The tools discussion thread

[rick130]

My old tools are a mix of Australian made Sidchrome (pre Stanley) and Snap On with some odd stuff like Toledo (18" shifter I've had for nearly thirty years and lasted as well as my Bahco shifters) Witte and Wiha for screwdrivers.

I have a few Proto spanners (upmarket Stanley) and they are as nicely finished as Snap On, but anything that's broken has been mostly replaced with Teng recently as it's available locally, so I have about four Teng sockets residing in my Sidchrome socket set and a complete set of Teng Torx, Allen and Posi in 3/8 and 1/4 drive and they've been very good so far, with a smattering of stuff like a Koken breaker bar and impact sockets (bloody good, from Japan)

I've liked Knipex for cutters and pliers but currently have Channel Lock side cutters (US made) and are excellent, can't recall what my linesman's pliers are and my needlenose pliers are Vice Grip of all things, but I couldn't go the $ that Knipex were asking a few months back and so far they've been really good.

[rovercare]

I bought a calibre, supercheap, 3/8 deep set kit.....its really good

Kincrome is crud, I prefer full polish, ratchets are junk aswell

ebay has good full polish spanner kits, good quality and heeaaappps cheaper than the usual

[Ratel10mm]

Check here -
http://www.aulro.com/afvb/good-oil/1...te-spares.html

Thanks Abaddonaxi, some good stuff there.

Pod, STUFF THAT! If I break a tool,, it's pretty certain I'll need a replacement immediately. Kincrome just lost some serious points.

I had a browse in Bunnings today while after some fittings, & had a closer look at the Sontax set. The spanners looked ok (bear in mind I like tools that look like tools, not cheap jewelery & don't mind having to do a bit of oily rag maintenance) but the more complex tools were really poor.

They had a 107 piece Crescent set that looked ok for about $120, & had a decent range of sizes although when you look closely there are signs of the price point. Better than the cheapy Stanley set though.

Total tools have a nice set @ $200, although the spanners are metric only. The manager confirmed that they are certified for aeronautical use, stating that Qantas use them in their Melbourne workshops.

One thing I try to avoid is plastic or rubber handles on non electrically safe spanners, ratchets, & similar as I find they tend to deteriorate pretty quckly, which straight away puts a lot of sets on the 'second choice' list, inlcuding the TTI & Bahco sets I looked at today.

[rovercare]

I bought a calibre, supercheap, 3/8 deep set kit.....its really good

Kincrome is crud, I prefer full polish, ratchets are junk aswell

ebay has good full polish spanner kits, good quality and heeaaappps cheaper than the usual

Oh only shifters worth having are Bahco

[Ratel10mm]

Damn right!

[Redback]

Just a note on Sidchrome gear, the new owners of Sidchrome will NOT honour the warrenty pre ownership.

Baz.

[blitz]

I used to have snap on and Proto tools cost me thousands to get what I had then someone needed them more than I and stole them

I have cheap tools now (because after all these years I am still gutted that some mongrel would steal a mans means of income) because i havent been using professionally are ok, but now that I am going back on the tools I am going to have to start all over again, probably Snap On but need serious coin to get it all again.

For serious DIY any of the mid range tools are sufficient I think

Quality tools give you pride in doing quality work.

[wrinklearthur]

Just a note on Sidchrome gear, the new owners of Sidchrome will NOT honour the warrenty pre ownership.

Baz.

Hi Baz

I did hear as well, that the new Sidchrome owners were not honouring the old unconditional warranty, so if a part of your kit fails, I guess that the only recourse that you have now, is to go back to the retailer, as long as it is within their normal warranty period.

As far as an inexpensive, advertising ploy and a goodwill generator, what could have been better, than the old unconditional warranty scheme?

Cheers Arthur

overseas ownership stinks

[twr7cx]

Hi Baz

I did hear as well, that the new Sidchrome owners were not honouring the old unconditional warranty, so if a part of your kit fails, I guess that the only recourse that you have now, is to go back to the retailer, as long as it is within their normal warranty period.

As far as an inexpensive, advertising ploy and a goodwill generator, what could have been better, than the old unconditional warranty scheme?

Cheers Arthur

overseas ownership stinks

I would check that (don't believe everything your told).
If you read the FAQ on their website Sidchrome - FAQs it makes no mention of that - so at a minimum you'd have a legal standing to take it to the consumer ombudsman, tribunal or legal proceedings for breach of contract on their behalf.
I'm not aware of Sidchrome having changed ownership either. Stanley Black & Decker have owned it for the last 21 years. According to their website, they still own it Sidchrome - Company

[rick130]

[snip]
I'm not aware of Sidchrome having changed ownership either. Stanley Black & Decker have owned it for the last 21 years. According to their website, they still own it Sidchrome - Company

I think you'll find he's talking of Sidchrome from the Siddons Tool days, a long time before Stanley came along.

All my Sidchrome stuff dates from being an apprentice in the mid eighties.