Toolshite

[Andyrew]

Talking of slightly wonky tools. 

These are great. Slightly offset but not as much as swan necks. I've found them great when working on the disco as everything on that is designed a manner that some thing next to it is just in the way and a ratchet it just to tall.  I got them cheap and took a punt on them, glad I did. 

Again it another "Any brand - same product" tool but they are a go to set for me. The sizes are stamped in aswell under the rubber coating which can be easily removed as seen below it doesn't stay red for long.

[Kiltox]

11 hours ago, Andyrew said:

Do you find flexi head stuff useful? I don't recall ever having a need, but I usually tinker with old shit where most stuff is reasonably accessible, I'd bet on more modern stuff there's a use for it. 

I bought some of these ages ago, ( I do love a spanner me ) but I've never used them. I Assume I'll use they at some point when trying to get on the back of an awkward nut and bolt combo 

 

I find flex head useful to some extent - I have a Halfords flex head 3/8 bent handle ratchet that comes with their “spark plug service kit” which I got cheap ages ago. 

The only thing it lacks (apart from the bent handle which is just weird) is the ability to lock the flex head when you don’t want it moving around. 

[jonny69]

On 4/29/2020 at 11:54 AM, ChampionRabbit said:

Having a tidy.

Anybody ever successfully used these screw extractor things? I haven't. They are a running joke at work.

 

I haven’t used those ones. I’ve successfully used the cheapy ones  like Captain_Nutsack posted, once, and also unsuccessfully once. The trick with them is making a good judgement when it’s about to go wrong and backing off. 

I have some Dormer ones which are a much harder alloy and have a much shallower taper. Just the shape of them makes them look like they can take a lot more torque than the cheap ones. I haven’t used the big ones yet, but the little ones were very good at getting some tiny bolts out that had sheared off flush. 

Edit, wait, are those ones pictured for getting mangled Philips/Posi screws out?

[somewhatfoolish]

We have one of the Zylop ratchet sets at work; it feels nice in the hand but I'm not yet convinced the flex aspect is of much use. Pretty to look at though. The rubber strap over a pin to lock the case shut is a load of bollocks mind.

[jonny69]

Yeah I can’t be doing with plastic or rubber comfort fittings on my tools. They always go manky or break off. Just give me a nice slim metal handle that slips into all the small places but is also happy to be beaten with a clubhammer.  

[ChampionRabbit]

19 hours ago, Kiltox said:

Yeah the locking flex head appeals more than the extension, tbh. 

I use extendable flex head ratchets all the time, particularly at work where access on quads and riders is often a nightmare. The first and cheapest was the Sealey (middle) which was surprisingly (for Sealey) actually really good until I used it as a hammer and the switch broke of. Still works but is annoying to change direction.  Top one is Wurth and has a smaller head and is just a bit better/nicer in all ways. The half inch Carolus one is ace; really heavy duty and capable of carrying a good amount of force even at full extension.

Deffo make sure that the flex head bit is lockable if possible, rather than just floppy/clicky.

I love 'em.

[Spurious]

I also love Wera tools. Nicest bits, screwdrivers and lovely socket sets. If only I could afford them. Had them in my old job. PB Swiss also make some lovely drivers and hex keys; used to love the colour coded ones where they were useful finding the right size on a crowded workbench.

Mind you, probably not much use in a garage but in a cleanroom environment where everything got cleaned with IPA after use, they were mint. 

Bahco also make decent tools, perhaps the only adjustable spanners that are of any use to be honest. Gedore are another decent brand but you don't see them much in shops here; their torque tools are nice. 

As for home; it's a mix of Halfords Advanced and Bahco plus whatever I had from my old job. Tend not to buy the cheapest of the cheap but ones that are good enough for home use. Cheap tools make jobs harder and damage what you're working on a lot of the time. Like a cheapo spanner set that always slips... 

[loserone]

On 4/28/2020 at 11:57 AM, ChampionRabbit said:

My favourite Wera tool by far is the zyzlop mini for hex bits. The bit goes almost all the way through the head, so clearance is incredible. A genuine problem solver.

