Spanner set and car tools: how to choose and buy well
What you need a set for
A set for the boot “just in case” and a set for everyday garage work are different things. For the road a compact one is enough: a wheel spanner, a few sockets, screwdrivers and pliers. For a home garage you need a set of sockets and spanners of several hundred pieces with a ratchet. In a workshop they value strong sockets for pneumatic or impact tools and a torque wrench.
Parameters that decide quality
The drive comes in 1/4″, 3/8″ and 1/2″. A small drive is handy for the cabin and small nuts, and 1/2″ for suspension and wheels. The socket range is stated in millimetres, for example 8–32 mm; for most cars this range is enough. Look at the number of teeth on the ratchet: the more there are, the smaller the swing needed to engage in a tight spot.
Steel is marked Cr-V (chrome vanadium) for ordinary sockets and Cr-Mo for impact ones. Cheap sets of “soft” metal slip on the nut and round off the corners. Choose a torque wrench separately: check the torque range, because wheels need one set of values and the engine another, and accuracy at the ends of the range is worse.
What to put in the request
- What you need: a socket and spanner set, box spanners, a torque wrench, a wheel spanner, an oil filter wrench.
- Number of pieces: for example 108.
- Sizes: 1/2″ drive, sockets 8–32 mm, torque range.
- What for: the boot, a home garage or a workshop.
- Maker: if you have a preference.
- Condition: new or used.
- Delivery and budget.
Example: “I am looking for a new 108-piece socket and spanner set, 1/2″ and 1/4″ drive, sockets 4–32 mm, for workshop use, in a case. Courier delivery to Al Ain, budget up to AED 350.”
Compare by contents, not by count
“108 pieces” can mean a lot of small bits rather than the sockets you need. Ask for a list of the contents, the grade of steel and the warranty. Check that every item really sits in the case and whether you can buy single sockets later. Look at the case: each item should have its own place.
How BlaBlaPrice affects this
You create one request, and tool sellers reply in the chat with a specific set, price and delivery. The site puts the best offer first and shows reviews of the seller. Sellers can see where they stand among the others and often improve their terms. Your phone is hidden until you choose a seller. Read how it works on the “How it works” page.
With a set people often take a car compressor and an organiser in which this set will be kept.
