How times have changed - Tool wise

[DXP55]

Sitting on the big white telephone this morning talking to God - (as you do) I was thinking of that spinning T bar posted yesterday and started thinking of what tools I have - A lot but no where near what other people have.

Compressor and air tools - socket sets in 1/2"-3/8" -1/4" -breaker bars - torque wrench - open spanners -open/ring -open/ratchet - ring spanners flat - ring spanners cranked -adjustable spanners -loads of pliers of all sorts- Grips -18v impact driver and drills -Large vise -hydraulic jacks/bottle -scissor jacks -axle stands - enough screwdrivers to make a screwdriver man - enough work light's to light up Birmingham city center - and a few other handy tools for specific jobs.

Going back to my first mechanic project in Early 60's (50cc scooter) I stripped the engine with something like two open spanners- one ring - an adjustable and two screwdrivers. It did work after as well - It seems that in those days tools cost a fortune and most of mine were hand me downs - Now after doing my first mechanic job for years (discs/pads -drop links -filters) I needed a 7mm socket screwdriver thing - got 8mm which is great for nuts on air cleaner - although I have 1/4 drive sets having a few extensions together isn't quite the same - So I am thinking bolt stable door after horse has gone and buy me a set just in case. Tools seem so much cheaper these days and I don't buy cheap stuff unless it's a one job thing.

How about you ?

I am not asking anything - I am just pointing out how things have changed for me since I first started fixing my bikes and cars over the years. I am talking real tools and not electronic stuff.

 

[sigma]

Not quite sure what you're asking...

Having said that, for most current model cars it's usually required to plug a computer in or even link to it remotely!

 

[Finglonga]

I have Halfords Pro stuff and because it was mostly Fords I worked on, It is all 10mm, 13mm and 17mm (sockets, ring/open spanners) as that was mostly what they fixed everything with. Screwdriver wise a couple of Snap-On ratchet ones oh and a lump hammer that I used to tap the starter bendix on the Cortina and Capri. Latest socket I bought was for the VW oil filter and first I have purchased for decades.

 

[Cookeh]

I have a 42 piece Bahco 3/8" socket set, a 48 piece 1/2" Kamasa set and a Magnusson 1/4" wrench (all three together cost <£70, with the Kamasa set being used). Some cheap £10 screwdrivers, a £4 torx bit set and £10 E-torx bit set, some random spanners + mole grip bought on Gumtree for £5 and I've managed to sort everything mechanically on my 850 and both my old and my girlfriends current Corolla with no issues. I really don't think you need a lot to do your own work on cars, and you definitely don't need mega-expensive stuff. Mid-range like Bahco and Kamasa will last you decades if looked after; for example my father has the same Kamasa socket set and he's had it for 30+ years, its still complete with no rust, wear or damage. Halfords Pro stuff on sale is also a pretty good shout, from what I've read.

I'm often on the look out for used sets, as you can get some really good bargains and great quality stuff for far far less than retail. More importantly though, I think the perception that you need a million tools to work on cars needs to be addressed as it really isnt the case. For the first two years that I worked on cars for I did everything with my 3/8" Bahco set and the £5 assorted spanners.

 

[ttaskmaster]

While I have maybe 4/5ths of those tools for mechanical things, I'm more intrigued by my recent venture into woodworking - I began with grand designs for routers and tablesaws and drills and planer/thicknessers and all that... but have instead ended up with a load of hand tools, mostly pre-WWII dated, because they're just better.

"The more things change, the more they stay the same...."
Snake Plissken.