Mild case of tool porn addiction.

[Gerontious]

Been doing a bit of overtime each month and setting this aside for tool purchases. and today these arrived. how can such little things cause such excitement?

 

.

 

Updating the bikes tool kit as the spanner that came with the bike to adjust the chain offended my OCD. it was a 10/13 and yet the one nut is a 12mm.

 

And we can't have that!! (can we)

 

 

 

Edited April 23, 2022 by Gerontious

[bud]

Nice looking . Got to be better than the spares kit from the bike.

I have used their screw drivers, but not seen the spanners before.

[Guest]

I got some for chrimbo, they are just bloody lovely.

[Gerontious]

9 minutes ago, goat said:

I got some for chrimbo, they are just bloody lovely.

You are very fortunate to have a friend or relative with that kind of 'an eye'.

I simply cannot justify the cost of one of their sets, because most of the sizes would never get used by me. but.. buying the individual sizes in dribs and drabs is easier.

 

Their Allen keys are fabulous. A Christmas gift to me, and what sent me down this rabbit hole.

[S-Westerly]

Not often I can get excited by tools but having googled them I now have a serious case of tool envy. Nice looking kit.

[Gerontious]

oops. (I really need to stop doing overtime)

 

 

 

 

[bud]

This is how they lure you in. Before you know it you have three tool cabinets full of their tools.

[Mickly]

Yesterday I walked past the Snap On van that was at the garage at the end of the road .. the side door was open & I looked in …. Reminded me of the Child Snatcher from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, it took a super human effort to resist the shiney trinketry inside.

[Gerontious]

46 minutes ago, bud said:

This is how they lure you in. Before you know it you have three tool cabinets full of their tools.

 

Probably not, I only tend to buy what I genuinely need for specific jobs. Bought this little socket set mostly because I've been drooling over the ratchet. (a thing of beauty) and I wanted a small set for on the bike as well as some extra drivers. in addition to that I bought 2 larger size sockets that aren't in this set but I will definitely need. a 22 and 27mm. I have a Wera torque wrench that gets used a fair bit (and is bloody lovely).  Everything else Ive got is Bahco.

 

Never been keen on Snap On. Though as my mate loves to remind me, Snap On own Bahco, so, maybe I do. What I really do Like is Hazet and Stahlwille, But I can't justify the cost. "Made in Germany" doesn't come cheap.

 

I should add, eBay had a promotion on which helped and meant these bits were nearly VAT free. Which makes things like this so much easier to justify to oneself. Anyway, my updated tool kit for travel is now complete. Only item from the toolkit Im keeping is the screwdriver as its a JIS.

[billy sugger]

I carry these babies on the bike. 

Both ratchets are shorter than my middle finger

 

 

Edited May 5, 2022 by billy sugger

[Fozzie]

7 hours ago, Gerontious said:

oops. (I really need to stop doing overtime)

 

 

 

 

 

How heavy duty are they? When I see Wera tools, they remind me of the kit I see the lads using to build electrical panels. Tends to be a clean environment, and not huge torques placed on the tools, but a lot of fiddly spaces.

Be interested to know if they were up to tight spaces dealing with rusty bolts on old bikes. 

[Mickly]

I only carry the OEM toolkit on the bike … plus a charged mobile phone & credit card

[Gerontious]

56 minutes ago, Fozzie said:

 

How heavy duty are they? When I see Wera tools, they remind me of the kit I see the lads using to build electrical panels. Tends to be a clean environment, and not huge torques placed on the tools, but a lot of fiddly spaces.

Be interested to know if they were up to tight spaces dealing with rusty bolts on old bikes. 

I buy tools for the application at hand, I don't have any rusty bolts and my bike is a 2018.

In all my time, Ive only managed to break 1 socket and that was a Halfords Professional, that I needed in a hurry and bought as a 'one off' single. The outer wall of the socket (a 1/2" 24mm) shattered. and it didn't take much force. shocking.

Wera seem to aim their tools at various markets.. so yes, I can see where you're coming from with electrical panels and such.

But, I doubt there are many electrical panels that would require a 27mm socket. or torque of 100nm (or even 300nm) So, this set and the other bits are very much aimed at the automotive segment.  and as heavy duty as its possible for a 3/8" set to be. If I were to need tougher, then I would use my 1/2" set. But, 1/2" inch isn't really suitable for carrying around on the bike.  (aside from one particular application when overseas)

I've a little trip coming up and part of this is about being prepared for that.. and theoretically being able to fix minor issues on the bikes that will be accompanying me. upgrading and expanding somewhat the OEM toolkit, As we will be somewhere that mobile signals are spotty at best and I would rather not have to wait around for hours for assistance for something that can be fixed in minutes. I will be taking the 1/2" 27mm and breaker bar, as they can live for the duration at the bottom of my pannier.

I usually rely on "sods law" if you have tools with you - you will never need them. works every time.

 

Unless your name is smallfrowne. (obviously) Though he's learnt all about sods law, the hard way.

 

[Fish]

When I first started playing around with cars, I bought tools as I needed them and ended up with a real mix n match set. Then I bought a couple of Halfords Professional (pre advanced range) trays, 1 sockets and the other spanners or wrenches if you prefer to call them. 

