Cobbler
Codger bodger
- Messages
- 8,092
- Location
- Gloucestershire UK
I asked one time & the guy thought it was Facom, but wasn’t sure. At one time they sold Sykes Pickavant, that was nice stuff.
- Thread starter bawjaws
- Start date
slim_boy_fat
Member
- Messages
- 29,363
- Location
- Scottish Highlands
, but did you check the date of the previous posts? 
Barking Mat
Cuddler of hedgehogs.
- Messages
- 13,559
- Location
- France, Brittany.
Facom are my favourite, but new, the cost is prohibitive.
Sykes & Pickavent, second.
Halfords Pro, I thoroughly rate, but prefer the ergonomics of Facom.
Sykes & Pickavent, second.
Halfords Pro, I thoroughly rate, but prefer the ergonomics of Facom.
brightspark
Member
- Messages
- 41,573
- Location
- yarm stockton on tees
i have a set of halfords pro spanners on a plastic rack .easy to find and you dont loose them as you can see if any missing. i use them all the time even though i have kenedy professional brittol and williams superslim sets and bahco 
8ob
Member
- Messages
- 14,373
- Location
- Nescient in the vale
I dont think you can buy a bad spanner anymore unless it falls out of a Christmas cracker, I avoid sets that are incomplete and only buy polished chrome for ease of wipedown. Halfords, sykes, Britool, Siegen/Sealy,SK and even the USpro/Bergen are all half sensible for the money, none of them are high end but they wont let you down.
Bob
Bob
James1979
Member
- Messages
- 8,418
- Location
- Orkney
Have you tried taking one back? Spoke to some spotty oik in the Great Yarmouth branch as that's where I was when I bust a socket (I think, it was a few years back). He asked for proof of purchase. I pointed to the stamping and he said it could be a fake so they need the receipt. The also said that the tool I had was Advanced not Pro, and the warranty had changed. I created about it and the 'Manager / Appropriate Adult' gave me a replacement but said in the future I would need paperwork etc etc
Said spotty oik also claimed that the halfords range were snap on made but I am inclined not to believe him.
To be honest, you pays your money etc etc. Halfrauds is not bad gear. Its good for leaving in the truck, using when other people are about and may pick it up as they are too lazy to walk ten feet for their own spanner and the like. In the workshop roll cab its mainly snap on. As said in the early posts that revolves round getting a decent man and supporting him. The first guy I had was awesome. Nothing was too much trouble and he had even brought stuff to the house on occasion. He also used to give me free stuff
. He retired and his replacement was an absolute knob. Couldn't get anything out of him. He went out of business in the end. A lot of those vans have declined as many places have gone to Tool Control which comes from Snap On corporate, not the local guy.
brightspark
Member
- Messages
- 41,573
- Location
- yarm stockton on tees
i have a set of there 3/8th drive sockets up to 20mm and use them all the time . have some brittol ones and as set of snapon half inch drive ones but rarely use . i got the snapon ones given as i wouldnt pay half the price they cost if i had to .over rated
James1979
Member
- Messages
- 8,418
- Location
- Orkney
I bought my wife the set in the blue tin and they seem fine, the only criticism is the ratchet is a bit coarse. Good thing is it'll take the abuse, bad thing is the angle and I dont like them. Got her a better ratchet but the sockets are good.
brightspark
Member
- Messages
- 41,573
- Location
- yarm stockton on tees
yea i use the brittol ratchets on all my sets just the bergen sockets
Ive a lot of Snap On and its used , I like it , Stawhille , or how ever its spelt is great , my spanners that used to live on my boat were Kennedy and I was well impressed with them , Draper Expert is a fair choice too and often over looked , Ive some Koken and like it too , but I really wouldnt thank you for Teng. Back in the 80s there were two types of Draper , the Japanese ones with a raised panel in the centre of the spanner handle they were great , and the India made ones that were stamped , really rubbish.
No ones mentioned Gordon or Tipco yet either , two from the past that were great .. I could be tempted to try Bahco their shifters are still the industry standard .
No ones mentioned Gordon or Tipco yet either , two from the past that were great .. I could be tempted to try Bahco their shifters are still the industry standard .
Love the facom stuff. Have 1/2" socket set, breaker bars, long flex head ratchet, 3/8" ratchet, 1/4 nano2 set, circlip pliers, hacksaw and a tool bag so far. Gradually building my collection when they come up at auction.
Just bought a 3/4 Halfords advanced set, looks pretty good.
My favourite ratchet is a big rubber handled 1/2" made by Britool (older not new version) mechanism has recently stopped working which I am gutted about.
Have the usual big bahco adjustables, definitely feel like quality.
Just bought a 3/4 Halfords advanced set, looks pretty good.
My favourite ratchet is a big rubber handled 1/2" made by Britool (older not new version) mechanism has recently stopped working which I am gutted about.
Have the usual big bahco adjustables, definitely feel like quality.
Longhorn6120
Member
- Messages
- 265
- Location
- Kent, UK
I'm not sure the Pro range exists anymore. Here's the current Advanced kit as shown on their website. This is not exactly the kit I have, but it's very similar. Scroll down and it shows the Lifetime warranty. If I remember correctly it even said on the cardboard sleeve of mine that no receipt was needed.
I just did a search to see if I could fine anything conclusive and found a Halfords Facebook post from about 4 years ago that reads:
"Hi xxxxx,
Thank you for getting in touch. I am so very sorry for the inconvenience you have been caused, and for the incorrect information you have been provided.
Of course we would never expect someone to keep their receipt for 18 years, and therefore if an item is covered by a lifetime warranty then a receipt is not necessary.
In order to have your faulty part replaced please return to the store with a copy of this message and ask to speak to senior colleague who can the resolve this matter accordingly. "
So any store than says different is incorrect.
Miranda
Member
- Messages
- 391
- Location
- U.K. cornwall
The Kamasa pro range certainly were brilliant.... I can’t comment about how good they are now because the 40 piece 1/2”drive pro socket set I bought in maybe 1980 is still going strong ... perhaps 2or3 sockets replaced ....as is the 3/4” drive set I bought a few years later with no cracked sockets despite serious misuse in heavy industrial/farm use.
brightspark
Member
- Messages
- 41,573
- Location
- yarm stockton on tees
old tools never give up ,,, its just that the nuts get slacker.the oldies are the best
brightspark
Member
- Messages
- 41,573
- Location
- yarm stockton on tees
tipco and snail brand gordon elora bedford . just a few
MetalMonkey
Member
- Messages
- 3,558
- Location
- UK
Do you happen to work on behalf of them?
Britool Hallmark is generic imported stuff with a sprinkling of New Old Stock from when the factory shut down.
Britool Expert is just a branding exercise for Facom and their budget range
They aren't related other than in name.
Neither are what Britool once were.
Odd thing to bump an old thread over with your first post....
