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Old 22nd Aug 2015, 8:25 pm   #41
Nickthedentist
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Default Re: Quality tools

I do much the same with combination spanners. I started with a cheap, Woolworths-branded set when I was an impecunious student. When the odd one broke, I replaced with Britool.
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Old 22nd Aug 2015, 9:38 pm   #42
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Default Re: Quality tools

I have a few Sears Craftsman tools, bought whilst working in America. Amazing range and good quality (and reasonably priced over there) Available here now, but I've no idea about price comparisons here.
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Old 22nd Aug 2015, 10:27 pm   #43
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Default Re: Quality tools

Wasn't it the craftsman tools arm of Sears which bought Tektronix?

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Old 22nd Aug 2015, 10:36 pm   #44
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Default Re: Quality tools

Our local steam rally is held over the August bank holiday weekend, and (aside from a few 'market trader' stalls) is an excellent place to buy tools, both new and second-hand, many of the highest quality, and in 'vintage' sizes. There's sometimes the odd Megger and the like,too.
I presume the same is true of similar events elsewhere.
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Old 23rd Aug 2015, 7:11 am   #45
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Default Re: Quality tools

Quote:
Originally Posted by G6Tanuki View Post
Another useful trick: if you buy one of the typical 'sets' of things like Allen/Torx/Pozidriv bits you'll usually find that there are some sizes you rarely if ever use but are useful to have just-in-case, and other sizes you use every day.
This is sound advice. Buy yourself a starter kit of inexpensive (but not the absolute cheapest tat; when cash is really at a premium, you should always go for the cheapest-but-one) tools; and replace the ones that break, or that you just find yourself really hating the feel of using, with better quality ones. The others in the set will still come in handy when you need that particular size, but won't be so likely to get worn out because you are not using them so often.

Standard 6.3 shank hex bits are ideal for screws that are not too deeply recessed for them to be able to get into. A range of different ratchet, pistol and T-bar handles that take those bits are available, and some of them just feel nicer than others; so try a few and see which you prefer. A security bit set will include "drilled" hex and torx bits -- which will also work just as well on plain screws, of course.

There is also a smaller hex shank that is emerging as a standard for interchangeable, precision tool tips.
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Old 23rd Aug 2015, 11:29 am   #46
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Default Re: Quality tools

The small hex shank standard came out of power screwdrivers, the sort of industrial controlled-torque jobs made by Desoutter. Bits made for these things had to be very high quality, fitting thousands of screws per day.

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Old 24th Aug 2015, 6:29 pm   #47
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Default Re: Quality tools

those RS red handled screwdrivers were made for them by Spiralux, which is now part of Eclipse
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Old 14th Sep 2015, 9:31 pm   #48
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Default Re: Quality tools

Last set of hand tools I bought was THORSMAN in a wallet from CEF. Possibly on the expensive side, but CEF only stock tools for the electrical trade .Mine are only a quarter of the age of FOOTPRINT ones I can find, but considering the use I've had out of them ,there's no wear on them after over ten years of professional use (and misuse)
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Old 14th Sep 2015, 10:01 pm   #49
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Default Re: Quality tools

Wandering around Poundland the other day, I spotted these two useful tools.
Both of which will be a useful addition to my workshop. The little scalpel knives and different style blades are excellent value and something I use on a regular basis. The T-bar screwdriver also has a set of small sockets as well as the screwdriver bits, very handy for removing transformers!

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Old 14th Sep 2015, 11:12 pm   #50
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Default Re: Quality tools

The scalpel-like knife looks a bit like a copy of the X-acto range. If so, there's a lot of things to fit it.

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Old 15th Sep 2015, 12:24 am   #51
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Default Re: Quality tools

Poundland tools are pretty low quality, just as you'd expect, but they vary a lot and most are perfectly capable of doing occasional light duty jobs, and even if they break you haven't lost much. For absolutely bombproof performance in heavy duty jobs you really need professional grade tools, which are understandably very expensive.

I recently tried to move the door catch plate on my car, which for no obvious reason is held on by big Pozidrive headed bolts. They were very tight and I could only shift one of them with a Mole wrench clamped on the driver and my best bits - the cheap ones all shattered. The other couldn't be shifted at all and even my expensive bits (by my standards) broke. Fortunately I could make the required adjustment without undoing that bolt. If I had air tools and a set of pro bits I imagine they would have unscrewed without problems.
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Old 15th Sep 2015, 6:33 am   #52
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Default Re: Quality tools

Take care with the knives mark. I had that set and it snapped where the blade joins the handle on first use.
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Old 15th Sep 2015, 6:36 am   #53
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Default Re: Quality tools

Even Swan & Morton scalpel blades snap very easily sometimes a bit of the tip breads off, sometimes they crack across where the fixing hole is. The sort of steel needed to maintain that sort of sharpness is as brittle as pot.

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Old 15th Sep 2015, 7:48 am   #54
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Default Re: Quality tools

Yes, safety glasses are worthwhile when using scalpels, particularly fitting/removing blades from Swann Morton-type handles.
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Old 15th Sep 2015, 12:04 pm   #55
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Default Re: Quality tools

Quote:
Originally Posted by Nickthedentist View Post
Yes, safety glasses are worthwhile when using scalpels, particularly fitting/removing blades from Swann Morton-type handles.
Yes, they're brittle, but even 34 years ago when I was at uni and using genuine Swann-Morton scalpels for their intended medico-veterinary purposes, all sets of new blades came in a plastic installer-remover sleeve which removed all risk of injury or contamination when changing blades, and retained the old blade inside for safety. If you're worried about blade-safety [what do you do with your used 'sharps'?] get your blades in such a pack and get yourself a proper sharps-box too.
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Old 15th Sep 2015, 12:13 pm   #56
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Default Re: Quality tools

We only use them once in a blue moon. Ours come in individual sterile foil pouches with just a bit of card for protection. Contaminated sharps go in a yellow or orange sealed "sharps bin", rather like you see at the doctors when you've had an injection. Speaking personally, I've never had any accidents, but I always treat them with the utmost respect and full concentration.

Back on topic now...
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Old 15th Sep 2015, 12:16 pm   #57
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Default Re: Quality tools

Typical blades for S-M scalpels (10A is my favourite) from RS just come in foil packs containing five blades individually wrapped in paper. A small pair of flat nosed pliers makes changing quite easy.

The metal handled genuine items make really good fine point low voltage meter probes too. Sleeve the handle with heatshrink and fit a M3/6BA solder tag to the rear end to attach the meter's own clip probe. Still works fine for its design job of cutting flesh, though, so be careful
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