Tool talk: Halfords 1/4" socket set V Bahco 1/4" s

[Ribenapigeon]

Is the Halfords set worth the extra moolah?

Halfords https://www.halfords.com/workshop-tools/tools/socket-sets/halfords-advanced-professional-36-piece-socket-set-1-4

Bahco https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B000Y8XCA8/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?qid=1455719663&sr=8-1&pi=SX200_QL40&keywords=bahco+1%2F4+socket+set#featureBulletsAndDetailBullets_secondary_view_div_1455719702837

[Polarbear]

No, soley because of all the bits you are paying for. I hate bits in a socket set because they always go missing.

Just sockets in a socket set and bits in a seperate box.

Yes, I know tha Bacho set has some, but not as many.
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Triumph Trophy Launch Edition

[J4mes]

Not when you can get the full halfords sets for £99 on offer, no. Maybe if that set was half price.....

[Ribenapigeon]

I was in Halfords today and if I had a spare £100 I would get one of their bigger sets. I did think of just buying a seperate ratchet and set of sockets.

[wodge]

You can get the BAHCO stuff on special deals sometimes with Amazon.

From CamelCamel price comparison website...

https://uk.camelcamelcamel.com/Bahco-SL25-Socket-Piece-Drive/product/B000Y8XCA8

shows it is cheaper elsewhere..

I bought one of these recently..

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B004124YEQ?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00
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nolidge iz pouwur.
Yamaha RXS100 RS100

[Tamsin]

I have a halfords 1/4" drive socket set (not a professional) that I picked up for £2 at a car boot sale in 2008 and I have abused the hell out of it and its showing no sign at all of giving up the ghost just yet. I'd guess it was made early 00s and had been hardly used before I picked it up.

My dad bought the modern version of it in 2014ish and he thinks its great, but the case fell to bits

[331X2]

I had one of those Bahco sets and they are brilliant. Price vs performance, you won't beat that for a 1/4" drive set, if I had to start again I would go Bahco for all my socket sets.

[bamt]

I'd go for the Bahco over the Halfords, as it is wall drive. The Halfords ones are OK though, as long as you wait for them to be in a half price offer (I have one of the 3/8 sets, it's great and I use it all the time).

[Raym]

I've got a Halfords 1/4" socket set in a blue plastic case with a clear lid, had it about 30yrs and abused the hell out of it and it's still excellent.
Mind you thats no guarantee the modern ones are the same quality.

[c_dug]

I cant comment on either specifically as I've owned neither of them. That said, I use lots of Bahco stuff at work and have always found their tools to be very good quality.

I'd also always go wall drive where I have the choice, particularly on smaller sizes (~12mm down).
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I am a bellend, I am a man of constant sorrow, I am a gummy bear, I am a rock.

[Tamsin]

Hadn't noticed the wall drive thing (I skimmed over) go with the Bahco...

[talkToTheHat]

I've got a short halfords 3/8" ratchet, fit in the tiny tooltray on the old 535, really impressed with the quality. But if you're buying sockets, 6 point walldrives are the thing to have.
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Bandit. does. everything.

[Ribenapigeon]

Scuse my ignorance, but what's a wall drive?

[Ste]

A link to the normal Amazon page for the Badco sockets: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Bahco-SL25-Socket-Piece-Drive/dp/B000Y8XCA8

A wall drive is something you Google for to find out what it is.

[Ribenapigeon]

[c_dug]

In my mind this is wall drive:
https://uk.rs-online.com/largeimages/L575554-01.gif

And this is six sided:
https://i.ebayimg.com/00/s/NTAwWDM3NQ==/z/XrMAAOxySoJTSGTI/$_35.JPG

But "the forum" tends to refer to anything six sided as wall drive - I'm not knowledgeable enough to argue either way.
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I am a bellend, I am a man of constant sorrow, I am a gummy bear, I am a rock.

[spottedtango]

Ive currently got a few halfords wrench sets, none of which have broke, I lost one wrench and the other is still going strong. None of the sockets have broke or split either.

Ive also got a mini halfords set that feels pretty good quality, I bought it for the smaller stuff and because there was a after xmas sale on. Seems pretty nifty.

However my dad also owns the bahco set pictured and it feels of high quality, its mostly for smaller stuff, Ive abused it putting alot of torque on the wrench, thrown it about and nada its just held its own. I also have the larger sized version of the small bahco set pictured, same thing its pretty solid, its been used to take a few bikes apart and Ive had no hassle. It comes with a variety of joints and spark plug sockets.

My only comments about the bahco is dont get used to having a nice orange handle, it goes pretty much black the first time you use it. The larger socket set only goes as small as a 10mm and the smaller only goes up to a 13/14mm from memory.


Bahco is owned by snapon and it used to go without saying the quality of snapon tools.

[Kickstart]

[Polarbear]

[AdamEf]

Had fairly good experience of using Halfords professional tools daily for years and they're held up well.

[mgh0]

I have both those sets and I would go for the bahco set every time.

They both feel well made but the bahco set is more compact, feels nicer to use and its my go to set.
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"Courage is not defined by those who fought and did not fall, it is defined by those who fell and rose to fight again." Adrienne Rich.