Magnatec Oil? Worth it?

zzr1200 said:

I agree with Wammers on this one, fleet oil is perfectly good enough, commercial vehicle engines can and do run for almost 24 hours a day if driven by 2 or 3 drivers in a day.

I've always used the "available oil", never had any problems, one of my ex-bosses even used the fleet oil in his Aston Martin and that never had an easy time...

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spot on the mark unless you running a race car. or a brand new 75 k quid you don't need fancy stuff. Big farms run 200k$ tractors and harvesters buy the oil by the barrel and will change every 300 hrs.

The Mad Hat Man said:

A bit like socket sets - eh Wammers .

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No not at all they are better by a very long way. Different class than some of the so called professional tools you can get. Snapon and Stahlwille are the best sockets and spanners on the planet. Not a lot between them. I have not seen a lot of advertising for either of them, they sell by reputation, a bit like Rolls Royce. I have Stahlwille sockets i have been using for fifty years try that with Halfrauds or Draper stuff.

I can safely say that the majority of my sockets are a mix - Elora, King Dick, Britool.... some with ickle ^ on them. most have lasted (and outlasted) me, my father, and in a lot of cases, my grandfather as well. Maybe because we havent abused them. Recently I have been getting Halfrauds because they are cheap (trade to me) and have an easy warranty replacement.
Most sockets in a socket set dont get used - I have bought some cheap (circa £6) Taiwanese socket sets that I still use. Tiz most cost effective to replace those that do get buggered, than buy an expensive set that hardly gets used.

when i used to work at reconditioners in the 90s we used to build all landy units and alot of engines ,allways stripped completely rebored ,honed ,new cam brgs etc,the engines we got from farmers run on suoer universal as it used to be where clean and less worn in bores and on brgs than the one we knew that where run on castrol as that is what same firm used for services where the engines were extremely dirty and showed heavier wear,i never used the stuff since allways gone for heavier detergent fleet oil ,obviously all the engines where worn to some degree hence reconditioning but there was a big difference that with numbers in hundreds makes comparisons more relavent,in the same way when doing gearboxes one run on mtf where it might give better gear changes are no better than boxes run on atf the exact same wear and amount is still evident,as is ones given regular oil changes, in that what isnt worn is in much better condition

The Mad Hat Man said:

I can sefely say that the majority of my sockets are a mix - Elora, King Dick, Britool.... some with ickle ^ on them. most have lasted (and outlasted) me, my father, and in a lot of cases, my grandfather as well. Maybe because we havent abused them. Recently I have been getting Halfrauds because they are cheap (trade to me) and have an easy warranty replacement.
Most sockets in a socket set dont get used - I have bought some cheap (circa £6) Taiwanese socket sets that I still use. Tiz most cost effective to replace those that do get buggered, than buy an expensive set that hardly gets used.

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I think that was my point mad. If you are going to use them everyday in the trade get good ones. They are expensive but last a lifetime. King Dick good god man that is showing your age. Britool used to be very good but they are probably made in a back alley in India or China now. Try removing and refitting a couple of big diesel cylinderheads a week with Halfrauds sockets or Drapers and see how long they last.

without quality tools half my work would be impossible and the other half would be relacing damaged fastenings

jamesmartin said:

without quality tools half my work would be impossible and the other half would be relacing damaged fastenings

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Exactlly James. Weekenders don't need good tools. With some of the crap that's about you can't even get them on a fastener. They must struggle no end with the cheap thick walled sockets and ringkey heads.

not quite weekenders, Wammers. My father, grandfather and I have been professional engineers for the last 90+ years. In fairness, some of those King Dick sockets may well be that old (not many motors use Whitworth bolts any more).


May I also say that your (somewhat derogatory term) "weekenders" implies a less than professional approach. A lot of the peeps on here are what you may call "weekenders" - ie not necessarily using their tools for their job, but that doesnt mean that they do a less than professional job and, from what I have seen in most cases a much more thorough, professional job with more care and dedication than most "professional" mechanics. Just because they may only work on vehicles sporadically (not in the case of landies), does not mean they use inferior products or cut corners.

The Mad Hat Man said:

not quite weekenders, Wammers. My father, grandfather and I have been professional engineers for the last 90+ years. In fairness, some of those King Dick sockets may well be that old (not many motors use Whitworth bolts any more).


