they are not a patch on other tools I have bought later on including the Repco brand. I pretty well stopped buying them after the 1/2 in drive ratchet crapped at about 5 years of age. My Repco ratchet would have to be at least 15 years old without a problem & it has been flogged with hammers, had extensions used on it & basically had a crap life.
 
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