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Kiltox

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I bought a massive metre long breaker bar from Aldi a couple of years ago and that thing is epic, think it was £6. So epic in fact, that when it went missing at work (as tools usually do) I kicked off a shit storm of rage and it eventually turned up behind someone’s toolbox. Strange that. 

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Wera for screwdrivers if you want posh.

Halfords advanced screwdrivers are rubbish IMO, although you can get them for peanuts. Wickes own-brand strike-through screwdrivers are absolutely ace for thuggery.

Red composite Teng ratchet handles are easily my favourite, although they are pricey. Strong, very positive feel and easy to find since they are red.

Impact sockets I've had a few, and yet again too few to mention that have actually broken, regardless of how little I've paid for them and the fact that I use them every day at work. The Chinese £10 3/8  impact socket sets with no branding seem just as good as the (very few) Bahco ones I have for example.

A flex head extendable ratchet (I just snapped the switch of my Sealey one) is the single most useful tool I have. There are other brands, but the Sealey one (and the Wurth on and the Facom one) have buttons to lock the head at angle, which is definitely worth extra money.

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Just bought a couple of Draper Expert bits from Amazon, mostly because they come on foam trays ready to go in a tool chest.  They arrived today  

Picks and scrapers https://www.amazon.co.uk/Draper-63500-Scraper-Drawer-Insert/dp/B0001K9YDI/ref=mp_s_a_1_22?keywords=pick+set&qid=1582923029&sr=8-22 - more expensive than the really cheap ones but they look and feel like decent quality 

Precision screwdrivers - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Draper-63399-Precision-Screwdriver-Insert/dp/B078BN1DTY/ref=sxts_sxwds-bia-wc1_0?cv_ct_cx=long+precision+screwdriver+set&keywords=long+precision+screwdriver+set&pd_rd_i=B078BN1DTY&pd_rd_r=8ca61074-6dfe-4333-9929-508c8d39f913&pd_rd_w=Fnh5p&pd_rd_wg=AccnQ&pf_rd_p=d48183c7-428c-411c-af52-ce093f8f1204&pf_rd_r=AJDXAAWBSA3MMETE383W&psc=1&qid=1583168820&sprefix=long+precisi

And a multi- bit screwdriver set (I know I said I didn’t want such a thing but I figure I can replace all similar cheapy stuff I have with this, and still buy a good screwdriver set https://www.amazon.co.uk/Draper-63514-Screwdriver-Insert-Driver/dp/B0002GUSMM/ref=mp_s_a_1_11?keywords=draper+expert+screwdriver+bit+set+eva&qid=1583168908&sr=8-11

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Most of my stuff is budget or mid-range. My main socket set is Halfords Advance, I have a set of cheap torx sockets (Silverline) which tbh aren't terrible, but it's all I could afford at the time.

Screwdrivers are a mix of Wilko, Draper, I have a random Teng driver and 2 grippy handle with separate bits sets (One Aldi one Amazon basics) which are both reasonable and haven't chewed themselves nor any screw heads up.

I share a lot of the more specialised tools with dad, pullers, calliper rewinders etc and they're a mix of mingebag and decent brand.

 

I also have use of stepdaughter's toolkit from when she wanted to work on cars, I've no idea what brand the tools are but they are very nice feeling and appear to be very well made (which at £150 the college asked for them I should bloody hope they are!)

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My tools are a mishmash of all sorts of crap.

Son wanted a torque wrench so bought a Teng one, while in the shop I replaced the broken ratchet from a 3/8" set I have.

Set was £8 - I didn't ask the price of the ratchet - £38.

I bought a 1/4" ratchet set for me - Bahco.  It's OK for around £30.

One for son - Teng for slightly less but is far better quality than my Bahco set.

Teng are AFAIK designed and assembled in Sweden but manufactured in China.

I lose more tools than I break.

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  • 3 weeks later...

What about air tools? Just had a compressor delivered. 100L and 14.6 CFM so hopefully man enough for light use of heavier tools 

SGS sell some valu looking kits but I’m guessing they might be a bit meh.  Air hammer and impact wrench most of interest. 

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What kind of work are you doing in your workshop? 

I do welding and a bit of bodywork so some airtools  i have for that are the best thing ever.  I bought this the other day and its brilliant.  Proper animal, and breezes apart panels after drilling out spot welds. Or just chiseling straight through them.

