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[tunnie]

i have to to use Halfords, much as i hate to, really want a Machine Mart closer 

[TheBoy]

i have to to use Halfords, much as i hate to, really want a Machine Mart closer 

Do Machine Mart sell auto bulbs

[tunnie]

i have to to use Halfords, much as i hate to, really want a Machine Mart closer 

Do Machine Mart sell auto bulbs

Who needs bulbs? In 5 years old had 1 bulb go.... but they sell man tools, as you often point out my garage is lacking in them 

[TheBoy]

i have to to use Halfords, much as i hate to, really want a Machine Mart closer 

Do Machine Mart sell auto bulbs

Who needs bulbs? In 5 years old had 1 bulb go.... but they sell man tools, as you often point out my garage is lacking in them 

Decent screwdrivers - Draper Expert are the ones I like.  Tesco sell a similar-ish looking set for around a fiver, thought Draper made most of their tools.  Suspect not the same quality as Draper Expert though.  Halfords screwdrivers are utter shite.

Decent pliers/grips/wrenches. Halfords ones aren't always ideal, as you discovered.  Plenty of other places sell such things. I'd got for the 'quality' versions from each brand (most brands come in cheapie and quality versions - eg Draper/Draper Expert, Clarke/Clarke Pro, Stanley/Stanley Professional).


Generally, the cheapie versions from each brand are pretty crap to be honest, including Machine Mart's standard Clarke range.


Not sure what Shitefix sell. Toolstation (there's one near the Mini plant in Oxford, so only a slight detour) may be a better bet?  Or Toolmaster, also in Cowley - an old fashioned place.  Much like our own Brackley DIY, which is also worth a look.

[tunnie]

i have to to use Halfords, much as i hate to, really want a Machine Mart closer 

Do Machine Mart sell auto bulbs

Who needs bulbs? In 5 years old had 1 bulb go.... but they sell man tools, as you often point out my garage is lacking in them 

Decent screwdrivers - Draper Expert are the ones I like.  Tesco sell a similar-ish looking set for around a fiver, thought Draper made most of their tools.  Suspect not the same quality as Draper Expert though.  Halfords screwdrivers are utter shite.

Decent pliers/grips/wrenches. Halfords ones aren't always ideal, as you discovered.  Plenty of other places sell such things. I'd got for the 'quality' versions from each brand (most brands come in cheapie and quality versions - eg Draper/Draper Expert, Clarke/Clarke Pro, Stanley/Stanley Professional).


Generally, the cheapie versions from each brand are pretty crap to be honest, including Machine Mart's standard Clarke range.


Not sure what Shitefix sell. Toolstation (there's one near the Mini plant in Oxford, so only a slight detour) may be a better bet?  Or Toolmaster, also in Cowley - an old fashioned place.  Much like our own Brackley DIY, which is also worth a look.

Need to take the bike out, might go over there and see what they have

[TheBoy]

i have to to use Halfords, much as i hate to, really want a Machine Mart closer 

Do Machine Mart sell auto bulbs

Who needs bulbs? In 5 years old had 1 bulb go.... but they sell man tools, as you often point out my garage is lacking in them 

Decent screwdrivers - Draper Expert are the ones I like.  Tesco sell a similar-ish looking set for around a fiver, thought Draper made most of their tools.  Suspect not the same quality as Draper Expert though.  Halfords screwdrivers are utter shite.

Decent pliers/grips/wrenches. Halfords ones aren't always ideal, as you discovered.  Plenty of other places sell such things. I'd got for the 'quality' versions from each brand (most brands come in cheapie and quality versions - eg Draper/Draper Expert, Clarke/Clarke Pro, Stanley/Stanley Professional).


Generally, the cheapie versions from each brand are pretty crap to be honest, including Machine Mart's standard Clarke range.


Not sure what Shitefix sell. Toolstation (there's one near the Mini plant in Oxford, so only a slight detour) may be a better bet?  Or Toolmaster, also in Cowley - an old fashioned place.  Much like our own Brackley DIY, which is also worth a look.

Need to take the bike out, might go over there and see what they have

Think toolsation is one of those you can ring up for a free catalgue, similar setup to shitfix

[tunnie]

i have to to use Halfords, much as i hate to, really want a Machine Mart closer 

Do Machine Mart sell auto bulbs

Who needs bulbs? In 5 years old had 1 bulb go.... but they sell man tools, as you often point out my garage is lacking in them 

Decent screwdrivers - Draper Expert are the ones I like.  Tesco sell a similar-ish looking set for around a fiver, thought Draper made most of their tools.  Suspect not the same quality as Draper Expert though.  Halfords screwdrivers are utter shite.

Decent pliers/grips/wrenches. Halfords ones aren't always ideal, as you discovered.  Plenty of other places sell such things. I'd got for the 'quality' versions from each brand (most brands come in cheapie and quality versions - eg Draper/Draper Expert, Clarke/Clarke Pro, Stanley/Stanley Professional).


Generally, the cheapie versions from each brand are pretty crap to be honest, including Machine Mart's standard Clarke range.


