brewdexta
The biggest tool in the box
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Thanks, ordered
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doubleboost
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It also depends on how much money you owe him lol
I don't particularly like Halfords spanners. Too thin so not so comfy and seem more prone to rust than my kings/gedore/eloras.
KingDick are brilliant spanners and will last a lifetime. Also made in ENGLAND!
Carolus stuff is cheap considering the quality, sometimes you can't tell the difference from the mother company Gedore stuff.
What is worth buying is a Facom tool roll to store your spanners in - very robust.
http://www.primetools.co.uk/product/118244
KingDick are brilliant spanners and will last a lifetime. Also made in ENGLAND!
Carolus stuff is cheap considering the quality, sometimes you can't tell the difference from the mother company Gedore stuff.
What is worth buying is a Facom tool roll to store your spanners in - very robust.
http://www.primetools.co.uk/product/118244
Maker
Most folk just call me; Orange Joe
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I've got a huge kingdick(
) and your not wrong about it lasting a lifetime, it would probably last 100 of lifetimes. I'm sure they don't come cheap though.
brewdexta
The biggest tool in the box
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The crocodile teeth racks arrived so I sorted out a few spanners starting with metric open ended. I have a partial set of britool metric open ended in larger sizes then a few odds and sods.
But below that I don't have much and the draper spanners are not really much cop, however I believe the draper expert range are OK. Not sure if I inflicted this damage or I inherited it, I have bought very few new spanners over the years, I just seem to have acquired them as I bought other second hand machinery.
So I had a quick trawl on ebay an picked up some new old stock metric open ended Britool in smaller sizes for £17.50 for 8 spanners delivered. They have only one overlap with what I already have so a bit of a result, as long as they are genuine.
-8MMx9MM
-10MMx11MM
-10MMx13MM
-12MMx13MM
-16MMx17MM
-17MMx19MM
-18MMx19MM
-19MMx22MM
This thread coincided with my crusade to tidy up the workshop and do it properly, I've got some socket trays coming soon.
The drapers will either be used on machines that need a specific spanners to adjust something like the pulleys on the drilling machines or go into the spanner bucket to be used when you have to modify a spanner to for a particular job.
Regards
Andy
But below that I don't have much and the draper spanners are not really much cop, however I believe the draper expert range are OK. Not sure if I inflicted this damage or I inherited it, I have bought very few new spanners over the years, I just seem to have acquired them as I bought other second hand machinery.
So I had a quick trawl on ebay an picked up some new old stock metric open ended Britool in smaller sizes for £17.50 for 8 spanners delivered. They have only one overlap with what I already have so a bit of a result, as long as they are genuine.
-8MMx9MM
-10MMx11MM
-10MMx13MM
-12MMx13MM
-16MMx17MM
-17MMx19MM
-18MMx19MM
-19MMx22MM
This thread coincided with my crusade to tidy up the workshop and do it properly, I've got some socket trays coming soon.
The drapers will either be used on machines that need a specific spanners to adjust something like the pulleys on the drilling machines or go into the spanner bucket to be used when you have to modify a spanner to for a particular job.
Regards
Andy
mr migwire
It's more fun with metal.
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i use the slit foam rails from halfrauds.
Wedg1e
They call me Mr. Bodge-angles
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Hmmm, I bought some 'old stock' Britool spanners and sockets off the Bay of Evil a few years ago and I think they're rip-offs... the quality of the forging is poor (looks pitted, like a poor casting might) yet the Britool logos look far too crisp, as though they were put in 5 minutes ago by a CNC machine - which they probably were, into some generic Cheapnese spanners.They stand out a mile alongside other Britool stuff I have.
brewdexta
The biggest tool in the box
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Agreed, its a risk, I'm hoping that its because everybody is stocking the newer facom/britool expert spanners that there's old stock floating around. I thought at 17.50 it was worth a punt.
brewdexta
The biggest tool in the box
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it was bugging me so I have asked him to prove they are genuine or cancel the order.
