Recommendations for torque wrench and socket set?

Hi guys

About to get kitted up to do some basic (noobie) maintenance on my Disco 2 TD5.

So...

Socket set:
hex or bi hex?
1/2in drive or 3/8?
Shallow or deep sockets?

Torque wrench: obviously a £15 tool is not going be as accurate / long-lasting as Snapon / Facom product. Any suggestions for something in between, or brands to avoid?

Thanks as always.

Stu

london stu said:

Hi guys

About to get kitted up to do some basic (noobie) maintenance on my Disco 2 TD5.

So...

Socket set:
hex or bi hex? Better grip with hex
1/2in drive or 3/8? 3/8's ok for most things but both is nice
Shallow or deep sockets? Again both but you'll use shallow more.......don't forget spanners

Torque wrench: obviously a £15 tool is not going be as accurate / long-lasting as Snapon / Facom product. Any suggestions for something in between, or brands to avoid? Only use torque wrench for head bolts myself.......Halfrauds Pro range int bad for the money

Thanks as always.

Stu

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Opinion in red

Have a search mate, there's been quite a few threads about this, I think the general idea was to look out for the half price offers at Halfrauds. That's what I did anyway, and some bigger boys must have told me to do it.

london stu said:

Socket set:
hex or bi hex?Hex (6pt) is better but there will be times when a 12 pt is best (like rounded sockets, you can smash the next size down 12 pt onto it) plus things like caliper bolts are 12pt
1/2in drive or 3/8?Deffo 3/8, allows a better range of sockets
Shallow or deep sockets? Deep to start with but you will want to work up to having both

Torque wrench: obviously a £15 tool is not going be as accurate / long-lasting as Snapon / Facom product. Any suggestions for something in between, or brands to avoid? I am using a Halfords torque wrench as my smaller wrench (up to 60NM), my big wrench is a MAC jobbie but for DIY 60NM is enough

Thanks as always.

Stu

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Halfords professional is the stuff to have, I am using thier 3/8 ratchet and socket set as part of my home tool kit, its as good as my snap on ratchet (basically the same design) buit alot cheaper. AS has been said look out for the deals, those prices wont be beaten when it comes to pounds for quality....

find out where your local garage supplier is based and use them, the important thing with this is KNOW what you want.
also use car boot sales and ebay to pick up good quality sockets and spanners, just cos theyre a bit grubby/knocked doesnt mean theyre fecked.
personally i think snap on is overated for most things,really youre just paying for the name and garantee, fine for the pros but the rest of us wont see the use.

laser tools for half inch sockets as cheap and unless you seriously abuse them the single hex will be fine for your needs

As above ^^^ it is hard to beat halfrauds professional on offer, then again I still have most of the 100piece set my mrs bought from empire stores on the knock40 years ago, they just will not break. With Regards torque wrenches my old man taught me that the reason spanners are different lengths is so that middle two fingers will tighten appropriately. Fancy head bolts with triple torque settings based on the phases of the moon excepted.

london stu said:

Hi guys

About to get kitted up to do some basic (noobie) maintenance on my Disco 2 TD5.

So...

Socket set:
hex or bi hex? a mix of both is good as you always get a stubborn buggar
1/2in drive or 3/8? buy a 100 quid halfords fool box that has mostly everything in it and build
Shallow or deep sockets? a mix of both helps deep 10 13 17 and 19 essential

Torque wrench: obviously a £15 tool is not going be as accurate / long-lasting as Snapon / Facom product. Any suggestions for something in between, or brands to avoid?get your self some halfords pro stuff and see if you can apply for their trade cardsthen the toolds are roughly half price and it will last you a reasonable amount of time as its made in the same factory as blue print
a lump hammer and 3/8 and 1/2 breaker bars are good investments as well
Thanks as always.

Stu

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Halfords | Halfords Advanced Professional 150 piece Socket/Ratchet Set you cant go wrong with that as a starter tool kit

Another vote for Halfords Professional Range.

My 1/2in sockets/wrench set is now over 12 years old and is still going strong. I also have a set of Halfords Pro ratchet spanners and they are also really good.

My 3/8 set is a bit mixed, but the socket wrech is certainly Halfords and that is alright, but not quite as good as my 1/2in one.

My torque wrench is a draper one and that isn't so good and I'm going to be buying a new one soon, and I'll probably go for a Halfords Pro unit.

Lots of people critisize Halfords, but when these threads come up Halfords tools always come up as well recommended. My mate is mechanic and he has Halfords Pro bits when he hasn't been able to afford Mac or Snap-On and he says they are abslutly fine and his are used nearly every day.

Halfords pro torque wrenches got good reviews in LRO mag a couple of years ago too.
Got one myself and an impressed with it.

Halfords pro range.

Ive got a bahco set - well 2 really, the little un (1/4") has been abused for many years and just keeps taking it.
as for torque wrenches, cheap ones really dont cut it for critical jobs, i've got a draper one ive had since before discoverys, I bought a new digital one this year, cant remember the make but, have been told real good, followed by the HOW MUCH ( and can i have one for that price), so far so good.

For a torque wrench, IMO consistency is more important than accuracy.
You should calibrate pretty much any torque wrench in your garage, especially if it's new to you or it's been banging about for a while. There are directions online for the steps for doing it.

Which brings me to why I say consistency is more important. If you calibrate it and find that it's always off in the same direction, by 15% for example, you can change the setting to allow for that. But if one time it's over by 10% and the next time under by 10%, it's nearly impossible to get an accurate torque.

So add to the steps for calibrating to change the setting a couple of times after you're done and torquing something, then go back to your original setting and check the calibration to see if it's still showing the same accuracy.

Halfords | Halfords Advanced Professional 120 piece Socket Set

Halfords | Halfords Advanced Professional 12 Piece Ratchet Spanner Set

Halfords | Halfords Advanced Professional 8 piece Screwdriver Set

Halfords | Halfords Professional Torque Wrench 40-200Nm

This is what i started off with, and tbh I have managed 90% of the jobs on the defender with just these tools.
Land rover special tools i tend to make for the once or twice i will need it

Decent trolley jack, Axle Stands are also a must.

I paid atleast half of the quoted price (excluding the screwdrivers) Normally come up on super specail offer 2 or 3 times a year.
Or you can get a trade card. I got mine a couple years ago when all you need to do was speak nicely and say you worked for A-Z Mechanics on Thisnthat Road not sure how difficult it is to get one now adays.

Thanks guys, that's all really useful. Looks like there's a clear concensus. Off to the big orange shed tomorrow morning.

london stu said:

Thanks guys, that's all really useful. Looks like there's a clear concensus. Off to the big orange shed tomorrow morning.

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Just remember one thing though, if you buy from the orange brigade make sure you keep your receipt as they will not replace any broken tools without it ... despite their guarantee (but the Pro range is top notch) ......


.....the biggest issue you'll have is that the ink on the receipt will vanish after 6 months+, so how then, do you replace busted tools?:scratching_chin:

That's what my trusty scanner is for...

london stu said:

That's what my trusty scanner is for...

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Didn't think of that :doh: but would they accept it.......

if yu get a trade card, the offers dont apply - tiz one or the other.
keep the receipts in the toolbox
pay by card - Halfords will accept visa or bank statement as proof.