Egay tool quality

[TheManWithThe...]

Alright chaps and chapettes.

I'm getting to the point in my motorcycling career when i'm becoming more competent doing my own work, and so am starting to require a wider variety of tools.

However, i can not justify spending £150+ on a set of tools for the amount of work i do, so was wondering if anyone had ever bought one of these super-massive super-cheap tool kits from egay.

Such as:
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/700pcs-Tool-Set-Case-Mechanics-Kit-Box-Organize-Castors-Toolbox-Trolley-New-/222075829147?hash=item33b4c03b9b:g:M~kAAOSwGYVXA3NL

Now, i wouldn't expect the highest quality of tools for this price, but are these worth a punt, or are they all going to implode the moment they even come near a bolt?

Cheers
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MBK Nitro 50, Sold. Kawasaki ER-5, Honda ST1100
"Anyone can jump a motorcycle! The trouble begins when you try to land it..."

[NJD]

No experience with that tool kit nor any similar mass ebay kit but I'd have a preconceived idea that they're cheap for a reason given what a similar kit of well made tools of all that would cost. Probably servers well as a starter kit on the cheap to enable someone to use the tools for the first time to get an idea of what parts they need to upgrade and buy a better version of but that doesn't sound like you so as tempting as the price is I personally can't say I'd bother.

Once more, carboots. Less than a pound if not a pound at most per spanner and a pound per socket if not less than a pound depending on the seller.

[mentalboy]

Seems like a reasonable price for a suitcase, you'll probably want to throw away all the crap inside before it stains it with rust.

If you want to work on stuff regularly and not bang your head against a wall every time you round off a stubborn bolt head with a shitty socket then you are better off to buy the best you can afford. Not necessarily aim to get everything at once but buy decent as you need it.
Put £30 aside every week and go shopping once a month, you'll be surprised how quickly you can accrue a toolkit using that method.

EDIT: +1 for car boots, just familiarise yourself with the difference between half decent stuff and nasty crap. (But it doesn't hurt to spend more than a quid - I bought an old Wolf drill from a car boot for £2 many moons ago, now passed on to another family member)
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Make mine a Corona.

[TheManWithThe...]

That's what i was thinking...

I could spend £60 on them and they could be an absolute gem and serve me perfectly...

...or i could waste £60 on them and left with a suitcase of scrap.

[ScaredyCat]

[Silver_Fox]

Any basic guide on how to differentiate between good and bad?
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CBR600 F3 FV
CG125

[G]

Should be fine as an 'education play set' for kids .

Actually, to be fair I find those sockets ok.

However, spending that much I would get a good year 94 piece socket set:
www.ebay.co.uk/itm/401036438322
Not the most amazing - these sets are fairly generic, but the goodyear one is better than some of the others and should be a fairly consistent quality.

And the Silverline spanner set:
www.ebay.co.uk/itm/231862105260

I've often used those two sets for most works on bikes/cars and been happy with them.

When I got some more cash, I'd then look to get a 3/8 draper wall drive socket set, which can be used for most mid-sized fastners. I'd also consider some better allen key sockets/actual allen keys.

[DRZ4Hunned]

Halfrauds professional seem to be highly rated on here, lifetime warranty (excluding the ratchets) and they're often half price. Can get a 3rd off (or there abouts) with trade card too.

I'm not a tool snob but I do like Britool stuff.
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DRZ400-SM
FZS600

[ScaredyCat]

[G]

Majority of stuff, I'd agree.

This spanner set is an exception.
As far as I can see, the Halfords set ('RRP' £100, normal sale price £50) is the same as this, with a different stamp.

There's other similar sets with different names on (Aldi have one too, for example), but I've seen plenty of others impressed with the value of these for decent quality.

[TheManWithThe...]

[G]

I don't rate the Halfords stuff personally - it's ok when it's at half price, but nothing special. Annoys me you get imperial stuff, where they could offer more metric stuff.

I'd still go for the draper expert wall drive, though it doesn't have as nice a finish on the ools.

[Kickstart]

Hi

From basic photos it is difficult to tell the quality of tools, but at that price for that many I wouldn't expect much. Probably better than the cheap socket sets sold 20+ years ago but that isn't saying much.

Halfords pro (or whatever the are calling it this week) stuff is OK. Some of their sets are half Imperial, but some are all metric.

The decent spanners I have are Facom which are pretty good as well. Draper Expert is normally good; the plain Draper tools are cheap crap.

