36 replies to this topic

[Yoda]

I picked up an old imperial swinborne socket set a while back on ebay for £80 and a box of imperial spanners from a car boot sale.
I find the quality of older tools far better unless you're buying high end new stuff.

 

Well done for finding those. Good old British manufacturing. These were the sockets to buy in those days of old. I still have my set of Swinborne sockets that i bought when i was seventeen  (1978)  and use them daily. all my other tools are mainly snap on though.

[lsto]

Got all my snap on at work... Keep a halfords set in the boot, got imperial and metric, its always handy and if you get the professional ones they are good quality too

[nicklouse]

Tools what do I have. Some of everything.
Snap-on,Teng tools, Draper. Halfords, Proxxon. Stalwille,Bacho,

For tools you use regularly buy the best quality. For tools for a one off job it don't matter.

Make sure the sizes are stamped on them as any other marking will come off.

Colour coded spanners sounds like a good idea untill the coating comes off.

Having spanners in multiples is very good. And don't be scared to bend them to fit a job. Just buy another to replace.

[RooBoonix]

I have the 200 piece Halfords Pro set and it's great, had to get a 12mm spanner replaced (the ratchet mechanism fell apart) and it was replaced no questions asked. Simply took me over to the tools section and took it out of another set :)

 

I do have a soft spot for Snap-On but I'm 16 and don't have the money to buy loads of Snap-On gear, to be honest for what I do at the moment the Halfords stuff is more than capable. I also really like Sealey tools, nice quality, lifetime guarantee on hand tools and the price is about right (especially if you look on Amazon!)

 

Cam.

[Bubblebobble]

I keep my eye out for old stuff at car boots , you can get sockets and spanners for nothing really , and some of the old stuff is great . I got a old Gedore ? socket set in  a tin case for £1 !  Even if i dont need it i know i can pass its on cheap to someone who will make use of it . I make a few pennies and someone gets some cheap tools . 

[Shawbags]

Thanks for all the replies gentlemen , cheers Shawbags .

[Icey]

All the stuff I can get from Halfords Pro range, I do. I've never bought one of the big sets just built it up over time.

 

For other, less common stuff I look for reviews online. Things like chain splitters, pipe flairers, rivet/rivnut guns etc..etc...

[phildward]

 

I picked up an old imperial swinborne socket set a while back on ebay for £80 and a box of imperial spanners from a car boot sale.
I find the quality of older tools far better unless you're buying high end new stuff.

 

Well done for finding those. Good old British manufacturing. These were the sockets to buy in those days of old. I still have my set of Swinborne sockets that i bought when i was seventeen  (1978)  and use them daily. all my other tools are mainly snap on though.

 

 

Came across this thread via a general Google search for Swinborne.  I have picked up a couple of sets off eBay and can't find anything anywhere on the history of the tool manufacturer Swinborne.  Only one set as arrived but my immediate reaction is that it is probably better than a vintage Britool.  Any comments, any experience, know anything about Swinborne?

[Alice Dooper]

I have a good old Bristol imperial ½” set that I inherited, it’s at least 50 years old and apart from the ratchet is still in great condition.

A couple of years ago I was given a Halfords Proffessional mixed 170 piece set and it’s been brilliant. Wondering how I ever did without the ⅜ drive or the deep sockets. Added a few missing bits to it now, like an 11mm ratchet spanner.

[Dusky]

I have Sonic and facom stuff. Snapon etc doesnt really exist over here 😊

[cal844]

I have the 200 piece Halfords Pro set and it's great, had to get a 12mm spanner replaced (the ratchet mechanism fell apart) and it was replaced no questions asked. Simply took me over to the tools section and took it out of another set :)
 
I do have a soft spot for Snap-On but I'm 16 and don't have the money to buy loads of Snap-On gear, to be honest for what I do at the moment the Halfords stuff is more than capable. I also really like Sealey tools, nice quality, lifetime guarantee on hand tools and the price is about right (especially if you look on Amazon!)
 
Cam.

Halfords and sealey are all I use, I do have a set of Sigen(Mac tools) metric deep sockets, and a set of Lazer imperial deep sockets from Ebay)

Worth their weight in gold along with the set of Halfords ratchet spanners and walldrive sockets(rubbish as they just round the hex off)

IMO shop around

[minimans]

Been buying tools for over 50 years now............... First set was mostly Britool from my old man (He worked for London Transport and most were stamped LT!) Then as an apprentice it was all Snap-On stuff. Now after 45 years as a professional Mechanic I still have some of my original Britool stuff and lots of Snap-on. When I changed my Insurance for the shop last year I was surprised to find the replacement value was north of $140,000 just in hand tools! God knows how young apprentices manage to buy Snap-On these days.........................

[phildward]

Interesting reading; I started buying my tools when I bought my first car, a mini, back in the early 80s.  Halfords at first, then manufactured by Gordon, then King Dick and then by the early 90s Britool.  These tools have served me well but recently I’ve had a bit of a clear out, Britool have been passed to my sons, and replaced with my favoured brand King Dick. Largely old stuff and a little new.

 

However the mini is at a lockup and I wanted some jobbing tools to keep with the car.  Spanners are my original Halfords/Gordon but I picked up a couple of Swinborne socket sets for beer money.  I have the first and I am very surprised by its quality in general and the effectiveness of the ratchet.  Never heard of them, can’t find anything on the internet, anybody know anything about Swinborne?

 

This is the first and smaller of the two sets:

 

 

I thought with the addition of a spark plug socket it would be good to keep in the boot of the mini.

 

 

 

[RooBoonix]

Swinborne were based in Notley Road, Braintree, Essex. Made great tools I have a few, they're pretty heavy duty. Ive got a set similar to the picture above which consists of whitworth size sockets and has a damp and not quite intact "manual"/"brochure".

Not sure when they closed down, but the set I've got my grandad gave to me and they were given to him by his dad. They're like new, hardly used!

[phildward]

 

 

I picked up an old imperial swinborne socket set a while back on ebay for £80 and a box of imperial spanners from a car boot sale.
I find the quality of older tools far better unless you're buying high end new stuff.

 

Well done for finding those. Good old British manufacturing. These were the sockets to buy in those days of old. I still have my set of Swinborne sockets that i bought when i was seventeen  (1978)  and use them daily. all my other tools are mainly snap on though.

 

 

Came across this thread via a general Google search for Swinborne.  I have picked up a couple of sets off eBay and can't find anything anywhere on the history of the tool manufacturer Swinborne.  Only one set as arrived but my immediate reaction is that it is probably better than a vintage Britool.  Any comments, any experience, know anything about Swinborne?

 

I’ll take the Britool comment back.  I suspect the first set was 60s and would have held its own against Britool.  The second I suspect is late 70s if that is possible and by then.... Britool was better.  Pleased with beer money AF and metric jobbing socket set: