automotive tool ratings

by **jarryddelany** » August 4th, 2011, 7:48 pm

hey guys, theres so many brands of auto tools out there these days, just wondering what people like, use, snapped, broke, replaced etc to get a ruff idea on quality tools.

ive currently brought alot off CALIBRE tools from super cheap auto, formally known as super works gold.

there a really good tool, and i will keep on buying them. everyone's opinion is different.

cheers JD

by **holmsy** » August 4th, 2011, 7:56 pm

wow. superworks. and really good tool. should never be put together. im sure for their price. maby they are alright.

personally iv got all sidchrome spanners and sockets and never bend or broken any of them. only downer on some of the sidchrome ratchets the black plastic grip slides off but could be fixed with a little glue inside it just never bothered.

by **DFP4LTR** » August 4th, 2011, 8:05 pm

What's everyone's thoughts on the "Trojan" brand? Their stuff is very visually appealing and haven't had any issues so far.

by **Dansedgli** » August 4th, 2011, 8:11 pm

Ive got some Trojan tinsnips and circlip pliers. They seem alright.

My spanners are some fairly cheapo set from Autobarn and the individual ones in obscure sizes I had to buy and all my ratchet spanners are kinchrome. Haven't had an issue with any of it.

My socket set was bought from FJ's in Bayswater which is a cheap discount type of store, its a no name set but Ive had it for probably 10 years and it is still fine apart from the plastic stuff inside that keeps everything in order.

I'm not a mechanic but I hack around a fair bit.

by **DFP4LTR** » August 4th, 2011, 8:20 pm

jarryddelany wrote:ive currently brought alot off CALIBRE tools from super cheap auto, formally known as super works gold.

I bought a mid range Calibre battery charger a few years back and it's been pretty good. Not a single drama and I've had drama's with other brands in the past. It's a solid unit too, made from steel.

by **Avanti** » August 4th, 2011, 8:22 pm

I've found that the repco tools are awesome
apprently stanly make them and repco brand them
plus they got a life time warranty

sidchrome also have a life time warranty but to get the warranty fullfilled you have to send it to sidchrome so they can look at it and say 'yep, it's fucked' and send you a new one where repco is one the spot

can't argue with that can you?

by **AaronEF8** » August 4th, 2011, 8:27 pm

personally iv got all sidchrome spanners and sockets and never bend or broken any of them. only downer on some of the sidchrome ratchets the black plastic grip slides off but could be fixed with a little glue inside it just never bothered.

Same here. I know Snap-On is meant to be better and shit, but I really can't justify spending $50 on a single ring spanner, no matter how good the chrome finish is. Plus Sidchrome have a lifetime warranty, so you can't go wrong IMO.
I would like to get a Sidchrome Proto socket set, there's a few on ebay.

Kingchrome seem decent enough, I have a couple spanners and a plug socket, the plug socket is quite nice. Sidchrome is just cooler though

by **AaronEF8** » August 4th, 2011, 8:31 pm

I've found that the repco tools are awesome
apprently stanly make them and repco brand them
plus they got a life time warranty

Hmm, didn't know that. Stanley own Sidchrome, and most Stanley tools are re-badged Sidchrome tools.

by **EFFalcon** » August 4th, 2011, 8:31 pm

no complaints with my sidchrome gear

the more expensive supercheap stuff isnt too bad, certainly havn't broken it

by **falcon4life** » August 4th, 2011, 8:35 pm

SP, sidchrome, repco also cant go past the $10 bin at repco :-P

If your after impact sockets only go repco because.of.their warranty, most of mine I only bought due to lifetime warranty.
Best tool is one you have to pay for once...
Snap on arent bad either if you like being poor

by **fairmont4me** » August 4th, 2011, 8:38 pm

CGL tools where its at, lifetime warranty and bargains when youve got a mate who works for Coventrys.

Kinchrome ratchet ring spanners and security torx and allen key 3/8 drive sets seem to go pretty well to

by **Avanti** » August 4th, 2011, 9:27 pm

AaronEF8 wrote:Hmm, didn't know that. Stanley own Sidchrome, and most Stanley tools are re-badged Sidchrome tools.

Just going by what I was told by the guy at repco, still yet to break em after the many I have broken

by **Customxg** » August 4th, 2011, 9:40 pm

I prefer snap on tools but I use my tools everyday

by **wombi90** » August 4th, 2011, 10:08 pm

As said snap on - blue point virtually same brand I've got ratchet spanners, ratchet screwdrivers, torx set, a few air tools never had a problem

Euro tech I've had a 3/8 ratchet set of theirs for 4/5 years use it everyday and the ratchet started to slip took it back to where I got it swapped over then an there.

