Your recommendations and experiences with workshop tools and restoration tips.

General Tools and Techniques messages

I'm not saying anyone should go out and buy any, but thought someone may like to know. I was browsing in the big Halfrauds up at Merthyr Tydfil and saw they had sets of ratcheting spanners IN AF SIZES range 5/16 to 3/4 (though why you'd want the 5/16 is anyone's guess) for 50 notes. Now I'm not saying they're the best for quality or value, probably not the worst either, you'd have to check that for yourself. But I picked some American ones up at a rally the other year and absolutely love them-not essential but they make so many jobs a lot easier.

As for the box spanners, Machine Mart have an AF set quite cheap, I know they're old fashioned and low tech, but again they do make life easier. Since having them I've found a few things on my Herald that were obviously designed with them in mind-inaccessible to sockets, painfully slow going with a regular spanner but a breeze with a box spanner. Almost certainty anyone with a Herald or similar would find a set useful.

I've had an AF ratchet set from Halfords for about 3 years now (Â£49.99). They are excellent tools and very strong. Very recommended. You get what you pay for. I still use my Snap On stuff I bought 30 odd years ago...................now I'm depressed.......!

There are certain jobs that only a box spanner can do. Put a ratchet spanner on one end and away you go!

A friend who has a fiendish (at least for access) Citroen DS has two sets of these spanners and swears by them . They DO seem good quality. I have also had plain combination spanners from Halford's Professional range and also been impressed with the quality.
I agree with the box spanners comments as well. Especially for manifold nuts. And if you are lucky, you can fit a socket on the other end of the box spanner and get a ratchet facility as well.
Just one word of warning about ratchet type spanners like the Halfords one though.
I used one to remove the central bolt from the oil filter bowl of a Triumph 2000, rather than an open ended spanner. Job was fine until I realised there was not enough room to get the spanner off the head of the bolt when it was fuly unwound. The bolt and spanner wedged against the chassis rail. And of course I could not reverse the spanner as the means of doing that is to take it off the bolt head and turn it over. Only I couldn't.......................And of course by now all the oil had drained out of the filter so the car was stuck!
Eventually I had to call for assistance with a crowbar and lever the engine over on its mountings to be able to squeaze the spanner off the bolt head.

Moral of the story - buy reversible ones!

Mine were Â£15 a set from a car show, reversible, but not cranked, so they can't be used everywhere.

Very useful on suspension stuff like wishbone bolts.

Try to get a set with a 1/4" one in there, this is great for driving screwdriver bits if there is something in the way above - you can't get a screwdriver in and you haven't got enough height to get a ratchet handle/adaptor/screwdriver bit in.

Van

Section : General

Ratchet Spanners and old fashoned Box Spanners

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Ratchet Spanners and old fashoned Box Spanners

Ratchet Spanners and old fashoned Box Spanners

Ratchet Spanners and old fashoned Box Spanners

Ratchet Spanners and old fashoned Box Spanners