Practically Classics Forum

Another name to look out for is Matador, Gerrman made I think- I have some of their stuff which I've had years and abused no end: my pliers and mole wrench are by them and have stood up to being used as 'emergency' hammers and anvils('emergency' meaning I can't be bothered to look for a real hammer or anvil....) and King Dick are good to, just as good as snap on and just as pricey, everbody knows snap-on are good, but not everyone knows that King Dick are the British equivelant and because of the silly name you do occasionally come across the odd old bit at a boot sale....if you do, grab it!

Don't overlook Aldi or Lidl either- they often have specials on and the tools they do are rather good....much better than the price would suggest. Some of the stuff they do is sold by sealey and machine mart for 4 or 5 times the price. I got my digital vernier caliper from Lidl- £7..identical to the laser branded one machine mart do for £44

+1`for halfrauds professional

but watch out for the cheapo tool chest for about £50 looked a bit cheap and while being sold by halfords didn't seem to have their branding on it. Doubt that it has a lifetime warantee on it

I actually find myself agreeing with morris924man in that autojumbles, car boots and elderly neighbours are a good source for this stuff.

I have some quality Bahco spanners and a bin full of king dick sockets and wrenches that I inherited - Serious heavy duty stuff that doesn't fail under extreme missuse I buy axle stands etc at car boot sales for £1 and had a 2tonne trolley jack for £4 - mind you was a bit heavy getting it back to the car

Steam fair has seen quality measuring calipers, verniers, micrometers etc bought for beer money

I found my 4 post engine hoist in a skip and bought a 1 tonne chain hoist for £2 from a car boot.

The most useful tools I have include a 3lb lump hammer a 4ft scaffold pole with one end flattened (so I can jemmy the **** out of stuff!) and a large stilson wrench.

The last new stuff that I bought was a set of Halfords ratchet spanners - very useful

I've just come back from a holiday in darkest Wiltshire during which I had an urgent need for a 15mm combination spanner which I didn't have with me. Given the fact I wasn't familiar with the area I asked at a local garage where I might pick one up locally. They suggested, of all places, Wickes.
Amazingly they sold a full set of metric combis (10 to 22 mm) for £13 quid, whats more the quality of them was equal to, if not better than, that of Halfords sets at nearly twice the price.

I'd recommend them to anyone.

As you have mentoned Wickes my Local B&Q have just started stocking a range of spanners, sockets, etc. they sell sets and singally although i couldn't tell you what the prices are off hand.