SP tools. any good?

[andyman]

i recently bought myself a repco apprentice package which cost 2200 with tax, it also included a bonus 6 draw bottom box worth $600,

has everything you need except a rattle gun and impact sockets, It comes with both metric and imperial, some included tools are 2 torque bars, full 1/4 3/4 1/2 ich socket sets, full deep socket set, sets of spanners combination, double open ended, double offset... punches, hammers, hacksaw, torqs bit and allen keys (handy for astra and vectras lol), hose clamp, test light, circlip in/out pilars, combi pliars, needle nose, side cutters,vice grips, any way its a 307 piece i think, well worth the money and the tools itself comes on a seperate pallet lol

you have to be tall though, im over 6 foot and the top draw on the top box is inline with my shoulders

 

[Rhino Racing]

Good advice from everyone here..... well done guys!
Firstly... congrats on the apprenticeship!:thumbsup:Great to see people having a go!
This looks like a good basic toolkit. JBS also have some really good packages that are actually fairly good quality that wont break the bank or your heart if you replace one or two pieces. I checked on EGAY and the exact same kit you are looking at starts at $1255.... so if your heart is set on that you may save some $ from buying local.
Here is my bit to add about tooling in general..
1. If you work for a company that requires you to have your toolbox in the back of a work ute 24/7 this type of box will break where the drawers are welded on and they will hang down and be a pain in the arse! Which means a bit of extra money on a heavy duty ute box would be worth it. Kingcrome do an direct imitation Faber ute box now small 2 drawer one for $350... large 3 drawer one for $495.... that is box only! ( that is a sales price on now here in peanutland).
2.Do not under any circumstances use normal twin hex sockets on a rattle gun!!! USE IMPACT SOCKETS ONLY!
You may not break the socket at the time on the rattle gun but it will one day when you have a breaker bar on it and when it does break you may end up injuring yourself in the process. Also it will void all warranty as it leaves tell tale marks on the back of them.:whistling
3. Dont hit spanners with a hammer to losen off bolts or nuts! = damaged tooling or pending injury!
4. if you are in a corrosive type environment use something like penetrene to stop tools from rusting after use.
I am sure whatever tradies you have around you will guide you in the right direction .... dont be afraid to ask!
Good luck on your choice....... one thing is for sure, if you choose smartly you will have these tools for 20+ years to come.

 

[andyman]

Good advice from everyone here..... well done guys!
Firstly... congrats on the apprenticeship!:thumbsup:Great to see people having a go!
This looks like a good basic toolkit. JBS also have some really good packages that are actually fairly good quality that wont break the bank or your heart if you replace one or two pieces. I checked on EGAY and the exact same kit you are looking at starts at $1255.... so if your heart is set on that you may save some $ from buying local.
Here is my bit to add about tooling in general..
1. If you work for a company that requires you to have your toolbox in the back of a work ute 24/7 this type of box will break where the drawers are welded on and they will hang down and be a pain in the arse! Which means a bit of extra money on a heavy duty ute box would be worth it. Kingcrome do an direct imitation Faber ute box now small 2 drawer one for $350... large 3 drawer one for $495.... that is box only! ( that is a sales price on now here in peanutland).
2.Do not under any circumstances use normal twin hex sockets on a rattle gun!!! USE IMPACT SOCKETS ONLY!
You may not break the socket at the time on the rattle gun but it will one day when you have a breaker bar on it and when it does break you may end up injuring yourself in the process. Also it will void all warranty as it leaves tell tale marks on the back of them.:whistling
3. Dont hit spanners with a hammer to losen off bolts or nuts! = damaged tooling or pending injury!
4. if you are in a corrosive type environment use something like penetrene to stop tools from rusting after use.
I am sure whatever tradies you have around you will guide you in the right direction .... dont be afraid to ask!
Good luck on your choice....... one thing is for sure, if you choose smartly you will have these tools for 20+ years to come.

another tip i was told was to buy the best kit you can with the money you have, saves on duplicates and triplicates in later life

 

[BANKS]

Sidchrome for me all the way. :thumbsup:

Paid just over 1500 for:

9-draw roller box
1/4", 3/8" and 1/2" sockets 4mm - 45mm with various extensions etc
4-35mm imperial and metric spanners
100-120-200-250-300mm adjustable spanners
2 long nose pliers, 1 pair of cutters, 1 normal pliers, 1 electrical pliers
King chrome 1/2" torque wrench
300-150mm steel rulers
1 rubber mallet
1 claw hammer
1 magnet wand
1 50mm mirror wand
Flathead and philips screw driver set
Digital multimeter with temp and RPM
1 impact driver
1 security bit set
1 battery tester
Manual rivet gun

