Tools & Tool Brands

[crew_man]

Hey guys,

I was reading another thread and it got me thinking - what are your favourite tools/tool brands and why?
What is your experience like and are you a tinkerer, advanced-DIY user or a tradie?

I'm a tool-nut myself and love my Kincrome tools. I have a couple of racing motorbikes so spend a fair amount of time in the garage, but would consider myself an advanced-DIY user.

I found some older threads on this subject but they were old and generally focused on specific tools like socket sets.

 

[losh1971]

I love tools and am not particularly biased with what I buy. I tend to buy mid range Taiwanese tools these days, Sidchrome, Teng, ABW. I also have a range of SCA specialist tools, like pullers and other things. These look almost identical to Toldeo, in fact if the box didn't have SCA on it you would struggle to know the difference. I have a bit of Toldeo gear too but will buy SCA equivalent in future if they have another 60% off like they did a couple of months ago.
I'm only a tinkerer. I used to pull engine transmissions, transfer cases, diffs and everything in between but these days I don't have the time and can't afford to have my DD off the road for anymore than a day or two.
This might change when I move and my new shed is accessible during the week. As it is my shed and pit are around 2hrs away and can only do minor repair unless I take annual leave or have a long weekend. I'm about to build a 10.5 x 9 x 3.5, 17deg roof in the coming months. But it could be a year before I move $30k or more worth of gear to a shed where I won't have insurance until the house is built.

 

[EYY]

Really just depends on what type of tools you're looking at and what sort of jobs you're wanting to do. For example these are a few basic tools that I've had good luck with:

Pliers (circlip pliers, multigrips etc): Knipex
Spanners: Sidchrome, old toolpro (not new stuff as it's nowhere near as good)
Socket sets: SPTools - again, only their older style stuff from their motorsport range. So far survived about 10 years of daily use. The plastic tray has given out but I repaired that with some expanding foam lol
Screwdrivers: Tang-thru craftright seem to be very good for the price from Bunnings. Not scared to give them a hard time and haven't damaged one yet.
Torque wrenches: Warren and brown deflecting beam gives me the most confidence.
Tap/die sets: Sutton only.

Some things you can go cheap with, but just remember: when that tap snaps in a blind hole, you're going to wish you spent that little more. Same goes for cheap ratchets that slip, and sockets that split.

 

[losh1971]

I'd love a Warren Brown but for 330 bucks for torque wrench you'd want to get some use. I have a Repco one that was about 150 but it doesn't go low enough.

 

[marty351]

Old man has/had a set of Japanese taps/dies that are as good as, if not better than sutton or p+n brand.
Can't remember the brand name, but they would be 1970's manufacture. As for the old spanners... never broken one.

 

[Trevor loves holden.]

One brand to stay away from is Daytona from Sydney tools, my friend had to replace his O2 sensor yesterday so he wasn't getting anywhere with it so I had ago on the breaker bar and the tool cracked in half, he got a refund so anyway what I did was cut the sensor down to fit a deep impact socket on and got my 3/4 inch torque wrench, bloody tight, it went crack and she was loose. My advice if you going to buy sensor sockets to replace them don't bother getting cheep ones, I wouldn't even bother unless you need too normal tools do the job.

 

[Drawnnite]

...what I did was cut the sensor down to fit a deep impact socket on and got my 3/4 inch torque wrench, bloody tight, it went crack and she was loose. My advice if you going to buy sensor sockets to replace them don't bother getting cheep ones, I wouldn't even bother unless you need too normal tools do the job.

As I learnt from fitters (both old school elec ones and mechanical fitters) was to have a copper hammer to use on a spanner.
Copper being of a softer material means no damage to your spanner.
Works a treat.

Same as EYY.
different brands for different purposes. Mixed and matched.
But definitely Knipex for cutters. Have had other sets last 2 weeks, these have lasted 9 years of heavy use.

 

[shane_3800]

I had a Kinchrome breaker bar and I snapped the drive off it probably a $20 part on a $250 tool. They refused the warranty so I sent them an email it three weeks to reply so I went and bought a snap-on one. Breaker bars will do the job reguardless of brand but I needed mine fixed asap. I'll never buy kinchrome again.