On a lighter note, but still on the topic of spanners and britool, while emptying a toolbox of old spanners and knackered sockets I got with an old milling machine, I found this
its a cylinder head spanner for tightening the head down while the rocker shaft is still in place. I haven't checked the size of the bolts on the dexta yet however I was after one.
This is one in operation on a fergie engine that is similar, I shall go in search of the plastic take-away tray marked "cyl head bolts"
Regards
Andy
On a lighter note, but still on the topic of spanners and britool, while emptying a toolbox of old spanners and knackered sockets I got with an old milling machine, I found this
its a cylinder head spanner for tightening the head down while the rocker shaft is still in place. I haven't checked the size of the bolts on the dexta yet however I was after one.
This is one in operation on a fergie engine that is similar, I shall go in search of the plastic take-away tray marked "cyl head bolts"
Regards
Andy
brewdexta
The biggest tool in the box
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I've had mine a few years and never had any problems, even wheeling the box on a short steep ramp in and out of the garage.
brewdexta
The biggest tool in the box
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Well the jury is out whether the cheap Britool spanners are genuine or not, the explanation I got was that they come from one of the company's periods where they were in dire straights and were subbing work out and quality control was a bit substandard. Having said that, for the price they seem good quality, the sizes are correct, they tighten and undo nuts so I'm not sure I really care. If it was all about brands rather than function I would be buying stupid kecks with the gusset round my knees and my a**e hanging out and "BENCH" or similar printed in neon dayglo colours
Here's the combined bunch, there are differences in font however I have other Britool spanners from very reputable sources with the same font so I don't think that is much of an indication. The finishing on the spanners are a bit rougher than my originals, the trouble is that I shall have to find the 6/7mm and 14/15mm spanner now to fill the gaps
Cheers
Andy
Here's the combined bunch, there are differences in font however I have other Britool spanners from very reputable sources with the same font so I don't think that is much of an indication. The finishing on the spanners are a bit rougher than my originals, the trouble is that I shall have to find the 6/7mm and 14/15mm spanner now to fill the gaps
Cheers
Andy
lotus_esprit_s1
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Something strange happened with Britool some time ago. I purchased a Britool flex head ratchet brand new ten years ago and a few 1/2" extensions from a tool supply shop when I was on holiday.
The flex head was continually floppy but I lived with it. Then one of the balls fell out of the extensions, so I sent them back to "britool". They replaced the 1/2" extention no quibbles but the flex ratchet was sent back to me as is - they said they didn't manufacture it, it was made by another company who still traded under the Britool name but was nothing to do with the Britool who made the extensions.
I think I was told that in the past the company split off into two separate companies but both using the Britool name, I buy lots of tools and the proper Britool company (now owned by Facom and calling themselves "Britool Expert") who make the classic "EVT" torque wrench are still top quality tools. These tools are generally finish in the satin finish.
The other company who produced my floppy flex drive amongst other tools are now calling themselves "Britool hallmark" and are just rebadged Chinese tools - a couple of these that I've bought recently are identical to Halfords Advanced and also Signet socketery. These Britool hallmark tools are always highly polished chrome.
Clear as mud!
The flex head was continually floppy but I lived with it. Then one of the balls fell out of the extensions, so I sent them back to "britool". They replaced the 1/2" extention no quibbles but the flex ratchet was sent back to me as is - they said they didn't manufacture it, it was made by another company who still traded under the Britool name but was nothing to do with the Britool who made the extensions.
I think I was told that in the past the company split off into two separate companies but both using the Britool name, I buy lots of tools and the proper Britool company (now owned by Facom and calling themselves "Britool Expert") who make the classic "EVT" torque wrench are still top quality tools. These tools are generally finish in the satin finish.
The other company who produced my floppy flex drive amongst other tools are now calling themselves "Britool hallmark" and are just rebadged Chinese tools - a couple of these that I've bought recently are identical to Halfords Advanced and also Signet socketery. These Britool hallmark tools are always highly polished chrome.