Screenshot_20200325-105257.jpg.88284695ecf00c8d558e4faf74c9dcdd.jpg

For mechanical work tho, an air impact for stubborn stuff, ive got a clarke and it's a bit wank. But I've got and old draper one that I bought for 4 quid and it will rip most stubborn things off, 

 a 90° die grinder with a roloc disc and a a backing pand on it . Great for cleaning back mating surfaces that have corrosion on them, hubs etc ect. Buy one based on the noise output as they are mighty loud the cheaper they get. I've got this one and it's bloody loud, 

Screenshot_20200325-110203.thumb.jpg.ab50f8e272df178d28f5a02c18b4ce8c.jpg

Tyre inflator and long tip air blow guns obviously. 

 

 

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Chronic never ending tinnitus makes you realise how noisey stuff is, never being able to have silence again is something people shouldn't experience. When it's gone it's gone. ☹️

So with that in mind decent ear defenders! aswell with air tools, even a pack of ear plugs helps if you are planning on beating six kinds of shit out of some thing  for a prolonged period. 

 

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2 hours ago, Kiltox said:

Mechanical repairs mostly. Was only thinking of an air hammer for moving stuck suspension pinch bolts. 

An impact would be very useful and that’s a decent tip on a die grinder for sure. 

Use them for knocking trailing arm bushes out, you knock against the lip and it twats the bush off. 

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When I took on my garage business recently one thing I bought was a pair of Milwaukee M12FIW38 12v 3/8 impact wrenches, a pair of batteries and a charger.

Despite being 12v, despite being 3/8, these things are fantastic and will undo most stuff. They speed up jobs massively and the really small form mean they’ll squeeze into tight spaces that not much else will.

A 4.0ah battery will often last two-three days. Late last year the bare units could be had for £100 and the 4.0ah batteries for £40. Charger for £25 and I was all set. Bought a few 3/8 impact socket sets including stubby, long and up/down size converters.

I really rate Welzh Werkzeug impact sockets too.

Bought quite a few Yato ratchets, and auto wire stripper and various other things recently too. Yato seem to be a Polish brand. I’m very impressed with their stuff, especially given the low prices.

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6 hours ago, Jimbob McGregor said:

When I took on my garage business recently one thing I bought was a pair of Milwaukee M12FIW38 12v 3/8 impact wrenches, a pair of batteries and a charger.

Despite being 12v, despite being 3/8, these things are fantastic and will undo most stuff. They speed up jobs massively and the really small form mean they’ll squeeze into tight spaces that not much else will.

A 4.0ah battery will often last two-three days. Late last year the bare units could be had for £100 and the 4.0ah batteries for £40. Charger for £25 and I was all set. Bought a few 3/8 impact socket sets including stubby, long and up/down size converters.

I really rate Welzh Werkzeug impact sockets too.

Bought quite a few Yato ratchets, and auto wire stripper and various other things recently too. Yato seem to be a Polish brand. I’m very impressed with their stuff, especially given the low prices.

That impact looks amazing - the biggest thing putting me off buying a bigger one is the size (I might as well use my Clarke mains powered huge one if I’m struggling to squeeze in) 

It actually shifts stubborn stuff on suspension etc?

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12 hours ago, Kiltox said:

That impact looks amazing - the biggest thing putting me off buying a bigger one is the size (I might as well use my Clarke mains powered huge one if I’m struggling to squeeze in) 

It actually shifts stubborn stuff on suspension etc?

It won’t do the tightest fixings, but pretty-much anything else. I might use the breaker bar to start something when needed, then use the speed of the impact wrench.

As I said, the sheer small size (especially when used with stubby sockets) makes it far more usable than anything else. I have a Clarke mains impact wrench and never use it anymore.

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I think I've mentioned this before somewhere. I bought the little kielder 1/2 inch impact and I love it. Wouldn't be without it.  So with a 10+ year old Makita that had failing batteries I opted to get the kielder drill to match.

This model to be exact. The combi with hd chuck.

Screenshot_20200327-105324.thumb.jpg.be1f8e52e55677a41d3e09542cabe58c.jpg

This is the most frustrating useless heap of shit. Back for repair twice, new gearbox and chuck now. I've given up giving a fuck about it now, 

It doesn't retain on the drill setting, the detent to select drill setting is piss weak so when you do drill through something and it snags you knock it into hammer setting then it seems to get wound up. So you have to run it up and flick through the torque settings then try to select drill. 

