Siegen SO613
Price £39.99
Tel 01284 757 500
Web www.sealey.co.uk
Piece count 72
Size 270 x 360 x 70mm
Weight 3kg
This kit is heavily weighted towards electrical work, with the sensible inclusion of an electric screwdriver and insulation tape – and the more inexplicable addition of five high-voltage-rated insulated screwdrivers. However, the selection will prove to be handy for many other types of repair and maintenance. A set of combi-spanners would have made this perfect. Still, the kit excels on the screwdriver front, with five standard-size drivers, four small spinner drivers, and a 32-piece bit set complete with a ratcheting screwdriver and a very useful flexible drive shaft.
Verdict Slightly sparse, but compact, lightweight and of reasonable quality.
Rating: * * * *

Draper 71199
Price £89.99
Tel 02380 266 355
Web www.drapertools.com
Piece count 114
Size 260 x 400 x 95mm
Weight 6kg
If you already own a selection of basic hand tools – such as pliers, hammers and crimping pliers – this set really takes some beating. The 1/4in and 3/8in ratchets and sockets cover sizes 4-22mm and 5/32-13/16in AF. The combination spanners cater for sizes 8-19mm. While the kit doesn't contain separate screwdrivers or hex keys, a clever screwdriver style handle can be used with the 24 bits. These cater for most popular screwhead sizes and configurations, plus 3-10mm hex bolts. All the tools are of excellent quality, and many caravanners will be drawn by this Draper's portability and low weight.
Verdict A serious range of sockets, spanners and screwdriver bits.
Rating: * * * *

Sealey AP9243 Combo 6
Price £70.44
Tel 01284 757 500
Web www.sealey.co.uk
Piece count 150
Size 330 x 525 x 245mm
Weight 12kg
This set is different. It comes in two boxes: one contains a smart three-drawer chest, the other is full of tools. Unlike Screwfix, Clarke and Halfords, Sealey is leaving it up to you to arrange the contents in the chest's compartments, without the help of fitted holders. But this means the contents rattle all over the place. The tools come from Sealey's budget brand, Siegen, and most are of a usable quality. But we question some of the choices made in filling it. Is it necessary to have a 25-piece hex key set? And why on earth does Sealy supply a bulging 100-piece screwdriver bit set when no tool has been provided to drive any of them? Easily the biggest drawback, though, is the complete lack of any sockets or ratchets.
Verdict Poor presentation and a flawed selection of contents.
Rating: * *

Screwfix 66008-82
Price £69.99
Tel 0500 414 141
Web www.screwfix.com
Piece count 235
Size 255 x 535 x 330mm
Weight 18kg
Imagine paying just under £70 for a three-drawer chest packed to the gunnels with tools – it seems like a great deal. So what's with the low score? It's because none of the sockets, screwdrivers or spanners in this vast array are of reasonable quality. The ratchets are extremely clunky, and even under low loads there was a lot of play between the drive section and the handle – a sure sign of strain. The sockets are not very well-formed either; their walls are too thick for use on jobs in tight spaces. Much the same can be said for the spanners, too. The screwdrivers are smaller than average, which makes their hard handles difficult to grip securely. And if the box gets knocked, everything inside moves about freely.
Verdict Lots of gear but the quality's more miss than hit.
Rating: * *

Halfords 127-piece Tool Set
Price £149.99
Tel 08457 626 625
Web www.halfords.com
Piece count 127
Size 335 x 450 x 140mm
Weight 14kg
This comprehensive range of kit is housed in a smart, protective aluminium case. The format makes it easy to store and carry, but it's heavy for what it has to offer. The basics are a mixed bag. The sockets span sizes 4-32mm, the spanners' range is 8-22mm, and there are nine hex keys. There aren't many screwdrivers for a box this size, although a full ratcheting screwdriver set compensates for this. A more serious omission is the lack of crimps and crimping pliers. But other useful extras include a torch, a hacksaw, a Stanley knife and a tape measure.
Verdict What you'll need for most jobs – right down to the spirit level – except crimping.
Rating: * * * *

Kamasa 55718
Price £99
Tel 01926 815 000
Web www.kamasa.co.uk
Piece count 200
Size: 335 x 200 x 465mm
Weight 12kg
What an ingenious way of making a toolkit as portable as possible: put it in a trolley and add decent wheels and an extendable handle. If you like the look of this, but think it'll take up too much room, you'll be pleased to know that all the tools are mounted in two removable trays, which are much easier and lighter to handle. All the tools here are in metric sizes. The sockets cater for 4-32mm and E4-E20 star bolts, and combi-wrenches span sizes 8-19mm. Our biggest gripe is that of the 200 pieces present, more than 90 of them are screwdriver/hex/torx bits, and many of these are duplicated.
Verdict Great packaging for a high-quality, socket set-based kit.
Rating: * * * *

