Buying my first Socket Set

[Kingsmayn]

Hello everyone,

First off, I hope this topic isn't flooding the forum. I did try to gather as much info as possible but unfortunately there isn't too much info on the specific companies and tools I'm interested in.

My local dealers have slim pickings on socket sets so I'm forced to order from abroad (Most likely amazon.de)

As I work on my car as a hobby, quality isn't the first priority. I prefer having my tools organized and in one place, so I've been looking for bigger sets (100+ pieces)

The sets I have in mind:
KS-Tools
Vigor
Carolus

Has anyone used their tools? If so, how are they? I'm also open to suggestions on other socket sets.

Thanks in advance!

 

[Tonyuk]

Where do you live? There must be something decent locally on ebay or some such.

 

[Bagherra]

you say amazon.de

are you in Germany?
If so, Hazet is the way to go..

 

[Kingsmayn]

I live in Estonia, I've chosen the German Amazon because they ship over here for reasonable prices.

 

[Kingsmayn]

you say amazon.de

are you in Germany?
If so, Hazet is the way to go..

I'd love an Hazet set but I'm afraid it's a tad out of my price range.

 

[Dave455]

Hi!

Don't worry - plenty guys here for advice!

First off, unless you are lucky enough to have an actual tool dealer rather than a car parts supplier, forget them. What they have is usually shite, and usually overpriced!

Although quality may not be the first priority, don't totally disregard it, and I'd certainly avoid buying Taiwanese tools for the money you could get something better for, which is a trap you can easily fall into as many of these Taiwanese brands brands seem to spend more on their advertising than their products!

My advice is to go for a quality, but reasonably priced, 'mid range' maker!

So, forget Snap On, Mac and the like, even secondhand!

Consider King **** - British made and very serviceable but little, if any, more than the brands you mentioned!

Consider Gedore - you can often get decent deals on these German tools online so have a search.

My first choice for you would probably be KoKen - these are Japanese made tools of the highest quality, superbly finished and very durable. Prices are very competitive.

I'd avoid things like Vigor and Carolus, these are basically crappy far eastern tools that only differ from the other shite by being distributed by a larger manufacturer. I saw some of the very first Carolus to hit the U.K. and admit it didn't look bad, but, quality has declined. I saw some recent made spanners of theirs recently and they were probably the worst quality I've ever seen! Unfortunately, many people offer advice online but probably base it on he original tools not the current stuff!

Although they tend to specialise in the better brands such as Hazet and Stahlwille, have a look at TBS Aachen website - they often have special deals that are hard to beat and I'm sure shipping will be reasonable!

 

[sberry]

More and more the mid range brands are the same as cheaper ones in a box with printed graphics and a brand name on them.
I wonder how many brand names the same wrench as a HF pro is sold under? Milwaukee and DeWalt now selling wrenches and other stuff, Stanley makes a lot of it. Its like the raised Cman was, people would get excited about Allen, exact same wrench with a different stamp.
I see adjustables like that,. 10 to 30 dollars, world class tool and actually like it better than the Proto.

 

[Dave455]

More and more the mid range brands are the same as cheaper ones in a box with printed graphics and a brand name on them.

Yes, I think that's very true in the U.S.A. where mid range manufacturers are outsourcing like it's going out of fashion. Thankfully it's less common in Europe, and not the case with the manufacturers I mentioned!

Other makers to consider are Elora and Heyco. Both German but can often be had for less money than you might think!

 

[jumbojak]

There are plenty of perfectly servicable tools coming out of Taiwan and China these days. If that's what the budget allows for don't hesitate to buy some. I'm not familiar with the brands you listed but I'm almost certain that you have access to Asian tools that will get the job done at better than German or UK prices. It's about the jobs you can get done, not where the tool that does it comes from. I've had Taiwan tools that succeed where a USA made failed.

 

[Tonyuk]

I would recommend buying a couple of cheap impact socket sets in whatever sizes you need, then buy a ratchet separately.

I've never actually came across a "bad" set of impacts and even my cheapest sockets fit just as well as the more expensive ones.

For ratchets i would recommend Facom, i've used their kit for years and none of it has let me down. If buying from Amazon (Germany) you might be able to get Wera ratchets for reasonably low cost, if so they should be just as good as the facoms.

Buying cheap sockets and good (but more expensive) ratchets will save you a ton of money over a kit from one of the better brands.

 

[6PTsocket]

Where do you live? There must be something decent locally on ebay or some such.

