So what tools have you purchased and thought for ages after what hassle it has saved you and how glad you are you got it to make your life easier?

One of mine is my Snap On impact gun. Want to know what little tools there are which i could buy to make jobs much easier for myself as when i play its a hobby its not a job so not aware of the gizmo's available.

1 thing i am after is a tool for the clips usually found on coolant hoses with the 3 prongs. They are a nightmare and i have seen a handy tool which is remote on an extension which you put on the clip and clamp with the other hand a few feet away looks so much easier than the trusty pliers i use which are a nightmare in tighter areas.

 

My head torch. I use it on every job.

 

the rear brake caliper winder tool, beats using long nose plyers and digging a screwdriver in your hand

 

I won a zetec S interior and magnex exhaust system, each for 99p on ebay 15 miles from my house. The bloke was gutted.

 

My bore scope it saves so much time taking stuff apart

 

Were are on about tools you tooooooool.

lol

 

I'll add my 150 piece halfords tool kit, as it covers most jobs and is nicely set out and potable.

Currently on offer again, it's a bargain for the price!

 

Mine gotta be my blue point 3/8 3/4 socket set they both have most of what I need and haven't broke and I'm a heavy handed person even the small set I use on a digger no probs lol love them both even got Missus bro to get one n he can't go with out it lol

 

go for 170 piece. very handy kit to keep in boot of car. all ratchet spanners so far better imo, and lifetime no quibble guarantee. i found the 3/8 ratchet was sticking after about 12months, took it back and it was replaced with no questions asked. i wasn't even asked for the receipt. as a tip go on halfords site and look at them and sign up for there email notifications. everything you've looked at you will be sent an email when there is a special offer on, and usually for limited time. i had my 150 piece for Ł79.99 and 170 for Ł89.99. bargain.

 

For me it's my big fuck off hammer lol

 

good choice. if the fault can't be fixed with a hammer it's electrical

 

Serious note it's probably my multimeter

 

Has to be my Sykes Pickavant Relay tester

Handy bit of kit - and has saved me loads of time on weird 'non-start' problems mostly with MY2000>onwards Transits

And FoCom diagnostic software Does 99% what Ford IDS does... Diagnostic testing, detailed fault codes. Codes keys, pumps, TDCi injectors... Use it nearly every day. Ł250 well spent! And because it's genuine and not chinese, it gets frequent updates.

 

Just starting with im new here lol
But yeah, either my snapon 1/2 breaker bar, used 10ft scaffold tube on it, that i was pushing with a forktruck to undo steering arm bolts and it still didnt break, the joys of working on cranes everyday! That or my power probe, makes electrical faults so much easyer

 

Probably my snap on battery impact gun. Ł600 but makes life so much Easier at work and at home

 

i have one its money well spent

 

My current favourite is my finger rachet set:



great for fiddly places and for spinning on a nut on a longish thread.

 

Dam you Warren they are as cool as!


just ordered some

 

it's either my snap on supercuff carbon gloves or my compac low entry workshop jack. the gloves stop me rapping my knuckles off of things when trying to undo stubborn nuts/bolts and as for the jack, well I haven't found a car too low to get it under yet. plus it lifts to around 800mm giving acres of room to work.

regards,

Tom

 

not a very expensive tool, but this has saved me so much time on corsas and lagunas

inner tie rod tool

 

A rotor ratchet.
Twist the handle to spin the head. Ideal for tight spots.

 

Warren, who makes those finger ratchets? Look pretty useful, wouldn't mind a set like that myself!

For me, I've got a few tools that are "one job" tools - one's that exist for no other reason than doing a specific job, such as this Sierra scuttle clip tool;



And a BMW mini door glass adjustment tool;



But as for general service tools, Snap-On ratchet screwdriver;



Hands down, best tool I've ever bought. Completely changed my way or working when it comes to stripping doors down, etc. I still have a few single-purpose screwdrivers; a big flat, some big Phillips (no4 Phillips is a beast of a driver) and some torx, along with a nifty Facom handle that accepts double ended hex shanks, with a variety of driver ends) but I just love this screwdriver! I need the little stubby version too

Other useful bits are these bit ratchets, that I initially bought purely for doing Audi door glasses, but have proved to be useful for other stuff too;



And this ratchet adapter;



Which fits into a 13mm ratchet spanner (or plain ring end if you so wished) and loads a 3/8" drive socket, for restricted access jobs;



Loads of other really useful bits too, but my most recent "bargain" came by buying this job bundle;



All I needed was the "pigs foot" trim tool (because I'd lost mine and was getting pissed off not having one). RRP on that one tool is Ł33, but this bundle was Ł26 inc postage, so I bought it, then listed all the other bits on ebay for reasonable prices, and so far sold it all bar the flex socket (probably cos it's imperial, and not metric, so not as common these days) and pulled in Ł27 (net) so I'm a quid better off, AND I got a "free" tool! Result!

Now if only I could get it with an orange handle.....!

 

Snap on make a very nice set (HERE), but are over a hundred quid - not ideal for a hobbyist

Cromwell make a much more affordable set (HERE), at about Ł40. Or have a look on eBay too.

I don't work on engines, so I don't need a set, but I do remember when I used to tinker with my cars engines, and those hose clamps were a fucker! I wished I'd had a set of these back then - save the countless bleeding fingers trying to prise them off with regular pliers and slipping off!

Do yourself a favour too, if you spend any amount of time removing engine hoses - get a radiator hose pick set. Again, Snap On make a great set (HERE) but very pricey. I found this set (HERE) on a Google search, which looks to be a great little kit, but no idea where you could buy them from?

 

That's cool, I'm getting some of them