34 Piece VDE Electrical Kit for £30 - Good deal?

[eveares]

Bought this from Maplins the other day, when it was only £29.99, not the £39.99 what it is now.

I would not call it a 34 Piece kit though like advertised! The cheek of counting each cable tie as a tool...

VDE Kit

• eveares
• 10 May 2017

Good deal do you think? I suppose it will all come down to the quality of the tools.

Regards: Elliott.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Complete this well known phrase or saying:

Cheap tools aren't good, and good tools......​

 

[John D v2.0]

Yes, I've consistently found that regardless of any supposed offers and discounts, there's an extremely strong correlation between price actually paid and quality of tools.

 

[Doggit]

But they now cost £49.99, so they must be very good tools musn't they.

Or is thus just a case of overprices crap tools

 

[333rocky333]

A workmate buys cheap tools all the time, his latest were from the range and they actually look and feel ok for the price.

https://www.therange.co.uk/hand-tools/screwdrivers/hilka-100mm-ph2-vde-insulated-screwdriver/#119573

 

[JohnD]

at least that one says it's Chrome vanadium steel. Always a good starting point.

The Maplin set looks like they might be small sizes.

 

[Taylortwocities]

There are a few things in there that you wouldn't use, in any case.
The neon screwdriver and the crimp tool would be the first to go in the bin.

Also, I wouldn't use that type of strippers, and where's the long nose pliers?

So....that just leaves the screwdrivers and a few cable ties. I'd not buy it.

 

[eveares]

I agree the neon screwdriver should be binned (or at least gutted and filled with solid resin), but what's wrong with the crimp tool.

I have a similar combined wire stripper/crimp tool from 10 years ago, and yes the cutting part is blunt, it is slightly bent, and its hit or miss if the crimp will be cut in half, but it has been very useful over the years.

And the style of strippers in the kit is popular by some such as bigclive.

Will let you know how good it is when it arrives, I order it two days ago.

 

[Taylortwocities]

That style of crimp tool is only good for the style of crimps used in cars/electronics.

For mains electricity applications, using insulated crimps, such as this:

you need a proper ratchet crimp tool, like this:

 

[ericmark]

Each tool has a different best manufacturer, Facom vice grips are far better than most other makes, for an example, so near impossible to buy a good kit, as you need a selection of manufacturers, the side cutters I got from the military as a thank you are uninsulated, but by far the best cutters I have ever had, only marking is piano wire. Although I have had the adjustable strippers as shown in kit never really got into using them except for repetitive work as take too much to adjust.

To my mind if the kit has cheap crimp pliers, likely the rest is cheap tat.

 

[DaveHerns]

I suppose if it's all you can afford, it's better than nothing.

 

[John D v2.0]

What strippers do you use Eric mark? I used to use the ones with different holes in different sizes which we're a faff, now I use some with two jaws one to grip and one to pull/cut the sheath or insulation, seem to be better but they do tend to pull the insulation and stretch it a bit.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

What standard(s) did VDE say these tools comply with?

 

[ban-all-sheds]

that just leaves the screwdrivers and a few cable ties.

And if you strip everything out of the case, a novel way to carry your sarnies.

 

[Iggifer]

What strippers do you use Eric mark? I used to use the ones with different holes in different sizes which we're a faff, now I use some with two jaws one to grip and one to pull/cut the sheath or insulation, seem to be better but they do tend to pull the insulation and stretch it a bit.

I use these, they do everything from 0.5mm² up to 35mm² (with two hands!)

They're cheap and last ages until you go cutting screws with them. That's all I use sidecutters for now, cutting non copper things