duncanmartin
Club Retro Rides Member
Out of retro ownership
Posts: 1,320
Club RR Member Number: 70
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Essential Garage tools?duncanmartin
@duncanmartin
Club Retro Rides Member 70
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Oct 25, 2016 21:13:25 GMT
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One cheap thing I'm really happy I discovered are nitrile gloves like these: www.justgloves.co.uk/Nitrile-Gloves/Economy-Blue-Powder-Free-Nitrile-Gloves?utm_source=google&utm_medium=product_feed_or_listings&pl=STD&ccv=Y&ar=1&gclid=Cj0KEQjwhbzABRDHw_i4q6fXoLIBEiQANZKGW15rZGUdG8wAbukEOWalu9NV98k7BcgIxmCg4YMlYCoaAoEK8P8HAQI hate barrier cream, and latex gloves get destroyed in seconds, but these survive a decent amount of abuse, and they stop your hands getting covered in all sorts of unpleasant grime and oil. Keep a couple of pairs in the glovebox as well - nothing worse than having the right tools with you to do the job (even just changing a wheel), but getting the interior and your clothes all messed up because your hands are super grubby when you're finished! The usual stuff like spanners, screwdrivers, sockets, jacks/stands have all been covered. As soon as you start getting power tools, it's important to include the PPI (goggles, gloves, face shield etc). Cheap, lasts for ages, and could save you significant pain (and time). Cheers Duncan PS - if you have a garage, then instead of a tool chest, get some mdf and create a tool board. Find anything instantly, and notice when you've not put things back because of the outlines with no tools in them! www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Make-a-Tool-Board/
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Oct 25, 2016 21:22:50 GMT
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A trowel and a belle minimix to build myself a bleedin garage
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Oct 25, 2016 21:23:34 GMT
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Cant beat a good sized old cantilever box for working off a driveway!
Made an investment in my future as an apprentice and still have the majority of the tools i bought. Another vote for a decent ratchet screwdriver and bits and have supplemented the old Snap ons with their new Soft Grip items. Managed to get a bargain set by stalking Ebay.
Having tried a few different Mole Grips over the years, i cant see past Vise Grip. Also a set of Snap On Lineman pliers have helped me without resorting to vise grips. And if that fails on a nut, some nut splitters!
As for sockets and spanners, i didnt manage to complete the set of 3/8 drive metric stuff before changing career, so have filled the gaps since using Britool and Halfords with a well used Halfords 1/2" drive breaker bar for the stubborn stuff! I also used Facom ratchets which i find really nice to use but easily broken when pushed! All the best, Geoff.
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Oct 25, 2016 21:30:07 GMT
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Out of everything, the one piece of kit that has done me proud is a 150 piece halfords pro socket kit. Ive had it nearly 16 years, its been and worked in Australia and back, survived a fire that burnt my mates garage down, had buckets of oil dropped on/in it, been driven over numerous times, used every weekend and most nights, takes loads of abuse and ive only ever broke the 1/4 drive ratchet which was my own fault.
Well worth the money and my now thousands of pounds worth of tools acquired over the years, all started from this humble little kit. If i lost everything and had to start all over again it would be hands down the first thing id buy.
And then a hammer.
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Oct 25, 2016 21:36:28 GMT
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As said, a quality set of Vice Grips are worth their weight in gold. A good set of Knipex Waterpump pliers are a handy addition, Wera tools (screw drivers and screw bit sets) are superb quality, a good quality 115mm disc cutter /grinder (avoid the cheap and nasty machine mart Clarke one (with the best buy tag) if doing a restoration as they don't last any time with heavy use, stick with Bosch or Makita, some heat is useful for heat shrink so a small butane gas torch or blazer is handy as is a quality soldering iron (gas ones are cheap enough in Aldis).
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Oct 25, 2016 21:38:32 GMT
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...oj yeah, and a quality 18 volt Li-ion battery drill with 2 batteries. I got a Hitatchi one from Screwfix for £99.