Clear as mud!
brewdexta
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To make the waters even murkier, I have some Britool Hallmark screwdrivers that have France on the handles, which implies Facom 
It seems very few "British" tools are made here now, most manufacturing being subbed out. I looked at the King Dick website the other day and there's is nothing about how they manufacture their tools apart from the usual marketing blurb about quality control and they distribute from a unit in Abingdon, do they still manufacture here? If they are they should be proudly informing people.
There is an egg company near us that displayed " Proudly packed in the Pennines" and a Union jack on the box, however it omitted to say the eggs were layed in other countries, I believe mostly in eastern Europe.
It's not non-British tools are crap, certainly not, its just that if your paying for a tool that implies it is British, possibly at a premium, you should know where it comes from.
It seems very few "British" tools are made here now, most manufacturing being subbed out. I looked at the King Dick website the other day and there's is nothing about how they manufacture their tools apart from the usual marketing blurb about quality control and they distribute from a unit in Abingdon, do they still manufacture here? If they are they should be proudly informing people.
There is an egg company near us that displayed " Proudly packed in the Pennines" and a Union jack on the box, however it omitted to say the eggs were layed in other countries, I believe mostly in eastern Europe.
It's not non-British tools are crap, certainly not, its just that if your paying for a tool that implies it is British, possibly at a premium, you should know where it comes from.
mr migwire
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i was told that halfords professional range of tools were produced by stanley who are part of the MAC group so are apparently good quality.
ive been slowly replacing lost and damaged snap-off tools with halfords and have to say im happy enough with there kit, all of my ratchet spanners are gear wrench and do a decent enough job,
on a side note most of my dads stuff is king dick from his days in the dock yard and i dont think i have ever heard him complain about any of it.
ive been slowly replacing lost and damaged snap-off tools with halfords and have to say im happy enough with there kit, all of my ratchet spanners are gear wrench and do a decent enough job,
on a side note most of my dads stuff is king dick from his days in the dock yard and i dont think i have ever heard him complain about any of it.
To make the waters even murkier, I have some Britool Hallmark screwdrivers that have France on the handles, which implies Facom
It seems very few "British" tools are made here now, most manufacturing being subbed out. I looked at the King Dick website the other day and there's is nothing about how they manufacture their tools apart from the usual marketing blurb about quality control and they distribute from a unit in Abingdon, do they still manufacture here? If they are they should be proudly informing people.
There is an egg company near us that displayed " Proudly packed in the Pennines" and a Union jack on the box, however it omitted to say the eggs were layed in other countries, I believe mostly in eastern Europe.
It's not non-British tools are crap, certainly not, its just that if your paying for a tool that implies it is British, possibly at a premium, you should know where it comes from.
Like I said made in England KingDick are or at least the vast majority of the stuff
Hardly surprising some Britool stuff has France on it. Probably lucky to have that option of Facom otherwise it would be re-branded Stanley quality. At the end of the day Facom is the top quality in the group, Britool is the mid range and Stanley is squarely at the DIYer
brewdexta
The biggest tool in the box
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Thank a lot for the link
, I didn't see a link on their web site to this, my dad has got a load of King Dick spanners from his mechanic apprentice days. His workshop tinkering days are nearly over and he is slowly transferring his tools to me however I think his spanners will be last.Christmas is coming up, I shall be asking for vouchers to spend at abbots tools and see if I can avoid the usual annoying valueless space hogging tat that dads get for Christmas. (bah humbug!)
Thank a lot for the link
Christmas is coming up, I shall be asking for vouchers to spend at abbots tools and see if I can avoid the usual annoying valueless space hogging tat that dads get for Christmas. (bah humbug!)
I think KingDick are missing a massive opportunity - they should be shouting out that they still make the stuff in the UK. There should be videos on youtube and all sorts showing how there tools are made in the UK and still the same quality as they have every been.