All brand new stuff from glenfords, researched it hardcore and found they where the cheapest. Had to get a couple of things ordered in which only took a couple of days but very happy with em and haven’t smacked my knuckles yet! My advice get a couple of catalogs, i know places like blackwoods and glenfords have kits all the time, plus the beauty is that you can buy extra packages or remove ones you dont need. thats with the one i went to mind you

 

[VRSS]

i went with sidchrome also, $1500 got me a 8 draw box, full 1/4, 3/8 and 1/2 drive socket set, metric and imperial open end/ring and ring/ring spanners, metric and imperial allen keys, metric and imperial pipe spanners, shifters, screwdrivers, pliers (long nose, short nose, circlip pliers) side cutters, vice grips, multi grips, chisels, punches, test light, shifters, hammer, and more that ive probably left out..

a mate from work got the $800 "apprentices dream" package from SP tools, which is a box similar to that pictured above with full 1/4, 3/8 and 1/2 drive sockets, ring spanners, pliers, screwdrivers and some other bits and pieces. alot less than what i got in my sidchrome box but good for the price, he hasnt had a problem yet.

i have a few SP tools that ive bought seperately and id reccommend them, although i havnt used their ratchets or spanners so i cant say much about them but as said above my mate is happy with them

 

[cpbait]

yeh iv got kinchrome, bought it when i was a first year mechanic, sp tools are good, iv got sp air 1/2" air gun and a 3/8" air ratchet, paid $180 for each and they haven't skipped a beat in 3.5-4 years, if you get sp air airtools, just make sure you oil them with a drop of oil every day or in the morning when you go to use them, just a drop, not to much and they will last for a long time, we had them as workshop air guns and no one oiled them in over 12months and they were run flat out and suffered, but mine hasn'e had any problems as i oil it, and as others have said, buy what you can now for the money you have, and start with a kit like this, then you can buy other tools that u need bit by bit, thats what i was told and have done, now iv got tools from kinchrome, sp air, sidchrome, snap on, stawheeli(think thats how its speit), teng tools and more, congratulations and good luck with your apprentice ship too.

i bought the kinchrome apprentice set for $1400, came with 141 piece tool set full 1/4", 3/8" and 1/2" socket and ratchet set, minus 1/4" ratchet, spanners, screwdrivers, etc, top box and 3 draw rollcab, 1 large hight draw and 2 normal hight draws and a large storage compartment on the bottom, good to start with, then i upgraded to a 13 drawer rollcab and still use it all, been realy gwd, but yeh start with a kit like this then build up, good work.

 

[Hillerus]

One thing I can recommend to you guys buying tools, is to go out and buy Knipex sidecutters and circlip pliers. I have bought cheaper stuff in the past, and have been quite disappointed with it.

Knipex is the best you can get. It IS expensive, but in my opinion, well worth it.

Those circlip pliers you can get with the detachable ends on them are crap. I bought a Kincrome set (my tool kit consists of about 80% Kincrome), I used them once, and threw them in the bin. The money is much better spent on Knipex.

 

[matty88]

I too have the SP rattle gun, but my tool chest package is TTI (Total Tools brand). I'd recommend the tools, only downside to them is they are chrome and obviously get scratched easily and look poor.

 

[vnskidder]

One thing I can recommend to you guys buying tools, is to go out and buy Knipex sidecutters and circlip pliers. I have bought cheaper stuff in the past, and have been quite disappointed with it.

Knipex is the best you can get. It IS expensive, but in my opinion, well worth it.

i bought a set of four and they cost me $167, but they are the best i have used.

i bought a sp tool kit and they are great. my cost my $1390 plus about $700
worht of tools i have added.

 

[Rhino Racing]

Sale Sale Sale!!!!

Hey there calais v8,
If you are keen to get SP Tools i see that they have a sale on at the moment.
The $1600 box you are talking about is reduced to $995 .:thumbsup:
You can upgrade to the box, plus trolley, plus extra tools for around $1900.:whistling
If you cant find them on sale i will scan a copy of brochure for you but i am in peanut country here...(Kingaroy)
Good luck on the tools mate!