To cut a long story short Im gonna be building up a small garage for my upcoming project so Im looking to start buying tools as I go along. Now we would all love to have a full Snap-on tool set but thats not going to happen. However, I am lucky enough to have a Halfords trade card so I get discounted prices for lots of things including tools. I once took a broken socket back and they changed it with no questions asked at all so Im thinking thats the way to go. What do you guys think? Do you like Halfords Professional?

 

Very good for the money

 

Everytime ive used there stuff its been fine.. They are good with returns though my mate took a toolbox back which he broke a draw out (some how) and they gave him a brand new one straight away no questions..

 

Best value for money out there imo

 

Sam- I know we're talking about tools but I couldnt help but laugh at what it says below your name. Why thats so funny I dont know lol

 

got this box took that ratchets back because they fell apart and they gave me the dearer ones free

 

Halfords Pro gets one more vote here.

 

Yes,super stuff.the ampro range in euro's really good as well.of course with baptists if it fails on a Sunday at 3pm you can change it,which you can't really with snap on.

 

and its even better value for money if you can find a mate with a trade card and get a nice big discount on all tools and servicable items, Ł0.48p for a pair of brake bulbs instead of the shelf price of Ł2.48. ive got a few of their stuff including the ratchet spanner set, great gear.

 

had my socket set for about 6 years,good stuff

 

Had my set for years now and its been fanatstic

i had 1 breakage on a socket adaptor but that was seriously my fault as i was too heavy handed

 

Yup gets my vote too, I also have a trade card, get tools at around half price

 

They get my vote, got two large tool chests and full set of sockets, ratchets and ratchet spanners from them. Had them nearly 6 years and never had a problem,would definately recommend them for the price and as said above,you can get replacements on a Sunday!

 

The original halfords professional stuff made by snapon is no longer available and has been replaced now by the advanced range which I believe is made by someone else, the quality is still the same as far as I can tell though and they will still replace broken parts.

Snap-on stuff is MUCH more expensive, and the guarentee is far less useful to a home user as you cant just easily exhange things of a weekend, I cant see any point in having snap-on tools instead unless you are a business and have a regular visit from the snap-on man, for home use its utterly pointless.

 

Double check the price at mo trade price on on cabinet Ł93 sale price Ł83

 

How do you get the trade card?

 

Well the easy answer is that you get it by proving you are in the motor trade.

They used to just accept a few reciepts from other places as proof of trading, but I think they have clamped down a bit since.

 

One of the following qualifying criteria is required to prove you are a mechanic:

NVQ or City & Guilds Motor Trade Qualification
Business card stating they have their own Mechanics Business

What is stopping me from making my own card and going in?

 

Nothing stopping you at all as far as im aware, I know people who have done exactly that.

Its well worth having the card so definatly worth the effort to get one, some of the price differences are ridiculous, especially things like bulbs, where I get 80-90% discount on most of them.

Although of course all that does is bring them back to what is a fair price charged by local autofactors in the first place, but the difference is that near me those people dont open on a sunday, and thats normally the day I get most free time to work on my car, so its halfords or end up waiting till next weekend for something I need, so to me my trade card is really useful.

As mentioned above though, on sale items be careful as sometimes the trade price is higher than the sale price, so buy those items in a seperate transaction without using the card.
Sale stuff I normally buy on staff card instead, as that still takes 15% off everything even including sale items (my mrs works there and employees partners get a card too)

 

Lucky

I might knock up a card and give it ago!

Whats the worse that could happen.

 

Worse that can happen if you print out a business card and try it on is they say no, in which case just try another store, once you get issued it in one store it works in all of them anyway, lol

If my mrs signs anyone up she always asks to see either trade insurance or certificated proof of either qualifications or employment in the trade I beleive so probably wouldnt take any notice of a business card on its own, but im sure some of the people signing you up will do so as my mate did it a couple of years ago in the uxbridge store, he just printed off some cards and headed note paper and took it in and they gave him the card no argument at all.

Its all down to the member of staff you happen to talk to I think!