 

These look really tempting, but as much as I love Wera kit I probably can't justify the expense.

 

I am tempted by this though:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Sealey-AK6962-4-inch-Stainless-Ratchet/dp/B00K1UNJ52

[ChampionRabbit]

6 minutes ago, loserone said:

These look really tempting, but as much as I love Wera kit I probably can't justify the expense.

 

I am tempted by this though:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Sealey-AK6962-4-inch-Stainless-Ratchet/dp/B00K1UNJ52

Have one, which is what lead me to the Wera version after the switch broke off. You can still use it, but you need a pick to change direction.  They're good though, unless the switch breaks off!

 

 

[loserone]

43 minutes ago, ChampionRabbit said:

Have one, which is what lead me to the Wera version after the switch broke off. You can still use it, but you need a pick to change direction.  They're good though, unless the switch breaks off!

 

 

Go on then, do you think that justifies spending the extra £13? https://www.amazon.co.uk/Wera-05073645001-Ratchet-Kraftform-Kompakt/dp/B00BT0G5UY

[stephen01]

 

Purchased this from Amazon, £25, delivered. I've had a quick look at it and it seems well made. I've ordered it as I've started work on my Herald and have been jacking it up with the Jack from my CRV. 

[Spurious]

4 minutes ago, stephen01 said:

 

Purchased this from Amazon, £25, delivered. I've had a quick look at it and it seems well made. I've ordered it as I've started work on my Herald and have been jacking it up with the Jack from my CRV. 

They look a carbon copy of the Lidl version. 

The Aul lad has one since about 2008 and it's still working well. Had to top it up a bit with mineral oil but it's still going strong. 

Perfect for home use. 

[loserone]

I've got one of them which I think came from Machine Mart, not totally sure.  Only downside is that it didn't feel strong enough to lift the LEAF which is a bit* heavy, and it didn't fit under the MX5 unless it was first driven onto a 3x2 to lift the wheels up a bit.

[ChampionRabbit]

1 hour ago, loserone said:

Go on then, do you think that justifies spending the extra £13? https://www.amazon.co.uk/Wera-05073645001-Ratchet-Kraftform-Kompakt/dp/B00BT0G5UY

I repair smaller stuff at work, so I use these things all the time; if you're only using it for cars, and thus only for the odd restricted access job, the cheap one is probably fine. I was probably abusing it when it broke; that's usually the case.

Also, phwoar!

 

https://www.expert-toolstore.com/facom-ratchets-bar-handles/774-facom-rpe-ultra-compact-1-4-hex-drive-screwdriver-bit-ratchet-handle

[jonny69]

On 5/5/2020 at 3:02 PM, stephen01 said:

 

Purchased this from Amazon, £25, delivered. I've had a quick look at it and it seems well made. I've ordered it as I've started work on my Herald and have been jacking it up with the Jack from my CRV. 

I've got exactly the same jack but with a different brand stuck on it. It's, oooo, about 13 years old now and had a lot of use. Every time I use it I want it to die because it's quite annoying and I want a better jack

[ChampionRabbit]

Having Coronavirus and thus being completely, 100% housebound has resulted in my usual 'below the wife-radar' deliveries being somewhat spotlighted. Hmmm.

4mm impact socket! Why not?

[somewhatfoolish]

For when you absolutely have to shear off that fastener and then need to drill the wrecked remains out and retap, obvs.

[Spurious]

?

 

[dc2100k]

So as it seems I'm now taking on the full blown resto of a decrepit old BMW I figured I had better get a more comprehensive toolkit. In time honoured fashion I scoured ebay and gumtree until I found someone selling a massive job lot of old tools and took a punt. I'm certain that I don't need at least half of the tools included but will probably try to sell anything on ebay that I am not going to need to try and recoup some/all of my outlay. There is a bunch of HGV/Tractor/Plant tools that I definitely wont require, including loads of massive Gedore spanners, 'King Dick' and Britool 3/4" and 1" gear and some canny looking Sykes Pickavant valve cutting gear that I won't be touching.  I'll unpack most of it and decide what to do in the next few days...