 

Over time whenever they broken I'd taken them bcak and they'd get replaced after some discussion about not still having a receipt umpteen years later. Lifetime guantee they say..... I did splurge on a decent box to put them all in, which meant I met a decent StrapOn tools merchant, who understands that I'm not in the trade, but he's quite accomadating when I need something. Slowly but surely the Halfords are becoming SnapOn.

[Tiggie]

I've got a set of the Halford Professional sockets/spanners too. I've had approx ten years out of them so far and just had one torx bit snap on me which they replaced in store  

[Gerontious]

3 minutes ago, Fish said:

When I first started playing around with cars, I bought tools as I needed them and ended up with a real mix n match set. Then I bought a couple of Halfords Professional (pre advanced range) trays, 1 sockets and the other spanners or wrenches if you prefer to call them. 

 

Over time whenever they broken I'd taken them bcak and they'd get replaced after some discussion about not still having a receipt umpteen years later. Lifetime guantee they say..... I did splurge on a decent box to put them all in, which meant I met a decent StrapOn tools merchant, who understands that I'm not in the trade, but he's quite accomadating when I need something. Slowly but surely the Halfords are becoming SnapOn.

 

I was too angry to take it back. Bike has always been my sole transport. so no bike, its either Taxi, Bus or walk. and the local Halfords wasn't exactly local.

I vented my anger doing some research and settled on a 1/2" Bahco full set, which I stlll have. and is (amazingly) still complete... no missing 10mm here!!

The Africa twin, has 3 places to store tools, so I'm spoilt for space. My pannier rack also has an optional tool box that I got at the time. so.. my rule of thumb was only to get bits that would fit in these spaces. and Ive managed that.

so.. I have 2 tool kits. The Bahco. for home. The Wera for on the bike. the Honda, which went for recycling. (aside from the JIS screwdriver)

Im the same, I don't like mixing brands.. bits of this and that.

 

Pliers and so on, I use Knipex.

 

I have a Wera Torque wrench, Wera used to have them made by Norbar, but switched to a Taiwanese manufacturer. Its a fantastic gadget, beautifully made and a pleasure to use.

 

For screwdrivers for home, I went for Wera, Though it could just as easily been Wiha. had I money to burn, then it would have been PB Swiss.

 

Ive never liked Snap-On. no real reason for that aside from price. They are top-flight and the prices show. But, I like to be different.. and if I had Snap-On money to spend. I would go for either Hazet or Stahlwille. Top flight German brands.

 

I tend to wait for offers.. and very conveniently eBay gave me a voucher which meant my recent buys have been almost VAT free. Amazon occasionally do the same, but don't announce it.

[Mississippi Bullfrog]

I shall proudly wield my allen key set from Aldi's centre aisle. 

 

[Ian Frog]

7 minutes ago, Mississippi Bullfrog said:

I shall proudly wield my allen key set from Aldi's centre aisle. 

 

Go on then be a devil !

Cheers

Ian

[Gerontious]

27 minutes ago, Ian Frog said:

Go on then be a devil !

Cheers

Ian

He should do a post about them. As well as other Aldi (or Lidl) specials. They do sell some great stuff. If it’s worth proudly wielding. Then it’s worth talking about.

[Ian Frog]

Very fair point !

I have seen some great deals but always seem to find out about them just that bit too late lol.

Cheers

Ian

[dashfixer]

I'm an aircraft maintenance engineer and until recently we had to supply our own tools. Snap-On, Facom, Britool, and Mac all used to turn up at the airport in their goodie vans. We had to tell the apprentices not to go on board and spend all their pay on a set of spanners or sockets but to buy a set of cheap spanners or sockets and then after a few months buy quality versions of the individual size tools that they used a lot. If you buy sets they look good in your tool box but you invariably only used a few particular sizes. 

[Gerontious]

49 minutes ago, dashfixer said:

I'm an aircraft maintenance engineer and until recently we had to supply our own tools. Snap-On, Facom, Britool, and Mac all used to turn up at the airport in their goodie vans. We had to tell the apprentices not to go on board and spend all their pay on a set of spanners or sockets but to buy a set of cheap spanners or sockets and then after a few months buy quality versions of the individual size tools that they used a lot. If you buy sets they look good in your tool box but you invariably only used a few particular sizes. 

 

Indeed. which is why in addition to this fairly small set, I also got the two sockets my bike needs for the most likely job 'on-tour' that are only usually included in far bigger and increasingly expensive sets. And why, at the top of this thread I only bought two spanners, as they are all I need.

Edited May 30, 2022 by Gerontious

[MikeHorton]

49 minutes ago, dashfixer said:

I'm an aircraft maintenance engineer and until recently we had to supply our own tools. Snap-On, Facom, Britool, and Mac all used to turn up at the airport in their goodie vans. We had to tell the apprentices not to go on board and spend all their pay on a set of spanners or sockets but to buy a set of cheap spanners or sockets and then after a few months buy quality versions of the individual size tools that they used a lot. If you buy sets they look good in your tool box but you invariably only used a few particular sizes. 

When I was a toolmaker I used to buy stuff off the guys retiring some of which I still have now, some unusual bsp and Whitworth Spanners

[Mississippi Bullfrog]

27 minutes ago, MikeHorton said:

When I was a toolmaker I used to buy stuff off the guys retiring some of which I still have now, some unusual bsp and Whitworth Spanners

Those odd sizes can be useful when working on Japanese cars. I've never figured out why but we had a couple of Toyotas and none of my metric spanners or sockets fitted them. I always used my tools for my classic cars on the Toyotas.