Thread: Sidchrome tools-made in australia!

I've been collecting sidchrome stuff to make a full set wall cabinet over the last year or so, i now am only missing a handfull of spanners. Ive bought and sold many lots on ebay and also found plenty at swap meets and sunday markets. Be prepared to pay between $5-$10 on ebay per "normal" spanner and up to $20 for the rarer ones in good condition. Bigger spanners demand a premium as do whitworth spanners in general. I will soon hopefully have full sets of AF, Metric and Whitworth spanners in Open, Ring and Combination types. Do i really need them all? hmmmmm not sure, be warned It can easily become an addiction!!! I think i need an extra wall cabinet to fit them!

those 205 piece sidchrome wall cabinets were $800 back in 1997 when i went to tafe and did my mechanics course iam spewing i didnt buy one back then although 800 bucks was alot of money for that time, these days to get a new wall cabinet with sidchrome made in aus would be impossible u would have to buy the cabinet and then buy everything single which would take a while like u say, iam after a sidchrome socket set with both metric and af sockets and maybe some ring spanners also, but as u say if u start collecting its never ending and becomes an adiction lol.

Originally Posted by mrsidchrome

I have always wondered about that lifetime guarantee with sidchrome, what happens if someone had the made in australia versions and they broke or stuffed up does sidchrome give u the non australian taiwan sidchrome or do they give u the original made in oz??? cause that isnt fair cause ur not getting the same quality i guesss???

Their long nosed pliers (chrome plated, red grips) seem to have had a bad habit of breaking near the joint.
I recently broke my pair and was told by Sidchrome to take it to Bunnings for an over the counter replacement.
Bunnings flatly refused to replace the item without a receipt.. as i had purchased them about 15 yrs ago, the receipt was long gone !!..
After an argument with the staff i emailed Sidchrome about the problem, but after not receiving a reply from them (even after a couple of attempts) , I gave up !!
The word "Unconditional" must have a new meaning nowadays...

My dad had given me some sidchrome pliers that had the red rubber grip handles instead of the red plastic ones, they are built and made much better then the chrome ones, the steel looks like a dark hardened one maybe proto made them, not sure, as the lifetime guarantee u say, people try and make excuses that u used tool wrong i know what u mean as for receipt its abit stupid having bought the tools 15- 20 years later and they still ask for it, who would have it these days, when they say lifetime i think they dont expect someone to come back after 15 years and say my plier or wrench broke, they think people are just going to go out and buy another set without bothering,

i thinks its unfair having a 15 year old tool that was made in oz and them saying we will replace it with a made in taiwan one where u dont get the same quality, they sould of had surplus stock new old stock and give u the same replacement or even repair the tool!

i think the prices of sidchrome tools are very expensive considering they are made in china and overseas cause they are no diffent to the budget tools they sell at bunnings!

Originally Posted by mrsidchrome

the lifetime guarantee u say, people try and make excuses that u used tool wrong

Well - what does "lifetime" really mean?? The tool broke - it is now DEAD - thus it has EXCEEDED its lifetime so NO REPLACEMENT FOR YOU, SUCKER!!

Personally i think sidchrome tools never break they were built very well with good steel but as the saying goes nothing is forever metal gets worn with time and frequent use of that tool will wear it out no matter how much care u take, the only tool i ever broke was a wheel brace when i couldent take a nut off and stuck a pole in it for extra leverage!

I didn't think the guarantee extended to items like shifters and pliers.
Cheers,
Jim

Originally Posted by acmegridley

Whatever happened to Dufor spaners?

I've got some of those as well. I guess they are defunct like any other tool made in Oz. One famous brand survives and that is Warren & Brown, simply the world's best torque wrench.

If you were to collect the full set of Sidchrome spanners ever made it would be an interesting collection.. but what about the changes in the wording on them.. you would have to settle on one time frame and go for it !
Apparently his first tools were stamped "EGV" .. then later "SDF"... with the
Sidchrome name coming out around 1947.
He also produced spanners marked "Sidalloy"!!.. I have only seen these in open enders.
While we are talking Aussie brands.. Over the years I have had spanners marked Austaloy, Dufor, Cyclone, Fairfax, Gregsteel and Zircalloy.. as well as some foreign products that were produced here.. eg..Dowidat.

Kenny.

would be interesting to see pics of peoples sidchrome socket, ring spanner sets that are made in oz if anyone wants to post would be great!

Your wish is my command!
Here's an old Sid Chrome spanner I found in Dad's toolbox yesterday.
No idea how old it it, but it looks to be fairly old.
Anyone got one to match? Know any more about possible vintage or history?
thanks
rod

and here he is with his mates.
no idea again if they are Oz made or how old, but they say Sidchrome so they qualified for a pic

kenny
the dufor brand were one of jack Brabham's first sponsors when he first came to motor racing in the old mount druit days
witch1

Originally Posted by rocket1975

Your wish is my command!
Here's an old Sid Chrome spanner I found in Dad's toolbox yesterday.
No idea how old it it, but it looks to be fairly old.
Anyone got one to match? Know any more about possible vintage or history?
thanks
rod

I would say that spanner was made in the 50's