 

Well there is this guy who i keep going in and telling him about my cossie and he loves it so maybe he would help me out.

Like you said if not then go to the next store, i know of 4 kinda near me.

Do you get discount on just tools and car parts? What about paint and little bits?

 

Chip get me a box will you !
Means about Ł70 instead of the public price of Ł83 or trade of Ł93

 

The level of discount varies depending on the items.

Paint it tends to be about 15% or so IME, the advanced tools its normally between 25-50%, bulbs its about 80-90% and things like the radios its nothing at all.

 

No problem mate, which one are you after as I cant see one at 83 quid:

http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/s...|sor||Price||1

 

It would be worth a try as they dont photocopy it or anything just look and then give you the card.

I know a guy who works there from years ago and just asked him for one and he gave me it

 

also had socket set and only thing that happend to it was on the ratchet a screw that holds it together sometimes comes loose, so had to keep tightening it.. ended up messing up the screw so put a nut `n bolt through it as it just keeps working.. and with me hanging off the thing it still took it. good strong stuff had it for years now.

 

I can't knock the Halfords stuff at all, really well made, nice to use, lifetime guarantee etc........

I do however really love my Snap On stuff though but I bought all of them when I was working in a garage and built up my collection over years.

But as far as value for money goes, IMO you won't go wrong with Halfords gear!

 

Ill just say ive just started up and make a card with a car or two on it and saying im the best in the world

I do like to blag things when im out.

 

Look like my toolset is gonna be from Halfords then. I just love servicing my car and looking at how much it WOULD have cost

 

I bought the RING SMART CHARGE 8, battery charger from there a few weeks back, on trade card it was Ł9.46p cheaper, was Ł52.99 to start with but Ł43.53 with card.
I'm a bit pissed they don't do the bogof offer on the bulbs anymore as the H4 extreme brilliance halfords own are awsome, but Ł20 each now, keep forgetting to take the card!!
tabetha

 

the only halfords bits ive had problems with are the 3/8 drive torx bits, snapped a fair few now. otherwise i cant fault them, most of my stuff is halfords professional and a fair few years old.
also got a few draper expert bits, teng, beta etc. pretty much everything bar snapon as its just too expensive for home use.

 

pro stuff is good enough, torx sockets tend to die on peugeot brake calipers though lol!
nothing else has failed as of yet with normal use (Extension locking pin due to impact gun rattling it loose and fell apart)
keep the receipt though, that is essential.

 

just got a 3/8" swivel head ratchet, i'm very pleased with it!

 

I have a full set of sockets, m/f torx, deep sockets, breaker, screwdrivers etc all been great for home use on my rebuild and on other motors etc. once bet a torx bit, they just laughed and said "No idea how you did that, have another!"

In summary well worth it for the money. recommended

 

the halford pro range is made by sykes and pickervant so they are good tools i get halfords trade and the tools are good quality only thing i dont like is when they break and you take it to a store they ask you for recipt and tell you to return it from store purchased ( issue for me as i live between a town and a city so cant remember where i buy em) and the ratchets dont have a full guarantee its only against defects so if you break the ratchet they sell you a repair kit apart from that ive got a fair few cheap deals from them

 

Ive never been asked for a receipt or told to go to a different store.


Depends which bit of the rathetc fails, but yes the bit covered by the repair kits (which are only a few quid) arent covered by the guarentee, but if its the stop the mechanism goes against then it is as I have had one of those swapped over for a new rathet for free.

 

the tools in the pro range are about the only thing with a halfords name on it worth buying ,I have had a large pro set for 8 years now with never an issue and that included ratchet spanners,as chip mentioned its all down to the member of staff you deal with as some are really helpfull and others are a waiste of space

 

i usually get the jobsworth that talk like they know but dont know anything

 

i have found there tools pretty good,after my lock up got broken into all my snapon tools got nicked 15yrs of collecting them plus my old mans tools which i got when he came off the tools and went into the office all gone in one night i could not afford to replace them so i got halfords toolbox top and bottom in black,and a lot of there pro tools the only thing is the screw drivers are shit but other than that spot on and cost less