Good set of Whitworth Combination Spanners Wanted

[Floaty Me Boaty]

Hi All,

On speaking to Dick Goble last week, he has suggested a good quality set of Whitworth Spanners is a must for my tool box.

Anyone on here have any supplier recommendations as all i seem to get is 'Crap' ebay referrals.

Thanks in advance.

Edited July 9, 2023 by Floaty Me Boaty
Bold Type Tutt tutt

[ditchcrawler]

Boat and car jumbles, good  old spanners no one wants. I gave my Whitworth sockets to a lad who plays with old road rollers

[David Schweizer]

One of your problems is that no one (well hardly anyone) uses Whitworth spanners these days, so a really good new set will cost you back a couple of hundred quid, even an accptable quaity set will cost something in the region of sixty pounds. I would suggest that you either need to lower your speciofication, or scour boot sales where you should be able to find a good set rescued from "Grandad's Garage" for a few pounds.

[BilgePump]

7 minutes ago, ditchcrawler said:

Boat and car jumbles, good  old spanners no one wants. I gave my Whitworth sockets to a lad who plays with old road rollers

There are also a few vintage/steam rallies coming up this summer in the wider area. Always good for the jumble section for picking up some rusty bargain tools.

[David Schweizer]

As a follow on to my earlier post, the best spanners to look for are Britool, which are still made, but horrendously expensive, mine are more than 55 years old and are still in excellent condition. You could look out for Heyco, which are still made in Germany, but quite expensive new. A very good make which have not been made since the 1970;s is Bedford, who were probably better known for their Files and rasps, but they also made pretty high quality spanners, which you should be able to find in boot sales.

 

Edited July 9, 2023 by David Schweizer

[Jen-in-Wellies]

How about a Whitworth adjustable spanner? That way, you'll only need the one. 😀

[ditchcrawler]

22 minutes ago, Jen-in-Wellies said:

How about a Whitworth adjustable spanner? That way, you'll only need the one. 😀

No they will need a left handed one as well

[Bee]

20 minutes ago, Jen-in-Wellies said:

How about a Whitworth adjustable spanner? That way, you'll only need the one. 😀

And a metric adjustable then you'll be able to tackle anything. To be honest unless you have some ancient machinery you will not really need them, I've got all sorts of sockets and ring spanners and if I can't lay my hands on the right metric spanner I might find some sort of spanner that I can hammer on a nut that 'fits' (Don't tell real engineers though)

[David Schweizer]

6 minutes ago, Bee said:

And a metric adjustable then you'll be able to tackle anything. To be honest unless you have some ancient machinery you will not really need them, I've got all sorts of sockets and ring spanners and if I can't lay my hands on the right metric spanner I might find some sort of spanner that I can hammer on a nut that 'fits' (Don't tell real engineers though)

 

If you have a vintage engine in your boat, you will almost certainly need a set of whitworth spanners. I still need them for the maintenance of my two old Lawnmowers.

[Bee]

6 minutes ago, David Schweizer said:

 

If you have a vintage engine in your boat, you will almost certainly need a set of whitworth spanners. I still need them for the maintenance of my two old Lawnmowers.

I've got a couple of hefty open ended spanners with GWR stamped on them. If anybody has a GWR pannier tank they might just fit a bit of complicated valve gear.

[Tonka]

There is some decent sets on ebay. Even some Bedford ones as recommended by @David Schweizer

[ditchcrawler]

10 minutes ago, Tonka said:

There is some decent sets on ebay. Even some Bedford ones as recommended by @David Schweizer

That is well worth a look, I just did two ebay searches, Whitworth spanners job lot and just Whitworth Spanners under best match.

[BWM]

Silverline do a basic set, but Facebook market can throw up some decent lots.

[Floaty Me Boaty]

  

Found these and don't look too shabby.

[pearley]

5 hours ago, David Schweizer said:

As a follow on to my earlier post, the best spanners to look for are Britool, which are still made, but horrendously expensive, mine are more than 55 years old and are still in excellent condition. You could look out for Heyco, which are still made in Germany, but quite expensive new. A very good make which have not been made since the 1970;s is Bedford, who were probably better known for their Files and rasps, but they also made pretty high quality spanners, which you should be able to find in boot sales.