All the best

Katy
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Traxpics, track day and racing photographs - Bimota Forum - Bike performance / thrust graphs for choosing gearing

[charlie74]

other option is to avoid sets altogether.. buy a tool box and pick up common tools that you will need, plus a wire brush, fine sandpaper, emery paper, multimeter etc

tool sets are good, but doing basic stuff you will probably not use 80% of it and still need to add too it

[TheManWithThe...]

[mentalboy]

Just keep your eyes open all the time and you will find bargains, this is my latest acquisition. Over £300 when purchased new in the US, probably a good deal more in the UK, I got the whole lot in the clearance corner of a store for less than £100.

That's a brushless drill, a brushless driver, 3 batteries, a charger and a dinky little carry bag

https://i1174.photobucket.com/albums/r601/mentalboy1/P61201011_zpsalcvoxtj.jpg
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Make mine a Corona.

[Pigeon]

I stick to Bergen stuff. It's probably not like the quality it used to be back in the day, but it seems very similar to Halfords Pro stuff and is reasonable value.

That said, Halfords has its half price sale on....again..again.

200 piece for £150.

[Moo.]

Keep an eye out for the socket sets lidl/aldi do. Decent quality for a home mechanic, ive got 2 sets of the socket kits and theyre good quality, have lasted about 3 years so far and show no signs of failing
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A2 Passed 18/6/10

[herulach]

I like my Bahco kits, I have this:
https://www.screwfix.com/p/bahco-24pc-socket-set/67315
and this:
https://www.screwfix.com/p/bahco-socket-set-46pcs/74908#product_additional_details_container

and a set of Clas Ohlson own brand combi spanners. a decent set of Hex keys will make life easier, but well better than the halfords stuff for my money.

If you keep an eye on ebay you can usuall pick up supplementary odds and ends pretty cheap.
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YBR 125>FZS600

[TheManWithThe...]

Thanks for all the pointers chaps.

It's interesting to see how manufacturers rated by some aren't held in high esteem in other's books.

I've just ordered myself a handful of draper and stanley tools and a box to stick them in, and they all came to about the same price as a low level tool kit, but with only the tools i need, so i'll just add to it as and when my toolage needs grow.
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MBK Nitro 50, Sold. Kawasaki ER-5, Honda ST1100
"Anyone can jump a motorcycle! The trouble begins when you try to land it..."

[RE8ELD0G]

Draper stuff is fairly good, but be careful as some of the sockets i had used to round off bolts like crazy (12 sided).
I replaced them with other draper 6 sided sockets and they were fine.

I swear by Halfords Advanced tools, good quality and lifetime guarantee
I have abused my 1/4 drive set over 4 years and when the ratchet gave out they swapped it over with no fuss at all.

Mac and snap-on stuff........just far too overpriced. Great tools but far too much money.
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Its a fine line between an cuddle.......
And holding her down so she cant get away..!!!
Honda Varadero XL 125

[G]

Just to be clear - I'm talking the Draper Expert 6 point wall drive.

They're the most commonly available 6 point wall drive socket that's decent.

I had some halfords pro 12-sided wall drive and they were terrible in the smaller sizes - much worse than a standard 6 point socket.

[RE8ELD0G]

Yeah 6 sided sockets are the way to go.

I just bought the Halfords 200 piece toolkit and found that 90% of the sockets in it are 12 sided.....
Will be swapping them out at the first opportunity.
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Its a fine line between an cuddle.......
And holding her down so she cant get away..!!!
Honda Varadero XL 125

[G]

The normal 12 point halfords aren't TOO bad.

Note that these wall drive add a good bit over normal 6 point, which still push on the corners.
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/18968307/pics/somestuff/walldrive.jpg

[talkToTheHat]

Halfords 1/4" socket set is £15 most of the time and is most of what you need. All 6-point. Decent spanner set in 8-19mm fills out another big chunk, mine are teng and disappointing, will likely ebay some bluepoint or britool, or go halfords again. Quality no 2 Phillips is the screwdriver you will use most.


Handful of specialist spanners and sockets, I have collected 19,21,22,24mm 1/2inch sockets for spindles and suchlike. Long cheap breaker bar for 1/2" and a quality ratchet if you're feeling posh. 14, and 17mm sockets in 3/8", ratchet and some extention bars fills out the collection. 17mm 6-point combination spanner from britool has been useful on the virago where I can't get a socket in.

Yes i started from the point of having a pile of shit tools i've had since I was a broke teenager fiddling with pushbikes. I've replaced the bits I use with reasonable quality parts and haven't spent a fortune, and my motorcycle toolbox is manageable. Old tools are currently out on loan for doing up a freind's house (mostly furniture assembly), making me both a hero for lending out a crate of useful tools and keeping my nice tools away from inexperienced hands.
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Bandit. does. everything.