Chicago pneumatic are good rattle guns

White international make good impact sockets

Wurth are great quality and have heaps of specialist tools well in panel beating.

Kingchrome are ok to I've snapped a few of there tools though side cutters, 3/8 drive torx bit

I've got a sp racing tool box with a wood top I thought the wood get wrecked fairly quick but it's still in good shape 1 1/2 years on

by **XR_Lightning** » August 4th, 2011, 10:30 pm

Repco & Sidchrome seem to have the best spanners IMO, SP also look really decent too, they pretty much look like Snap-On spanners but no where near the cost

I prefer to use Repco Ratchets & Sockets never had an issue apart from losing sockets, but new style Repco is alot a different, I prefer the old style

When it comes to Torx & Hex sockets Kincrome are my preference

I also have many various Snap-On & Bluepoint items, such as Bluepoint ratchet spanners and rattle gun, had for many years and never had an issue

The best screwdrivers you cant get are the Stanley $30 kit you get from Bunnings etc... they take alot of punishment of day in and day out use

by **jarryddelany** » August 4th, 2011, 10:40 pm

i had a kincrome socket set, but they started to rust on the inside which was werid, calibre from super cheap auto have a lifetime warranty and a over the counter replacement no receipt needed etc, ive heard very good things bout them.

but really anything chrome vandium is tough, to a certain breaking point which is alot

by **Hayden** » August 4th, 2011, 10:53 pm

i use my grandfathers assortment of sidchrome spanners and stanley screwdrivers, which are 50/60 years old from when he was doing his mechanics apprenticeship, which says alot. As for my own tools, i use a repco 3\8 drive ratchet set mostly, it's lasted 12 months so far with ALOT of abuse, and it only cost about $70. Other than that i've got an assortment of k-mart spanners, which make good chisels or crow bars until they snap

by **EBOOST** » August 4th, 2011, 11:33 pm

i have kincrome, snap-on, bluepoint, tti, teng and a few others.
anything with lifetime warranty is good.
1/4" ratchet anything but snap-on is shit for a mechanic but my kincrome 3/8 and 1/2 have put up with alot.
sidchrome and stanly i find there spanners too narrow and hurt my hands for realy tight stuff and the new kincrome stuff (series 3) i have there older stuff it is slightly thicker.

snap-on flank drive spanners have to be the best spanners ever though.
ive used them on things that pipe spanners struggle with and they crack it without rounding it off.
cheers josh.

by **ELDanny** » August 5th, 2011, 12:38 am

I have a full Sidchrome set from the 70's (When they were still made in Australia). Any lost tools or double ups are all Stahlwille (German made).

Stahlwille is awesome, and cheaper than Snap On. :good:

by **EFFalcon** » August 5th, 2011, 8:43 am

yeah, my dad got me my sidchrome socket set for my birthday about 8 years ago, he was going to get Stahlwille but the shop didnt have them in stock.
he didnt want to wait

by **falcon4life** » August 5th, 2011, 1:34 pm : **holmsy Likes this post**

Knipex pliers, multis and sidecutters are the only way go...

by **holmsy** » August 5th, 2011, 1:40 pm

not a fan of the knipex pliers but the side cutters n shit are good.
i just use the basic yellow handle cresent pliers

wattmaster do some good screw drivers to.
yet to break one and i use them every day.

by **brad_m** » August 6th, 2011, 9:17 am

I've got a mix of snap-on, kingchrome, SP, knipex, and a few others.
But everything is being replaced with snap-on stuff when it wears out or breaks.
Nothing beats snap-on warranty. Not even repco. You can't walk into repco with a ten year old screw driver with hammer marks all over the end of the handle, that you snapped the tip off on purpose (because it was worn and was jumping out of screw heads) and have it replaced on the spot.

Both my blue point impact gun and air ratchet were both serviced for the first time in 8 years. The fixed price servicing is that good that even though the only original part of the impact gun that was reused was the directional switch. The service cost me $130 and I basically got a new gun. Same for the air ratchet, only reused part was the motor internals, cost $120. We are talking $1000 worth of air tool here too. For some one that makes a living with their tools there is nothing that comes close.

