anyone tried the Halfords Advanced 16pc Flex Ratchet Spanner Set

[T0rnado69]

thought a nice set of flex head spanners would be nice to add to the collection , ( men and tools LOL)

other then getting a snap on set what are the Halfords Advanced 16pc Flex Ratchet Spanner Set like...

anyone got a set and any thoughts. cheers.

 

[qwakers]

got a set. very nice. nothing more to say really..

well they do have one problem... i keep losing them

 

[addjunkie]

I have some, find them bulky, prefer the non flex head

 

[Trevorleach]

Pretty good, I use the 10 and 13mm all the time, the 10mm on hgv brake work, 10mm tends to get dry and start to jam up the mechanism after a year or so, a soak in a pot of atf over night sorts them out for another year.
The blue point ones are okay but poor value for the money, overaIl I would say you cannot go wrong with the Halford ones, I like them so much I ended up with 2 spare sets, mine are the 10 to 19mm sets, they did not do the 16 piece at the time.

 

[T0rnado69]

got a set of normal spanners and bought the odd ones that you never used to get.
so they go from like 6mm to 24mm now..

got a couple of straight ratchet ring head ones, nothing fancy.

also got a cheap plasticy set of ratchet spanners, the basic ones with only a few sizes.

so if im going to get a nice set of ratchet ones. i gotta go for the flex head.

many a times, you needed a bent spanner to get onto a nut.

so the flex head will be ideal.....

cheers all for the replies.

next time im near my local Halfords, il go in and take a look...

 

[Robotstar5]

I bought a set of the Workzone flex-heads from Aldi 10+ years ago, still working fine, but I'm only a hobby user.

 

[indy4x]

Have both the fixed and flex head Halfords Advanced ratchet spanners, no complaints and they have had some abuse

 

[lotus_esprit_s1]

I have a set knocking around I bought cheaply with the trade card. As said above, heads are too chunky compared to better makes. Positively massive compared to Snap On. They used to be made by Apex tools but may well have changed manufacturer as they aren’t as good as they used to be.

Bahco locking flex spanners are pretty good for the money.

 

[Bobupndown]

Got the 10 -19mm set. Had them for years, decent quality and nice to use.

 

[Barking Mat]

I rate Halfords too, haven't tried the flexi heads though.

 

[Kayos]

I have a lot of Halfords tools, including ratchet spanners.

The pro/advanced gear is brilliant, I may only be a hobbyist but the ratchet I bought at 16 is now 25 years old, has never broken and has taken proper abuse. It survived my boy racer days and my land rover days

I wish I could say the same for the newer and less abused Snap On gear I bought in my early twenties. That has since been repaired and sold to someone who values a name over actual quality

 

[Keithmac]

I have the Halfords Pro/ Advanced flexi and straight ratchet spanners at home and they are great.

I have the Snap-on at work and the head is definitely smaller, there's a few jobs the Halfords would struggle to get in but not many to be honest.

Price wise I think the Snap-on are knocking on £350 or more now?.

Never had problem returning a broken tool to Halfords (only a couple or Torx bits at that).

Buy a flex head Ratchet or two while you're at it, I'd be lost without mine now!.

 

[Kayos]

There is a thread on here about my issues trying to get a Snap On 1/4 ratchet repaired. It was pampered, kept in its box and used mostly on interior parts, rarely under a bonnet. One day it simply failed, snapped a tooth in the ratchet.

Lifetime warranty proved to be somewhat of a lie, until I complained at a high level

 

[daleyd]

I’ve had a set of the flex head from Halfords probably from about 2004 - in my old job they were a godsend, limited access and most bolts were tight from years of being exposed to heat.

I really rate them, I have a set of facom switchable fixed head ones which which undoubtedly “feel” nicer with a slightly finer ratchet and a lovely satin finish - but they were about 3 times the price. For sheer value and functionality though the Halfords ones are excellent. They took some abuse too and still work fine.

 

[fractured]

I bought a set of the Workzone flex-heads from Aldi 10+ years ago, still working fine, but I'm only a hobby user.

I have had a set of the workzone fixed ratchet spanners for years and they work well enough but I have not abused them. Given them lots of work as they are really useful.

I picked up a set of the workzone flexi ratchet spanners about a year ago but they don't get that much use as they are not as easy to use as the fixed ones as you have to place them on the head/nut and they can come off when the pressure is released. However they were only £5 for the set of five, so couldn't argue (they were selling them off at the time).

 

[8ob]

I have some of the fixed and flexiheads, they are not my go to spanner’s. After about 17mm they don’t feel like they would handle the stress of undoing tight bolts without terminal damage and the bulk of them can sometimes prohibit use.

Bob

 

[Ubique]

I've always 'cracked off' the fastener with a fixed head spanner before using a ratchet spanner on them, purely to preserve the ratchet teeth.

 

[Robotstar5]

I have had a set of the workzone fixed ratchet spanners for years and they work well enough but I have not abused them. Given them lots of work as they are really useful.

We had a set of the Aldi fixed head spanners each at work (frugal boss ) which held up well in an industrial maintenance job, the only failure was a 10mm when a hairy ar5ed fitter swung off a stuck bolt.

 

[bert]

I have them, only issue is some of the heads have become too flexible and tightening the screw doesn't seem to do anything.

 

[fizzy]

I have a lot of Halfords tools, including ratchet spanners.

The pro/advanced gear is brilliant, I may only be a hobbyist but the ratchet I bought at 16 is now 25 years old, has never broken and has taken proper abuse. It survived my boy racer days and my land rover days

I wish I could say the same for the newer and less abused Snap On gear I bought in my early twenties. That has since been repaired and sold to someone who values a name over actual quality

Sadly I don't think all the new Pro stuff is the same as it was 20 years ago. I bought my brother a set and the 3/8" ratchet jammed twice. Halfords replaced them no quibbles but never happened with my trusty old used and abused set. The 1/4" and 1/2" ratchets are fine though. Perhaps just a bad batch?