Halfords socket sets

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Davejue1
Joined: Sun 22 Sep, 2013 07:25
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  Z3 roadster 2.8
Location: Mansfield

Halfords socket sets

Post by Davejue1 »

Popped into Halfords this morning for a couple of bits and saw the socket sets at half price. There was a 200 piece set at £150 which looked very good value for money. I've had one of there small sets for 20+ years and never had a problem with it. Does anyone have one of these bigger sets and if so are they any good? any other comments appreciated. :)

Cheers
Dave
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Robert T
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Re: Halfords socket sets

Post by Robert T »

Their "Professional" range of tools seems pretty good - I have a small metric socket set in this and a larger set with imperial sockets in their standard range and the ratchet handle is far superior in the professional set - the sockets and bits seem pretty similar.

Cheers R.
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Fender2004
Joined: Fri 14 Aug, 2009 10:24
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Location: Houghton-Le-Spring

Re: Halfords socket sets

Post by Fender2004 »

I bought a ratchet set of spanners a few years ago, and they have been fine, but as Robert T says they were from the the professional range. They also give a life time warranty but this does not cover the ratchet or any moving parts!!!! so what else is there to cover? a length of metal?
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TomH84
Joined: Sun 15 Dec, 2013 15:22
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Re: Halfords socket sets

Post by TomH84 »

x3 on the 'professional' range. My full set (think it might be the 200 price, £150 one) has seen some decent use and is all still in great shape. I picked mine up half price during one of their promotions. They run them nearly every other month now it seems.

Got a good few bits and pieces from Machine Mart over the years too.
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Davejue1
Joined: Sun 22 Sep, 2013 07:25
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Location: Mansfield

Re: Halfords socket sets

Post by Davejue1 »

Thanks guys, just checked online and there calling it there "advanced professional range" so would appear it should be a good buy with what your saying. I like tinkering and am ok at the simpler jobs so it wouldn't have a hard life anyway. I do like the look of the ratchet spanner set with it too. New to me, never owned a set. How on earth are they making money on something that's costing well below £1 per item??? :)

Cheers
Dave
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BladeRunner919
Joined: Fri 17 Feb, 2012 20:18
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  Z3 roadster 1.9

Re: Halfords socket sets

Post by BladeRunner919 »

I have a Halfords socket set that is over 20 years old. I've replaced the odd bit that has been damaged, mainly through misuse, but on the whole it's been brilliant.
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pingu
Joined: Fri 30 Apr, 2004 16:01
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  M roadster S50

Re: Halfords socket sets

Post by pingu »

Unless you need the tools now, pocket the cash and wait for a sale. The same set will be £99 ;) . Personally, I went for the 150 piece set (£80) and a set of 1/2" sockets (£20).

The very large sets make up the numbers with lots of small driver bits. There are also a large number of 3/8" and some should be 1/2". Anything above 15mm should really be 1/2" as the torque to undo a tight 15mm nut can make a 3/8" square yield.

I think the ratchet spanners in the 200 piece set are pretty useless as they are not knuckled. A full set of knuckled ratchet ring spanners is worth having.

I can't fault the quality of Halfords Professional. They do quibble over broken stuff, but they will replace with a receipt. I got a 20 year old tool replaced, even though they complained that the receipt was too faded to read :shock: .
Pingu
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Davejue1
Joined: Sun 22 Sep, 2013 07:25
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Location: Mansfield

Re: Halfords socket sets

Post by Davejue1 »

Thanks pingu. At £99 for a 200 piece set I think for me it's a no brainer, Like I said earlier with me only being if limited knowledge mechanically it will proberly last me forever and if I keep the receipt in plastic it won't fade so they can argue all they like if I do break anything! :)

Cheers
Dave
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Gareth 161
Joined: Thu 08 Mar, 2012 23:41
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Location: Cornwall

Re: Halfords socket sets

Post by Gareth 161 »

Bought the £200 professional set a few years ago for £100 in half price sale-best investment I have ever made in the tool line of things.
It is also surprising just how often the odd small bits that come with the set come in handy.
The ratchet spanners are good & I have had no problems with the ratchet socket bars, even when extending the leverage with a 2 foot pipe although probably not recomended!!
Gareth
2001 3.0 Z3, 2008 Subaru Forester Xten
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RockyDave
Joined: Sun 22 Sep, 2013 07:18
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  Z3 roadster 2.2i

Re: Halfords socket sets

Post by RockyDave »

Looks like you are in luck :wink:
Halfords have a sale on, in Loughborough at least.
Many of the socket sets are down to half price, including the knuckled ring spanners that are marked down from £80 to £40...tempted
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Mint
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Re: Halfords socket sets

Post by Mint »

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Davejue1
Joined: Sun 22 Sep, 2013 07:25
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Re: Halfords socket sets

Post by Davejue1 »

Ye that's the offers that prompted me into asking the question to start with. I do like the look of the 200 piece at £150. :)

Cheers
Dave
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fish
Joined: Thu 07 Feb, 2013 17:04
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  Z3 roadster 2.2i
Location: Sandbach, Cheshire

Re: Halfords socket sets

Post by fish »

I have just done my car with the 1/2 55 piece set and perhaps did'nt use half of it ! I also got the small 1/4 inch set...

