Recommend Me Some Tools!

[XRATED]

My pick if I could afford some is definitely Stahlwille http://www.stahlwille.com/

Cant beat german engineering!

Ahh looking at that site is getting me randy. Think I may have to go on a shopping spree

Stahlwille is my second choice for hand tools- great gear! but they lack customer support and service back up.. especially if you work/live internationally.

Any of my snapon gear breaks, I just take it back to the local snapon dealer and it's swapped over there and then, no questions asked- anywhere in the world.. Tassie, middle east, europe, US etc. I sent a couple of spanners and a rachet back to stahlwille while in the UAE, it took 3 weeks for a reply and another week to get tools.

Nothing wrong with local Aussie brands either- sidchrome, kingchrome etc.

Edited July 24, 2011 by XRATED

[r33_racer]

Thats a fair point. I was going purely on how well they do in use. My old man still has some stahlwille stuff from when he did his apprenticeship and its still going strong. You just cant break the shit, put a 3ft waterpipe on a 10mm spanner and it will bend while under load and then bend back. Most other spanners would just break under that load. These spanners would be 30-35 years old now. They are great stuff.

The local stuff is pretty good too. They work well under normal circumstances. We use alot of sidchrome and kingchrome at work everyday. Does the job, though I wouldnt say its anything special.

[89CAL]

Stahlwille is my second choice for hand tools- great gear! but they lack customer support and service back up.. especially if you work/live internationally.

Any of my snapon gear breaks, I just take it back to the local snapon dealer and it's swapped over there and then, no questions asked- anywhere in the world.. Tassie, middle east, europe, US etc. I sent a couple of spanners and a rachet back to stahlwille while in the UAE, it took 3 weeks for a reply and another week to get tools.

Nothing wrong with local Aussie brands either- sidchrome, kingchrome etc.

Another victim of the Snap-On Craze

Its good stuff but its way over priced IMO, I buy blue-point if I want to buy something from the snap-on truck, carries the same warranty and is just as good while being up to half the price of equivelant snap on tools

Most of my tools are SP but. They are great tools to and well priced (eg. I bought a 19mm to 36mm spanner set for $250). I've only ever broken about 3 tools and they have just as good a warranty as Snap-On. Roll into an SP dealer, give them broken tool, recieve brand new tool, walk out. And I'm not playing with cars, I work on Dozers, Dump trucks, Excavators etc etc.

My 2c, I'm not going to sit here and say snap-on tools are crap, there not. They are great tools. But there just like a BMW as far as I'm concerned. Your paying for the badge, not the item

[turael]

I love my bluepoint superlow jack. One of my most prized possessions

I have a set of relatively cheap Repco sockets, quite like them. Strong spanners is pretty important imo, snapped the heads of a few smaller cheaper spanners.

[immacreflections]

where is this tool thread?

[XRATED]

Another victim of the Snap-On Craze

Its good stuff but its way over priced IMO, I buy blue-point if I want to buy something from the snap-on truck, carries the same warranty and is just as good while being up to half the price of equivelant snap on tools

Most of my tools are SP but. They are great tools to and well priced (eg. I bought a 19mm to 36mm spanner set for $250). I've only ever broken about 3 tools and they have just as good a warranty as Snap-On. Roll into an SP dealer, give them broken tool, recieve brand new tool, walk out. And I'm not playing with cars, I work on Dozers, Dump trucks, Excavators etc etc.

My 2c, I'm not going to sit here and say snap-on tools are crap, there not. They are great tools. But there just like a BMW as far as I'm concerned. Your paying for the badge, not the item

Yeah I am a bit, but as I said before I buy mostly for the waranty flexability. I work on private superyachts (500gt+ 60m+ motoryachts) that travel all over the world. So I need to be able to swap a tool out reguardless of what country I'm in or what side of the world... no matter where I am, the snap on truck can come to me.

There are alot of tools I wont buy from snap on too, some of the gear is getting way to 'cheap' for the money.

I also have to rely on my tools more than most... If I break somthing out in the middle of the atlantic, there's no help comming... so if I break my only 3/4 spanner and can't fitt new injectors in a main engine.... you get the picture.

Plus they all look nice in my 6ft snap on roller box

J.

Edited July 25, 2011 by XRATED

[jangles]

good points there J,

All the Aussie stuff is going to be fine for what you need.

Even when you do hear of people breaking stuff its usually on bigger things than cars, or the incorrect use of the tool in the first place.

[Daleo]

where is this tool thread?

http://www.skylinesaustralia.com/forums/topic/325161-the-cool-tools-thread/

Prepare to empty you wallet...

[Beer Baron]

building up tools is a great idea.

if you're starting out I would buy in this general order:

- half decent set of screw drivers. there are different sizes for a reason! stanley make a good set for reasonable money.

- nice quality 3/8 drive ratchet with metric socket set. buy a good one. you will keep it for life. even go as far as snap on if you like.