May I also say that your (somewhat derogatory term) "weekenders" implies a less than professional approach. A lot of the peeps on here are what you may call "weekenders" - ie not necessarily using their tools for their job, but that doesnt mean that they do a less than professional job and, from what I have seen in most cases a much more thorough, professional job with more care and dedication than most "professional" mechanics. Just because they may only work on vehicles sporadically (not in the case of landies), does not mean they use inferior products or cut corners.

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We agree they should buy Stahlwille sockets then. There are a lot of crap mechanics, particularly today were an NVQ is all that is required and nobody repairs things anymore just fits new parts. True, many weekenders are very good. That reference was not mean to be derisive of anyone. Weekend mechanics don't need tools that will last a lifetime that was the point. As they are not used as often. I think my origonal point was that if you are going to buy "Professional" tools the ones from Halfrauds whilst they maybe being ok for the weekender are no good for a full time professional mechanic.

no i dont agree that peeps should all buy Stahlwille, but if you want to, then yu go ahead. If peeps want to buy cheaper makes and replace one every now and again then that is a perfectly acceptable attitude. I can say that I loose more than I break . You dont buy a kettle to last a lifetime, but yu dont get the cheapest either. You dont cry, tho, if you need to buy maybe 3 or 4 in a lifetime. Same thing applies.

Have we not been here before ,quite recently?

wot goes around, comes around........

wot is the biggest tyres I can fit to my disco????
I just bought a 1.8K Freebie - it cant be as bad as yu say - surely?

That it does ,just as long as it's not me going doo-lally,for what it's worth I find the more expensive the oil the worse my 90 runs,and you are right if you ain't in the trade it's better to buy half decent tools and replace the odd one now and then rather than have a huge set costing a bomb that 90% of sockets are never going to be used.

The Mad Hat Man said:

no i dont agree that peeps should all buy Stahlwille, but if you want to, then yu go ahead. If peeps want to buy cheaper makes and replace one every now and again then that is a perfectly acceptable attitude. I can say that I loose more than I break . You dont buy a kettle to last a lifetime, but yu dont get the cheapest either. You dont cry, tho, if you need to buy maybe 3 or 4 in a lifetime. Same thing applies.

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Ok don't agree that is your right. Next time you cannot get onto a fastener because your cheap spanners/sockets head is too thick and bulky or the socket explodes or rounds a bolt/nut off maybe you'll think a bit more about why i say what i am saying. Really good tools are half the battle. Stahlwille/Snapon are really good tools. Dear they maybe but they are really very good, which makes the job a lot easier.

it easier for home mechanic to but a few quality tools as it will be more vehicle specfic there arent that many different sizes on a defender for instance,

wammers said:

Ok don't agree that is your right. Next time you cannot get onto a fastener because your cheap spanners/sockets head is too thick and bulky or the socket explodes or rounds a bolt/nut off maybe you'll think a bit more about why i say what i am saying. Really good tools are half the battle. Stahlwille/Snapon are really good tools. Dear they maybe but they are really very good, which makes the job a lot easier.

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Not cheap just reasonable like halfords pro .

I aint promoting Halfrauds, per se, just I get really ****ed off when a "professional" tells me my stuff is ****e, made of cheese and wont last 2 minutes.
The tool, any tool, is only part of the story, it is how it is used, using the right tool for the job and other criteria all play their part. Yeah, sure, use a cheap Chinese socket on a 450Nm air ratchet and it will shatter, use a screwdriver as a chisel and it wont last long. Use the correct tool for the job, used sympathetically (and by that i mean know its limits and yours) and used correctly and your tools will last a long time.
We have all seen someone attacking a piece of steel with a hacksaw - going 90 to the dozen, waving the top all over the place and breaking blades left, right and centre - having a Stahlwill or snap-on saw wont make them any better, or reduce the number of blades they get through. Using a B&Q saw correctly, with the correct blade for the size and type of material will last a lot longer.

I know what you mean my old kamsa and halfords sets have lasted me years with only one broken socket and that was a neighbour who borrowed a socket and the proceeded to hammer it onto a locking wheelnut and use a length of scaffold on the wrench.and the amount of people who dont understand that steel will only cut at the speed it wants to be cut or drilled at is astounding,good analogy.

using decent blades in your hacksaw will make a very big difference than the £1 pop cheap blades,halfords calling it professional set when they mean reasonable for the money

jamesmartin said:

using decent blades in your hacksaw will make a very big difference than the £1 pop cheap blades,halfords calling it professional set when they mean reasonable for the money

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As an amatuer im quite happy with what i got i've lso got some stahllwile spannes about the same age and they are the only ones in my kit that have peeling chrome.