I had to buy a;

32mm spanner for fan/steering
22mm spanner for wishbone nut
18mm spanner I already had for bolts for brakes and wishbone
3x brake pipe spanners (can get sizes if you want)
T50mm torx for bumper
6mm 1/2 hex for discs retaining bolt

All of these have "cruised" the job.....only had 1xdisc retaining bolt which caused me a problem, which I took to a local garage to free off for £10. The brake pipe spanners in "my" opinion are a must.

Ian
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Mike Fishwick
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Re: Halfords socket sets

Post by Mike Fishwick »

Good quality tools are an investment for life - I am still using the 3/8 and 1/2 inch King Dick socket sets I bought from Naval Stores in 1961 (£3 and £4 a set!) when I was an apprentice at Devonport Dockyard - the original 1/2" AF socket wore out after about 20 years, and I added a load of Snap-On metric sockets about 30 years ago, but they just keep on going, including the ratchets.
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t-tony
Joined: Sun 21 Feb, 2010 23:17
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Re: Halfords socket sets

Post by t-tony »

Ditto Mike's comment. You get what you pay for. I mainly use Snap-On or MAC tools simply because they earn my living for me. Halfords tool are extremely good quality and easily good enough for D.I.Y and never heard of any quibbles regarding exchange, they have a lifetime warranty. I bought an Elora socket set when I was 15 and I had this till some scrotes broke into my work premises in 1992 and stole them along with almost all my other tools, 20 years and still going strong.
"Knowledge and experience are not always the same"
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Woody1000
Joined: Sat 30 Mar, 2013 09:38
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Re: Halfords socket sets

Post by Woody1000 »

My old Dad always said to me buy the very best tools you can afford and if that means saving up for them then so be it, your better to buy the best and buy it once than buy and replace.
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Mouldy
Joined: Mon 26 Jan, 2009 19:40
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Re: Halfords socket sets

Post by Mouldy »

Woody1000 wrote:My old Dad always said to me buy the very best tools you can afford and if that means saving up for them then so be it, your better to buy the best and buy it once than buy and replace.
I have a Halfords Professional socket set, which is very comprehensive and suits my needs as a hobby user. I absolutely understand the quality of King Dick and Snap-On tools and would have no hesitation in investing in a set if I was using them for my profession.
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Davejue1
Joined: Sun 22 Sep, 2013 07:25
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Re: Halfords socket sets

Post by Davejue1 »

I completely agree with the last post, and as I am at best a hobby user and with what the majority of you have said I think it has to be a done deal. Halfords here I come! :)

Cheers
Dave
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Z3Jeremy
Joined: Sun 23 Jun, 2013 08:40
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  Z3 roadster 1.9i

talking of tools..

Post by Z3Jeremy »

Morning all,
would anyone happen to know what size the spanner is from a Z3 toolkit - mine is missing so was going to track one down to fill the gap. Many thanks.
Regards Jeremy.
Fender2004
Joined: Fri 14 Aug, 2009 10:24
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Re: Halfords socket sets

Post by Fender2004 »

Not sure on the size but they always seem to be on sale on eBay so I presume that they would be the right size spanner
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Rafolian
Joined: Wed 27 Feb, 2013 08:41
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Re: Halfords socket sets

Post by Rafolian »

It's a 10mm and 13mm open-ended spanner that's missing!
Z3Jeremy
Joined: Sun 23 Jun, 2013 08:40
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  Z3 roadster 1.9i

Re: Halfords socket sets

Post by Z3Jeremy »

Thankyou Rafolian - onto it. Jeremy.
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Davejue1
Joined: Sun 22 Sep, 2013 07:25
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Re: Halfords socket sets

Post by Davejue1 »

Well after posting this thread in march I'm pleased to report Santa Claus bless his cotton socks has delivered me a 200 advanced socket set. Big grins all round! :D
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Rafolian
Joined: Wed 27 Feb, 2013 08:41
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  Z3 roadster 2.8

Re: Halfords socket sets

Post by Rafolian »

The last time I was in the UK was 3 years ago for the new year.I bought a set of ratchet spinners from Halfords in Bristol for 40 quid (half price sale). Great piece of kit, really good quality!
Rafolian
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Re: Halfords socket sets

Post by Rafolian »

Ratchet SPANNERS, feckin I-pad!
DC
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Re: Halfords socket sets

Post by DC »

Z3Jeremy wrote:Thankyou Rafolian - onto it. Jeremy.
Watch out for the spanner length to fit the tool kit slot. Plenty out there are too long, I'm still looking!
Dave
Dave. 1998 Arctic Silver Z3 M44 1.9 Automatic
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