fatchap Posted April 11, 2016 Report Share Posted April 11, 2016 (edited) Do they make anything that does the job its made to do or better still survives removal from its packaging without breaking? Keep buying their stuff so nobody to blame except me. My latest purchase was a set of tap and dies. I am a qualified toolmaker so should no better. These dies could not cut a thread on balsa wood let alone relatively soft brass. The 4mm tap got stuck in brass and despite the slightest bit pf persuasion snapped in half. Even their polishing bars are rubbish, too hard. Anyone bought anything from silverline that they are actually pleased with? Edited April 11, 2016 by fatchap Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
walshie Posted April 11, 2016 Report Share Posted April 11, 2016 (edited) i've had a set of silverline spanners knocking about in my garage for years. Not one has broken. The only trouble with them is the size of the spanner is printed on instead of etched or moulded and that's all worn off, so it's anyone;s guess what size they are. Edited April 11, 2016 by walshie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cannon Posted April 11, 2016 Report Share Posted April 11, 2016 (edited) I use Silverline and Bergen tools to make things out of, like metalwork figures with spanners for arms etc. I don't tend to use them for real jobs. A 17mm spanner might measure 17.5mm across the jaws, and the jaws of the open ends spread far too easily. Edited April 11, 2016 by Cannon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Les*1066 Posted April 11, 2016 Report Share Posted April 11, 2016 I've had a Silverline dremel type tool for years. I know it's in the shed somewhere ............................................................................... !! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
39TDS Posted April 11, 2016 Report Share Posted April 11, 2016 Silverline diamond feather edge file. Use it to resharpen my Silky pruning saw (which are not supposed to be sharpened) and it has saved me hundreds in replacement blades. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gordon R Posted April 11, 2016 Report Share Posted April 11, 2016 Silverline are budget tools. Bergen are from Taiwan. I collect tools made in the USA. They are normally a whole lot stronger than the rest of the World. There are some decent European tools:- Beta and Usag from Italy. Facom from France make the best ratchets. Belzer are the best German spanners. Knipex make the best wire cutters. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
panoma1 Posted April 12, 2016 Report Share Posted April 12, 2016 Hobby tools at best! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Westward Posted April 12, 2016 Report Share Posted April 12, 2016 I bought a Silverline SDS Plus drill for not much money. I've used it primarily for breaking up concrete and brickwork prior to hard landscaping work around the garden. It works, it does what I want it to but although the chisel bits are fine and have lasted well, the supplied masonry bits are rubbish. I've never bought cheap hand tools and likely never will but I've no complaints about the drill. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
39TDS Posted April 23, 2016 Report Share Posted April 23, 2016 I foolishly made the idiotic mistake of buying a Silverline draining rod bag. It says it is guaranteed for life, well I hope my life lasts a bit longer than this bag looks like it will. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fortune Posted April 23, 2016 Report Share Posted April 23, 2016 It says it is guaranteed for life. What does that mean? the life of an ant?, Elephant. Or does it mean that when it is broken then that is the end of it's life so that is when the guarantee runs out? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kent Posted April 24, 2016 Report Share Posted April 24, 2016 Some of it is like Christmas's cracker tat. However I do buy thier g clamps, they hold stuff tight and at a fraction of the price of my record stuff and the like I don't get upset if I ruin a thread and am willing to abuse them I also have a few corner picture clamps they were ideal for quickly tacking up a load of light rsa on a job I did buy a profile gauge off them and all the pins dropped out of it first use Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bazooka Joe Posted April 24, 2016 Report Share Posted April 24, 2016 My latest purchase was a set of tap and dies. I am a qualified toolmaker so should no better. These dies could not cut a thread on balsa wood let alone relatively soft brass. The 4mm tap got stuck in brass and despite the slightest bit pf persuasion snapped in half. I'm in the same trade as yourself, & still using the same taps/dies/drills/reamers/milling cutters etc from when I served my time 40yrs ago, Elcheapo stuff looks good, but most even isn't fit for purpose in this category. As for spanners/clamps etc I wouldn't know, plenty of that tat about anyway, take your pick. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kent Posted April 24, 2016 Report Share Posted April 24, 2016 As for taps and dies " carbon steel" means practically any ferrous steel as long as carbon. Is present as regards trade descriptions. High speed steel or high carbon is harder to skirt around Strangely it's very hard to buy a real good set now but taps and dies can be bought of high quality individually to order Silverline etc is not a brand I should bother with for this sort of stuff Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GingerCat Posted April 25, 2016 Report Share Posted April 25, 2016 Got a belt sander with the intention if using it too death and then throwing it. Well it didn't die and is going strong. The jigsaw is not very good but then it was very cheap. You pay for what u get. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
