Silverline tools

[mat_the_cat]

A lot of the stuff which looks like it's European or American is actually Chinese. That doesn't need to mean is poor quality though.

 

I agree with that - I've used Chinese stuff which as been absolutely top quality, and lasting well. In my experience they will make stuff to the price/quality compromise which is asked for. But when a company is deciding where to locate manufacturing, if they choose to locate it mainly on cost grounds then quality is unlikely to be high up the list of priorities...

 

Had a feeling Bergen and some others carefully named to sound impressive were Chinese i detest that sort of all fur coat and no knickers business and if i know for sure will never buy the shit.

 

I don't like that either, like a lot of things which say "designed in England" or similar. But sadly people do judge on where things are made, and a name sells.

[alf892]

I've got old Bristol in imperial,metric and whit.......nice shaped spanners without those nasty beveled down to nothing edges that cut into your hands when heaving on them. Also Britool sockets..........British you see.......never wanted to be a yank!

Although you can't beat snap on for screwdrivers.......

 

Also got a set of old kamasa imperial and metric spanners for holding the other side and various odds and ends collected over the years and made/modified for task stuff.

 

never liked cheap tools.......not because snob...........I just don't like the pain when you crack your knuckles as they slip or break.

[I_am_Diesel]

I used to work for Sealey so as a result I have a lot of their stuff (staff discount). It is generally quite good especially the Premier range although some other stuff is rubbish. Most of the tool sellers here in the UK (Draper, Clarke, Sealey, Hilka etc.) all source their tools from pretty much the same factories mainly in Taiwan or China. Generally the Taiwanese tools are higher quality although China are slowly catching up. India was becoming an emerging supplier before I left but the tool samples I did see were rough. The general rule is, as with many things, is you get what you pay for.

I use Snap On ratchets at work and they are spot on given the abuse they get.

[Formula Autos]

I buy most things from Macine Mart, where Clarke seems to be their main range of stuff. Most spanners and sockets have been good and still feel like quality items after a few years. Machine Mart even send me an e-mail once every couple of months or so with VAT off all their Clarke stuff, so bought that way it's not too pricey. I wasn't impressed by their ratchets though, and invested in a Teng one for 1/4" sockets, and a Bergen one for 3/8". I've got a Parkside one from Lidl for my 1/2" set, but I've hardly used that so it might turn out to be shit if I used it in anger. Time, and rusty bolts, will tell.

 

Silverline stuff seems OK in the main - I have front wing protectors, funnel sets, battery hydrometers and what-not that all seem good for the price, but a few breaker bars and extension pieces for sockets that I had seemed like a poor fit with my (mostly Clarke) sockets. I ended up with Draper/ Halfords replacements for these. Basically, I'm only impressed with Silverline stuff that's not made from metal.

 

Most tool purchases of mine are decided by price and/or the look and feel of the tools. I've rarely ended up with much I've thrown out, having worked on that basis.

 

Having said all that, the increasingly better* cars I've now got have meant that they don't get used in anger much these days.

[Bstardchild]

In order of goodness...

(1)  TENG TOOLS...British + BESTSHITE.. you can tighten wheel lugs with the ratchets,my 1/2" drive ratchet still going strong after 9 years

(2)  BERGAN....GERRRRRMAN...nuff said next good shite

(3)  HALFORDS PRO , BY OLD STOCK..they were made by SYKES-PICKAVANCE  better than modern ratchets bit shitty.

(4) Snap-on   ....Yank...great shite BUT expensive......The POSERS  toolbox....doesn't turn you into a good mechanic tho!!

(5) American-PRO...really good shite,you can tighten wheel lugs with the ratchets.

(6) Silverline  good for stirring ya mug o tea,ok for removing/refitting nuts/bolts,but tighten down with TENG or BERGAN/AMEICAN-PRO

 

Pretty much agree with that although I'd place Ami pro a place higher

 

It's easy to offer a lifetime no quibbles guarruntee if your prices are 10 times a similar kwality alternative

 

Saying that I have one snap on spanner - it was left in the engine bay of a car I had dealer serviced 25 years ago......... I've never need to use it since finding it (car was french)

[Sir Snipes]

I found it generally depends. I had snap on and some back up halfords spanners. The halfords were slightly smaller which actually helped when the yank stuff was too big to get in.

I only got snap on cos the van would visit and it was easy to get broken stuff replaced quickly.

[Crusty Sills]

I've only had a few bits from Silverline, mostly 1 off tools that are needed for 1 job then sit in the toolbox gathering dust. For that kind of use they seem ok but not really for regular use.

I have a Blue-Point socket set which has lasted me well for the last 12 years in professional and more recently in general use, I got it from the Snap-On man as the cheaper option.

Although I have seen the same set branded as Draper.

I have a set of Draper Expert spanners which feel nice in the hand [ooh missus]!

