Need Advice On Some Tools For Car,

[mista_khan]

Hi

as im getting more into the car trader I rather strip the bumpers wings etc myself instead of paying someone else, so I was wondering are these pieces of kit good for me for doing work on my cars at home?

first of all its 2 axle stands and a troller jack-

eBay item number = 201075003775

secondly its tool kits, ive found two so far and would like to know which one is best value tbh and obviously better quality rather it lasts longer then breaking every year

eBay item number= 221415900602

and

eBay item number= 131121172752

your feedback and advice will be appreciated guys as im still not to familiar with these things

cheers

[IHgs300]

The trolley jack and axle stands look ok.

As for the socket sets go for one of these, you get what you pay for and these have a lifetime replacement guarantee if you break any tool as long as you keep receipt.

http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_storeId_10001_catalogId_10151_productId_862421_langId_-1_categoryId_255215

[mista_khan]

hey ihgs300

that tool set looks well good , think that's about most of the tools ill ever need anyway lol, and lifetime warranty definitely sounds promising, I always thought halford tools wouldn't be very good, and do you own one of these by any chance?

[IHgs300]

Yes I have had mine for 2yrs, best value for money you can get.

Sent from my Iphone using Lexus OC

[TigerFish]

Yeah, I've always found the Halfords stuff very good. The type in this link I've had atleast twenty years (in all three sizes), and they are still going strong (oddly, the reviews don't do them justice, unless quality has changed since I got mine 20 years back... lol).

http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_storeId_10001_catalogId_10151_productId_162686_langId_-1_categoryId_165469

Don't forget a torque wrench, a must in any good tool kit. All very well undoing stuff, but you definately need to do them up again to the correct tightness.

[harrylime]

I would not buy cheap trolley jacks or axle stands off eBay. They are likely to be Chinese imports, the steel used may be inferior quality, jacks rely on hydraulic valve systems etc and the engineering in these is also likely to be inferior. If a socket fails it is not a disaster but your life is dependant on jacks and stands (you should never work under a jack only). You need to have 100% confidence in them. I still have a pair of axle stands from 40 years ago, made for me at work by a Lloyds registered welder. They were way over engineered and are still safe to use. I would advise that you pay more for the axle stands and jack, as much as you can afford. Disregard things like CE marking in cases where you do not know the origin of tools. Try to get British made if you can find some and a known brand. CE marking is pretty meaningless, it is also easy to fake. At least buy from an engineering type firm where you have some comeback. eBay is not the best place, I would suggest, for safety critical equipment, unless it is a link to a reputable, established company

[mista_khan]

hey

harrylime I think you have a bigpoint there, I do agree a lot of crap on eBay Is from china , so I found these,

british made MELCO axle stands, can stand 3 tonnes together, which is enough for many small cars lol,

eBay item number - 201002183689 ,

or shall I go for these that can handle 4 tonnes together

eBay number- 140688962247

what you think of these?

[harrylime]

They look good, especially as they are made in Sheffield, the home of British steel. You could get them off eBay for £49, but they are available from Machine Mart for £29.99 inc VAT, plus you can see before you buy, as there are plenty of branches. I looked for a review and found them on the Machine Mart website, there are reviews on there also

[harrylime]

They look good, especially if they are made in Sheffield, the home of British steel. They are available from Machine Mart for £29.99, found them when I searched for a review. I am after a new pair and a decent trolley jack myself

[mista_khan]

that's a damn good price at 30, when they on eBay for 48 with delivery, defo going machine mart

and also will get a trolley jack from their also as it will most likely be made in the uk as well

[TigerFish]

If you are going to get a trolley jack from machine mart, I would recommend these...

http://www.machinemart.co.uk/shop/product/details/ctj3000g-3-tonne-professional-garage-j?da=1&TC=SRC-jack

I have two, and they are great pieces of kit (and lasted well over twenty years so far).

[harrylime]

The Clarke jack looks OK, but there is a good chance it was made in the UK 20 years ago ( I have one that sort of age that still works fine). Things have changed and they are probably made in China now. If they don't make it obvious, it's probably China or Taiwan. You can't tell the quality by looking at them, the critical aspects are the hydraulics, which depend on fine tolerances and good quality seals, and design - for stability. Re the Clarke jack, you may want to read this:

http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?t=976763

I would be more comfortable with products made in Western Europe, Scandinavia or Japan, but it's so hard to find out where they come from

[TigerFish]

I think if you look, you will find horror stories on everything. As was mentioned in that thread, all that is made in China is not cr4p, some is, some isn't. A lot of big brands have stuff made in China, so I don't write stuff off just because of it.

[harrylime]

Yes, that comment did not escape me, although it is only someone's opinion. As the critical parts are internal, and the chinese are good at making substandard copies of quality products, how do you tell good from bad? For safety critical kit, my preference is to avoid chinese manufactured. Just my opinion, and I will need to pay more, but a trolley jack is likely to be my most important piece of kit.