Halfords 370635
Price £99.99
Tel 08457 626 625
Web www.halfords.com
Piece count 150
Size 350 x 520 x 95mm
Weight 12kg
For the money, this packs a punch and easily undercuts the similarly equipped Draper 71200. Like the 71200, much of the kit is based around sockets. Metric sizes range from 4-32mm, and even AF sizes go from the tiny 5/32in up to a huge 1.25in. Halfords has really gone to town with the socket accessories, too. Most of the extension bars feature a natty dual-purpose end. With the socket pushed on normally, the fit is deliberately loose and flexible. Push it a smidgen further, though, and the joint becomes solid. We like the ratcheting ring spanners included here, but we aren't so keen on the bulky 3/8in-drive screwdriver bits.
Verdict Ratcheting ring spanners are a bonus. But we're less keen on the hefty screwdriver sockets.
Rating: * * * *

Halfords Professional Automotive Tool Kit
Price £129.99
Tel 08457 626 625
Web www.halfords.com
Piece count 56
Size 220 x 515 x 265mm
Weight 13kg
The tool chest-style case may seem more at home in a small workshop, but the kit is ideal for touring. The generous smattering of high-quality sockets, combination spanners and 11 screwdrivers is bolstered by extras that will ease any holiday maintenance job. Two crimping pliers, with a selection of terminals, are perfect for sorting out bad electrical connections. And there are a nine-piece hex-key set, three pairs of pliers and a hammer. The case is heavy, but it's well laid out and holds its contents securely.
Verdict The best combination of quality, usefulness and price.
Rating: * * * * *

Draper 77029
Price £36.99
Tel 02380 266 355
Web www.drapertools.com
Piece count 82
Size 405 x 310 x 95mm
Weight 7kg
The contents here eclipse Siegen's comparable, and similarly priced, kit. Spanners cover sizes 5-19mm, 3/8in-drive sockets cover a similar range, and there's a good selection of screwdrivers, screwdriver bits and hex keys. The inclusion of feeler gauges, an oil filter wrench and the wheel brace lends this product to basic servicing work. But the big issue is quality, or the lack of it. The ratchet is rickety even under low loads, and the sockets have thick walls, so they feel clumsy. The spanners' rings are fat, which limits their use near obstructions.
Verdict Better equipped than Siegen's set, but not as well made.
Rating: * * *

Draper 71200
Price £113.55
Tel 02380 266 355
Web www.drapertools.com
Piece count 150
Size 345 x 535 x 120mm
Weight 11kg
This is similar to our Budget Choice, but with more sockets, with ranges of 4-32mm and 5/32-7/8in AF. As you may have guessed, a 1/2in-drive ratchet has been added to drive the large newcomers. But adding so much metal has driven up the weight and size. Unless you're seriously into car and tourer maintenance, you're unlikely to use the new sizes. Quality throughout is superb, but there are few extras. A 24-piece bit set and the driver tool compensate well for the lack of screwdrivers and hex keys.
Verdict Almost three socket sets in one box. Few extras though.
Rating: * * * *

Clarke CHT548
Price £99.82
Tel 01992 565 333
Web www.clarkeinternational.com
Piece count 300
Size 260 x 600 x 345mm
Weight 24kg
Clarke is known for supplying durable tools at competitive prices. But that's not the case here. Sure, it seems good value, until you look inside. Much of the contents just don't bear close inspection. What we said about the Screwfix kit's ratchets, sockets, spanners and screwdrivers applies equally to this model. Some of the extras are worse, too. The molegrips, for instance, have very limited grip potential. And some of the pliers bend under high loads. Before getting carried away with that piece count, bear in mind that numerous duplicated driver bits make up much of it.
Verdict Quantity is definitely favoured over quality here.
Rating: * *

Kamasa 55702
Price £129.99
Tel 01926 815 000
Web www.kamasa.co.uk
Piece count 150
Size 530 x 400 x 130mm
Weight 8kg
Owners of older vans will appreciate the range of imperial sizes of sockets and the combination spanners. Other than the handy magnetic parts bowl, there are few extras and no screwdrivers, but what is present is of high quality. Alal three ratchets boast super-fine 72-position mechanisms, and the sockets and spanners are well finished, tough, and slim. The 40 bits and drive tool will tackle most screws.
Verdict Comprehensive kit with a large selection of AF sizes.
Rating: * * *