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Kincrome V Sidchrome

General Tech Talk

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Post by Dirty »

Have started to use Teng Tools which are the most cost effective and readily available tools in the area with a proper warentee (not the manuf. only like Sidcrome and the likes). Teng's warentee also extends to the boxes the tools come in, with replacement for any breakage.

They have a kit with almost meets you needs, misses the 8mm, but they also ahave great little mini sets which could cover that.

Don't use this place, but it has the kit on the web.

http://www.vektools.com.au/teng-tools-p ... -2494.html

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Post by GRPABT1 »

I have always liked sidchrome stuff for the price but I must also say these days they are getting a little dodgey. I work in a refinery where tools get abused to no end in horrible acidic environments and my company mainly purchases sidchrome and JBS through blackwoods. Of late it seems the JBS stuff is better quality and lasts longer in the abuse.
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Post by evanstaniland »

i got a sidchrome tool kit when i first started my apprenticeship cant fault any of the tools so far, and have been adding to it with either SP tools, good quality and good price, Snap On or CAT tools. most of CATs tooling is made by snap on but it is usually alot cheaper.
example a 1/2 inch torque wrench off snapon was round $700, thru CAT it was $380ish and when i got my mate to buy it (works for CAT) it was $265 brand new even had the snap on manual in the box

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Post by bigbrowndog »

I have both plus some Minimax, but I think the Kinchrome sockets seem to grip softer clutch bolts [ worn] better than Sidchrome sockets. Maybe my sidcrome has worn more than the Kinchrome. Also a couple of sets of Craftsman gear drive spanners from the USA that are brilliant. cheers
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Post by dazzah »

I have a total tools socket set and it's been good so far and reasonably priced...my mate bought a package deal for $999, (from tool specialist at sandgate, near newy) he got a cabinet on wheels, plus a small box i think about an 8 drawer, and the 8 drawer was full of tools, socket set, hammer, pliers, spanners, screwdrivers, etc...we added it up and they basically through the cabinet in for nothing...awesome buy, if i had the money i would have got one too :( and i haven't seen a deal similar since...

just out of interest, when i was working retail in a camping shop, the manufacturers life time warranty, covered manufacturing faults only, and lifetime meant lifetime of the product (that was determined by the manufacturer)...
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Post by AZZA'S HJ47 »

i have bent, snapped and cracked the teng stuff at work we all call it twang cas it breaks all the time they sell the stuff at work and i do get the stuff for next to nothing (still keeps me away from the stuff) i have a heap of sidchrome stuff and have never broken anything sp tools are quite good i am starting to buy there stuff i have heard that they are made in the same place as the snap on stuff they look identical when i compare the two and there 1/4 of the price of snap on. thats my 2c have used sidchrome for 5years streight and im stickin with them. :2gunfire:
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Post by Struth »

I only use JC sets for spanners and sockets now, haven't had a problem with any of their gear at work or in the garage, I wouldn't waste my money on the old name brands anymore.

Cheers
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Post by Bluefreak »

I have Kingchrome wall mounted box, had it for nearly17 years and it all still performs brilliantly - split a couple of sockets and replaced without question...

Got given a TTI 9 draw box last year, snaped the 13mm open/ringy using it as a pry bar - the bloke looked at it, looked at me, looked at the spanner again and burst out laughing... When he regained his composure he just grabbed another one off the shelf and handed it over...
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Post by bogged »

AZZA'S HJ47 wrote:i have heard that they are made in the same place as the snap on stuff they look identical when i compare the two and there 1/4 of the price of snap on.
they probably are made in same place. but they will be to different specs.
Like shocks, in aussie there are only 2 places if I remember that make them. Monroe I think it is make OME, but to ARB specs.


It aint any easier !! Shocked that Sidchrome are going downhill :(

Might just go buy the sockets I need seperately.
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Post by Skegbudley »

Sidcrome rust in humid conditions.
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Post by Zaphod »

IMHO, if you are going to get tools that you have to REALLY rely upon and plan to go away for any length of time. Replacement warranty really means....

F^$K All

While in the Aust. Army, o'notsolongago....I found that Snapp-Off are absolute CRAP...I really do mean CRAP. Sure they'd replace broken stuff, (days, weeks or months later), but, when you can only take 1 set of tools with you, definitely CANNOT be relied upon.