- metric spanner set. get a set with ring spanners on one end and open on the other, again buy a good set. cheap ones open up with use and become useless. good ones like snap-on have lifetime replacement

- ratchet spanners. metric. consider a set with swiveling heads as they are even more useful in tight places.

- set of a couple pliers and cutters. straight pliers, needle nose, bent and maybe a circlip pliers. don't need to spend too big on pliers but good cutters is important. knipex very good.

- time to get some bigger stuff. 1/2 metric socket set, a breaker bar and maybe a 1/2 ratchet handle too. again but good stuff for these. maybe not as $$ as your 3/8 set (you won't use 1/2 as much on cars) but something decent. also buy a small set of impact sockets for wheel nuts (usually just 2 or 3 sockets with a plastic coating around the socket to protect wheels)

- time for a drill. no need to go crazy with the best here. something midrange is fine

- drill bit set, metric (possibly add imperial too if you like). buy something slightly above midrange. snapping bits gets old fast

- small set of pipe spanners (metric) needed for brake lines etc

- set of stubby spanners or even stubby ratchet spanners (get the ones with regular open spanner on one end and ratchet on the other)

- get a jigsaw and some high TPI fine pitch blades. don't need anything expensive in this case. good for cutting carbon etc and thin sheet metal

- angle grinder. again I personally don't see the need for anything expensive in a non-trade environment

- trolley jack. my favourite is the bluepoint superlow one (i've recommended it to lots of guys on here including craved I think). it's expensive but very good. it's a hard $500 to swallow but I've not used anything that's better for less than $3K or so!

- jack stands. don't need anything fancy but pay attention to what type of saddle is on them. some are better than others.

- by now you need a roll cabinet. some good ones at bunnings. don't need a $5K snap-on roll cab (though they are awesome). a few hundred for a kinchrome etc is fine. consider adding a top chest too.

- now time to buy a 1/4 drive socket set and ratchet etc to go with your 3/8 and 1/2 sets. again get something decent (you keep these for life) buy no need to spend up quite like you did on the 3/8 gear. simply because on jap cars you'll be using your 3/8 set all the time but the 1/2 and 1/4 less so.

- a good work bench is important and probably should be further up the list. just needs to be solid and flat.

- a good bench vise and some vice jaws (protectors) are important too

- a set of wire strippers and wire crimpers are very handy. again midrange is fine.

- a nice pair of gloves to work in. most manly men don't wear any but then their hands are always cut and dirty and burnt. I know mine are. gloves are a good idea.

some others I forgot.

good tyre pressure gauge with pressure bleed.

brake bleeding kit

spark plug gap checker tool (NGK one is about $2 and works awesome)

spark plug remover (just a piece of stiff rubber hose with an ID same as plug ends OD)

compression tester (these are cheap now and invaluable diagnostic tool)

infrared temp gun (again cheap and handy)

spark plug socket

multi-meter (automtive one, they are quite cheap now too)

heat gun

there is heaps of other bits but they will keep you busy with stuff to buy for a long time!

[Marlin]

You have too much f**king time on your hands Baron.

[turael]

While this thread is around, and in the Fabrication section, figure I might ask you knowledgeable folk about TIG welders.

I'm fairly OK with a MIG, and I understand that TIG is a different ballgame, but I want to get into TIG work and get myself a welder that will be good for practice, and do some standard automotive jobs (up to 5mm mild steel, aluminium), and not be too costly - it won't be seeing extensive use.

Are there brands to watch out for (good and bad) - and what's the basic specs I'll need to weld mild and ally fine?

Would something like this suit me: gumtree tig

Thanks guys.

[89CAL]

Yeah I am a bit, but as I said before I buy mostly for the waranty flexability. I work on private superyachts (500gt+ 60m+ motoryachts) that travel all over the world. So I need to be able to swap a tool out reguardless of what country I'm in or what side of the world... no matter where I am, the snap on truck can come to me.

There are alot of tools I wont buy from snap on too, some of the gear is getting way to 'cheap' for the money.

I also have to rely on my tools more than most... If I break somthing out in the middle of the atlantic, there's no help comming... so if I break my only 3/4 spanner and can't fitt new injectors in a main engine.... you get the picture.

Plus they all look nice in my 6ft snap on roller box

J.

Damn you! haha. They have tool box/roll cab sets on sale now with the bling kit etc and there real tempting. I love the tool boxes with the bling kits

You make a fair point, If I had to rely on tools as much as you I'd probably be buying snap on to.

I retract my previous statement

[Beer Baron]

You have too much f**king time on your hands Baron.

lol, just logically thinking about what order I'd buy tools if I was starting from scratch.

you still have the biggest 'tool' i've handled....

[XRATED]

lol, just logically thinking about what order I'd buy tools if I was starting from scratch.

you still have the biggest 'tool' i've handled....

you handle Marlin's TOOL????

[Marlin]

Hey hey don't be J

[zoidbergmerc]

no omo

[XRATED]