patrickstar Posted April 26, 2016 Report Share Posted April 26, 2016 Aldi are selling a silverline petrol chainsaw for £79.99 with 3 year warrantiey , its worth it for the 3 year alone Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrowningB525 Posted April 26, 2016 Report Share Posted April 26, 2016 I have a silverline drill. Bought on Facebook from a tool shop with a damaged box for pennies. It is light plasticy and rubbish. However I have countersunk thousands of holes with it in plastic. For a household where the extent of diy is putting up shelves on plasterboard. Silverline tools are probably the correct tool for the job. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rovercoupe Posted April 28, 2016 Report Share Posted April 28, 2016 I got a inverter from them and its been great in the camper, the only recent buy was a right angle drill adapter for one job and it saved a days labor and was a tenner, single job tools in my eyes buy some stuff does suprise me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spandit Posted April 28, 2016 Report Share Posted April 28, 2016 I have a post knocker which does the job fine. Almost everything else I've bought is rubbish... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cawdor118 Posted May 1, 2016 Report Share Posted May 1, 2016 I wouldn't even consider putting silverline in my work tool box... But i did use a silverline lazy tong riveter once that worked haha Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Savhmr Posted May 15, 2016 Report Share Posted May 15, 2016 I wouldn't buy any silverline tools. I've had one or two sets of their side snips which lasted about as long as the wire they were cutting, and a jigsaw which was about as poor. My best tools tend to be the ones handed down to me (woodworking) and were made in an era where it was hard to buy rubbish but I have bought a few cheap Japanese pull saws which are very good indeed. My spanners are all high quality Chrome Vanadium, and the only concession to low cost but serviceable was some Halfords "professional" series socket sets. Drills and cordless screwdrivers are all either Dewalt or Makita, soldering station is Weller. Wouldn't use anything else now. Quality tools are out there but are usually at premium prices. It's just that we've become accustomed to paying peanuts for Chinese or Taiwanese rubbish and treating such as disposable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rodp Posted May 15, 2016 Report Share Posted May 15, 2016 Mate of mine was a rep or something for Black and decker donkeys years ago, and he never tired of telling me the designed lifespan of their diy drills. Apparently it was 4 hours They reckoned the average diy enthusiast would only use it for a few minutes at a time so it would last years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scotslad Posted May 15, 2016 Report Share Posted May 15, 2016 I've got odd and **** of silverline and to be honest i'ver never found them that bad, althou at the money i'm not expecting much thou. Fine for an occasional tool that u use once on a blue moon. Never had any power tools thou. Althou there floor board lifter was complete rubbish, so i welded/strengthed it myself works fine now Local ironmongery shop and fencers yard both stock silverline so can't be that bad as the locals would be in complaining all the time if they were, but they will pick there tools/lines and also sell other brands. I would not buy fine tools like taps/dies or a quality wood chisel (mibee a ruff 1) I actually have quite a lot of forge steel stuff now, cheap make from screw fix and i'm relatively impressed. Do quite a bit of diy and renovating an old ruined house at minute so they get a far bit of use/abuse. If i was a tradesman i'd probably pay the extra but for an amatuer they do fine and i know i get my moneys worth out of them Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Badf1shman Posted May 27, 2016 Report Share Posted May 27, 2016 Silverline are budget tools. Bergen are from Taiwan. I collect tools made in the USA. They are normally a whole lot stronger than the rest of the World. There are some decent European tools:- Beta and Usag from Italy. Facom from France make the best ratchets. Belzer are the best German spanners. Knipex make the best wire cutters. Iv always found European tools better than American stuff for what I use (plumbing/heating tools) can't beat estwing hammers tho. Never heard of belzer, always use bahco spanners myself and cannot fault them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gordon R Posted June 1, 2016 Report Share Posted June 1, 2016 Belzer are part of Snap On. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Badf1shman Posted June 1, 2016 Report Share Posted June 1, 2016 Belzer are part of Snap On. sounds expensive lol. The bahco adjustable spanners I buy are made in the same factory as the snap-on ones and are identical. Sort of like audi/vw/seat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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