I will probably get flamed by Snapp-Off fanbois (I don't care), but I would never ....ever....personally buy Snapp-Off.

They have let me and many of my mates down in so many ways.

It's probably a bit different for yanks or a mech workshop that have a Snapp-Off van or rep lurking nearby or can borrow a tool from someone else.

What pissed us off so much (my workshop/section etc anyway) was that a lot of their tools would not always fit properly and would just strip stuff or break. These tools left us in a really bad pinch way too many times.

IMHO they are way, way over-rated, much too expensive and simply among the worst I've ever used.

I'd prefer tools that bend rather than snap and/or strip stuff due to bad fit.

At least with bent tools, you can heat (even over decent coals in an open fire) and smash back into some sort of shape...then do some sort of a re-temper (water or oil quench), try something to loosen what you wanna undo (heat, anti-sieze, swear at, lube or bash with something) in the middle of nowhere and then try again.

Even if they could bend rather than shatter or snap, their tolerances are appalling. (and yes we supposedly had the right rated tools for the job for the Snapp-off fanbois out there.....this is really middle of nowhere (read real time out bush with nothing other than what you carry in a pack....3 packs to a rover). We had their most complete set at our loc (~1500km away) and carried a fly-set with us for our task.

The current generation of Sidchrome is nearly as bad (over priced and crap).
Sidchrome at least fit what you want do or undo fairly nicely, but can't be relied upon to undo seized stuff or anything torqued too much beyond recommended for size.
One thing we'd do, was to buy the older (original Aus made) Sidchrome spanners and ratchet drivers from auctions, deceased estates and ebay. To us, they were the only ones to depend upon (although would prefer Stahlwille for weight, if we could get them)

Bear in mind, both old and new Sidchrome thin-wall sockets crack relatively easily.
The ones to get are the old thick-wall sockets (although they won't necessarily squeeze into spaces available on modern vehicles)...these will last forever....did i say old ratchet drivers are a worthwhile investment.

Kinchrome are way over-priced for what they are these days. Despite this, are probably not too bad for the the "average Joe-Blow" and/or odd job in the garage, maybe even take away for that Gunbarrel or caravan round Aus trek.....and in its current generation, may well last a lot of people a lifetime when not used in anger.
The old Kinchrome's were cheap, tough and really gave the old Sidchromes a run for their money (but definitely corrode a bit more easily than you would expect). This is probably how they initially got their reputation. There wasn't much else out there at the time. It was either way too expensive or really bad Chinese sets. It really is these old, very very shite Chinese sets that gave any Chinese made ones now a bad rep. These days, people should really understand that things have changed a lot.
Even though it probably doesn't sound right to a lot of people here, I really would prefer a decent made Chinese tool to an equivalent and much overpriced US one these days....the quality is simply that much better now and so much cheaper.

Old Kinchrome thin-wall sockets were definitely better than any Sidchrome ones....period.
Their screwdrivers were not too bad, still effective and ok for general use.
Any other Kinchrome tools...not really any better than a generic hardware -auto chain premium brand.

To shorten this post................

Stahwille.... Spanners...THE BEST (i've ever used anyway)...just very damn expensive. Light....and very very strong. I don't have experience in many of their other tools, but will when I win lotto. (these are THE ones we'd try to take bush and would try get them anyway possible).
In the 90's, my panel beater and mechanic mates would almost take a 2nd mortgage to buy sets, but we would all laugh at the others in the factory unit complex lined up behind the Snapp-Off van to replace stuff.

Sidchrome.....the old ratchet drivers and breaker bars....THE BEST (we would really only take these bush) ...bar none ... If you can get them, their old Aus made spanners and thick wall sockets are heavy (compared to Stahlwille), but will outlast your great-great-great grand-kids.

Kinchrome....not too bad thin wall sockets and comfortable, reasonably good modern screwdrivers. Like with Sidchrome, the older stuff is better.....(just forget about taking them sea-ward too much). These days just too damn expensive for what they are. Better off with a auto-haus premium set...way cheaper and probably better.
Good for the lazy Gen Y who knows FA, will pay $$$$ for a mediocre but flash looking over-rated tool set. Will probably last their lifetime and maybe Gen Z's as well (but doubt after that).
If you buy a full set (full chest), you probably just want to impress your friend or neighbor that really don't care anyway.
Maybe good for a Pajero owner :finger:
However, having said that, I carry their Hex-Allen key set. Thats all I'd get.

