Spec me a manly toolkit!

NotAGolf

NotAGolf

NotAGolf

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I'm moving into my first house soon, and therefore need to buy lots of things to fill it with. At the top of my list is a manly toolkit :D

I've got a power drill with lots of bits, and a few random spanners, but that's it.

Anyone got any suggestions as to where I could get a starter kit from? I'm thinking a toolbox, few spanners, screwdrivers, pliers, hammer, saw, alan keys etc. Power tools can come later when I have a bit more money!!

Any tools you'd defintely recommend making sure are included, things to avoid?

Budget I'm thinking of around £50. Over time I'm sure I'll get better quality stuff but I need something to start with and obviously money is tight atm.

Thanks.
 
cool_tools_activity_set.jpg


Toy's 'R' Us :)
 
Halfords professional range, excellent tools with lifetime guarantee.

If you could stretch to 99 their big set is worth it down from 199, this is a common sale and almost always on sale.
 
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I've got a shed load of tools, but the ones I use most are the £3 set of screwdriver bits from Tesco.
Think about what you want to do first, then buy the tool for the job, don't go mad buying stuff that you will never use or is 'Pro', most tools will get lost before they ever wear out.

One of those tiny Li-ion screwdrivers is worth having if you ever do any flatpack. A multimeter is also handy to have around. Also a small LED torch, see the OcUK thread for good ones.

Actually a bent wire coathanger is the most indispensable thing in my toolkit.
A metal/ABS toolbox will always be too small, get a canvas one, you can stuff more big tools into it.


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bitslice said:
I've got a shed load of tools, but the ones I use most are the £3 set of screwdriver bits from Tesco.
Think about what you want to do first, then buy the tool for the job.
Click to expand...

I wouldn't recommend cheap tools unless you are on a tight budget and you don't mind buying reguly. All my cheap tools are broke or bent, screwdriver ends are rounded off etc. Angle grinder keeps coming apart and jamming the switch on, socket heads sheer in half. It's just a pain in the neck.
 
AcidHell2 said:
I wouldn't recommend cheap tools unless you are on a tight budget and you don't mind buying reguly.
Click to expand...
Oh I've got all the diamond screw bits, proper sets of screwdrivers etc, it's just that all that stuff is kept in boxes in the workroom.
The £3 set is the one that gets left lying around and therefore it's also the one that's always to hand. Being able to find the tool is half the job.

Like spanners sets, nice if you are working on a car but I'd rather take it to a garage.
Sods law says I won't have the correct deep socket for a spark plug, the offset one for a pulley bolt, a long enough extension for some other widget, a ball ended allen key for the offset bolt, circlip pliers to remove a retaining clip or a torque wrench to do it properly, the threadfast to reseat the bolt or the spare copper washer to replace the old one. This is from someone who has a set of adjustable marine spanners that will undo 150mm nuts...

You can't just buy a spanner set and think that's all you'll ever need, it's just a never ending pit.
 
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As above, buy tools as and when you need them. The tools ive used the most when ive moved out are:

Adjustable spanner
Hammer
Allen keys
Medium phillips and flathead screwdrivers
Bosch Li-ion battery screwdriver with 20pc ends.
Mole-grips
Pliars

Only other thing I had to borrow for a day was a drill to hang curtain rails.

I do have a pretty decent tool-kit, but for house work thats all ive had to use really.
 
My advice is to buy things as you need them - go down the hardware shop and pick something out that looks like it will last. Kits are always over-economised, pants quality, knowing full well you'll be buying replacements in a few years.
 
So what to you plan to do to your house?
Then when you have decided, get the items you need.

ie quality drill bits, not cheap nasty rubbish
power screwdriver
big hammer
 
Thanks for all the advice.

I've looked at a few of the kits mentioned. The problem with most of them is that they have 100 odd pieces, but I'm probably only likely to use 10 of them at most.

So the other option, as many have said, is to get pieces individually. The problem with that though is when something happens and you don't have a tool to fix it. Last thing I want to do is drive 20 miles to get it!

I'm no hardcore diy'er and I'm no car mechanic, I will probably only need the basics like I mentioned in my OP. For example a lot of these kits all include socket sets. I've not once used on of these in 24 years, and if I did need one, an adjustable spanner should do the trick.
 
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