Cheap Tools

Re: Curious item in a Volvo toolkit

[ QUOTE ]
I always thought Draper were reasonable quality

[/ QUOTE ] Can't comment about the current ones but my Draper Silverline socket set has seen a lot of work over the past 45 years and is still going strong. Cost £7/19/6d in 1961 but then that was a lot of money then - a weeks wages for me!
 
Re: Curious item in a Volvo toolkit

Most of my tools are made by "drop forged" or "chrome vanadium" (i.e. really cheap and nasty)! I do a great deal of DIY and to be honest, as long as I don't expect too much of the tool I'm using, I don't often have problems. I find that cheap impact sockets tend to crack and cheap ball-ended allen keys tend to shear off so I buy good ones of those. Cheap open-ended spanners tend to open out and round-off the corners of the bolt so I try not to use them until a bolt is slack. As long as I can get a ring spanner of the correct size placed good and flat on the head of a bolt, I've never had a problem even with the cheap ones - despite occasionally putting a long piece of tube over the end to use as a lever!
 
Re: Curious item in a Volvo toolkit

You would be suprised at how effective a well-engineered adjustable spanner can be. If it rounds-off nuts, it's rubbish.
 
Re: Curious item in a Volvo toolkit

As an apprentice engineer I was always told that if you buy a good tool it will last a lifetime, so back in the early 70's I brought myself a set of Brit-tool sockets and open ended ring spanners - they are still going strong with little signs of wear and tear and I've given them some serious stick over that time.

I've brought some of the chrome vanadium/dropped forged stuff and there's no comparison - just look at the thickness of the metal round the head of the spanner - the Brit-tool is slim and neat looking where as the dropped forged stuff is chunky!
As for the adjustable - I use them but they are no substitute for the real thing!

The bottom line is (as far as I'm concerned) you get what you pay for!
Peter.
 
Material and Manufacturing Process

When I returned the tools, the dealer gave some blurb about "drop forged" vs "chrome vanadium" tools. I can't remember which he said was the better sort.

That doesn't make any sense to me .. surely "Chrome Vanadium" is a type of steel, and "Drop Forging" a manufacturing process. So tools could be either, or both of these.

Can any one clarify? Is Chrome Vanadium good, if not then what material should be used? Equally, if "Drop Forged" == poor quality, then what would indicate good quality?

For what its worth, the spanner I returned is described as "Forged from chrome vanadium steel hardened, tempered and chrome plated". Its neither the cheapest nor the most expensive from Draper, and looked like a reasonable product.
 
Re: Material and Manufacturing Process

Sorry, I was being silly! What I was trying to say was that most of my tools a so cheap and nasty that they don't even have a brand name. All that is written on them is either "drop forged" or "chrome vanadium" and you're completely right, one is a material and the other is a manufacturing process. To be honest, I doubt anyone would make a spanner (other than a bike spanner) by any other process as drop forging!

I agree that one gets what one pays for and for those fortunate enough to be able to afford a set of "Snap-on" to keep in the boat bilges, that's great! To be honest, I can't so I buy cheap stuff and if I drop one over the side or I they get rusty, well, never mind, that's another £1.99 down the tubes!

I agree that this isn't always the case though. As I said in my earlier post, ball-ended allen keys need to be absolutely top grade stuff or they snap. I also agree that cheap things like adjustable spanners and "mole" grips are virtually useless.
 
Cheap spanners

The worst I have come across are those supplied in the Yanmar toolkit supplied with my engines. On first use, one of the horns of an open-ended spanner just snapped off and the broken end showed a crystalline structure- presumably it's cast though not from iron as it's not gone rusty. Lead alloy I suspect.
 
Agreed, some W German tools are superb, Stahwillie was one of the best.

The problem with manufactures such as Britool, Draper and Gedore for instance is that whilst they used to produce good quality tools themselves they mainly now import from the land of Chow mein.

Proto, S - K, Facom and others tried real hard to break into the Uk direct sales market, but with a poor history for continuation of service by their dealer channel they never survived, yes you can buy them but they are not widely available. MAC tools have been going a little while now in the Uk and do offer a reasonable alternative to Snap-on. But there is little difference in the price. The Snap-On product also has some unique features that make them the best. Snap-On have been offering uninterrupted service in the UK since 1965.

You want to buy Snap -On? Go to their web site and you will be able to track down one of their dealers who are all independent franchisees. Various products are always on special offer, do a deal!

I have no current interest in Snap-On, however between 1979 and 2000 on various occasions I ran several of the franchises and at one time an area sales manager setting up new franchises.

PS At home I have a Snap-On ratchet dating back to 1942, it still works!
 
I've just been out to the garage to check on my 12" adjustable. It was my fathers' and it's Gedore, made in Germany.
Terrific spanner. As good as any open-jawed spanner. never slips or rounds nuts. But like you say, go out and buy a modern one at less than £20 and it'll be rubbish.
 
I've never bought a Snap-On tool, although enough people have recommended them over the years. So I just checked their web site .. £258.74 for an equivalent spanner set, and over £1200.00 for the equivalent of my Halfords socket set. I don't doubt that they earn their living if worked hard enough, but I've not broken a Halfords socket in the decades I've owned it. My "heavy" 3/4" socket set is Draper, and that's held up as well.

If you really can't buy useable tools nowadays except at Snap On prices, I guess I'll need to look for second-hand. That may not be so silly an idea, most of my woodworking hand-tools are older models no longer made, or no longer made to a high standard.
 
Tony
That doesn't surprise me as Snap-on are really made for the professional market and to justify that type of cost you really should be earning a living using them. I also own a "Bedford" set of sockets which I purchased in the early 70's they cost me about a months wages from memory, but they came with a 5 year unlimited warranty i.e. if I could break one Bedford would replace it - I still have them all, but I would be the first to admit they would be a bit pricey to have laying around the boat.
I suppose the difference is a good tool will often do the job, when a cheapie will fail so you have to ask yourself the inevitable question

Peter.
 
Tony

You don't need every size of socket or spanner to maintain the mechanics of your boat, you wouldnt want to carry them aboard to start with! Go through what you need and buy the tools you actually NEED. That way you shouldn't have to spend huge amounts.

Agreed, At the price they are SOT's are realy for the professionals. But as I always used to say, it was the only profession where you had to spend a fortune to earn an income!
 
The man from Draper phoned me at work today, to arrange to collect the famous spanner for testing. He assured me that the spanner should have been well up to the job, and promised to let me know what their testing discovered. His first question was whether I'd used any extension lever, so I guess they're not expected to be indistructible.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page

Top