Crescent and also Bahco......Great portable sets for general use, just sometimes not the sizes you want or need......can be expensive for what they are. Very typical US set and probably not too bad for a pleb set. Do their job well when needed. Good in a general occasional use workshop as well. You might be a bit pissed about not having the exact size you need unless you own a US manufactured car. Not really meant to be professional tools.

Stanley....From my experience, great screwdrivers...even the cheaper ones. Not everyone will necessarily prefer them, I've been using them for 20 odd years and have never really wanted or needed any others. Their sets are available nearly anywhere and just seem to always fit just right. I always have and probably always will carry a set in car (like extinguisher and 1st aid kit).

I carry cheap, Australian owned, Chinese made full Fragram sets of 1/4", 3/8" and 1/2" socket sets, complete rollup spanner set, punch set, hammers, circlip set, plier and vice grip set, Stanley screwdriver set, Kinchrome Hex set etc etc. This all fits in an easily carry-able builders bag. They have been used many many times.

At home, I have a heap of different tools, no one brand....no Snapp-Off obviously. The home set has lasted 20+ years and continues to grow. A lot is 2nd hand. I don't think there has been many days gone by when not used for something.

I don't think I've spent more than $1000 for all the tools I own.
Yom
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Post by Yom »

ive seen the FORCE brand being used a fair bit in wreckers over the past few years and the guys seem to like them. They're pretty cheap and the appearance is fitting of the cost but they seem to cope with the abuse the dismantlers give them (thats ALOT i should mention...these guys abuse tools way more than i ever would)

anyone else use them before?

im interested as i was given a nice big socket set recently with a ratchet so big i actually felt a little giddy thinking what big bolts i could find on the GQ to undo with it. :lol:
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Post by Nuckingfuts »

You honestly cant go wrong with the total tools brand, we have some of their stuff at work (machine shop) and it cops an absolute hiding (especially the socket sets). we have had a couple of meters of RHS hanging off the end of one of their 1/2" ratchets and about a 35mm socket or something and a big bloke hanging off the other end of it :lol: and nothing even looked like breaking, bending etc and the entire set still looks brand new, and this set has been abused very badly. surprisingly very impressed with them and wouldnt hesitate buying more, price isnt great but isnt too bloody bad either for what you get.
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Post by want33s »

Pisses me off how Sidchrome play the "made in Australia" card when it's bullshit.
My father worked on a container ship running from china to east coast of Aus and regularly pinched Sidchrome spanners out of wire sided containers to weld onto taps and valves on the ship that had rusted.
They are all cast in china and then sent to Australia to be hardened and chromed.
51% of the entire manufacturing processs is done in Australia so they claim Australian made. :bad-words:
Has been like that ever since they changed their name from Siddons tool Co to Sidchrome.
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Post by KiwiBacon »

Why has no-one mentioned Koken?
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Post by ROGQ »

My 20 dollar trojan ratchet from bunnings has outlasted my sidchrome one which busted less than 6 months old, trojan one is still going. Both being used in the same conditions. Must say i won't be buying sidchrome again...
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Post by Chook350 »

the tti stuff that total tools sell is pretty good, i got spanners n sockets neva had a drama, life time warranty, good price n excelent quaility, repco gear is great to, no questions asked if it breaks they open cabinet n give you new 1, snap on is good but to pricey, well for me it is, i been in trade 4 10years n only broken 2 torx bits(repco) couple of screwdrivers but kept n modified.
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Post by Jeeps »

I've a lot of kinchrome stuff and i love it, although i don't abuse it everyday. I've got a good selection of KinchromeFlex-head and reverse gear ratchet spanners and they're awesome but pricey. I also got a set of Kinchrome Torquemaster screwdrivers for christmas and they're brilliant, they grip phillips head screws like nothing else...
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Post by brendan_h »

seems you DONT get what you pay for these days with tools.

