Tool Suggestions

[chris-red]

I've recently bought a house and will be moving out from my rents this means, I have to bulk up my tools, as I haven't bothered with basics as dad had them all. I was also planning to get decent stuff although without breaking the bank.

So far I have a facom Allen Key set and a Teng 1/4 Ratchet set. I do have other tools I have bought over the years. I.e. decent bit sets, chain breakers, tap and dies etc. But I want to get basics sorted before I move in.

I feel I 'need' either a 1/2 Socket set or a 3/8 set and a 1/2 ratchet.

I can't decide dad just had 1/4 (up to 12) and 1/2 (from 10 up). But I have also bought myself 27/30/32/36 sockets as dads didn't go that high. so am trying to decide what would be best.

I also want Spanners, Dad has a ring set and a what I would call a normal spanner i.e. one end open ended 12 the other open 13. Everything now seems to be combination any reason for this?

a Screw driver set would also be required, I'm not really sure what to get here.

Is it worth spending decent money on something like a hammer/mallet? I can't really see how a £100 hammer could be much better than a say a £10 hammer.

Either way I'm not in a massive rush, I'm just getting stuff where I think I see a good deal. I'm not on the tools every day or even every weekend. But I want all the essentials I get to last my life. Dads Sockets/Spanners are all older than me and made by Britool they have been fantastic and nothing has broken even with the last 10 years of my ham fisted efforts.

That being said I can't spend fortunes, I'm happy with the quality of the Facom and Teng Stuff it looks really good and wasn't earth shatteringly expensive.

Any suggestions?
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Well, you know what they say. If you want to save the world, you have to push a few old ladies down the stairs.
Skudd:- Perhaps she just thinks you are a window licker and is being nice just in case she becomes another Jill Dando.
WANTED:- Fujinon (Fuji) M42 (Screw on) lenses, let me know if you have anything.

[chris-red]

Also vaguely associated, I'll need to buy a drill for general home improvement and a chop saw, for doing laminate and boarding out a loft.

Would this be any good?
https://www.amazon.co.uk/DeWalt-DCK211D2T-Li-ion-Cordless-Compact/dp/B00OTYXWE4/ref=sr_1_12?s=diy&ie=UTF8&qid=1448363150&sr=1-12&keywords=impact+driver+drill
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Well, you know what they say. If you want to save the world, you have to push a few old ladies down the stairs.
Skudd:- Perhaps she just thinks you are a window licker and is being nice just in case she becomes another Jill Dando.
WANTED:- Fujinon (Fuji) M42 (Screw on) lenses, let me know if you have anything.

[orac]

3/8s is fine for most things bike. unless you have a single sided swing arm where torque is high for the rear wheel nut.
Clarke stuff seem to be fairly prevalent in my tool box, their pro stuff come with a lifetime warranty (except the ratchets). I do have a 1/2" extendable Clarke ratchet which I stood on the end of to undo the centre nut of a scooter, I weighed 10.5 stone at the time. the thing took it easily and did not skip any teeth on the ratchet so their gear seems to hold up fine.

if you can, try and get it all on machine mart VAT free thinging, you have to spend over £50 but just as well if you need to get a fair bit. we don't have much in the way of tool sellers locally, its either machine mart or halfrauds, after that, its online.
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Current rides - 2016 Triumph Street Triple Rx, 1994 Suzuki Bandit 400 VM, TGB 204 Classic 125cc
"with nothing left to lose, there is everything to gain. It's not the size of the dog in the fight, it's the size of the fight in the dog"

[Matt B]

Tools - a minefield.

The only thing I will say is that for the bike I mostly use a 1/4 drive, it's usually enough for the smaller stuff and the smaller ratchet avoids over tightening. I have a full set to 24mm of 3/8 drive, and if it's a good quality ratchet you don't need bigger. For big stuff like axle nuts I use a 1/2 inch breaker bar.

People will disagree but I think it's worth paying for quality. 90% of my tools are Snap-on, I got them over 20 years ago when I first started working in the tuning industry. They have been a fantastic investment and a quality 6 sided socket will often undo a nut/bolt that a cheaper socket would have rounded off.

With spanners I prefer a combination type, open one end and ring the other. More expensive though because you buy one in each size.
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stinkwheel: He had an animated .gif of a cat performing fellatio. It's not socially acceptable. It can have real life adverse effects on other people.

[oldpink]

don't forget a good all in one screwdriver

https://sg.rs-online.com/largeimages/R734387-01.jpg


the Estwing
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I have become comfortably numb

Theory & hazard 24-may 2016, CBT 8th June 2016, MOD 1 2nd Aug 2016 Mod 2 2nd-Nov 2016 - Current bike CBR 600 RR

[groovylee]

I have a fairly pragmatic approach to tools. most of the stuff i have i carry around in the boot of my jeep on trials etc, and hasn't failed me yet:

1/4" halfords pro socket set - get some deep sockets too, they can be a godsend.

3/8" cheap socket set - only ever gets used where i cant fit my 1/2" ratchet, or for my allen/torx sockets.

