LRM VERDICT
All sets come with manufacturer guarantees, indicative of their quality. Indeed, all functioned perfectly well, so what distinguishes them here? They all feature 12-point ratchet designs and are dimensionally similar, but after putting all five sets through their paces over the course of a working day provided me with plenty of insight as to the pros and cons of their design, relative to their typical selling prices.
Silverline’s set is excellent value and will not disappoint anyone looking for a set to use occasionally. Its specification is, for the most part, on a par with its rivals so it’s the smaller details that count. These include the permanent pivot pin design which, in my experience, usually gets looser with regular or heavy use.
Laser’s set offers very good quality and feel at a price many pro users will be prepared to pay. I liked its socket design which gave a solid grip on fixings, and the ratchet action inspired confidence. The omission of rotational arrows might be a minor point, but they do prove very useful. Proxxon’s stylishly presented set with its matt finish certainly stands out. In use, it’s a quality piece of kit with an excellent ratchet action and that self-positioning flexible head feature. I like the matt finish and find it assists grip when wearing slippery, protective gloves. I did miss not having 12 mm and 15 mm sizes, but wouldn’t hold that against it.
The first of the awards goes to the Siegen set from Sealey. This doubleended set gives you 12 spanner sizes for the space of six. A comprehensive selection is always welcome and, although the pivot pin design is the permanent type, the ratchet function and socket design make the package excellent value for money at less than £6 per spanner.
The final award goes to Draper for their clever double-ended ratchets, offering open and closed spanners. The quality is excellent, as is to be expected from their Expert range. The flexible head design and socket shape offer confident positioning on fixings when working on them by feel in confined areas. At the other end, the open spanner ratchet allows working on fixings with limited movement and without trapping them once loosened, as can happen with a ring spanner design. I’m not a fan of the storage rack supplied but the spanners are what it’s all about and these certainly deliver the results.