im looking into getting some tools to so i dont have to borrow them off dad and get a call the next day when he is stuck at a job saying wheres the ....... he just has a socket set and spanner set from super cheap auto. use them a few times and havnt got anything bad to say about them except for the little spanners rounding off tight bolts. also got some older sidchrome gear :armsup: (where my dads dad set) probably should sort it all out and them buy whats missing
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Post by Jeeps »

brendan_h wrote: also got some older sidchrome gear :armsup: (where my dads dad set) probably should sort it all out and them buy whats missing
My dad's also got heaps of sidchrome gear from 30 years ago and it's awesome, better than the new sidchrome stuff
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Post by bogged »

Well sounds to me like another yota/nissan, waeco/engel thread :lol:

50% have had each brand and had no problem
50% have had each brand and had them explode like a ZD30 with <10klms on them.


I might just buy the seperate sockets in the sizes I need.. Already have the ratchet, and other accessories, really only need the sockets.. Hmm where to buy stahlwillie in melb.
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Post by Bad_Zook »

koken screwdrivers and cold chisels/ punches etc and stahlwille spanners and sockets are the top rung.. as are knipex tools. dowidat.. esp. tyre levers are also the ducks guts.
i also have some Bahco stuff i got while in Denmark.. pretty good..
I'd also stick to 'vice grip' as a brand.. copies just aren;t the same.

i have also found snap-on euro spanners to be invaluable as they are very skinny... get into lots of places.

some sp gear is good but thier ratchets and most of their other tools with rubber on the handles were not thought out.. after about a weeks use the oil and grease kills them. their double acting pliers etc are crap...

and then pretty much a repeat of what others have said sidchrome jbs sp are all similar..

i say shop around. see what your mates have by each tool to your budget and needs. if you only need the tools to play on your rig on the weekend.. no need to buy a 1000 stahlwille spanner set.

on a side note- the new stuff from supercheap.. is made on the same factory floor as sidchrome/kinchrome/stanely. same for the 'hsv' tools..
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Post by brad-chevlux »

I've found through years of useing abusing tools at work, that it doesn't matter what brand you get. Some of that brands tools will not be up to the job.
Through trial and error, i've built up a good set using just about every brand mentioned in this thread. different brands seem to better at different things.
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Post by love ke70 »

Yom wrote:ive seen the FORCE brand being used a fair bit in wreckers over the past few years and the guys seem to like them. They're pretty cheap and the appearance is fitting of the cost but they seem to cope with the abuse the dismantlers give them (thats ALOT i should mention...these guys abuse tools way more than i ever would)

anyone else use them before?

im interested as i was given a nice big socket set recently with a ratchet so big i actually felt a little giddy thinking what big bolts i could find on the GQ to undo with it. :lol:
ive got the FORCE set of metric spanners at home, bought them for dad about 2 or 3 years ago, and ive given them a flogging, they are bloody tough and i find them very comfy in the hand for a spanner. for the price i would certainly recommend them.

bogged wrote:Digity...

Does anyone make a good quality set of 1/2 inch drive sockets, in stock sizes (8,10,12,14,17,19,21,22,24) without all the imperial stuff?

Currently lookin at this
http://www.kincrome.com.au/web/catalogu ... ber=13417P
Image
sale for $185
RRP $249...


Edit: This would be nice :(
http://cgi.ebay.com.au/Stahlwille-50-Pi ... 18Q2el1247
http://www.totaltools.com.au/icat/pdf.php?id=146

i bought the 10 peice deep socket set about 2 years ago, got the impact ones because i usually find if your using a half inch, its gonna A. take a beating, and B. not need to fit into the tiniest of places.
ive loaded these up something chronic, read, a crank pulley bolt that a 3/4" rattle gun at 120 psi wouldnt budge. motor got put on a engine stand, and we got a kinchrome 1/2" lever bar (name escapes right now :oops: ) with a 1m bar on the end, and bent that without any real effort.
so binned that, got out the old torque wrench which was no longer trusted, put a bigger bar on that, and busted the internals of that, so welded it up, and put a 2.5m bar on the end. bent the engine stand swinging off the bar, and finally got the bolt moving, the socket showed no sign of misuse.

if theres ever a size socket i need, i just go in and buy 'genius' brand sockets, theyre impact and very tough.

just carry a cheapo thin wall socket set for those hard to get bolts, but rarely need to use them.
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Post by zagan »

bogged wrote:Digity...

