Anyone recommend a good socket set?

B

billoddie

Active Member
Some lowlife thieving as@#@les stole mine yesterday.
The set I had was an old Sidchrome, which was very strong, but did not quite fit in a few instances.
(Wheel nuts for example I think).
They were 1/2 in drive A/F.
The old Rove requires "Whitworth"...is that correct?
 
billoddie said:
The old Rove requires "Whitworth"...is that correct?
Click to expand...

The only Whitworth you'll really need is 3/8"Whit for the wheelnuts, all the rest are AF. (Well, there are some other Whits around and a few BA's, but you'll get around those).
 
Check out Halfords.

The do a decent sent of metric and imperial for around £100 depending on the set. Seem to remember if you order online and collect it is cheaper.

Colin
 
Bill so sorry to hear of your loss, tea leafs are everywhere-had an attempt here last year but my Labrador cornered him ! Plod escorted him away..... Yes, I think these are a copy of a Snap-on patent that has now lapsed, I dont know about the quality.
Personally I have virtually everything Snap-on bought over the years in the trade (even Whitworth sockets) but my son has equipped his own garage workshop buying second hand Snap-on through e.Bay - the strength and quality of the tools is unsurpassed IMHO. This is an example of the sort of S/H sets available here, I know shipping to Aus is a big cost factor. Do you have e.Bay or Snap-on in Aus - please forgive my ignorance ! :LOL: .
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Snap-On-Tools-3-8-Socket-Set-/160871288122?t=UK_Hand_Tools_Equipment&hash=item2574ad0d3a#ht_500wt_1076 This particular set is metric but you get the idea
 
+1 for Snap on.

Unfortunately they are astronomically overpriced in Australia. Even second hand.

I bought a small Bahco set for my Triumph bike. Not overly impressed, the sockets are very loose fitting on the extension bar.
 
Priced a new equivalent Sidchrome set today...$250.
Yikes!!
That aint gonna happen.
Yhose Metrinch things are on special at the moment...$137 for what is equivalent to a 88 piece set.
Also has lifetime warrnaty.
Not keen on handing over the readies. :evil:

Hi Mike.
Thats a good Lab you have there..normally they want a pat, a lick, and some food. :)
Yeah we have the Snapon...but she exxy stuff.
Need good quality at a good price.
Some other stuff I saw today was that Stahwillie...very expensive.
But did seem very good quality and performance.
 
only decent set i have is a Bergen impact set i got for the p6 on ebay - was only £25 but the quality is much higher than all the ones i've had from halfords and the like.


Don't know if you can get that brand in australia?

Rich
 
Whatever they are, I'd want a set with an anodized/matt finish. My MM/AF's are like that, but my Whitworth set is polished chrome. I like to work a bolt in or out by hand with a short extension bar, and you just can't grip chrome-finished ones! Sometimes I can't grip enough to pop the bar onto the ratchet! You permanently need a cloth, and that just isn't feasible in some places.
I'd also want a slight knurled edge around the base of the sockets so that they can be pulled and twisted by hand.
And bi-hex, obv.

Michael
 
Hi Billoddie/Brenten, have you looked at Repco's brand of their own socket sets, they used to dabble in sidchrome but now have their own brand, not sure if they are any cheaper unless they have a catalouge sale which they tend to do now and again, or Super Cheap Auto have their own brand chrome vanadium sets and they do Stanley and Sidchrome as well just looking at their website...
Regards,
Scott

p.s your teardrop caravan (in your other thread about tealeafs) sounds interesting, a topic for "Members Projects" perhaps? I'd thought about the same once my P6B is sorted
 
redrover said:
Whatever they are, I'd want a set with an anodized/matt finish. My MM/AF's are like that, but my Whitworth set is polished chrome. I like to work a bolt in or out by hand with a short extension bar, and you just can't grip chrome-finished ones! Sometimes I can't grip enough to pop the bar onto the ratchet! You permanently need a cloth, and that just isn't feasible in some places.
I'd also want a slight knurled edge around the base of the sockets so that they can be pulled and twisted by hand.
And bi-hex, obv.
Click to expand...

Yes, all very good points.
i had forgot about the chrome finish scenario you mention...only used that type in a few instances and that did indeed seem to be the case.

westOz74P6B said:
Repco's brand of their own socket sets
Click to expand...
Yes, beautiful tools
Not too exxy either...but IIRC only have the chrome finish

westOz74P6B said:
Super Cheap Auto have their own brand chrome vanadium sets
Click to expand...
Have noticed these, and they appear to be pretty good quality...will have a closer look.
:) :)
 
harveyp6 said:
billoddie said:
The old Rove requires "Whitworth"...is that correct?
Click to expand...

The only Whitworth you'll really need is 3/8"Whit for the wheelnuts, all the rest are AF. (Well, there are some other Whits around and a few BA's, but you'll get around those).
Click to expand...


18mm is good for the wheel nuts too :wink:

Dave
 
Dave3066 said:
harveyp6 said:
billoddie said:
The old Rove requires "Whitworth"...is that correct?
Click to expand...

The only Whitworth you'll really need is 3/8"Whit for the wheelnuts, all the rest are AF. (Well, there are some other Whits around and a few BA's, but you'll get around those).
Click to expand...


18mm is good for the wheel nuts too :wink:

Dave
Click to expand...

Wash your mouth out with soap you dirty little boy!!!
 
18mm is the generally accepted alternative to 3/8 whit some sockets are dual marked with the two sizes. 5/8 whit is also very close to 28mm and some sockets are dual marked with those sizes.
However when the guys at Halfords have finished trying to work out what you're talking about you could try googling Baconsdzen for a metric to AF to Whitworth conversion chart or to buy proper British Standard Whitworth sockets.
Cheap sockets do have a place,they make pretty good drifts for driving out bearings etc.
 
I have had a Williams Superslim 1/2" socket set AF/WW/Metric since I was 18, it was a birthday present and I am now approaching 60! It has had a hard life and still serves me well. I also have a Kamasa 3/8 drive set for about 20 years and that has also been good.
 
Rubythursday said:
I have had a Williams Superslim 1/2" socket set AF/WW/Metric since I was 18, it was a birthday present and I am now approaching 60! It has had a hard life and still serves me well. I also have a Kamasa 3/8 drive set for about 20 years and that has also been good.
Click to expand...

Obviously, the quality is beyond reproach.
In comparing the current Sidchrome stuff to the set I had given to me, it was pretty evident they were not quite as rugged.
Weight and general feel was different...unfortunately often applies to many things these days.
I think the Stahwillie stuff is an exception to this...German made IIRC.
 
i find that often it is very hard to find a set where the sockets and the ratchet are both up to spec, often you get a naff ratchett in a set.

britool sockets are good if you can get them in oz, they are reasonably priced and of good quality.

quite simply you cannot beat snap on ratchets, the old style ones with no rubber grip are superb with very little to go wrong, ive been trying to convince our workshop manager that he spends so much cash replacing the terrible teng tools ratchets he buys if he bought me a snap on one for a little over twice the price, id never bother him about slipping ratchets again!
 
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