Basic tool kit

[Andy Rider]

For a noob with nothing what would you suggest as a starting point to basic maintenance tool kit?

After my bike wouldn't start this morning, hoping just the battery needs charging, so bought a charger today . It's been standing for awhile as due to illness I've not been able to use it.

But it got me thinking I don't own any tools and so need to get a basic kit so I'm prepared for small jobs like this. Guess the starting point will be a socket set or similar so I can adjust the rear wheel/ chain, but are there any other must have basic tools?

[Pjay]

[The Shaggy D.A.]

Haynes manual, £5 multimeter.
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[Howling TerrorOutOfOffice]

This may sound radical but have you typed basic tool kit into the Search box (Top Left...under the BCF logo).

Anyway don't listen to me, some helpful tit will be along to repeat everything mentioned in previous searches.
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[NJD]

A haynes manual or google search "<enter bike name and model> pdf" should return a manual (doesn't always work but is easier than spending £15-£20 to then find out afterwards).

Once you've read through the manual you should get a good idea (I'm not suggesting the entire manual, rather the small consistent most appearing jobs that you think you'll soon have to undertake tools permitting) of what you'll need. My haynes has a basic list of tools needed at the end, it doesn't go into detail about good brands etc but gives you something to work from.

I'd say there's two approaches to buying tools, as they can get expensive quickly (there's probably more but this is just what springs to mind as I'm free flow typing this). The first would be to buy as you need when the job arises. The second would be to bulk buy an entire list of tools in the hope you'll at some-point use them all. Whatever you decide I'd like to point out that (as was advised to me and I now preach) visiting local car boots can be a godsend in the amount of old school quality tools you can buy for such small prices. I have this thread that discusses exactly that (all good brands mentioned on page 2).

From the reading of Haynes that I've been doing basic servicing jobs would be such things as; Valve clearance, spark plug change, oil change, chain adjustment, brakes clean, lubing parts." With that in mind;

- Feeler gauge
- Spark plug tool (a deep socket, you might have gotten one in your bikes toolkit that you can use by putting a screwdriver through the hole and turning)
- Sockets
- Spanners
- Copper grease (goes on the back of brake pads NOT on the actual pads)
- Multi purpose grease (for use on near enough anything general lubrication applies to)

If you can get a decent range of spanners (combination spanners.. so ring at one end and open at the other) then you can work your way around the bike and make a list of the size of what every locknut etc is that you'll eventually need to undo. With that list you then determine what socket strength you'll need to buy it in and if you need a deep socket or a regular one, then you can buy what you need.

You can get a decent 6 sided 1/4 socket set from halfords for around twenty five quid, that's your most basic and weakest of socket strengths. From there on out it becomes about buying what you need and shopping around, car boots come in handy here because most places for anything other than 1/4 sockets only do 12 pt. 3/8 is the next strength up. 1/2 is the most powerful and used on wheel axles and urm.. I've forgot, but in terms of 1/2 sockets you only need to buy what you need, check out your front and rear axles sizes with a spanner and buy those. So; 1/4 - 3/8 - 1/2 is weak to powerful (from left to right) in ratchet strengths. Oh and generally from what I gather 6 sided is better because 12 sided can round of nuts easily, my bikes chinese and I found that out when I went ham fisted turning something the wrong way with a 12 pt ring spanner, never again.

You'll need a torque wrench, read your manual for what range you'll need.

I'm sure there's more I've forgotten to add.

[Matt B]

[Teflon-Mike]

Every-one puts sockets at the top of the list - DONT.
Buy simple SPANNERS.. plain, simple ordinary ones, and get used to the 'feel' of working with them.
They are 'direct' acting; there's o ratchets or links or shit between the palm of your hand and the thing you are trying to turn, o you get a 'feel' for the forces a they are happening, and spanners are sized so that the handles give an appropriate leverage for 'normal' palm-pressure for the size of nut/bolt you are turning.

Problem with sockets, here, is that the handle's the same length regardless; so you can easily shear small fasteners, or wreck ratchets on bigger ones!

Meanwhile, a spanner applies turning force on the same 'plane' as the head of the fastener, and lets you see the head as you turn; a socket cups t, you cant see what its doing, and the lever is off-set by the depth of the socket plus a bit, so you are applyng force 'skew' on two planes, and you are far more likely, to chew or round a fastener, a) because you cant see it; b)because you lack feel c) yo are applyng side-ways forces as well as turning ones.

Keep it simple (and cheap!) USE SPANNERS

Buy two half reasonable sets of combination spanners (you need one for each end of a nut & bolt remember!); they et expensive, and you'll get a far better grade of spanner for your money than you will sockets, which again, is even more precaution against rounding, slipping and having added hassles.

Same philosophy for the rest of the lit on the list, and next up;

Screw-drivers; get a simple set of plain screw-drivers; not a fancy ratchet or multi-bit set; make sure you get a Japanese Stanard Cross-Head, not wood-working posidrives or you will round screws. Keep them clean, don't use them as drifts, chissels or levers and they'll last a very long time and serve well.

Allen Keys are next, ad again, simple key-ring sets are cheap.

Pliers are the next tool on the list, and again, keep it simple; you dont need a gazillion of the damn things. One pair of bull-nose pliers and one pair of pin-nosed will do 90% of all you are likely to need.

Add to that a ball head hammer for a little addedd persuasion, and for knocking bolts out of holes and stuff a cheap set of drifts will save your screw-drivers!

That should be the basic mechanicals sorted; so ext up a multi-meter; you dont need anything fancy for auto-electrics; I use cheap £5 analogue meters off e-bay! Small, simple and easy to use, I find a swing needle easier to read than a digital display that keeps changing, and they usually dont need batteries for testing volts, so still 'work' even f you have left them a year on the window-sill outside and the battery has gone mouldy!

Haynes Manual for whatever you are working on is a must....

Then it comes down to the specials you need for any given job, and expanding the kit of common used stuff.

Now a socket-set may be worth looking at, but when I got one, I would get an impact driver and a breaker bar to go with it for stubborn stuff..

But more humble, simple, hand tools like a hack-saw, hand-files, good vice grips, probably more handy.

But start with the simple, humble spanner. NOT sockets!
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[ZX-7R]

Check out your local car boot sale as tools are a common find and can be had for peanuts.
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[Matt B]

[weasley]

[pompousporcup...]

advice on basic tools for bike maintenance

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uVaTyTER1Vg

[331X2]

Take note of the recommendation of 6 point sockets as opposed to 12 point, you'll be better off in the long run especially on older/corroded fixings.

I really rate the Bahco socket sets and they often come on sale on Amazon

[Tamsin]

A decent 3/4" drive and a decent 1/4" socket sets are very useful things, along with a selection of spanners.

Couple of screwdrivers (as Tef said, get some JIS ones) set of snipe nose spanners and the fat ones and you will be able to get most things done.

Oh, and set of feeler gauges!

Don't bother with cheap/unbranded socket sets BTW, utter waste of money - I used to weld.

I have a Clarke 3/4" set and the ratchet is just beginning to show its age after 6 years of abuse and 1/2" halfords ones (which I got second hand nearly 10 years ago) and a teng set, both have been excellent!