Does anyone make a good quality set of 1/2 inch drive sockets, in stock sizes (8,10,12,14,17,19,21,22,24) without all the imperial stuff?

Currently lookin at this
http://www.kincrome.com.au/web/catalogu ... ber=13417P
Image
sale for $185
RRP $249...


Edit: This would be nice :(
http://cgi.ebay.com.au/Stahlwille-50-Pi ... 18Q2el1247
If your after a lot of sized sockets in the 1 kits I'd suggest an SPtools socket set.

They start at 6mm and go up to 34, 36mm sockets then in the same kit would have the same sizes again but imperal sockets.

I haven't had SPtools so can't say if there good or bad but their kits seem to offer much more than kingchrome etc, snapon you can't buy unless you know someone with a truck anyway, then your buying 3-4 kits just to get the sizes you would get in the SPTool kit anyway.
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Post by BundyRumandCoke »

My dad only ever had Sidchrome spanners, and Stanley screwdrivers. He had his own extensive home workshop where he use to do all sorts of tinkering on all sorts of things.

That was until he got too sick to tinker anymore. All his tools pretty much sat idle of about 5 years or so. When he passed away, over 31 years ago, his tools and machinery were largely split up between my elder brother and myself.

I still use his tools, some of which would have to be well over 50 years old. I remember at some stage, another brand of spanners coming on the market with a very similar name to Sidchrome, it wasnt Kinchrome, but maybe something like Sinchrome. Dad always thought they were a very poor, cheap immitation of the real thing.
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Post by Dingo »

want33s wrote: They are all cast in china and then sent to Australia to be hardened and chromed.
51% of the entire manufacturing processs is done in Australia so they claim Australian made. :bad-words:
Has been like that ever since they changed their name from Siddons tool Co to Sidchrome.
What happened was that Repco purchased Siddons and after a few years they then changed the name to Sidchrome and started doing the cast overseas bit, and the only place you could buy Sidchrome was a Repco store. They also Purchased Stanley Tools about the same time.

Repco still own the design plans and patents for the "Old Style" Siddons/Sidchrome range and have based their own Repco brand tools on those design plans.

At the time I was building up my tool kit I was working for an Earthmoving company which was actually owned by Wreckair Hire which was owned by Brambles, who at the time just happened to own Repco so I was able to get a "Staff Discount" on all of Repco's stuff including their subsidiary companies, i.e. Sidchrome, Stanley ect. So I purchased a rather large Sidchrome tool kit for about $700 back in about 1983 at a rather large discount. To replace this now I would be looking at nearly 4.5K and not get the same quality as in the past, even from the new Repco brand mainly due to the quality of the metal used in them but I beileve that value for money now I would buy Repco if I had to.

As suggested elsewhere you pay for what you get.

I still hunt around the hock shops and deceased estates for old Siddons and Sidchrome stuff. Just can't beat it. Getting harder to find as well.

Most of the old Australian tool companies have been bought up , chopped up and sold off for there good names only to have the new owners create rubbish trying to save a $
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Post by GQ4.8coilcab »

my tool box is sidchrome, pretty good i reckon. snap on is worth the price, stripping bolts with my sidchrome spanners, flank drive got them..........unbelievable :shock:
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Yom
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Post by Yom »

KiwiBacon wrote:Why has no-one mentioned Koken?
my old man's got a few koken bits and pieces throughout various tool piles and I have to say that I've broken a shitload of his sidchrome/kinchrome sockets but not a single koken.

id say they're pretty bloody good, but nfi where you'd buy them here and i'm guessing they wouldn't be cheap.
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Post by Zeyphly »

I've been using SP tools for a couple of years now. I started out with just a couple of spanner rolls of theirs but when i needed to upgrade my cutternt box i bought a full tool box. I like their spanners and basic tools but some stuff isnt up to the standard of comparativly priced tools, but still nothing wrong with it all the same. I do have a bit of a mixture of tools, Repco impact sockets, Kingcrome breaker bar, ramdom KC tool spanners and such.
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