I can has Ratchit ring Spannaz instead ov sokits

[Welly]

You know those ring spanners with the ratchet thingy built-in? what they like and what's a reasonable make/price?

Longer term I'm planning* to do more of my own car maintenance and maybe even buy an old shitter to do up/sell

*My son goes to Uni this year and I'll be lumbered with her indoors and my teenage daughter; both of whom I love dearly but I can't help thinking a little hobby might be in order to help with one's sanity.

[trem1]

buy a Halfords Professional socket set, comes with a lifetime guarantee which myself and my eldest son have had tools changed without issue, it also comes in a handy box so everything is in one place.
We have 3 different versions of this in our family, mine, eldest son and just bought the youngest son one for xmas. They are all slightly different as they change some-things every year.


http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stor ... -godfather

[Doggy]

Depends on the quality of the kit and what you use them for. I had a set of cheapy ratshit spanners and one packed in the first time I used it.
I now have a set of MAC ones which seem virtually indestructable at reasonable cost, plus they've got a neat ratchet reverse lever so you don't need to turn them round for the other direction.

I still wouldn't use them in place of a decent socket set for heavier stuff, but they're really handy for those threads that are just too tight to undo wiv your fingers, (and always seem to be interminably long and in awkward corners).

[jonsowman]

Agreed, I've got the Halfords Advanced Professional set as well, and the ratchet spanners are great

[mjb]

Ditto for Halfords. Buying cheap tools is usually a false economy, but Halfords stuff really is made to last.

Ratchet spanners are great and all, but I find I only use them occasionally - either where I can't get my 1/2" sockets, or where they'd give me more turns-per-scraped-knuckles

[trufflehunt]

Agree with all the above. I used to have really good spanners and sockets, till over the
years I'd lent and lost many, and somehow acquired cheap tat.
Finally, last summer, gave myself an injection of self-respect...

Got these..

http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stor ... yId_165572

Mention around the internet that they are made by MAC Tools.
Lovely quality feel to them.

I paid £39.95 . About every 6 months Halfords have special, big, reductions on their
socket and spanner sets.

[jonsowman]

If you can find someone friendly with a Halfords trade card they'll probably be about half price too (doesn't apply to sale stuff obviously).

[gumby6371]

I'm slowly building a decent home tool set and Halfords pro stuff is good quality, the only caveat on the warranty is that it doesn't cover moving parts like ratchet mechs.
Saying that I've never had any fail on me but I try and avoid using a ratchet for the very tight stuff and get things started with a breaker bar or chunky spanner then use the ratchet.

I'm hoping to blag a trade card soon as I work on hand tool buying for the MoD but as I'm not actually a spanner turner I'm waiting for a compliant looking manager in my local Halfords before I ask for a card

[Welly]

I just realised I suppose that the ratchety ring spanna will only be useful on sticky freds (like wot doggy said) I have got a reasonable socket set of many years old and was kinda thinking the ratchet ringers would compliment it.

I mustard mitt that there Halfrods socket set looks pretty cool, wouldn't want to pay that full price though

Also need a hydraulic jack and some axle standz......

*realises he should'a built up all this kit over the years

Mmmm...........

[DaiRees]

Yup, Halfords Professional stuff is great, I've got a set something similar to the one Trem posted, they're always doing half price sales too . Used the ratchet spanners for some really stubborn stuff on the old Zook and never had a problem.

I've also got a cheap set of ratchets (came from some bargain world type shop) and they've been great too, haven't broken one.... yet

[Bailes1992]

I have a few sets of ratchet spanners. They do seem pretty tough in all honesty! They can definitely take more abuse than a normal ratchet.
Bare aware though that Halfords Professional gear does have a lifetime warranty but it does not cover ratchets.

If you are going to be doing work on cars regularly can I recommend you also get...

Some nut splitters and bolt extractors! You can guarantee that an old car is about to have some stubborn nuts and bolts!
Torque wrench! Machine mart do a Clarke one for about £20!
A blowtorch for removing stubborn nuts and bolts.
Ball joint splitter.
You MUST MUST MUST get a breaker bar. I've shifted some nuts and bolts with a breaker bar that my impact hasn't touched!
Various stocks, dies and taps.
Impact wrench is an absolute must! I bought a cheap mains powered one from Machine Mart and it's saved my arse on more times than I can remember!
Try get the ratchet spanners with the ratchet end on a hinge!
Also make sure you got swan neck or 'offset' spanners.
Crows-foot spanners are handy to have for the really awkward stuff to get.

Probably some other odds too. I don't suggest you go out and spend a fortune but don't wait until you desperate need something either!

[mjb]

I mustard mitt that there Halfrods socket set looks pretty cool, wouldn't want to pay that full price though

http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stor ... yId_165469
http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stor ... yId_255215


Rails are great - much more convenient than a silly great box

[trem1]

whilst i agree the T & C say ratchets arent covered, we had the internals of Kev's 1/2 ratchet replaced under warranty. They Did say they could either send the ratchet away to be sorted or just give us the repair kit and we could replace the internals ourselves, which we did.

not expensive if you bust them either and there not covered, no idea about the spanners tho




http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stor ... &langId=-1

[trufflehunt]

I have a few sets of ratchet spanners. They do seem pretty tough in all honesty! They can definitely take more abuse than a normal ratchet.
......
......
Try get the ratchet spanners with the ratchet end on a hinge!

Speaking of which....

http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stor ... yId_165572

[mjb]

Some nut splitters and bolt extractors! You can guarantee that an old car is about to have some stubborn nuts and bolts!
Torque wrench! Machine mart do a Clarke one for about £20!
A blowtorch for removing stubborn nuts and bolts.
Ball joint splitter.
You MUST MUST MUST get a breaker bar. I've shifted some nuts and bolts with a breaker bar that my impact hasn't touched!
Various stocks, dies and taps.
Impact wrench is an absolute must! I bought a cheap mains powered one from Machine Mart and it's saved my arse on more times than I can remember!
Try get the ratchet spanners with the ratchet end on a hinge!
Also make sure you got swan neck or 'offset' spanners.
Crows-foot spanners are handy to have for the really awkward stuff to get.

Out of these I'd say I only use the torque wrench and impact driver on a regular basis. I've got a ball joint splitter which is useless, stud remover I've used exactly once, tap+die set I've used once, ratchet spanners I think I've only used on driveshaft bearing, and crows-foot sockets I used once

My essentials list:

QUALITY 1/2" sockets+wrench
QUALITY 1/2" torx sockets (cheap T55 sockets shatter way too easily, got through a few before buying Halfords)
QUALITY 16mm spanner (cheapo ones - 7,8,10,13,18,19 - are good for everything else on PSA cars but 16mm engine mount nuts need a decent tool)
QUALITY jack and ratcheting axle stands
10mm socket on a fine-toothed 1/4" wrench
2.5lb ball pein hammer and sturdy flathead screwdriver
Pry bars
Breaker bar
Impact wrench (machine mart mains powered jobbie)
Allen keys
Thick wire (usually used to tie things up!), nitrile gloves, WD40