Quality tools

[burnham28]

At the age of 16 I purchased a set of King Dick ring spanners. Now at the age of 80 they are still giving sterling service. If you buy the best they will last a lifetime.

[pgp001]

Agreed

When I was a schoolboy my dad would never lend me his tools, he said I had to save up and buy my own if I wanted any. I thought at the time he was just being mean, but I soon realised what a valuable lesson that was.

So in my school holidays he got me a pocket money job cleaning machines down at the engineering firm where he worked, and on the Friday afternoon when I had been paid he took me to a local tool shop where I bought sets of good quality Whitworth and AF spanners.

I am retiring soon and still regularly use those spanners in my workshop, and NO you cannot borrow them

Phil

[philthehill]

I am still using the Britool A/F & Whitworth spanners I purchased when an apprentice over 56 years ago.
Purchasing good quality hand tools means that they have a long working life.

[Shropshiremoggie]

My father trained as a tool maker at Phillips and Powis ( Miles Aircraft ) prior to being called up for the RAF. He always advocated buying ( and looking after ) the best tools . I have many of his tools etc some stored in his oak tool makers chest !!!!!

[Dogsdad]

I fully agree with this. I still use some tools I bought to fettle my BSA bantam in 1956.
Many more are now in use as I have needed them over the years of bikes and cars.
I must admit to having the odd cheap thing I used for a “ one off job”.

Richard M.

[Monty-4]

Can't disagree.

My garage was broken into recently and they made off with some tools - a set of metric spanners, a torque wrench and a socket wrench. They didn't touch the imperial tools that were sitting in another tray. Quite a relief as they're far higher quality and would be more difficult to replace!

[philipkearney]

Can't disagree with any of this. Cheap tools are a waste of money. The trouble is, these days, quality tools are hard to come by. There are plenty of expensive tools, but the high cost is not proportionate to the quality. Even the respected old brands like Britool are now cheaply made. Luckily I have plenty of the old quality Britool spammers in AF, whitworth and metric. If I didn't, I don't know what I'd buy.

[philthehill]

Plenty of good quality original old time Britool spanners on 'e' bay. Sometimes even NOS will appear.

[philipkearney]

Very true. I got a bargain at an autojumble a few years ago. A bucket full of Britool and King dick spanners, plus a few others, mainly whitworth, for £10. Couldn't snap them up quick enough !

[Swijesiri]

Really interesting thread this, can't belive I've never thought about getting tools of ebay. Will have a look now in fact, thaks for the idea.

[burnham28]

My King Dick ring spanners were bought to maintain my Norman Auto cycle the fore runner of the Moped powered by a Villiers 98cc two stroke engine. You started it by pedalling like crazy until it fired then off you went at lightning speed !!!

[les]

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[Mark Wilson]

I couldn't afford Britool, so when I got my first Minor in 1970, when I was 19, I bought the lower quality Elora sockets (just the ones I thought I needed, not a set) and a ratchet. Obviously a false economy, although I'm still using them fifty years later!

[moggiethouable]

Proudly made in Birmingham, England since 1856, King Dick Tools are high performance, quality hand tools successfully used by professionals Worldwide. https://www.kingdicktools.co.uk/info/about-us.asp
Says it all really.

[smithskids]

Like Phil, I am still using the Britool socket set I bought when I was a marine eng. apprentice in 1955, although a few have been replaced and I am on my 3rd ratchet! It is funny in some respects as Doxford engines are metric sizes for bore and stroke all the nuts and bolts were made in our works and were off course Whitworth, Bsf sizes.

[moggiethouable]

Like Phil, I am still using the Britool socket set I bought when I was a marine eng. apprentice in 1955, although a few have been replaced and I am on my 3rd ratchet! It is funny in some respects as Doxford engines are metric sizes for bore and stroke all the nuts and bolts were made in our works and were off course Whitworth, Bsf sizes.

Shipyard apprenticeship ?

[smithskids]

5 years Wallsend Slipway and Engineering Co, then to sea with BP. See the world and get paid for it!!

[Admin]

My better half, knowing no better, bought me home some spanners that she'd spotted 'on offer' somewhere and just picked up without thinking. They are Rolson branded, and honestly, I think if they were made of chocolate they'd actually be better than they are being made from whatever it is in there now lol. I thoroughly recommend NOT purchasing!
We don't really permit posts that are negative about sellers/products, but I think this is sufficiently generalised to pass muster and if not then no doubt Simon will remove it lol.

[Classiccars]

Still using my fathers tools.they will out last me.i love the quality such craftsmenship.

[ampwhu]

what is rather funny is someone who spends 100's or 1000's on a set of tools only to use them once and then sell them on ebay for £90.

My take on it is if you are going to use these tools regular then spend good money and look at it as an investment. you get what you pay for in life. If you need to buy a specific tool to do a job once, buy a cheap tool. I've done this and then thrown it away knowing full well i'll not need it again. I've even modified a recently purchased ball joint splitter that was £6 to do a specific job and then i've thrown it in the scrap metal bin. It wasn't for a motor vehicle.