Hand tools

Buying guide

Choose a hand tool that will not let you down for years. With spanners and screwdrivers, the material and an exact fit decide everything: soft metal rounds off a screw head, and then nothing will get it out. A set is good value if you need every size; if not, buy separately just the ones you will actually use. In a measuring tool, accuracy matters more than the number of features. A toolbox is not an extravagance either: tools kept in order last longer.