Not sure what Shitefix sell. Toolstation (there's one near the Mini plant in Oxford, so only a slight detour) may be a better bet?  Or Toolmaster, also in Cowley - an old fashioned place.  Much like our own Brackley DIY, which is also worth a look.

Need to take the bike out, might go over there and see what they have

Think toolsation is one of those you can ring up for a free catalgue, similar setup to shitfix

Indeed there is, just requested one 

Thank you for your request for a Toolstation catalogue.
We will rush a copy of our latest catalogue to you.

[ians]

I have bought a fair bit from Toolstation (consumables, decorating, some tools), but wouldn't use them for tools that I didn't regard as throwaway.  Silverline appear to be pretty crap in general.

I agree with TB - generally found Draper Expert stuff to be good quality.   I also like the Halfords Professional tools w. life time guarantee (some good deals on at present I note)

[mr ICE man]

This post is the best I've ever seen halfords are terrible!!as for the audio Dave. From dnd I think you hit the nail on the head,more than halfords!

[Martin_1962]

i have to to use Halfords, much as i hate to, really want a Machine Mart closer 

I go near one on the school run

[dbug]

As an Ex-Halfords Technical Manager myself from many many years ago, I am far from being on the fence about this, and also have a few observations of how the company has gone downhill.

Back in the 80`s, there was quite a good training programme for the staff, and as we were all used to tinkering around with points and plugs on an hourly basis, we had a head start of knowing which end of a screwdriver did anything. With the lack of budget for training and cars so complex nowadays, the kids coming through simply do not have the skillset to tinker, or therefore advise, as they have never been faced with it. Ask a Halfords person now about seriously customising / modifying a car, and it wont be planting a Rover V8 or how to balance a twin carb setup that they reply with, but they may know about which LED bulb fits in place of the original, or how you could be really radical and change your wheels, for . . . erm . . . more round ones. The art of engineering and getting dirty has died - long live the laptop, and places like Halfords are really suffering for it.

But where I notice the biggest downturn is in the audio. Back before the internet and when there was money in car audio, you would find the big brands in Halfords - Pioneer, Sony, Blaupunkt etc etc, but to stop being beaten on price, most of this was given second fiiddle as they looked to asia to come up with some of there own branded stuff - and the Ripspeed head unit has got to be about the worst abomination I have ever seen inside, but it was so popular with the (deserving) chavs, that the powers that be decided to bring in other crap brands also, Tevion, Cheng Flung Dung, and stuff that we have never heard of before. And along with this cheap manufactured goods came other cheap and nasty products, bulbs etc.

But (nearing the end of my rant) this is what I don`t understand. Everybody is looking to buy the cheapest crappiest product of unknown or dubious manufacturer, instead of spending an extra 50p on an established branded name associated with the product in question, and then do nothing but bellyache to everybody when it goes faulty after a few days.

Are people really that naieve and gullable nowadays ?

'Fraid so  :-?

[Humpy]

I would agree that Halfords bulbs are bloody expensive and not particularly good either. I went online to get Nightbreakers that weren't much dearer than Halfords own brand extra bright extra white blah blah blah bulbs. I also made the mistake of buying Halfords wiper blades-never again! Expensive and absolute crap, they were worse than the ones I took off!!! You should have seen their faces when I told them that too. To be fair they did refund me but that's another story.

As for tools, spend a little more and you'll have that item for years. I bought a Britool socket wrench when I first started work as those stupid round headed jap ones seem to be useless. I still use it and it works fine and it's been used and abused for years! A mate of mine always has Snapon and although very expensive they are good stuff. They also have a no quibble (literally) liftime guarantee that's why all professional mechanics use them.

To round up, more or less, you get what you pay for, apart from secondhand Omegas of course

Humpy

[unlucky mark mv6]

i have to to use Halfords, much as i hate to, really want a Machine Mart closer 

Do Machine Mart sell auto bulbs

Who needs bulbs? In 5 years old had 1 bulb go.... but they sell man tools, as you often point out my garage is lacking in them 

Decent screwdrivers - Draper Expert are the ones I like.  Tesco sell a similar-ish looking set for around a fiver, thought Draper made most of their tools.  Suspect not the same quality as Draper Expert though.  Halfords screwdrivers are utter shite.

Decent pliers/grips/wrenches. Halfords ones aren't always ideal, as you discovered.  Plenty of other places sell such things. I'd got for the 'quality' versions from each brand (most brands come in cheapie and quality versions - eg Draper/Draper Expert, Clarke/Clarke Pro, Stanley/Stanley Professional).


Generally, the cheapie versions from each brand are pretty crap to be honest, including Machine Mart's standard Clarke range.


Not sure what Shitefix sell. Toolstation (there's one near the Mini plant in Oxford, so only a slight detour) may be a better bet?  Or Toolmaster, also in Cowley - an old fashioned place.  Much like our own Brackley DIY, which is also worth a look.

Need to take the bike out, might go over there and see what they have

Getyour arse down the pound shop,cant beat a bit of blackspur.

[Bumbazor]

Don't forget Rolson. Maplin have a lot of those

[Andy B]

.....

As for tools, spend a little more and you'll have that item for years.  .....

I have some ring spanners that I bought from Halfords about 30 yrs ago ....... they're a name, but I can't remember now what they are  :-/