new spanner set

[Graham_Wright]

I need to get a complete set of metric combination spanners (8mm to 19mm) to keep on the boat. I've seen them at under a fiver from CPC but have been advised that I need to spend £30-40 for reasonable quality. Any ideas?

Nonsense!

Buy the cheapest you can find. I did and mine have had a load of abuse over the years. None have sprung and none have gone rusty.

 

[davidpbo]

I had a look at some Aldi ratchet spanners for£12.99 recently. Looked to be very good quality without much play. I would happily buy a fixed set from them. Don't know whether the ratchet mechanism would sieze.

 

[Hydrozoan]

I'd go for a cheaper general combination set and have a think about any particularly awkwardly placed nuts and bolts (assuming there are any on your boat, of course ) for which a few ratchets or offsets could be bought individually using the saving.

PS Another vote for a tool roll over a box - I swopped a medium sized box for two rolls and they're so much easier to store and handle.

Edit: There are perhaps a few sizes of which you ideally need two as well?

 

[Graham_Wright]

I had a look at some Aldi ratchet spanners for£12.99 recently. Looked to be very good quality without much play. I would happily buy a fixed set from them. Don't know whether the ratchet mechanism would sieze.

In my experience, ratchets are weak points Those that look flimsyist with a feeble flat lever, seem to last for ever. Those with twistable robust bars across the back have failed time and again.

 

[Allergy]

i understand this point of view but cannot agree. Out sailing when an item requires attention it probably needs it urgently. This is not the time to realise that a particular tool is not up to the job!

Very much agreed!

 

[vyv_cox]

Very much agreed!

Examples please? The only one I know, in several decades of experience, is a bolt cropper that was too small for the wire, not the tool's fault at all. Cheap hacksaw blades might not be the best to cut rigging wires, although I have had no problems with them. I fail to see how a spanner can not be up to the job unless it's the wrong size, again not the tool's fault.

 

[Graham_Wright]

Examples please? Cheap hacksaw blades might not be the best to cut rigging wires,

That's a good example Vyv. I have bought some that lasted no more than a few strokes before the teeth "melded' with the rest of the blade!

An exception - buy the best!

 

[prv]

Examples please? The only one I know, in several decades of experience, is a bolt cropper that was too small for the wire, not the tool's fault at all. Cheap hacksaw blades might not be the best to cut rigging wires, although I have had no problems with them. I fail to see how a spanner can not be up to the job unless it's the wrong size, again not the tool's fault.

Spanners perhaps not the best example, though in small sizes a poor-quality one can break, or round-off the nut through poor manufacturing tolerances. But I agree with the general principle, that when you're dangling upside down trying to work on something you can only just reach, with a wonky headtorch and sweat-smeared glasses, and the boat's rolling like buggery at anchor and you can't go anywhere until it's fixed - that is not the time to add the additional handicap of shoddy tools.

Certainly don't have to be top-of-the-range quality, but there's definitely a line below which you're potentially bringing yourself unnecessary pain.

Pete

 

[Jungle Jim]

I've been using these (or something very like them) for the last 3 years on a regular basis in the day job, no issues and just £12.

http://www.screwfix.com/p/combination-spanner-set-11-piece-set/95286

 

[Jamesuk]

Hello ghostly, those ones won't be any good, Halfords 'Professional' are very good value*, guaranteed for life (if you can keep the receipt for life), and you should get an old school tool roll from ebay to keep them in, (soaked in oil to prevent rust).

*the only good value items in Halfords actually

I just bought the 200pcs set - it is great - the ratchets are not on the guarantee but all other bits are. £150 worth the investment - sadly I have dumped the boats tools in favour of my box of tricks. It is brilliant to look into a tool box and have 3 different options to remove a 10mm nut plus the additional options if it was in a hard to get to location.

The Spark plug remover is outstanding to have

 

[Jabs]

Tengtools

http://www.tengtools.com/

good stuff

socket sets

http://catalogue.tengtools.com/webspeed/katalog/kat_oversikt.p?bid=T20&katnr=1&katsektnr=46&sidnr=1

Agree.

But shop around. You can usually save 50% off the suggested prices.

Tony

 

[JumbleDuck]

I question the need for 'reasonable quality' for spanners that will probably only be used for the odd job. Mine came from Aldi and are perfectly OK for jobs like removing cleats and tightening the stern gland. If I was planning a major job on the engine I would bring a decent set from home.

Exactly the same in every detail, save with "Lidl" in place of "Aldi".

 

[colind3782]

I had a look at some Aldi ratchet spanners for£12.99 recently. Looked to be very good quality without much play. I would happily buy a fixed set from them. Don't know whether the ratchet mechanism would sieze.

I bought a set a couple of years ago for the boat. Brilliant! I bought another two sets when they came back on offer, one for home and one for a friend. He sold his boat so now I have three. Yay!

 

[prv]

If I was planning a major job on the engine I would bring a decent set from home.

Sometimes one has to do a job on the engine without having planned it

I ended up taking the starter motor off after sailing into Newtown Creek at the start of last season. I'd have been a bit stuffed without my socket set on board, as I'm not sure the bolts are accessible with just a spanner.

Pete

 

[JumbleDuck]

Silverline are quite good for the money and have a lifetime warranty.

I reckon the Lidl stuff I have is very similar in quality to Silverline.

 

[Ammonite]

Not sure how they compare with others suggested here but I've been delighted with these and I give them some serious use / abuse. 6mm to 22mm for £12.


http://pages.ebay.com/link/?nav=item.view&id=251637331711&alt=web

 

[Vara]

In our local Aldi they have got a 95 piece socket and spanner set, which should meet most boat requirements, in blow moulded case, £40.

My set of Aldi sockets and Spanners bought for the boat 5 years ago have performed very well.

 

[mrangry]

Examples please? The only one I know, in several decades of experience, is a bolt cropper that was too small for the wire, not the tool's fault at all. Cheap hacksaw blades might not be the best to cut rigging wires, although I have had no problems with them. I fail to see how a spanner can not be up to the job unless it's the wrong size, again not the tool's fault.

After decades of using them I find that cheap spanners often result in damaging the nut/bolt head due to being a poor fit, this is generally due to manufacturing tolerances and or flexing of the tool.

 

[vyv_cox]

Sometimes one has to do a job on the engine without having planned it

I ended up taking the starter motor off after sailing into Newtown Creek at the start of last season. I'd have been a bit stuffed without my socket set on board, as I'm not sure the bolts are accessible with just a spanner.

Pete

I would not have called taking a starter motor off 'a major job'. I have perfectly adequate tool sets (including socket sets, metric and Imperial on Cecilia with its BMC engine) on both my boats that I would use for a simple job like that. At home there is a large collection of tools gathered over 50 years that I would prefer to use for larger jobs.

 

[Melleman]

Agree.

But shop around. You can usually save 50% off the suggested prices.

Tony

:encouragement: