I bet halfords won’t take the sump off for you to get the bits of broken socket out! Why risk it ?
Halfords Professional range is as good as Blue Point and as good as Snap On on most things.
Screwdrivers not so much but I’ve yet to break a Halfords socket.
I don’t know if they do a wide enough range to kit out the whole workshop with them but I’d look into it if I needed to.
I’d sooner use Halfords than Mac.
I still have my britool set that I bought at 16, I still have my original grease gun now 30 years old. I have a 40t jack that cost £20 plus £4 for new oil.
Thanks for the posts, I think I probably do more than the average.
With a muck tanker and being off road a bit I need to keep everything tight, clean and greased plus I seem to have to adjust something on the tank every week at least.
OO la la out of interest I had a look at how much the new aqua whale unit would be to lease.
This is bare lease no R&M no tyres, nothing just the truck.
5 year lease £9,378 per month
wowser
Dan Punchard:
I bet halfords won’t take the sump off for you to get the bits of broken socket out! Why risk it ?
never broken a Halfords socket yet, and trust me, i have given them some real abuse 
i have stripped the ratchet mechanism in a 3/8 drive ratchet, but, that was by me being too optimistic and trying to crack the head bolts on the DAF XF, to be fair, it did 5 of the M16 bolts BEFORE it stripped 
i have snapped a couple of the Torx bits, but, to be fair, any make would have snapped
just a quick point, Halfords and Snap-on tools are both made in the same factory now 
Here is one for you, a Lidl socket set…hold on
I wanted a cheapo socket set in my 4x4 for emergencies, something I wouldn’t mind if I lost bits in mud and stuff while laning, so I saw this socket set in lidl all six sided sockets an thought I would give it a whirl at £39, I said cheapo.
They are a bit dirtier now
Its basic, I have had it four years and it has been massively abused even lowering a car onto a breaker bar to undo a stubborn bolt, the socket held out (bolt broke ) changed the suspension about three times on an 18 year old 4x4.
I have a full set of more expensive tools but these are handy being kept in the boot
This set has surprised the hell out of me.
In a similar vein I have an American Pro half inch ratchet which I’ve had 10 years. It’s better than anything Snap-On do. It extends to about three feet and will handle a 6 foot scaffold bar on the end of it with my slight 17 stone jumping on it.
It simply will not die.
My Snap On quarter drive was a piece of sloppy crap when I bought they’ve replaced it and the new one is barely any better
I don’t do very much with the spanners now, VOSA appear to prefer qualified people doing the job, and I doubt a Diploma in farm mechanisation from 1980 would count
In their book, Guide to maintaining roadworthiness, it says :-
A person undertaking safety inspections must be technically competent and operationally aware of the safety standards that apply to the vehicles they examine.
They should have been trained in the techniques of vehicle examination, diagnosis and reporting, and possess a sound working knowledge of the relevant inspection manuals produced by VOSA.
A safety inspector should not be expected to carry out repair or servicing work during the course of the examination.
As for tools, Snap on is overpriced, and Halfrauds is crap ! I tend to use Draper/Sealey stuff 
The thing I’ve learned from this thread is that there’s as much “badge snobbery” about tools as there is about trucks.
Denis F:
I don’t do very much with the spanners now, VOSA appear to prefer qualified people doing the job, and I doubt a Diploma in farm mechanisation from 1980 would countIn their book, Guide to maintaining roadworthiness, it says :-
A person undertaking safety inspections must be technically competent and operationally aware of the safety standards that apply to the vehicles they examine.
They should have been trained in the techniques of vehicle examination, diagnosis and reporting, and possess a sound working knowledge of the relevant inspection manuals produced by VOSA.
A safety inspector should not be expected to carry out repair or servicing work during the course of the examination.
Yep this was actually my biggest stumbling block with them when I went for my ‘O’ . My apprenticeship was RTITB technician (heavy oil) to include lcv tester/examiner. they didn’t like me at all, said as I haven’t got an industrial unit etc unacceptable, luckily I had always planned on using the mechanic down the road, I’m so paranoid I actually take a timed/dated picture every time I get the grease gun out and that goes into my records.
Oh well maybe they will tell me off for changing a wheel 2 weeks ago.
We agreed on myself undertaking minor maintenance and the mechanic to undertake scheduled servicing at x mileage intervals or 12 weeks whichever the sooner (shows what they know) hopefully my extra maintenance & records will not only keep the truck going better and for longer but may be it will help when we are ready for the second vehicle.
Denis F:
As for tools, Snap on is overpriced, and Halfrauds is crap ! I tend to use Draper/Sealey stuff
I take it this is intended as humour. Draper used to make brilliant tools.
Now they’re a load of fall apart rubbiah
Drift:
Here is one for you, a Lidl socket set…hold onI wanted a cheapo socket set in my 4x4 for emergencies, something I wouldn’t mind if I lost bits in mud and stuff while laning, so I saw this socket set in lidl all six sided sockets an thought I would give it a whirl at £39, I said cheapo.
They are a bit dirtier now
Its basic, I have had it four years and it has been massively abused even lowering a car onto a breaker bar to undo a stubborn bolt, the socket held out (bolt broke
I have a full set of more expensive tools but these are handy being kept in the bootThis set has surprised the hell out of me.