[sierraman]

I think with hand tools you can tell with the feel of them. Believe it or not Wilkinsons 'the best' range of screwdrivers are pretty good quality, good handles, hardened tips. That probably why no fucker buys them as they are selling them off.

 

Unless people need a tool for their trade they get

the cheapest shit they can lay their hands on. Did some work for my old man the other day, he got his screwdrivers out, they were the cheapest shit you could find. I just knew from the weight of them and the cack handles they were shit. I'd probably best describe them as professional quality paint stirrers or handy for chiseling shit off your boots or whatever.

[Crusty Sills]

Rusty Sills

 

 

Crusty Sills

 

Now that's not confusing!!

[passmethegun]

I really like my Laser sockets, slim, accurate and six pointed.

+1 on this.

My 3/8" set is fab, ratchet is well made and has suffered a fair bit of abuse over the years. The double-deep single hex sockets are pretty much bullet proof. I'm ashamed to say i've regularly used it for wheel nuts with my jack handle as an extension.

 

Bought a halfords pro set recently and it is good but nowhere near as nice as the laser.

[Jikovron]

My first meeting with silverline was caused by replacing a steering rack away from home ,a very dreary experience as it was parked next to a sea wall fronting a tumultuous salty mist producing north sea in winter, and as I hadn't yet discovered the hammer technique to undo balljoints so had to go and buy a 19mm spanner to wind the trackrods all the way out and in my then tool brand inexperience I thought it was quite the looker in its smooth satin finish.

 

 

For 6 years ive had it floating around my toolbox and probably used it 10 times since but its not been a bad item for the £3 it was.

 

but of late ive become a convert to rolson and amtech because they do certain copies of better known stuff really well although having said that I reckon for certain tools like vice grips, hex keys, adjustable spanners, bench vices et al need to be a decent brand to minimise the hassle of a make or break bolt or woodruff key etc being mullered

 

 

so far though ive not found any screwdriver to be all that amazing, although kendo branded ones seem to spin the handles on the shaft,,diabolical quality maybe or a torque clutch lol

[auldford]

I have a mix of stuff, Halfords Pro, Draper, Snap On. Most of it acquired from boot sales and my mates dad gave me a load of spare spanners/sockets he had knocking about in his garage.

 

The Aldi torque wrench and ratchet spanners seem pretty decent. I've used them on a few jobs, but I guess time will tell whether they are durable or not. I'd avoid Rolson though. Had a screwdriver set from them and it broke the second time I used it!

[sierraman]

I do like Lasers stuff. Always seems to be good quality, last thing I bought was the locking wheel nut remover, was fairly cheap and did the job no fuss.

[mercrocker]

I live just down the road from a motor factors which is bloody handy but they only sell Silverline.   I will buy it an extreme pinch if I am halfway through a job and HAVE to have that deep socket or stubby ratchet.   I make sure the things go in the shed toolbox, not the car one as I dont really want to be up shit street in the rain with a fucked ratchet.  

 

Lots of the stuff tool johnnies sell at steam rallies and so on is pretty variable quality too but again sometimes unprepared buggers cant be choosers.... 

 

Plus one on the car boot sale idea - I would say 75 percent of my tools have come from those.  Look out for brow-beaten old blokes having to clear their shed so the missus can turn it into a beach hut or summat daft.   I even buy chewed up screwdrivers if they're about 10p - saves mullering one of mine in a mis-use episode.

[andrew e]

Hazet or Williams spanners, any Elliot Lucas Pliers or cutting tool, Steadfast screwdrivers, all top quality, all gone, all overlooked. So when your rifling through the boot sales and auto jumbles keep an eye out. I used to buy a lot of Facom gear in France when I was on the tools (last century ha!) because none of the scroates knew what it was, my opposite number used to bitch his snap-on was always getting nicked, probably because every smack head knew he could get a drink for it.....

[AlabamaShrimp]

I got the big Halford advanced set a couple of years ago and it's been everything I need so far and feels very nice. I've got one, found, Snap on weird ratchet screw driver that is really nice but it's all backed up by random crap that if cheap I don't mind breaking/loosing, like screw drivers from the pound shop that are just the thing for stabbing at rust.

 

Most of the Silverline stuff I've had has been okish, and their magnet tray is very nice (how can a tray be bad) but a power file I got broke just trying to put the belt on, never even used it

 

[sierraman]

Found an old Williams brake adjuster spanner the other day whilst looking for something else. I've a load of Gordon spanners, I'm not sure whether my patriotism towards Sheffield has influenced this or not but I'm also a big fan of Record tools, their Vices and Stillsons were second to none. Managed to pick up a pair of Record 14" Stillsons at a jumble sale weeks ago work perfect for a paltry £1.

[cobblers]

If you can buy it off stalls at car boots it's tat with no concern to longievity made in it's design or manufacture. If it looks OK on the stall then it's done it's job. Take your chances, I do.

