Combination Spanners

It depends upon what you want. Quality tools include names like Britool, Elora, Facom, USAG, Beta and of course Snap On. If you can afford them good luck, especially Snap On. Cheaper ranges include Draper and a few others. Then there are the no-names that you see on market stalls. These are great if you loose more tools than you want to admit. Some of them are actually quite good these days. I don't know where you are but Mid Wales has Charlie's Stores. When I lived and worked there a couple of years ago, they sold sets of mm combination spanners from 6 - 19 in the usual sizes for £2.99. Yes, I laughed as well but some of my fitters bought sets to use at work in a saw mill. Those spanners never broke. I have got a few sets and they are good. At that price, I can afford to modify them to fit difficult nuts and risk breaking them by using gars on them when the inevitable tight nut won't budge. There is always the argument about buying a number of cheap spanners vs one good one of each size. Having all your eggs in one basket isn't always a good idea. Your best bet may be to buy a cheap set and keep you eyes open for individual good spanners in boot sales etc. Have you looked at Halfords tools? Not too cheap but they look quite good quality. As always, the choice is yours. No doubt others here will voice their own opinions as to what suits them.

John

day to earn a living . No where near as expensive as Snap on, 99% as pleasant to use and about half the price. I get these spanners from my local motor factors. Steve the grease

One of my local motor factors has 'Laser' brand metric combination spanners in a bargain box on the counter, £1 upwards each. Not the very best, but they're OK, & a bargain at those prices. I use them quite often & none has let me down yet. It's pot luck whether they have the sizes you need, but they keep refilling the box. ISTR 'Laser' was the Sykes-Pickavant economy brand, don't know whether it still is, or even if S-P are still going ?

Cheers Tim

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Yes, of course. 'Best' can mean best regardless of price, best value, best in various different ways.

Tim

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What's your problem, Tom??

The spanners I was referring to are decent enough tools, and represent far & away the best value for new spanners I've seen, so I thought it worth remarking on. Sure Stahlwille and one or two others may be better quality, but at many times the price. A range of answers may be helpful to the OP. He does ask for the best makes *etc*.

Cheers Tim

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I used to have a full set of hand tools made by Black & Decker (and yes, they did make then and they were every bit as good as Snap-on). Sad to say some 'orrible little toe-rag pinched my car, where all my tools were, and had disposed of them before the police managed to catch up with them later the same day. I miss those tools and B&D don't make hand-tools anymore.

Did you actually read the original post, Tim?

Tom

Really? I never new that "best" included so many qualifiers, all in a four letter word! Amazing stuff, huh?

Tom

If you have to ask, the problem is most definitely yours.

I suppose your tools are as cheap as your shots, too?

No, the problem is yours.

'Best' is that which most suits the requirements of the owner. That will include price and quality and Tim (and others) have given lots of good advice. Since the OP is likely to be limited financially, suggesting a complete set of Snap On is pointless even if their quality is (arguably) second to none. If all he can afford is two spanners, they will not be best for him. Better to buy more tools for the same money. I believe that the best quality tools ever made were produced by NASA for a particular mission to Hubble. If you can afford to have your spanners individually made from an exotic Titanium alloy at goodness knows what cost, then you too can have the best. Personally, I can't afford that so they are not the best option for me.

John

Well I have plumped for the Halfords Range. They seem ok Thanks for the help lads!!

Or Machine Mart, 12 peice set all the normal features (chrome vanadium, hardened, tempered, fully polished, plated etc) for £23.44 inc VAT and wall rack. Or just CV, polished ends, plated, 11 piece £9.34 inc VAT and wallet.

-- Cheers snipped-for-privacy@howhill.com Dave. pam is missing e-mail

OK, you are excused

Now, where did I put my copy of "Three Billy Goats Gruff" ? If we don't react, gentlemen, the noise will soon stop .

Let's just hope we haven't scared off a new face with our raised voices ..........

regards,

Kim Siddorn.

Excuse me. The poster inqired after "best makes", not best value for money or any other connotation you may want to interpret from his post. However I do notice that true to form, as in the past, the OP hasn't bothered to clarify his position on his post.

Tom