Tool talk: Individual sockets, torque wrench, spanners?

[NJD]

I'm on the hunt for a mix of tools to add to my toolbox as and when either I can afford them or need to use them but before I put my money down on anything I'd rather get some opinions than having to buy twice. Personally I'm not after the best of the best or most expensive and rather something to go to should and when I need it for any given job.

Individual sockets

Looking at individual sockets because they're cheap and I'm only looking to fill in the gaps of the sockets that I don't currently own or will need rather than to buy a set that I'll only end up using a few out of. Amazon seems like the best place to buy from for these.

Silverline, drapper or bacho?

There's a niggle inside of me that tells me it's drapper v bacho. Other brand suggestions welcome. I only list those three because they seem the most popular and have a range of 6pt sockets in the strength and size I'd need.

Torque wrench

A minefield. You get what you pay for in terms of quality. A tool that does an important job and therefore the ones that do that job well have a price point to meet it.

I call the haynes manual a useless piece of shi* in this area because it lists generic torque settings and doesn't even include a torque setting for the rear wheel axle nut on the "installation" section for the rear wheel so I'm non the wiser. Anyway the haynes says:

5mm bolt/nut - 5nm
6mm bolt/nut - 10nm
8mm bolt/nut - 24nm
10nm bolt/nut - 35nm
12mm bolt/nut - 55nm

So a range of 5nm-55nm for most jobs and then it lists a few random torque settings per chapter for example "Chapter 2: Rocker assembly bolts - 12nm". Again convenient it leaves out a setting for the rear wheel axle nut. I'm sure I'll discover a lack of torque settings if and when those jobs arise but I just picked an obvious job and found a rather silly flaw.

Spanners

I've got my eye on this Silverline SP100 6-32 Spanner Set that (I think) was recommended by Paddy on another thread. I haven't purchased it yet because funds and not needing them yet. Anyway, that's the spanner set sorted.

As for individual combo spanners I assume that any old combo spanner sold by Amazon, BNQ, Homebase (or anywhere else) would be good enough to fill in the gaps in that set or just to have more than one of the same size? Spanners are generally cheap enough to just buy a cheap backup one once you've got a decent set, right?

Also is there any need for any other type of spanner other than a combo spanner, ie; open end?

Many questions, sorry.

[Ste]

Just do wheel axles up really tight.

You can never have enough spanners, regardless of how many sets you have, you won't be able to find an 8mm/10mm/12mm when you need one.

Ratchet spanners can be useful for some jobs. Like header pipes.

Acquire a copy of the manufacturers workshop manual rather than using a Haynes manual.

[NJD]

[B5234FT]

Halfords advanced for me, lifetime warranty and you can replace them on a Sunday afternoon. Good range and all inexpensive. If you can blag/find someone with a trade card then it's even cheaper.

Only exception is I have a 1/4 deve torque wrench which is remarkably handy from TENG.

[Pete.]

[DRZ4Hunned]

I wouldn't worry about torquing stuff unless you're working on the engine. If you can be bothered sifting through all the shit at auto jumbles you might be able to find some bargains.
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DRZ400-SM
FZS600

[sickpup]

The biggest question here is whats your budget?

What I spend on tools, no where near what others spend on Snap-on is unlikely to be what you want to spend, I've spent a couple of hundred in the last month on ratchets alone and £430 on a new bottom cabinet today.

[NJD]

[wodge]

[sickpup]

[Vincent]

Don't dismiss the Beam type torque wrenches..... just because they don't look as technical as a click wrench, as long as they havn't been used for years, they're actually very accurate.
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Space Is Deep

[mauzo]

[Raffles]

[NJD]

[monkeybiker]

I only use a Torque Wrench for very tight nuts, for low torque I go by feel and have had no problems.

Clutch bolt or front sprocket bolt I feel a torque wrench is useful as it's quite a bit of force needed to tighten them and I wouldn't want them coming off.

[NJD]

[finniee]

Personally I have :

Halfords 30 piece socket set 1/4"
Halfords 1/2" Drive ratchet
3 piece mole grips 8 different pliers
Hilka 1/2-inch deep sockets
1/2" breaker bar
about 20 different kind of screw drivers, ratchet style screwdriver ( cheap pos does the job), different sizes of bits.
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Honda CBF125

[bamt]

I use one of these Halfords 8-60Nm torque wrenches. It's perfect for almost everything on a bike except axle nuts - and they just go FT.
I've also got a beam wrench that I use a lot; the ratchet click-wrench is great for doing multiple fasteners up to the same torque (like gradually tightening up a cylinder head, where you have a dozen nuts to do up several times as you work towards the final tightness), whereas the beam is faster for doing one-off bolts as you don't have to set it up then unwind it afterwards.

[talkToTheHat]

Spanners fit where a socket doesn't. Sockets fit where spanners dont. Hexagonal wall-drive sockets don't chew bolt heads. Cheap 12-point spanners do. I have a 17mm single hex britool spanner specifically for the sump plug on a virago which has a footpeg in the way of where a socket needs to be. Dont lean on anything with a cheap 12-point ring spanner unless you want it broken.

I have some cheap cast spanners that claim to be draper. They are made of special cheese that mostly bends but occasionally devours unsuspecting bolts. I have some cotech ones that may not contain as much chrome as advertised and are rust magnets. The few britool ones i have are nice, they dont chew bolts and they ring a much nicer note than anything else, which i thing means their internal structure has less voids. Seriously, good spanners ring and shit ones go clack.

Spanners and sockets in 8, 10, 12, 13, 14, 17 plus anything big for axle bolts. I have 21, 22, 24 in 1/2" and a 2ft breaker bar. Short halfords 1/4" ratchet handle, short halfords 3/8" with a handle that flips back for rapid spinning, and a sensible size 3/8" ratchet. The ratchets will be in your hands a lot. Avoid plastic handles for automotive work, they will get eaten by fluids. I like feel of the halfords ones.

Top quality screwdrivers, know what is pozi and what is philips. Modern phillips and JIS are compatible, less so with 80s bikes. A single phillips does most of my motorcycle duties, it's due an upgrade.
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Bandit. does. everything.

[bamt]

[talkToTheHat]

Yes, my drapers are not 'expert'. I think there is an important distinction.
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Bandit. does. everything.

[sickpup]

At the prices you are willing to pay I agree either car boot or Bahco but you are probably better off buying in sets.

There is also nothing wrong with Bi-hex sockets as long as you buy quality ones, they also work on the f;ats not on the corners.

[ScaredyCat]

[mudcow007]

Every silverline tool* I've ever had the misfortune to use has broke/ rounded off or slipped an took chunks out of my knuckles and left me in a worse situation than when i started

*I use the term "tool" loosely

Another vote for Halfords advanced or what ever they call them these days - they aint the cheapest but im yet to break any - the boxes they come in are made of cheese though

[pepperami]