I'm convinced there's one company behind all the garbage you see on market stalls - Silverline, American pro, AM tech, Rolson, Bergen - All the same stuff, with different coloured handles and different amounts of effort putting in to polishing it.

They're great for stuff that you'll barely ever use like some mega long nose pliers but for regular or hard use it's no good. It all has it's place - I'll always look round tool stalls and even my "work" toolbox has a load of cheap market stall tat in it. The socket arranging posts are great - tool arranging stuff like trays and whatnot don't take abuse. I've had a set of silverline drill/driver to socket adapters for years too.

But my sockets, extensions and ratchets are all old Halfords stuff.

 

If you'll use a tool more than a dozen times, buy a good one. If not, buy a shit one and see how you go on.

 

Bergen tools are 100% just the usual chinese stuff. The name is German but that's where it ends - I've got a set of Bergen mole grips which are the absolute worst I've ever experienced. I've only kept them for the sheer novelty value.

[twosmoke300]

I've got some Bergen impact sockets that must be 15 years old and not one has broken or worn out and my god they have seen some use !

[Bren]

Blackspur are a kwality brand. To be found in every pound shop along Blackpool's golden mile.

[Eddie Honda]

Had some old-school Gedore tools and an Imperial Thorsen deep socket set (no idea where that is now)

[twosmoke300]

Gedore is seriously good kit , usually found at car boots as imperial socket sets

[Tamworthbay]

If I had the choice I'd probably go KING DICK

Made locally to me and have had the pleasure of a tour round the place. The guy who owns the company is called Griff Roberts aka the King of Mallory for his exploits racing bikes there in the 80s. It is a proper old school British company making tools designed to last a lifetime or more. The only thing they don't do is all the fancy moulded boxes so they can look a bit old fashioned, but who gives a damn as long as quality is good. I have a big roller tool box made by them with an enormous King dick tools sticker on each end.

[trigger]

My polishing mop is a Silverline model I really rate that, it's done a fair bit of work and it's still working fine, I have to agree about the Silverline soildering iron too, that's utter shit.

 

Yesterday I bought the 120 piece Halford Socket Set, it should be £160 (which nobody pays) down to £80 but I managed to get my trade card discount on it bringing it down to £69.99. Mega bargain I feel.

[brickwall]

I find Silver line okayish for some hand tools. Avoid anything electric,...my Silver line angle grinder exploded in my hand.

 

Silver line do two lines, light blue packaging and darky greeny blue

,the second being better quality.

 

At least I'll never cry if I bust a Silver line spanner

[Ronnie L]

Regarding Bergen tools. I'm sure most of their stuff is made somewhere in the far east. However my experience over 20 years or so of using Bergen tools is that they are usually good quality and well up to doing the job they were designed for. Good value for money too. As with all brands there will be exceptions to the rule but normally you can get a good idea of quality by examining the item before you buy it. Every brand has its duff products - even Snap-On. Incidentally I recently bought a set of Torx sockets by Mac Tools (long-established USA brand selling to garages / motor trade at Snap-on level of price) had 'Made in Taiwan' printed on the disposable cardboard wrapper but notably not on the actual product itself. So it's not just cheap brands which are made out in the east.

[Richard]

At least I'll never cry if I bust a Silver line spanner

You will if your fingers are in the firing line when it happens. Or if it's your only spanner of that size and the job can't go any further.

[brickwall]

Okay, so maybe I cry a bit. Anyway, Bergen are made in Taiwan and not mainland China and have a pretty good reputation.

[PiperCub]

I do like Lasers stuff. Always seems to be good quality, last thing I bought was the locking wheel nut remover, was fairly cheap and did the job no fuss.

 

I'd agree with that, the 1/2" metric set I got years back is excellent. Laser stuff seems good to me, Silverline maybe less so but to be honest, I've never had any trouble with the limited amount of that stuff either. As Brickwall says, you aren't going to cry about it if you knacker some spanner or what have you if it was cheap in the first place.

 

Have good experiences of Britool stuff (although all that was bought around 20 years ago so it may have changed now), Teng - again, tough as fuck, and Bergen, don't really care where it comes from, I've found it to be very good quality and haven't had any problems.

 

Older quality stuff bought from autojumbles etc such as Gedore and King Dick (the best adjustables along with Bahco) etc are superb quality and always worth buying. 

[garbaldy]

You will if your fingers are in the firing line when it happens. Or if it's your only spanner of that size and the job can't go any further.

You are not a true shitter if you only stock single spanners in every size.

 

I have never been able to find good mole grips and was going for these ones until some doubts over the brand.http://m.ebay.co.uk/itm/LOCKING-PLIER-SET-by-BERGEN-TOOLS-Curved-Jaw-Straight-Long-Nose-mole-grip-clamp-/252161273562?nav=