recommend me some tools
Turbo Mini Forums

Hi guys im looking at getting some tools some i can do more work on my mini rather then rely on my friend. I was wondering if anyone could recommend me some tools to get started with or kits, with links if possible. I know il need sockets etc but i don't know really whats good or bad.

You need at least 10 hammers!

What are you wanting to do? Build engines/suspension, ellectrics or bodywork?

The usual then. A good socket set with imperial sockets, spanners, screw drivers, pliers, torque wrench, feeler gauges etc

what brands are good? For work we get the likes of Brittool, or draper

I have draper, halfrauds pro and the likes.

I would not go for a set as imo you dont get all the sockets you need

Personally i would buy set of sockets on a holder and buy the ratchets and bars ext seperate, you cant really go wrong with britool or halfords and if you know someone with a trade card for halfords you can get as much as 50% off there pro tools as i found out today

Edited by wolfie on 26th Aug, 2012.

Go to halfords and get a trade card if you dont have one harry, I got one, just walked in and told em what i do for a living, flashed me mod 90 and got one.
Halfords professional range comes with lifetime guarantee, i always get there stuff

BHP sells engines, but Torque wins races!

If you're over this way pop into the halfords in winnerish, the manager will sort you one out

BHP sells engines, but Torque wins races!

I personally don't rate the Halfords ratchets, I find that they can sometimes "stick" inside in the mechanism which can get annoying!

Other than that I can't fault them, if you do get any tools, keep the receipt as that is needed in case you break something. Try a different branch of Halfords, eventually you will get lucky, or, make some fake payslips up..

Same can happen with any cheap ratchets, but the Halfords stuff is ok.

Their 150pc is usually on sale for £100 which lets face it, is a good purchase whether you like Halfords or not.

9.85 @ 145mph
202mph standing mile
speed didn't kill me, but taxation probably will

Anything by Signet is brilliant quality and will really last. Bergen make good sockets and spanners as well.

I have a stahlwille open ring spanner that is hexagonal and quite wide. Very good for brake lines. So far it has not F@cked up any.

60 cm break bar is allso very handy

That sir, is not rust, it is the progressive mass reduction system

http://aseriesmodifications.wordpress.com/

Beta make most of halfords pro stuff

Halfords spanners and sockets are brilliant. Ive had my rachets for 12 years and they have never failed.

I once cracked a socket, by misusing it anf took it into Halfords without a receipt and they replaced it with no questions asked.

I used my first set of snap on tools last week and to be honest, I wasn't impressed, especially for what they cost.

Rachet spanners are damn handy
Torque wrench a must (really need 2 different ones for different settings)
Feeler gauges
A big bag of rags

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Fusion-Fabri..._homepage_panel

www.fusionfabs.co.uk



1/4mile in 13.2sec @ 111 terminal on 15psi

Again got some Halfords stuff and never had a problem, I have a bergen ratchet and thats about the only decent bit of kit I have. For work I always try and buy the best gear I can because I use it everyday but for the car,stuff that doesnt get used that often I think the cheaper end of the market is fine.
I go to a lot of autojumbles take some cash and there are some bargains to be had. Also as shitty as they are if you can search through the sea of footspa's and 80's coffee makers,-car boot sales are good as people clear out garages and half the time people have no idea what they are selling, I have had a sykes pickavant valve spring compressor for 50p, a gunsons timing gun for £1.50, all the ball pein hammers you will ever need for £1 each, battery charger £2,grease gun £5 with 5 tubes grease!, nearly new dremmel £5 ect ect. As wolfie says above I just get ratchets, bars ect on their own and the sets of sockets on rails.

Hope thats a help

oli

On 5th Oct, 2014 Shauna said:
What that's crazy, you go commando hahaha! How heavy is your helmet ?

The halfords pro stuff always used to be Sykes Pickavant so is pretty good, although you can't beat a Blue Point ratchet!

I was speaking to a Halfords Rep at work not long ago, he said in one of them 150 piece chests there is a huge range of manufacturers, i.e the manufacturer of the sockets is not necessarily the same as the spanners etc. That was both due to cost, and quality!

Is there still a lifetime warranty on their pro stuff?

Oh a Chisel is very handy too! and MoS spay to loosen bolts and nuts (really does work), brake cleaner.

Edited by Sir Yun on 27th Aug, 2012.

That sir, is not rust, it is the progressive mass reduction system

http://aseriesmodifications.wordpress.com/

grease gun

personally, I have a mix of stuff, ranging from snap-on, britool, mac through to the halfords pro stuff. The halfords ratchets are ok but I've also got a set of britool ones which I prefer using.

as for what to go for, I'd generally buy separately although I did pick up a 150 piece halfords set for my brother a few months back for £100 which i did consider was a good starting basis. the downside is that it is all metric (fine for him) but not so good for the mini.

I've also bought a fair bit second hand in recent years

I always used to swear by Britool but sadly the company has been taken over and some of the more recent stuff from them I have seen has not impressed me at all, seems to have gone down in quality in my opinion which is a real shame.
I've now started buying Snap On stuff, I will say that some things are better than others, their ratchets in particular I am not massively impressed with, but other the other hand the set of pry bars I have got are excellent. Yes it is expensive, but if you bide your time you can get good tools second hand more much more reasonable prices, with the added bonus that Snap On stuff does always retain a reasonable resale value if you decide you no longer need the tools, whereas other brands are worth buttons second hand.

il look at 2nd hand tools then, and maybe look at some sort of kit to start with. On top of that il get a torque wrench and a trolley jack and some axle stands.