Most Aldi’s look like a disaster relief camp but most of the kit they sell is pretty decent.
your right there Surfer
aldi tools use once and throw away =■■■■…
to be honest, last time I checked, I was paid the same if I used a snap-on tool’s or halford’s…
as a mobile trailer fitter, I don’t get a snap on van following me around trying to sell me stuff, and yes i found getting stuff fixed took a long time, I’ve had a snap-on tool box, it was 2nd hand, and it served me well, but you can get ■■■■■■ if I’m gonna pay what they want to buy a new tool box, Christ, i know some mechanic’s who have spent more money on the tool box than there car…
as for Halfords, well i was suspectable of the quality of there tool’s but the only failure I’ve had with there tool’s was there side cuts, after a month of cutting through TIR cord’s they didn’t want to know, but i can’t blame them.
i do have a halford’s tool box, and yeah it has suffered some quite bad abuse, including when i was away, a work colleague though he was a race driver in the van, and the box went over. but it survived quite well, the o.e lock is crap though
Muckspreader:
Denis F:
I don’t do very much with the spanners now, VOSA appear to prefer qualified people doing the job, and I doubt a Diploma in farm mechanisation from 1980 would countIn their book, Guide to maintaining roadworthiness, it says :-
A person undertaking safety inspections must be technically competent and operationally aware of the safety standards that apply to the vehicles they examine.
They should have been trained in the techniques of vehicle examination, diagnosis and reporting, and possess a sound working knowledge of the relevant inspection manuals produced by VOSA.
A safety inspector should not be expected to carry out repair or servicing work during the course of the examination.Yep this was actually my biggest stumbling block with them when I went for my ‘O’ . My apprenticeship was RTITB technician (heavy oil) to include lcv tester/examiner. they didn’t like me at all, said as I haven’t got an industrial unit etc unacceptable, luckily I had always planned on using the mechanic down the road, I’m so paranoid I actually take a timed/dated picture every time I get the grease gun out and that goes into my records.
Oh well maybe they will tell me off for changing a wheel 2 weeks ago.
We agreed on myself undertaking minor maintenance and the mechanic to undertake scheduled servicing at x mileage intervals or 12 weeks whichever the sooner (shows what they know) hopefully my extra maintenance & records will not only keep the truck going better and for longer but may be it will help when we are ready for the second vehicle.
unbelievable
I do my own maintanence, inspections and MOT prep and I’ve no qualifications, only a good track record of no roadside prohibitions and no Test failures, is this not good enough anymore? 
OK I worked alongside the spanner man when I used to emply outside help and learnt plenty and have loads of mechanical experience, but when I applied for my O/Licence self maintanence was accepted as long as an inspection pit with cover from the weather was available and work was carried out by competant HGV mechanic.
unbelievable
I do my own maintanence, inspections and MOT prep and I’ve no qualifications, only a good track record of no roadside prohibitions and no Test failures, is this not good enough anymore? NOPE
OK I worked alongside the spanner man when I used to emply outside help and learnt plenty and have loads of mechanical experience, but when I applied for my O/Licence self maintanence was accepted as long as an inspection pit with cover from the weather was available and work was carried out by competant HGV mechanic.
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They seemed to have changed with the times, (for new applications) unless your leasing/hiring with full R&M you have to prove you have adequate funds, business plan to make the business a success. your not allowed inspection pits anymore H&S It seems that competent means having a certificate nowadays.
My intention is to go back to them after 1 year show them my records and suggest my way is better than theirs and can I drop the mechanic has to service part. yes they did want me to have covered work area that’s why they insisted the mechanic do more than I detailed.
Hopefully as I build some history things can change, in the meantime I will do as I’m told.
Tipper Tom:
Denis F:
As for tools, Snap on is overpriced, and Halfrauds is crap ! I tend to use Draper/Sealey stuffI take it this is intended as humour. Draper used to make brilliant tools.
Now they’re a load of fall apart rubbiah
It wasn’t intended as humour, maybe the fact most of my tools are 20+ years old explains it
Muckspreader:
:shock: unbelievable
I do my own maintanence, inspections and MOT prep and I’ve no qualifications, only a good track record of no roadside prohibitions and no Test failures, is this not good enough anymore?
OK I worked alongside the spanner man when I used to emply outside help and learnt plenty and have loads of mechanical experience, but when I applied for my O/Licence self maintanence was accepted as long as an inspection pit with cover from the weather was available and work was carried out by competant HGV mechanic.
They seemed to have changed with the times, (for new applications) unless your leasing/hiring with full R&M you have to prove you have adequate funds, business plan to make the business a success. your not allowed inspection pits anymore H&S It seems that competent means having a certificate nowadays.
My intention is to go back to them after 1 year show them my records and suggest my way is better than theirs and can I drop the mechanic has to service part. yes they did want me to have covered work area that’s why they insisted the mechanic do more than I detailed.
Hopefully as I build some history things can change, in the meantime I will do as I’m told.
[/quote]
You have to kind of play the game to some extent. Just do what’s needed to get the o-licence that raises the least eyebrows with them and I bet if you just notified them 18 months later you were doing your own maintenance you wouldn’t hear a peep.
Denis F:
Tipper Tom:
Denis F:
As for tools, Snap on is overpriced, and Halfrauds is crap ! I tend to use Draper/Sealey stuffI take it this is intended as humour. Draper used to make brilliant tools.
Now they’re a load of fall apart rubbiah
It wasn’t intended as humour, maybe the fact most of my tools are 20+ years old explains it
I’m sure they used to be great. These days not so much
It’s nonsense to say you’re not allowed an inspection pit any more. My old mob have just put a pit in and have had an H & S audit for insurance purposes