Practically Classics Forum

I have a basic 'suitcase style' Halfords tool set that is very good, but I've been thinking about getting a proper tool chest for where I work on my classic car and go kart, plus if I get a garage later this year i'll need my own tools.

I was talking to dad about his and that I was considering getting one, he replied with "There's one in there you can have as long as you pay for the tools to fill it". I snapped it up! So here it is, my first toolchest. Its a Clarke roller bearing version:





I have to take some of the oddball stuff out of it and give it a wipeover but other than that its very tidy. 2 of the small drawers aren't engaging in the locking system when you close the lid so I'll take a look at that, but locking isn't too important right now anyway.

I'm in no rush to fill it yet as the above items are all at my parents house where there are plenty of tools to work on them but I'm doing my research

So far I have a list of things to put in it:

Screwdriver set (I desperately need them)
Torque Wrench
T handle hex set
Hex sockets (3/8 drive)
Oil filter wrench
Star drive sockets
Hacksaw
Imperial spanners and sockets
Metric spanners and sockets
Non slip matting.

I will get other stuff, but my current toolset has things so I can get by for now. I need imperial spanners to work on my MG, and metric to work on the kart. I'm looking to get a base for the chest too, maybe as a christmas present.

Now, I joined a garage forum a short while ago and they seem to insist that you have to use Snap on or Mac for everything. But have you seen the prices?! For example my dad bought a decent cordless drill for about £60 and its put up with some abuse. A Snap-On one is £180 + VAT! I've ben told by a few people that you don't really need Snap On or heavy duty expensive stuff for working at home. My dad has recently replaced his ageing Kamasa tool sets with Halfords Professional, and so far he and I have been impressed with them and they are very reasonable value. So I'm thinking of getting my tools from Halfords. Any reccomendations?

Don't forget the Halfords Pro stuff has a lifetime guarantee...


And most of their toolkits are currently 1/2 price.....

Yes, do! As we've been saying in the thread about the ratchet spanner sets and sockets, Halfords pro is actually really good kit.
Snap On is overpriced, hyped up stuff whose only advantage is that improvers can take as long as they need to pay off their debts when they fail to resist the lure of shiny things. The Proto van carries better quality tools and offers a choice of brands, Sykes, Proto OB and Kamasa to name but three. Britool is still going strong and very competitively priced, their ratchets are easily serviceable and they do all of the parts for them, even when they're 35 years old as my favourite 1/2" one is. Brown Brothers branches carry Britool and some Sykes. Facom spanners look uninteresting but are good too. Just don't get sucked in by the lure of the Snap On van unless you're a brand snob.

i have loads of Halford pro stuff, their ratchet spanners are superb!
Other makes I have are Teng, kamasa and Britool. I do have some snap-on, but I inherited them.

£ for £ I dont think you can beat the Halfords stuff for normal use, especially if you wait for their occasional sales

Kev

Thanks guys,

I fancy some Teng or Facom tools at some point, just because I've used them before an like them but its good to know the lifetime guarantee on the Halfords stuff.

That's a nice value for money tool chest - again, have you seen the cost of Snap-On ones?

Great fun planning what to fill it with - I have a friend who is going through the same process.

Personally, I divide my tools into 3 groups, and keep them seperately - where there's cross-over, (such as screwdrivers) I tend to double up:

* Mechanical engineering tools
* Metalworking and fabrication tools
* Woodworking tools (I notice the tenon saw in the top drawer..... )

I'm lucky in that I have a seperate workshop for woodworking, so that's where all that stuff lives.

Within the top category I tend to further divide, by keeping "special tools" such as torque wrench, pullers, slide hammers, circlip pliers, custom tools etc. in a seperate place partly for their protection (in the case of Torque Wrenches) but mostly because they get used relatively infrequently, and I don't want to be lugging them around the workshop all the time, so my main tool box has the tools that get used most often - spanners, screwdrivers, pliers, allen keys, wire brushes, hammer etc.

Every man to his own though!

Good fun - keep us updated with how you get on.

A nice "win" there!

I bought a set of Halfords open ended spanners (AF) in 1970 and am still using them! In fact, I was battering away at one yesterday and it showed no ill effects!

You can find good quality tools at sensible prices at various shows ("Tools on Tour" did a lot of the bigger shows and had a variety of tools of differing quality). My "best" ratchet spanners came from there and easily outclass my Halfords ones - they even have a nice ally case! The downside is that it doesn't have 9/16 or 5/8 spanners. I suggest you think about buying the individual items rather than sets as you'll find there are a lot of sockets that don't get used and spanners that rarely get used (I am still trying to work out what I can use the 19/32AF socket for!).

As Luxo says, separate tool boxes are handy - if only to stop you using a wood chisel as a cold chisel (or reaching in and picking up the old Stanley knife by the blade). My "Electric and Electronics" tools are in a Clarke "Suitcase" and the odd dedicated woodworking ones are in one of the cheap plastic tool boxes that most DIY superstores sell (they are often used by gardeners!).

Beware though - the collecting disease can strike and cause "mad buys" - like the drain plug adapter I bought for my Minx and have never used as the codge (a bent 3/8AF bolt) had always worked well - and then I sold the car soon after buying the "proper tool"!

Interesting, I have a Halfords tool 'Kit' that i got as a wedding present, thats kind of my DIY kit so the intention is to keep the red tool box as a car box.

I'll start off with some Halfords Pro screwdrivers and spanners, that'll make me feel very manly

I always wanted one of those great big red tool chests on wheels. I thought I'd have to wait for my lotto win garage, but managed to get one already!

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Only trouble is that it's made by Honda and not Clarke!

Whats wrong with a cantilever tool box? or even a couple of them. I would rather spend good money on decent tools that will last than a fancy box to keep them in. Today I broke a 9/16af socket that was given to me for Christmas '68. Still have most of that set but don't use it that much now I am only messing about with cars and 3/8 square drive sockets are easier to use. My garage is a bit of a mess at the moment as I keep my spanners on a shadow board which has been attacked by woodworm. Board has been removed but new one has not been screwed to the wall