It's on its second chuck after it went back the second time as the first chuck just wouldn't grip. To prove it wasn't just me,   I used brand new decent drill bits and on piss thin sheet steel it span and chewed up the bits. Sent back and returned with a New chuck on it fixed that but now all it likes to do is break your wrist, then when you grab it you knock it into hammer. After it was returned I found that if I use a wire brush attachment that puts a bit of side load onto the chuck it now Makes a grinding noise. Don't think ive had it 2 years yet. 

Absolute garbage. 

I wanted to buy some of the other kielder range, grinder etc etc. And the customer service they gave was brilliant but this product is that shit I just won't touch another product.  Can't be fannying around sending shit back and forth. 

Id like to add that I only use this drill for hobby. The Makita it replaced was the cheapeast they made at 99 quid, was also used in a work enviroment. Was  once ran over buy a suzuki sj and I have worked with drills for 10+ years.

 

 

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  • 5 weeks later...
On 3/27/2020 at 11:17 AM, Andyrew said:

I think I've mentioned this before somewhere. I bought the little kielder 1/2 inch impact and I love it. Wouldn't be without it.  So with a 10+ year old Makita that had failing batteries I opted to get the kielder drill to match.

This model to be exact. The combi with hd chuck.

Screenshot_20200327-105324.thumb.jpg.be1f8e52e55677a41d3e09542cabe58c.jpg

This is the most frustrating useless heap of shit. Back for repair twice, new gearbox and chuck now. I've given up giving a fuck about it now, 

It doesn't retain on the drill setting, the detent to select drill setting is piss weak so when you do drill through something and it snags you knock it into hammer setting then it seems to get wound up. So you have to run it up and flick through the torque settings then try to select drill. 

It's on its second chuck after it went back the second time as the first chuck just wouldn't grip. To prove it wasn't just me,   I used brand new decent drill bits and on piss thin sheet steel it span and chewed up the bits. Sent back and returned with a New chuck on it fixed that but now all it likes to do is break your wrist, then when you grab it you knock it into hammer. After it was returned I found that if I use a wire brush attachment that puts a bit of side load onto the chuck it now Makes a grinding noise. Don't think ive had it 2 years yet. 

Absolute garbage. 

I wanted to buy some of the other kielder range, grinder etc etc. And the customer service they gave was brilliant but this product is that shit I just won't touch another product.  Can't be fannying around sending shit back and forth. 

Id like to add that I only use this drill for hobby. The Makita it replaced was the cheapeast they made at 99 quid, was also used in a work enviroment. Was  once ran over buy a suzuki sj and I have worked with drills for 10+ years.

 

 

I have a few Kielder tools which see use at work, and at home. I have a drill (bought for £25, otherwise didn't need it), the biggest impact wrench (supposed 720nm), the angle grinder and a work light. I also have Milwaukee stuff (ratchet, impact wrench, driver, impact driver etc) so can compare plus various other random brands.

The Angle grinder went back once for repair, but has been flawless since. Really, really handy. I use it mostly for cleaning when welding so using flappy discs, and then cut off discs for whatever. Really, really useful.

The big impact wrench has been flawless since buying. Very powerful. Love it.

The work light has been fine. It only cost a tenner, so I didn't expect much. It is cheap and cheerful and runs for hours and hours on a charge.

The drill is ok. My Fatmax drill is better, as is my Milwaukee, but it's been fine for cheap.

One of the batteries went back because it stopped charging and was fixed and returned super fast. The other is fine. 

As you say; the customer service is really good. Also, they will refurb batteries for £40 which appeals to me in terms of ecological cost etc. I wouldn't be put off buying other Kielder stuff, although I agree that their drills don't seem amazing. I was using/abusing the angle grinder yesterday in the garden to cut down a manhole cover surround and it didn't complain once!

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My tools are from multiple sources collected over years, have to say Halfords stuff is pretty decent. I bought a selection of King Dick (!) spanners when I was an apprentice and they're still going strong.

The best tools in my box though are Stanley screwdrivers, old ones I've grabbed whenever I've seen them, they have a blue or red plastic handle and are amazingly good at getting stubborn screws out.  I "borrowed" one out of my mum's toolbox years ago and "forgot" to return it - I was gutted when someone stole it but luckily a friend found me a replacement when he was clearing out his aunt's place.

I bought a modern set to try but they're nowhere near as good.

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So the other day there was a thread in the questions forum where everybody (me included) sang the praises of Irwin twirly sockets. I thought I'd treat myself to the other half of the set (they come in two half sets for some reason).

The package arrived today, and I was happy!

Then I was sad!

Can you spot the issue with my new twirly Irwin socket set?

 

20200426_143332.jpg

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