I have a set of Irwin vice grips the 7WR broke at the part where the fixed jaw meets the body common issue. So snap-on was selling a version with steel pins there to stop that happening I bought a replacement then saw just recently Endeavour tools are selling the same tool at less than half price I know what I'll be buying next time. With the pinned vice grips I found the next weak spot is the thread in the body for the adjuster rod I'm thinking about welding an acme nut there.

I have a lot of tools from tool force who sells Endeavour and a few other brands.
I get all my Knipex through them although Snap-on is starting to sell Knipex too. I have a mix between Snap-on and Sunflag screw drivers. All my impact sockets are either Action, T&E or ABW (now Sidchrome). I have a full SP shallow 12 point 1/4 to 1/2 socket set two Action 6 point sets. I have a 6-36mm 1/4-1-1/2 SP spanner set a 8-21mm Stahlwillie spanner set a Snap-on 10-19mm flank drive plus spanner set.
I have more tools I just don't want to write them all out as I'll be here forever.
Point is there are plenty of high quality non Snap-on tools out there but some tools like my Snap-on ratchets are great and I haven't seen a contender yet except maybe Gearwrench. I do own two Snap-on torque wrenches but the next one will be a Gearwrench.
My tool box is an 86" epic yep the big boy.

I'm a technician by trade and I'm not like you grandad I use my tools hard like smacking my ball pein on my SP spanners and doubling up on them which still look great for all the abuse.

Oh my file set Bacho was bought from tool force but Snap-on own Bacho lol so I got Snap-on files for half price.

 

[shane_3800]

I'll list some of my other tools 8-24mm Blue point ratchet spanners 1/4-15/16 Blue point ratchet spanners. 10-22mm dual box extra long flex head Blue point ratchet spanners a similar design can be bought out of Tool force under the brand Kabo and are just as good.
SP 6-19mm 1/4-3/4 stubby flex head ratchet spanners these are crap because the flex joint goes loose and it won't tighten up yet to try another brand.
Stahlwillie and Snap-on pipe spanners the Stahlwillie ones are better imo but in roe it's the reverse???
T&E allen drive impact sockets these are rock solid.
Snap-on T-handle allen and torx wrench set these are great.
A no name set of allen, torx and spline (tripple square) drive tools that all have a 10mm hex so you can drive them with the socket or a spanner these are one of my most used tools bought out of Tool force.
Repco through socket set this has been handy but is poor quality.
Shirly Brigham 4lbs copper hammer this is my beast bought out of Tool force.
Various Blue point ball peins the 36 ounce is my favourite.
A set of Channel locks out of Tool force.
Irwin vice grip set out of TF
Full set of Knipex cir clip pliers TF
Knipex side cutters TF

There is more I should just take pictures lol.

 

[vs-lover]

I've been a Sidchrome person most of my life but only Australian made Sidchrome. All their post 1990's stuff that's made in Taiwan is just rubbish and to be over looked.

As EYY has suggested there are brands that specialise in certain areas and that I'm also onboard with as Sidchrome didn't excel in everything they made that's for sure. Their vices which was a bought out brand in Dawn (as they previously sold rebadged Joplins) you just can't beat, especially the SG (green version) range is better than their normal Dawn Red stuff, but I wouldn't sneeze at a red variant either. You just can't go past a Fabricated Offset Dawn in either 6 or 8 inch variants, yes I've got both along with some Quick action variants as well.

Snap On make some really good gear and are "America's Sidchrome" in the tool area with their reputation. Stahlwille have some great stuff which I've incorporated over the years as well.

Yes in Tension Wrenches you just can't go past a Warren & Brown can you ?

I use a few hammers, but sparingly I might add, mostly Thor and Huckson variants and also quite a few assembly hammers that are plastic faced dead blow hammers. Quite a few Copper and lead hammers as well. Like I said I'm not a huge advocate of hammers.

Allen keys are all Unbrako's and power tools are mostly Makita's Japanese made stuff not Chinese.

If there's one thing I've learnt and that is tools are only as good as their operators, but I treat my tools like good friends and thus they never let me down. Opposed to how some folks treat theirs and spend their life cursing tools when they should be really cursing these selves.