For people that only need stuff for hobby use, most of the cheaper stuff is fine. But I would still recommend spending the extra money when buy stuff like flare nut spanners.
Cheap ones tend to slip.

by **Bob Lablaw** » August 7th, 2011, 6:27 pm

I just steer away from snap on, they are too expensive to replace when someone 'borrows' them or mainly they get lost through falling into the bottom of machines/boats that you just cant get at, havent lost much but enough to piss you off. So after 15 years as a mechanic buy what you're happy with and has a lifetime warranty, Teng, sidchrome, king tony etc all work like they should.
ps our snap on man wont warranty hammered screwdrivers even ones with the tip broken off

by **brad_m** » August 7th, 2011, 8:02 pm

Bob Lablaw wrote:I just steer away from snap on, they are too expensive to replace when someone 'borrows' them or mainly they get lost through falling into the bottom of machines/boats that you just cant get at, havent lost much but enough to piss you off. So after 15 years as a mechanic buy what you're happy with and has a lifetime warranty, Teng, sidchrome, king tony etc all work like they should.
ps our snap on man wont warranty hammered screwdrivers even ones with the tip broken off

You must have an ass of a snap-on rep. And i've found Teng open end spanners spread and round off bolt heads.

by **XR_Lightning** » August 7th, 2011, 8:33 pm

brad_m wrote:
Bob Lablaw wrote:I just steer away from snap on, they are too expensive to replace when someone 'borrows' them or mainly they get lost through falling into the bottom of machines/boats that you just cant get at, havent lost much but enough to piss you off. So after 15 years as a mechanic buy what you're happy with and has a lifetime warranty, Teng, sidchrome, king tony etc all work like they should.
ps our snap on man wont warranty hammered screwdrivers even ones with the tip broken off

You must have an ass of a snap-on rep. And i've found Teng open end spanners spread and round off bolt heads.

yeah the Snap-On guys I have dealt with have always been really good, straight swap always and no questions asked

by **Jake** » August 7th, 2011, 9:42 pm

Kinchrome 1/2 " socket set I have is pretty good, never stripped a nut, never slipped, never snapped or anything.. they grip on to the bolts a bit and you can slide a pipe over the breaker bar and undo anything. cheaper socket sets I have used have slipped off and rounded nuts and bolts on me... couldn't believe how much easier life was with a better quality socket set lol..

Sidchrome combination spanners are pretty nice as well, never let me down either... I haven't looked at many other sets of spanners but these are a fair bit longer than the other sets I have, bit more leverage.

I think anything thats not cheap will probably be alright to use... I've used some superwork stuff and it seems fine.. I reckon you can sorta tell just by looking at the tool if its good quality or not.

by **josh_ef** » August 8th, 2011, 9:55 pm

kincrome and sidchrome, good quallity affordable home mechanic tools, i use range of both

snap on are very good but bloody expensive. my mechanic mates use but they get used day in day out 8 hrs a day so bit of over kill for weekend work

by **jarryddelany** » August 9th, 2011, 5:00 pm

so i did some re-search on tool forums, and they say stanley now owns sidcrome as most people probly no, and sidcrome make calibre ( super works gold ) repco tools, teng, but they make the price vary so you think your buying something better but actually there all the one product but maybe a differ in shape, and different brand, all the same crome vandium metals.

so they say :drinks2:

by **wicksy** » August 9th, 2011, 5:23 pm

SP Tools is part of Snap On too, forget who owns who though

by **deansxr6** » August 9th, 2011, 7:42 pm

SP are Austech Industries.
SP and Snap on/Bluepoint are personal favorites !! The SP spanners really are similar to Snap on ones, have the same feel, finish etc. Repco make banger tools aswell, fairly well priced and lifetime warranty too. Im Not a fan on Kincrome, there spanners feel shit. I don't own any Sidcrome gear so I can't comment there !! IMO if you use them everyday, spent a bit more and get good quality.

by **highfaultcurrent** » August 9th, 2011, 9:29 pm

I have KC tools and Ausgrip spanners and sockets, had the kc sockets for 8 years, ausgrip spanners for a year cause the kids lost my other spanner set. cant fault them.

by **nommic** » August 9th, 2011, 11:04 pm

What do people reckon of the TTI-branded stuff? So far I've found their stuff to be noticeably better than the usual cheap'n'nasty crap, but not too expensive either. Anyone know who actually makes their tools?

by **apoc** » August 9th, 2011, 11:40 pm

^^ I've got a TTi spanner and socket set, good as. Lifetime warranty too.