1/2" socket set - britool i think. used for most things apart from small stuff.

halfords pro screwdriver set - it was free with oil lol also have a cheap screwdriver set as unlikely to kill them really. get a stubby flat and #2 posi one, theyre great for small places.

decent hacksaw

1/2" breaker bar. great for axle nuts etc.

pliers, mole grips, side cutters

ratchet crimping tools

circlip pliers

punch set

allen keys

decent stanley knife

magnetic pick up tool

small lump hammer

ballpein hammer

impact driver (the type you belt with the lump hammer)

i haven't come across any jobs that has required much more than the above tbh, and after much abuse, even the cheap tools havent failed me. the one thing i will say though, is get as many 6 sided sockets as you can, as the 12 point ones do have a tendency to round off bolt heads/nuts.
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Past - 1988 honda revere 600, 1996 kawasaki gpz500s, 1999 Yamaha R6

Current - 2002 Aprilia RSV1000R & 1999 Kawasaki ZX6R

[Tracey Suntan-King]

Boris Johnson

HTH

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Whether you think you can, or think you can't, you're probably right

[Beehive Bedlam]

I only buy quality tools usually the halfords advanced range when I need them rather than buying shit I won't need or use on the bike.

My tools bar a socket set and rubber mallet plus a few other bits live under the seat.

https://i.imgur.com/rvdvaGW.jpg

[robs321]

[growler]

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Vitrex-VIT800100-Laminate-Cutter/dp/B003AAJ5T4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1448388269&sr=8-1&keywords=laminate+flooring+guillotine

this is what you want for laminate flooring
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DILLIGAF

[331X2]

[andyscooter]

[Ste]

You need a range of different hammers.

- Normal hammer.
- Dead blow hammer.
- Club hammer.
- Rubber mallet.
- Sledge hammer.

A folding set of allen keys is very useful.

1/4 inch sockets up to 14 or 15, 1/2 sockets down to 10 or 12.

Combination spanners give you the closed ring which if there's enough space is much better than using the open end of the spanner.

For screw drivers you just want to get a half decent quality set with a wide enough range of different sizes.

You also need an angle grinder. Actually no, better make one of each size.

[Nobby the Bastard]

[G]

Spending a bit, I'd go for the draper 6 point wall drive sets. Much better than Halfords for being metric only. I've recently got their 3/8th fairly comprehensive set and it goes up to 24mm I think, so might be a good match for what you've got (Though I'd want some chunkier stuff for car wheel nuts etc).

I would go for the silverline 6-32mm spanner set. Decent spanners and excellent value for money.

Hammer's and the like I'd be tempted to try a car boot. Can get some other good deals while you're there.

For drills, I like the Ryobi 18v One+ range. They're "DIY" rather than industrial, but my drill's getting on for ten years old and only batteries have gone. I've gutted a nicd pack and replaced it with a £25 5AH RC car etc LIPO that lasts ages and work stuff like the angle grinder better.
Like that there's pretty much every tool you could want at not too silly prices.

[Howling TerrorOutOfOffice]

[binge]

I've spent more than I probably should have on tools.

https://scontent-lhr3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xap1/v/t1.0-9/12278808_181629458854754_1088719749121138129_n.jpg?oh=acccfda4ac6e951ee37d6f151483e6c4&oe=56F75A88

[oldpink]

[pepperami]

Do what I do and fish around at auto-jumbles and car-boot sales.
There is a lot of shite out there, but in amongst it are some real little gems.

For example, I picked up 6 different sized, six-sided sockets (good quality) for £2 the other week.
I also picked up a brand new chain breaker, still in it`s packet for a measly quid
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I am the sum total of my own existence, what went before makes me who I am now!

[sickpup]

[chris-red]

[sickpup]

Here is a quick comparison picture of various brands of sockets.

https://cdn.bikechatforums.com/files/2013-12-02_12.45.47.jpg

Top row Teng, Snap-on, Facom

Bottom row Bergen, Kamasa, Halfords

The Snap-on and Facom are head and shoulders above the others in quality and yet the Facom are around the same price as the Teng and are easier to get, cheaper, easier to warranty than Snap-on and you don't cause a snap-on man to die of obesity.

Saying they are cheaper is of course relative, I am looking at spending £500 on metric deep sockets and around a thousand on various imperial tools but they will never need replacing other than warranty, theft or loss in my life time.

What are you planning on doing for tool boxes?

[Diggs]

Essential tools for any job....
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Now - Speed Triple, old ratty GS550, GSXR750M
Gone (in order of ownership) - Raleigh Runabout, AP50, KH125, GP125, KH250, CBX550, Z400, CB750FII, 250LC, GS550, ZXR750H1, Guzzi Targa, GSX750F, KH250 x2, Bimota SB6R and counting...

[monkeybiker]

The big mechanic tool kit halfords sell normally on offer about £100. Had it like 10 years now and not had any problems with it.

Only real problem is the spine of the case has snapped so that's duct tapped up

[chris-red]