 

My first spanners were Britool. A set of Whitworth and a set of AF, a present from Dad. Not got many of them left now unfortunately. The trouble with working in the motor trade is everyone borrows your tools.

 

I did buy a nice Whitworth one in the market in St Ives a few years ago as none of my AF or Metric ones seem to fit the nuts on my battery terminals.

Edited July 9, 2023 by pearley

[Guest]

4 minutes ago, Floaty Me Boaty said:

  

Found these and don't look too shabby.

 

The price says different.....

 

Youd be better following earlier advice.

[BWM]

7 minutes ago, Floaty Me Boaty said:

  

Found these and don't look too shabby.

Should be fine, these are the ones I mentioned. 

https://www.powertoolsdirect.com/silverline-633967-whitworth-spanner-set-8pce-1-8-9-16in-each-1-5024763029677?gclid=Cj0KCQjwtamlBhD3ARIsAARoaEy-E5lm3-h-HiBI9TduEPonxbYVDBkWy8RaNbB-e7En8rWIOn2Ltd4aAvbGEALw_wcB

 They are up to the job, and the only issue I've had with them is the wrap they come in - they tend to fall out into inconvenient spaces!

Edited July 9, 2023 by BWM

[Floaty Me Boaty]

Just looking at 'King Dick' spanners, which are top price but quality sells i suppose.

I have WW sockets from a set i purchased when i was 16, still as new and can finally put them to use.

[BEngo]

I have not looked at their site for a while but my combination set came from Frost Auto Restoration.  Elora make.  I have not managed to wear them out yet.

 

I think Teng also do them.

 

Otherwise as said above. Car boots, steam and vintage rallies and e-bay looking for good names.  King Dick are also good kit.

 

 If you get rusty ones have a look at   electrolytic corrosion removal.  Beats a wire brush any day.  Don't use hydrochloric acid (spirits of salts).  It is very effective at rust removal but it may spoil the steel and weaken the spanner.

 

The tool you will one day need is the special spanner for  the cylinder to crankcase nuts (and lock-nuts).  

 

An injector slide hammer can also be useful if the previous owner did not put copper grease round the injector body where it fits into the head.

 

N

[ditchcrawler]

On the boat I have a socket set, like brand new, it was my dads, bought in about 1965 and made by, wait for it "Halfords". They did good tools in those days, I think they came with a lifetime guarantee whatever a lifetime is.

[Guest]

27 minutes ago, ditchcrawler said:

On the boat I have a socket set, like brand new, it was my dads, bought in about 1965 and made by, wait for it "Halfords". They did good tools in those days, I think they came with a lifetime guarantee whatever a lifetime is.

 

All my stuff is Halfords, but the 'professional' range, bought about 15 years ago. Not the cheapest but they seem very robust. And yes a lifetime guarantee.

 

Dont think they do Whitworth stuff though now, but happy to be corrected.

 

 

Edited July 9, 2023 by M_JG

[Tonka]

5 minutes ago, M_JG said:

 

All my stuff is Halfords, but the 'professional' range, bought about 15 years ago. Not the cheapest but they seem very robust. And yes a lifetime guarantee.

 

Dont think they do AF stuff though now, but happy to be corrected.

I am sure they do Across Flat spanners

[Guest]

11 minutes ago, Tonka said:

I am sure they do Across Flat spanners

 

Not sure why I typed that. Now corrected.

[ditchcrawler]

41 minutes ago, M_JG said:

 

All my stuff is Halfords, but the 'professional' range, bought about 15 years ago. Not the cheapest but they seem very robust. And yes a lifetime guarantee.

 

Dont think they do Whitworth stuff though now, but happy to be corrected.

They did in 65 😜

 

 

[Peugeot 106]

2 hours ago, David Schweizer said:

 

If you have a vintage engine in your boat, you will almost certainly need a set of whitworth spanners. I still need them for the maintenance of my two old Lawnmowers.

Or a Seagull outboard