Amazon.de is for Deutschland, Germany. That probably eliminates a lot of us as a source of advice. Those European brands are not common in North America. I imagine they have their low end Harbor Freight or something similar. Hopefully a European member can help.

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

 

[bcradio]

Although quality may not be the first priority, don't totally disregard it, and I'd certainly avoid buying Taiwanese tools for the money you could get something better for, which is a trap you can easily fall into as many of these Taiwanese brands brands seem to spend more on their advertising than their products!

Europe must be WAY different than the states as Taiwanese tools are by far the best bang for your buck here. Excellent tools for excellent prices.

 

[Dave455]

Europe must be WAY different than the states as Taiwanese tools are by far the best bang for your buck here. Excellent tools for excellent prices.

Yes, it is! Products from outside the EU get stung for duty for a start! Add in the high cost of retail premises, both in terms of the taxes on the premises and the relatively high costs of labour, and you will find that Taiwanese tools, if bought from a 'bricks and mortar' shop (which is what the OP was suggesting) are no cheaper than buying a better quality of tool online.

I'm not saying Taiwanese tools are all bad, but they do all seem to have that 'Taiwanese' feel which isn't great, and buying them from a shop doesn't generally represent good value here. I can buy King **** or Gedore online for similar money to Taiwanese Draper, Halfords or Teng (common Taiwan rebrands here in the U.K.) and KoKen for little more!

German makers, in particular, represent awesome value here due to the Euro. If Germany still used the DM, it would be a very strong currency and those German tools would be very expensive, but the 'one size fits all' euro makes German tools very reasonable. I can buy 5 Stahlwile wrenches online for just £23. If I go to any shop I'm struggling to get Taiwanese wrenches cheaper - and those are top end Stahlwille wrenches, not 'mid range'!

Why don't I buy more? Good question? I think I'll order some more goodies this afternoon!!

 

[Superbec]

Hello everyone,


The sets I have in mind:
KS-Tools
Vigor
Carolus

Has anyone used their tools? If so, how are they? I'm also open to suggestions on other socket sets.

Thanks in advance!

http://www.tbs-aachen.de/Facom/1/2_...et-Set_1/4undquot__1/2undquot_i3719_67003.htm

Ks-tools are sometimes a tad better than the average carolus, I have a few of both , and some pincet set from vigor ... not impressed by any of them, but they do work

hazet, gedore and the like will never be near this price range and way overkill for the home owner diy-er ...

 

[bcradio]

Yes, it is! Products from outside the EU get stung for duty for a start! Add in the high cost of retail premises, both in terms of the taxes on the premises and the relatively high costs of labour, and you will find that Taiwanese tools, if bought from a 'bricks and mortar' shop (which is what the OP was suggesting) are no cheaper than buying a better quality of tool online.

I'm not saying Taiwanese tools are all bad, but they do all seem to have that 'Taiwanese' feel which isn't great, and buying them from a shop doesn't generally represent good value here. I can buy King **** or Gedore online for similar money to Taiwanese Draper, Halfords or Teng (common Taiwan rebrands here in the U.K.) and KoKen for little more!

German makers, in particular, represent awesome value here due to the Euro. If Germany still used the DM, it would be a very strong currency and those German tools would be very expensive, but the 'one size fits all' euro makes German tools very reasonable. I can buy 5 Stahlwile wrenches online for just £23. If I go to any shop I'm struggling to get Taiwanese wrenches cheaper - and those are top end Stahlwille wrenches, not 'mid range'!

Why don't I buy more? Good question? I think I'll order some more goodies this afternoon!!

Man I'm jealous

I wish we could do that here. Oh well, each place has their good deals and bad deals. It is always interesting to hear about things like this across the pond.

 

[Matt XYZ]

Stay away from BGS, Bruder Mannesmann and the other junk on Amazon.de. I'm not sure how the prices compare for the better European brands- Stahwille, Hazet, Gedore, etc. I checked out KS Tools at the local car parts store and thought they were overpriced for the quality. I recommend you try ebay. I've gotten some good deals off ebay.de but I'm not sure if they will ship to you. I've also had some very good deals at flohmarkts on used tools. I'm not sure if you have something similar in Estonia. I've found buying used is the way to go most of the time and you can find deals.

 

[SantaAna12]

Dave is a great tool Sherpa in my experience.

Enjoy the ride!

 

[Gmonkee]

I also would wonder how the used tool market works there.

Mexico the Asain stuff is reasonable in all aspects. The used market cheaper for a mixed bag.