Thread: Socket set, what and where?

Hi everyone .
Just thought I would put my 2 bobs worth in and say I am 58 and worked on all makes and models of vehicals from the age of 15 .
My first tool kit was my fathers I think mostly sidchrome and some whitworth.
Then I invested in a new tool kit all sidchrome and have not had a problem with any of them .
CHEERS NEV.

I used Stahlwille every day for more than 30 years and never have problem with them.
For casual use the Kincrome are good enough

Originally Posted by Brian Hjelm

BA fasteners are rarely seen today in new stuff. Hardly used ever outside electrical items and instrumentation. I no longer bother stocking BA taps and dies. Demand is principally from restorers and hobbyists like model makers. A couple of years ago I bought a BA tap and die set, "LAL" brand, top shelf wooden boxed set 0-16 BA, three taps and a 13/16"die in each, all HSS, with tap wrenches, die stock, internal and external gauge plates. Garage sale, a retired pom fitter who migrated here in 1960 and brought every tool he could think of with him as he did not know what was available in the colonies. The set had never been used, taps still in plastic tubes and the dies in yellowed cellophane wrappers.

Bruce Gardner in Melbourne, trades as B.S.F. Bolts, 0408 056 255, can supply most BA fasteners and cutting tools.

I have a complete BA tap and die set Brian, IIRC they are P&N dating from the sixties (probably older than me)
A bit like my 1/2"drive Ritch Tension Wrench. When it was last tested a few years back it was as accurate as the scale

Originally Posted by rick130

I have a complete BA tap and die set Brian, IIRC they are P&N dating from the sixties (probably older than me)
A bit like my 1/2"drive Ritch Tension Wrench. When it was last tested a few years back it was as accurate as the scale

Suttons, who have owned P&N since about 2001, still list individual BA taps and dies in their catalogue. The prices beggar belief. You would be lucky to find one of their distributors who actually stock them. Major engineering suppliers today tend to stock only fast moving lines and show you pictures of anything else, say they can get it in for you, and then want to charge you the couriers invoice.

Originally Posted by TheEntertainer

Hi guys,

The $30 socket set I bought from repco has now had it, not that I was surprised!! So, I'm looking at something that will last this time.

What can you guys suggest?

And where to buy?

Cheers

The Entertainer

Just puchased a 81 pce Kinchrome socket set with 1/4", 3/8" & 1/2" sockets for $229. Liftime warranty. Bought from Cost Less Bolts.

Cheers,

Franz

Originally Posted by Brian Hjelm

Suttons, who have owned P&N since about 2001, still list individual BA taps and dies in their catalogue. The prices beggar belief. You would be lucky to find one of their distributors who actually stock them. Major engineering suppliers today tend to stock only fast moving lines and show you pictures of anything else, say they can get it in for you, and then want to charge you the couriers invoice.

it is usually cheaper to purchase one-off items, eg. reamers, from tool suppliers in the US (even though our $ has dropped)... & I think our $ will rise again in this year so if you can wait....

Originally Posted by 87County

it is usually cheaper to purchase one-off items, eg. reamers, from tool suppliers in the US (even though our $ has dropped)... & I think our $ will rise again in this year so if you can wait....

I import machine shop supplies from the USA and also China and India. If I needed stock of BA tools, I would have them made in China. I already get BSW, BSF, BSC, BSPT tools made there.

The USA is still the prime source of engineer's precision tools, particularly machinists tools. They are still the toolmakers to the toolmakers. The widest range of metric taps and dies are from US sources. Surprise you, that the non-metric yanks can do this? Excellent prices and superb quality. The Poms and Euros have priced themselves out of business (my business anyway). Pom and Euro postal charges are staggering, to make a bad thing worse. An example, A$220 air mail out of Poland for a set of books for a Stankoexport surface grinder.

Originally Posted by Brian Hjelm

I import machine shop supplies from the USA and also China and India. If I needed stock of BA tools, I would have them made in China. I already get BSW, BSF, BSC, BSPT tools made there.

The USA is still the prime source of engineer's precision tools, particularly machinists tools. They are still the toolmakers to the toolmakers. The widest range of metric taps and dies are from US sources. Surprise you, that the non-metric yanks can do this? Excellent prices and superb quality. The Poms and Euros have priced themselves out of business (my business anyway). Pom and Euro postal charges are staggering, to make a bad thing worse. An example, A$220 air mail out of Poland for a set of books for a Stankoexport surface grinder.

Brian, I didn't know that was what you do.....

... I'll pm you next time I'm looking for something (I've had enough of b********s attitude towards the hobbyist)