[808 Estate]

As well as the Wera Tool Check set, I also have this nifty little socket/driver set. Quality is superb.

 

These Wera hex bit taps are really usefull for cleaning out threads when working in the field. I wouldnt use them to make a thread from scratch, but they are great for repairing one that has somehow become buggered.  ?

[St.Jude]

I have something that hits both boxes. It's a tool. And it's shite.

Got it for £40, it's gasless. I used it twice and the last time it stopped dead. I thought it was broken. So I pulled it out 20 minutes ago as I thought if it doesn't work I'll need to buy one as I'm about to start welding on the Lada. But no, sputtered in to life!

We will see how long it lasts. Although that said it's probably about as old as the Lada!

[somewhatfoolish]

Premium christmas cracker quality welder; you may have triggered the thermal cut-out, the pause allowed it to cool down and normal service to resume. Quite easy to do with non-fancooled welders. Are you sure it was originally gasless? That looks like a gas set up.

[Stinkwheel]

I've smashed the ever living shit out of a Bahco socket set for 7 years without a single complaint. I think we (Dad and I) got it for around £40 in an Amazon sale.
They don't appear to do the same set any more, but the equivalent looks to be around £220 these days so I consider that a result.

Bahco is owned by snap-on, so the tools are pretty damn good quality.

[SteersWithThrottle]

On 6/10/2020 at 2:48 PM, 808 Estate said:

As well as the Wera Tool Check set, I also have this nifty little socket/driver set. Quality is superb.

Yeah Facom are extremely high quality. Sometimes I even manage to say the name without giggling!

My favourite screwdriver is a Facom, they're better quality than Wera, as are Beta, which believe it or not, is an Italian manufacturer. Facom own Britool these days, another great British brand owned overseas 

Hard to beat Snap On though, I still have almost all the Snap On tools I bought (on tick of course!) as an apprentice mechanic, 30-mumble years ago. None of them are even tarnished. The only victims have been a cabinet screwdriver, tip broken by a retarded electronics engineer (not me), a hex bit broken by a knob-end sparky using it in an impactor (again not me), some hex bits lost by a cack-handed labourer (still not me), and a hex bit dropped down the air vent system in the Maersk building in Liverpool by a clumsy electronics engineer (that one was me...).

I like Wiha better than Wera; still German quality, but better ergonomically.

Incidentally, there is actually a decent reason to pick an impact socket for a 4mm fastener; it's likely to be a 6-point socket, and less likely to round the fixing than a 12-point one. I'd not use it in my 1/2" driver nut-banger though, would use a low power setting on my 1/4" drive one.

[SteersWithThrottle]

Bahco aren't owned by Snap On, they're in a co-operative together with many other brands that share marketing and distribution networks.

[Jifflemon]

Faceache marketplace seems to be awash with "quality german toolbox sets" with names like Widman, Munichtools, Nuttenberg, GTS etc; All identical and, I suspect, all cheap chinese tat.

BUT does anyone know the actual source?

[bangernomics]

Faceache marketplace seems to be awash with "quality german toolbox sets" with names like Widman, Munichtools, Nuttenberg, GTS etc; All identical and, I suspect, all cheap chinese tat.
BUT does anyone know the actual source?

No but I know where they need to end up.

[JimH]

I only recently discovered Maun pliers. Most of their stuff is quite specialist but they do some more general stuff too. I got a pair of their bigger parallel jaw pliers.

 

The jaws move with a parallel action so they hang on with the whole jaw rather than just the end. The end result is that they can hang on very tightly indeed.  They don't give them away but hardly gold plated - I think these were £35 delivered. 

They sell direct: https://www.maunindustries.com/ 

[fraser.innes.3]

My Halfords Pro 3/4 inch socket set has taken up residence in my mates professional garage. It gets dragged out when the locals bring in farm shit. Has not let him down yet!

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