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Wilk
Part of things
Posts: 528
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Oct 25, 2016 21:54:38 GMT
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A set of irwin twist sockets for removing rounded nuts A decent oil filter adjustable wrench to save smacking a screwdriver through the canister to get the old one off I've used this strap type without any problems and they can be got into most spaces enough to loosen things off www.ebay.co.uk/itm/131307297535
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If it can be fixed with a hammer, then it must be an electrical fault
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Oct 25, 2016 22:01:23 GMT
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For the last 20 years ive used my belt and mole grips on oil filters
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Oct 25, 2016 22:11:21 GMT
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molegrips + gaffatape + cableties! Hammer Optional extras when funds allow ratchet screwdriver with a selection of good quality bits. 1/2" 6-point socket set with breaker bar for heavy stuff (suspensions etc), mid-range is fine no need for expensive (I'm still using my first set, 30+ years use/abuse!) 3/8" socket set with various length extensions (good quality if possible - Halfords Pro from their regular 50% sale is fine ) 2 ton trolley jack, axles stands or ramps.
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MiataMark
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 2,969
Club RR Member Number: 29
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Essential Garage tools?MiataMark
@garra
Club Retro Rides Member 29
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Swear box...
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1990 Mazda MX-52012 BMW 118i (170bhp) - white appliance 2011 Land Rover Freelander 2 TD4 2003 Land Rover Discovery II TD52007 Alfa Romeo 159 Sportwagon JTDm
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Angle Grinder and a headsheild. - Not goggles as you can still end up with stuff stuck in your face.
ballpein hammer, Trolley jack and Axle stands. qood quality spanners - curse word elcheapo ones will dig into your hands, slip off bolts / nuts, and the ends will be chunkier.
tbh i cannot fault halfords tool at all. (apart from the 1/2" long extension with the stupid release button that snaps off 2nd time you use it)
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Take the Next slot right coming up on the left.
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kabman
Part of things
Posts: 348
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Cant beat a good sized old cantilever box for working off a driveway! This. I got by with a large cantilever box for years. I didn't have a garage so did most jobs at my parents' and needed to lug the tools around. And I drove a Mini that broke down LOTS so it was always handy to have the tools in the car. I eventually got the lovely, big, snap-on chest that I lusted after. Tools all polished and shiney in neat rows. It got stolen. Along with 20 years worth of tool collection. Insurance payed to replace it all but I got a tool trolley instead (v cheap from US Pro but nice quality) that I can take to the car and only half the tools I used to think I needed. The toolchest was a thief magnet and too much bother to traipse back and forth to the garage to get just the right tool. The trolley is better but still a pain to move on my gravel drive so I'm going back to the old cantilever box for all but the big/seldom-used tools. Most important IMHO: Jack and axle stands Good socket set The best posidrive screwdriver you can find - you'll appreciate it after chewing up rusty screws. Learn the difference between posidrive and Phillips. Mole grips - rusty nuts Proper pry bar - save your screwdrivers Multimeter - even a cheap one, just learn how to use it Torque wrench - tighten wheel nuts properly. And big breaker for taking them off, not your torque wrench which you should treat like a valuable artifact. ....I'm getting into the niceties now. A lot depends on how seized/rusty the cars you'll be working on are. Jack, socket set and screwdrivers will get you 90% of the way there.
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Last Edit: Oct 26, 2016 7:34:10 GMT by kabman
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The biggest bench vice you can get. Speaking of work benches,build your own,then you can have the working height in the most comfortable position that suits you. Goes for having a chair of stool as well.
Nothing worse than leaning over all day and suffering from back ache.
Decent circlip pliers,not those cheapo ones where you have to attatch different "prongs" that in my experience always come apart at precisely the wrong moment
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lim34
Part of things
Posts: 15
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This may only work with super organised Japanese cars, but for a while when I didn't have much storage, but I did have a lot of socket sets and doubled up tools, I made a small tool kit up with the sockets and various other correct tools for my Datsun. I could do pretty much 90% of the jobs I needed to do on the car with that. I now use that small box as my "electrical" tool kit, and spend 5 minutes swearing at the state of my garage every time I need to find the right socket for something I'm doing. (I favour organisation, I didn't say I am organised).
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a 4' length of scaff bar to extend your breaker bar when needed.
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1970 Porsche 911E 2002 Porsche Boxster S 2002 Peugeot Partner 1.9sdi
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Last Edit: Oct 26, 2016 9:26:50 GMT by keithyboy
Jaguar S-Type 3.0 SE
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lim34
Part of things
Posts: 15
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Oct 26, 2016 12:08:16 GMT
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^^ Is the large spanner to make your nuts go tight?
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lim34
Part of things
Posts: 15
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Oct 26, 2016 13:01:54 GMT
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