What ball ended Allen key set?

Park the way forward for 25 quid or any better quality for that price? T handle a bonus
TIA

A set of Wera will last you a lifetime as long as you dont loose them

20% off here

https://www.toolstation.com/wera-ball-end-multi-colour-hex-key-set/p71306?store=BP&utm_source=googleshopping&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=googleshoppingfeed&gclid=CjwKCAjw7uPqBRBlEiwAYDsr18bq9j4TQIGdOcDsKoQ2DAPim9jQ2_Jjk0JFO-RKfy8Y-WdGy_8UdxoCbjYQAvD_BwE

I’ll second the Wera Hex Plus.

Wera are THE Allen keys.

Are they also good for screwdrivers then?

Are bahco any good?

The Wera ones as mentioned are excellent, better than overpriced Park tools, although deep set grub screws cannot be accessed due to the shaft being thicker than the allen head, not a common problem, but it’s their only flaw.

Wera screw drivers are good.

Their Lazer tips are good for general use

But if I can only have one set of screw drivers it’s the hex through tang chisel drivers they do.

Mines are needing replaced now but they are 10 years old and well abused

They have been beat on and torqued on with a spanner they have been used to pry they have been used to chisel on occasion. Great things

Banco stuff hit and miss.

Some of its just rebadged junk.

Some of its really good.

I rate their socket sets and ratchets highly.

Their screw drivers much less so.

Third for Wera

This comes up from time to time, seems Wera is the default answer, but cos this is STW & we like bling:
PB Swiss Tool

&

Silca HX

add £100 to your £25 for the Silca!!!

I would also stick a t25 in the tool box. Never had one fail on disc rotor bolts since we got one

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/WERA-TORX-Multi-Colour-Ball-End-TRX-Security-Tamperproof-Key-T8-T40-Choose-Size-/372005701930

I bought PB Swiss hex and Torx. I suspect the Wera are in no way inferior, in fact I have read that Wera are slightly larger than the PB Swiss so may work better in less than perfect hex heads.

Came here to say Wera but beaten to it several times! Lovely tools.

I have Wera screwdriver bits for my drill and they are excellent.

If you’re going to spend that much then Wera are the only sensible choice. They’re my work set.

Just got a set if generic X-tools from CRC at home which work 99% of the time and cost about 1/4. The wera ones are great for getting thread locked and corroded bolts out though!

Wera for the win, though the sleeve can work loose and sometimes in the way for recessed heads. I might buy a second set and deglove the old ones to use this way (don’t google degloved it will give you knightmares)

You can buy a set already degloved or take a blade to the last bit of the glove.
Had to do that with the 8 to get through the crank for pedals

I use Bondus allen wrenches and they seem to be decent quality. Like these ones
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Bondhus-10946-Balldriver%C2%AB-L-wrenches-1-5-5mm/dp/B0006O4AEC/ref=sr_1_13?qid=1566126239&refinements=p_89%3ABondhus&s=diy&sr=1-13
Not colour coded but fit allen bolts well and I’ve never rounded a fixing with them.

The Wera “degloved” are also cheaper, I bought one of each of the three main sizes years ago from RS Components… would buy again.

I’ve had a set of these for 15 plus years, had lots of hammer, 5mm one is bent a little now but never let me down, used on bikes, cars, diy etc

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Facom-Hex-Power-Key-Set/dp/B008ASX0QU

Amazon had some stainless Weras for the price of the black ones a few months back at least. I don’t pretend to know the difference other than the stainless ones were meant to be £60! Had them for Father’s Day, they’re lovely. I’m thinking of asking Father Cmas for the Torx version.

ANyone happen to know what “SB” stands for in Wera tools (not just L-keys) ?
(I wondered about “short body”, i.e. shorter shaft)

I was told its German and relates to cheaper packaging

Edit

Selbstbedienungsverpackung

Edit backatyou

schittiböx ?

I think I must be the only person that doesn’t like wera? I’d rather have a plain hex end instead of their shaped one, it’s caused me problems especially with smaller sizes. Prefer my Inbus set and my teng t-handles

Wera do hex and hex plus.

You really do want both as you can have issues with some sorts of occasionally fittings

Wiha magic ring are really nice, as is the ergo holder. Magic ring is a spring that holds the bolt on the ball end. Comparable price with the bondhus ones but shinier and tricker.

https://www.screwfix.com/p/wiha-metric-magic-ring-hex-key-set-9-pieces/8095g?_requestid=345581

trail_rat

Member

Wera do hex and hex plus.

Ah, I did not know that! I thought they were all the hex plus.

Any set of chromium molybdenum Allen keys will last you a life time. A set for under a tenner from B&Q (or Halfords, can’t remember now) are well on their way to lasting me a lifetime and they’ve been well used over the years, every weekend back in the days I used to while away my weekends tinkering with old bangers, so the light bike duty they see these days is child’s play. Lasted me 23 or so years and counting. It’s an Allen key. Pretty basic tool really. Save your money for something worth investing in.

I had a set of Wiha with the magic spring rebadged as Halford Professional. The 5MM one broke recently but they must be well beyond 10 years old, manged to buy a single replacement, but it is colour coded green which looks a bit odd in the otherwise silver set. Would buy again.

I’ve got a set Facom that I have had for years still going strong.

Wera

Sorry but that is terrible advice wobbliscott.

Cheap poorly fitting hex keys keep workshops in business.

I’ve had cheap keys appear in sets from the likes of Halfords that have slop from new in bolts that quality hexes fit in snuggly.

If you get good ones then fair enough but to assume all that are of a certain material are made to the same tolerance is foolish.

Hex keys also wear – in a workshop environment we would get replace our 4 and 5s at least once a year -you could clearly see the discolouration where the surface finish had worn down-on measuring with a mic there was measurable wear -which when your working on thousands of pounds of customers bike is not cool.

I prefer the proper t handle ones, I’ve had teng ones and I really rate them. Wera seem nice for the L shape ones

So aside from the obvious, what’s the difference between the stainless and the ‘blacklaser’ Wera keys.
The stainless are £25 on amazon while the blacklaser are £33.??

Stainless keys should be used in stainless fittings if your working to some regulatory body guidance

Use of regular keys in stainless fittings will leave trace of material in stainless that will cause corrosion hot spots.

For regular joe it means your hex keys don’t rust.
The material is naturally more brittle than chrome molybdenum though similar to that of chrome vanadium

Blacklaser is just pretty much annodising over chrome molybdenum

We have a set off both and a few assorted. Saves on our daughter taking the garage set and mates using them.
Can’t tell the difference in use but the black do look nicer.
The amazon prices are a bit steep. Both our sets were less than £20 each.
Loads of deals out there.
We carry a cheap Aldi set in the van for the odd occasion when someone at a race is desperate for one but forgets to bring it back 😉

Another vote for the Wera Hex Plus.

The hex is slightly flared so it’s much less likely to round a damaged/corroded/poorly sized screw head. Feels well made, colour coding is useful too.

Best allen keys I’ve ever used and sometimes available cheap on sportpursuit!

Been using Swisstool for many years for my work (machine tools). . Been very durable.